Coming into the 2024-25 season, there was a clear hierarchy in the Eastern Conference, with the Boston Celtics firmly on top and the Detroit Pistons floundering at the bottom.
The Pistons changed the narrative by unexpectedly making the playoffs behind a roster of guys who are mostly all 23 years old or younger.
Detroit went from hopeless to one of the most promising teams in the East over the course of one season, a transformation that looks to be sustainable.
The Celtics are still hanging on in their series against the Knicks, and it would be a very Knicks-like thing for New York to blow this series after Boston lost their best player, but if New York can hold on, it’s going to be a long summer for the Celtics.
Jayson Tatum ruptured his Achilles and will likely miss most or all of next season, a devastating and unfortunate injury to one of the league's best players.
The Celtics have huge payroll challenges that may force them to trade key veteran players in Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, which means we may be seeing a shift of power.
There are a number of factors lining up to make the East even more wide-open next season than it was in this one, which is great for an up-and-coming team like the Pistons.
The East is breaking for the Detroit Pistons
It’s not only Boston that may be facing an extreme makeover this summer. Long time Eastern Conference powerhouse Milwaukee may also go through a transformation, as Giannis Antetokounmpo made it clear he is open to relocating.
If Giannis gets traded to the West, you can scratch the Bucks off the list of playoff teams for the foreseeable future.
The Cavaliers may have to do some soul searching after getting bounced in the second-round again, so the top teams in the East all have big question marks moving forward.
The top two picks in the 2025 NBA Draft are both going West, so the Pistons don’t have to worry about that influx of talent on a conference rival, another positive for the East.
That really leaves the Pacers, Knicks, Pistons, Cavaliers and Magic as the teams that look most poised for success in both the present and future, as they are all good now and have young talent that should improve.
The landscape of the Eastern Conference is shifting before our eyes, with some of the dominant teams suddenly looking more vulnerable than their younger competition, so don’t be surprised if Detroit improves their position next season and becomes a legitimate threat to win the conference.