Jan 30 2009
Who Is The Best in the East?
It is not everyday during an NBA season that you can sit and question who is the best team in a Conference and 3 teams come to mind. Usually, like in past years, you say one team for one conference and that is the end of of your debate and you move on.
Last year it was easily the Boston Celtics, the year before that it was the San Antonio Spurs in the West, but this year is different. The talent level of the NBA has risen to new heights and now we see a great balance of teams in the Eastern Conference that all have a shot to be tops.
The Boston Celtics are the reigning East and NBA Champions who were once in a slump and thought to be too old to contend again. Since that slump, the Celtics have regained their mojo, and look like one of the best teams in the league and a top contender.
The Cleveland Cavaliers were not supposed to be contenders this year, but LeBron James has carried his team to top of the East. James’ teammates have played unexpectedly well over the first part of the season and will be a force to reckon with in the Playoffs with an undefeated record at home.
A team really no one expected to even be in the conversation was the Orlando Magic with their young roster with few veterans. Orlando has built itself around Center Dwight Howard and Point Gurad Jameer Nelson and now sit only 2 games out of the top spot in the East.
The West is a different story, perhaps even just a one trick pony, with the Los Angeles Lakers dominating the standings and sitting pretty with a 4.5 game lead for the top spot in the Conference. Again, the season is just about to hit its halfway point so we will see who the real contenders are at the end of the regular season.
J.M.Saucedo
