Detroit Pistons: Is the Eastern Conference now better than the West?
Detroit Pistons: Is the Eastern Conference finally better than the West?
The tier above “meh” has teams that could contend for a title if everything goes right for them or if there is a big midseason addition. This is another tier that is much better in the West.
Western Conference “Sort of Contenders”
- Dallas Mavericks
- Denver Nuggets
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- New Orleans Pelicans
Eastern Conference “Sort of Contenders”
- Toronto Raptors
- Chicago Bulls
- Atlanta Hawks
This tier is a big win for the West, as any of those four teams could end up as top-4 seeds in their conference and make the NBA Finals, but there are still questions. Did Dallas do enough around Luka Doncic? (probably not) Can the Nuggets stay healthy around Nikola Jokic? Will Rudy Gobert take the Timberwolves to the next level? Can Zion Williamson stay healthy for the Pelicans?
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The Bulls may be without Lonzo Ball again for the start of next season and will be relying heavily on an aging DeMar DeRozan. The Raptors could surprise some people next season and end up with home court in the playoffs and the Hawks could get back to the Eastern Conference Finals if things bounce their way.
Thie West is probably better in the middle two tiers, but what about the top?