Tag: Eastern Conference

Forsberg, Washburn: Don’t count Boston Celtics out in the East

Some league analysts are still quite bullish on Boston’s chances to win the conference.

The recent trade sending Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks sent shock waves through the NBA and altered the Eastern Conference landscape. While many expected Lillard to join the Miami Heat, the move to Milwaukee has changed the dynamics of the conference.

The trade has made the Bucks, who already had Giannis Antetokounmpo, the favorites in the East for some. However, there are questions about whether this move truly catapults them to the top, given the age of some of their key players and the departure of Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen.

On the other hand, the Boston Celtics find themselves in a competitive position even though they face their own uncertainties.

Some league analysts are still quite bullish on Boston’s chances to win the conference, such as NBC Sports’ Chris Forsberg and the Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn. They join host Trenni Casey on a recent episode of “Arbella Early Edition.”

Check out the clip embedded above to hear their view on Boston.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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What can we suss out about the East’s order for 2023-24 based on each team’s offseason?

Are the New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, and Cleveland Cavaliers still on the rise in the ranks of the East?

What can we suss out about the NBA’s Eastern Conference order for the league’s 2023-24 season based on each team’s moves during the 2023 offseason? The Boston Celtics are widely expected to be among the conference’s strongest title contenders in the coming season, but what about perennial contenders like the Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers? Will they be back in the saddle next season?

Are the New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers still on the rise in the ranks of the East? And what, exactly, is going on with the Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers and Washington Wizards after a fairly turbulent 2022-23 season?

To talk it over, the hosts of the CLNS Media “Celtics Lab” podcast got together with Celtics Blog and Heavy’s Adam Taylor.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what conclusions they came to about how the league’s Eastern Conference will stack up next season.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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What will the order of the NBA’s Eastern Conference be in 2023-24?

More importantly, where could the Boston Celtics fall within it?

What will the order of the NBA’s Eastern Conference look like for the looming 2023-24 regular season? At the start of the 2022-23 season, the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers were seen as likely to contend for an NBA title, yet it was the Miami Heat who leapfrogged or beat all of those clubs to make it to the 2023 NBA Finals.

Below that level, the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, and Atlanta Hawks were all seen as teams that could make some noise in the postseason — will any of those clubs take a step forward this season? Or for that matter, backward? And which teams will be positioning themselves for draft lottery odds?

The folks behind the CLNS Media “First to the Floor” podcast put their heads together to try and divine the East’s order for 2023-24 on a recent podcast.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear where they think each team will end up by season’s end.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Which NBA conference was the better of the two in the 1980s – East, or West?

There is no better person to ask than someone who was actually on those teams playing the games, and NBA legends Bob McAdoo, Michael Cooper, and Cedric Maxwell did just that.

Which NBA conference was the better of the two in the 1980s? The league’s Eastern Conference had the Boston Celtics of course, as well as the Bad Boy Detroit Pistons, and at different parts of the decade, dangerous New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls teams.

The Western Conference had the Los Angeles Lakers, the Houston Rockets, Utah Jazz, and Seattle SuperSonics (today’s Oklahoma City Thunder for you younger fans) as a few examples, with the Lakers and the Celtics dominating the postseason runs of the early to mid-1980s in particular. There is no better person to ask than someone who was actually on those teams playing the games, and NBA legends Bob McAdoo, Michael Cooper, and Cedric Maxwell got together to talk it over for the CLNS Media “History and Legends” YouTube channel in a recent clip.

Take a look at the video embedded below to hear their perspective on whether it was the East or the West reigning supreme in the eighties.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Is there a clear-cut leader in the NBA’s Eastern Conference?

More specifically, is it the Boston Celtics, despite recent turbulence?

With the top of the Eastern Conference standings as tight as they have been since close to the start of the 2022-23 NBA season, the Boston Celtics and the other elite clubs could still undergo some significant movement in the standings.

Will the Milwaukee Bucks be at the top of the East by the season’s end? Can the Philadelphia 76ers catch the Celtics for second place? And what about the surging New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers. Could either realistically finish as high as third?

The hosts of TNT’s “Inside the NBA” with Shaq, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson debated the potential order of the Eastern Conference in the 2023 NBA playoffs on a recent episode.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what they had to say.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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After a busy trade deadline, who is the best team in the NBA’s Eastern Conference?

With the Brooklyn Nets having blown up their title core by sending Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant to the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns respectively, are the Boston Celtics still the top dogs of the East?

