Top 5 Eastern Conference Teams Heading into All-Star Weekend

The NBA trade deadline has come and gone and now we’re in the second half of the season. The Super Bowl was last weekend and now the NBA takes center stage. The NBA All-Star weekend festivities occur this weekend. With less than 30 games remaining in the season there’s still a lot of basketball to be played. We will focus on the Eastern Conference and their top teams. The Boston Celtics has been the top dog for the entire season. Are they the best team in the Eastern Conference? If so, who are their biggest threats? Let’s look at the top 5 Eastern Conference teams heading into All-Star weekend.

Boston Celtics

Boston is arguably the best team in basketball, and they have the best record to go with it. Jayson Tatum is playing at an MVP level this season. We thought they would lack defense when they traded Marcus Smart. They added Jrue Holiday and he’s an upgrade to me because he can create for others also. Jaylen Brown is once again an All-Star and he’s also another great defender. The addition of Kristaps Porzingis has put this team over the top as he’s been an amazing addition. Porzingis is giving the Celtics 20 & 7 on a nightly basis and giving another two blocks a game. The addition of Xavier Tillman from Memphis gives added depth for their playoff run. Boston should cruise into the playoffs as the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Let’s not forget about the All-Star caliber season Derrick White is having also.

Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee currently sits in the third spot in the Eastern Conference. The Bucks have had their fair share of issues but remain a championship level team. They added Damian Lillard in the offseason, which gives them a premium scorer. Unfortunately, they had to trade a key piece of their championship team in Jrue Holiday. Giannis is still one of the best players in the league and arguably the most dominant. Despite having a good record, the Bucks fired Adrian Griffin as coach and brought in Doc Rivers. With Rivers, they got off to a shaky start, but they just blew out the Hornets and Nuggets. They traded for Patrick Beverly before the end of the trade deadline. Beverly gives them that scrappy defender they were missing after trading Holiday. They should find themselves in the Eastern Conference Finals and if so, it will be a great series with Boston.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers is the hottest team in the NBA right now. They had their 9-game winning streak snapped last night at the hands of the 76ers. The one thing the Cavs need to do to make a run is to stay healthy. Cleveland has dealt with a lot of injuries this season. Darius Garland and Evan Mobley have missed a fair amount of time this season. Donovan Mitchell has played outstanding this season. When Mobley was out due to injury, Jarrett Allen stepped his game up in a major way. Allen is averaging almost 16 & 11 on the season and Mobley is adding an additional 16 & 10. Cleveland didn’t make any moves before the trade deadline, and they could be looking at any buyouts. Cleveland got enough weapons on their team to pull an upset against either top team.

New York Knicks

The New York Knicks are currently sitting in the 4^th spot in the Eastern Conference. The biggest issue the Knicks are facing is the health of some of their key players. Julius Randle went down a couple weeks ago with a dislocated shoulder. Randle doesn’t want to get the season ending surgery. This could be something to look at during the remainder of the season. The Knicks traded for OG Anunoby, but he’s recovering from elbow surgery that will keep him out past the All-Star break. Jalen Brunson is an All-Star and he’s more than earned that distinction. Brunson is averaging 27.5 points, 6.5 assists and 4 rebounds per game. The Knicks made another trade before the deadline with the Pistons. New York got back Alec Burks and instant offense Bojan Bogdanovic. The Knicks are serious contenders in the Eastern Conference if everyone gets healthy.

Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers are my fifth and final team. The Sixers would be higher with a healthy Joell Embiid. Embiid is out indefinitely after getting surgery on his injured knee. Paul Reed has fit in nicely in Embiid’s absence. Tyrese Maxey is an All-Star and he’s been great for the Sixers, especially after Embiid went down. They traded for sharp shooting Buddy Hield to help Maxey in the backcourt. Hield is averaging over 22 points in the three games he’s played in for the Sixers. In their win over the Cavs, he scored 24 points, had four rebounds, eights assists and a steal. Philadelphia is still a good team, but a better one with Embiid in the lineup. Embiid was playing at an MVP level at the time of his injury. When Embiid returns from injury, will he return to form is the big question.