NBA playoff race questions: Are the Cavs the East favorites?
After an eventful NBA trade deadline that saw several stars change addresses, the dust has settled on an Eastern Conference that remains as wide open as ever.
Will the Detroit Pistons keep up their remarkable run to start the season and run away with the No. 1 seed?
Could the Boston Celtics get Jayson Tatum back and make another deep playoff push, or will the New York Knicks deliver on their heavy expectations?
How will the James Harden trade impact the Cleveland Cavaliers, and could this finally be the Philadelphia 76ers' season to break through?
Heading into the latest Eastern Conference showdown Wednesday night in Philadelphia between the Knicks and 76ers (7:30 ET, ESPN), here's a look at the state of the conference post-deadline, what to watch for over the next few months, and which team we believe will come out on top:
With the trade deadline behind us, where do things stand in the East?
Bontemps: Weirdly, it feels like nothing has changed. Typically at this time of the year, we see contending teams make moves to try to improve their title chances. But among the 10 teams with the best records as of Thursday's deadline, only one -- the Oklahoma City Thunder -- gave up a first-round pick to add a player. And five of the top 13 -- including the Celtics, 76ers and Toronto Raptors in the East -- made maneuvers to duck out of the luxury tax.
Goodwill: Essentially, yes, Tim. No single move elevated any team above the tier they were in. For all the talk that the East is for the taking -- remember, Detroit has a bigger lead than Oklahoma City does out West -- most of the work done was filling in the margins.
Bontemps: It feels weird to say anything negative about a Pistons team that added a good player in Huerter, who addresses their biggest weakness: perimeter shooting. And yet, I can't help but wonder if they should've tried to make an even bigger splash to solidify itself as a bona fide contender.
Goodwill: It depends if there was a true opportunity to be had. Jaren Jackson Jr.'s name was thrown about, but considering Memphis received three future first-round picks for him, that was too much draft capital for Detroit to give up. I didn't get the feeling general manager Trajan Langdon was ready to press the fast-forward button unless there was a great, cost-effective deal to be made.
Bontemps: You hit the nail on the head with your last point, Vince. It feels like this season -- despite having a super-young core -- might very well be the best chance this group has with Cade Cunningham leading the way. Not because the Pistons won't be good going forward, but because of the reemergence of Tatum and Haliburton, plus the potential for other things to change.
Goodwill: I'm a bit surprised the Miami Heat didn't make a big move. They were speculated to be in the Ja Morant sweepstakes, but I talked to execs with teams who were in contact with the Memphis Grizzlies, and Morant is viewed as a negative asset. The Grizzlies would've had to attach draft capital with him because of his contract. Could the Heat have taken a chance on him? Perhaps.
Bontemps: I mean, I'm tempted to say I completely agree with you simply because it would absolve me of having to come up with an answer to a seemingly impossible question. I've been asked countless times over the past few months who I think will win the Eastern Conference, and I have never felt good about my answer. That said, if I have to pick a team now, I'm going to do something I never imagined I would at the start of the season. Here's my top four:
Celtics
Knicks
Pistons
Cavaliers/76ers