With the 2023 NBA trade deadline now firmly in the rearview mirror, who are the best teams in the NBA’s Eastern Conference?

The Brooklyn Nets blew up their title core by sending Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant to the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns, respectively. The Milwaukee Bucks made some notable moves, and the Philadelphia 76ers made a minor trade on the margin. Others in the Eastern Conference did little or even stood pat.

Does any of this look likely to upend the order of this conference by season’s end? Are the Boston Celtics the top dogs of the East?

The hosts of the ESPN “NBA Today” show took their best shot at answering this question soon after the deadline passed on Thursday.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what they had to say.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Kyrie Irving’s trade request is incredible news for Cleveland Cavaliers bettors

Everything is coming up Cleveland in the Eastern Conference

It’s been a little while since Kyrie Irving was in the news for basketball reasons and oh boy did he fix that in a big way on Friday.

Less than a week before the NBA trade deadline, Irving threw himself onto the market by demanding out of Brooklyn. The most recent plot twist comes as Irving tried, and seemingly failed, to negotiate an extension with the Nets and pretty much brings an end to New York City’s latest attempt to secure a title via Super Team.

While that’s good news for pretty much every team in the Eastern Conference, there’s one group in particular who should be celebrating a bit harder right now: Cleveland Cavaliers bettors.

As of January 31, the Cavs were the biggest liability to win the East at BetMGM and their odds to do so are only getting better after Irving’s request.

That the Cavs were a popular pick to win the East after trading for Donovan Mitchell isn’t surprising. But the Nets potentially losing one of their more dominant stars at this point in the year changes the equation quite a bit.

Not only does it weaken a supposed powerhouse team in the East, it might just help Cleveland secure homecourt advantage in the postseason.

Entering Friday the Cavs were a half-game back of the Nets for the No. 4 seed in the East. The latest turmoil in Brooklyn is the perfect opportunity for Cleveland to overtake the Nets in the standings.

The Cavs already have the easiest schedule remaining in the NBA, per Tankathon, while Brooklyn has the sixth-toughest slate left. A downgrade from Irving in the lineup will certainly make things harder.

Now Cleveland just has to find a way past the Celtics, Sixers and Bucks to cash those tickets.

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Are the Boston Celtics are still the team to beat in the NBA’s Eastern Conference?

Are Boston’s peers in the East catching up?

The Boston Celtics raced to a very strong start to their 2022-23 NBA season. An historic offensive output created early separation for the club. But the Celtics have cooled just as many of their peers in the league’s Eastern Conference have begun to warm up.

With the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks all looking like much better versions of themselves than they did to start the season, is it fair to ask if the Boston Celtics are still the team to beat in the NBA’s Eastern Conference?

Shams Charania and the rest of the crew of the Stadium “The Rally” show gathered recently to talk it over.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what they had to say.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Will the Boston Celtics win the NBA’s Eastern Conference in 2022-23?

The Milwaukee Bucks, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, and Miami Heat are all playing at a higher level than when they started their respective campaigns, and the Cleveland Cavaliers have been no slouches either.

The Boston Celtics have built themselves a bit of a lead in the race for the top overall spot in the Eastern Conference and the No. 1 seed for the 2023 NBA playoffs. With a number of recent injuries and surges from several competitors in the East in recent weeks, it is not 100% clear the Celtics will be on top at the end of the season, which is still 33 games away.

The Milwaukee Bucks, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat are playing at a higher level than at the season’s start, and the Cleveland Cavaliers have been no slouches either.

While it might take a bit for Boston to fall out of first, the stage is set for the Celtics’ rivals to overtake them by season’s end.

To hear for yourself who NBA.com’s Mark Medina and the hosts of the “Lines” NBA betting podcast think will win the East in 2023, take a look at the clip embedded above.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Who is going to win the NBA’s Atlantic Division this season?

Apart from the first place Celtics, the Nets, 76ers, Cavs, and Bucks might conceivably be at the top of the standings when the dust settles.

The NBA’s Atlantic Division is among the league’s tightest races so far in the 2022-23 season. A handful of teams are in the mix to win it.

Apart from the first-place Boston Celtics, the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers might be at the top of the division standings when the dust settles in April.

If the Celtics can get a bit more consistent or the 76ers and Nets can get and stay healthy, any of the three could win the division and hold the Eastern Conference’s top seed for the playoffs.

The hosts of the Fan Sided “Stepback” podcast Ethan Skolnik and Brady Hawk took a deep dive into which ball clubs might win each of the league’s messier division races, the Atlantic Division of course among them.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what they had to say.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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