Remember the offseason, when idiots like me predicted the rise of the Leastern Conference?
The 2026-27 East had imported or returned a teamload of big names: LeBron James, Tyrese Haliburton, Jayson Tatum, Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis, Trae Young, etc. On paper, the top of the conference (Cleveland, Detroit, and New York) was coming back stronger than ever, while at least half a dozen other teams had added or consolidated talent.
On the flippy-floppy, OKC and San Antonio were still wagyu beef, but the rest of the West felt more Impossible Burger than it had in years. Denver had lost Peyton Watson and gotten older; the Wolves had remade their team in the image of basketball’s Puck; the Lakers were planning to start a guy who was a backup on the Nets; and the Rockets were relying upon a point guard last seen shooting 37.8% from the field to solve every problem they’d ever had. All others were riddled with questions or faced inexorable doom.
A reasonable onlooker could assume the East would, for the first time in a long time, hold its own against its more decorated peer. Summer dreams.
Not so fast, my friends! In fact, put that car in reverse and turn right round.