Oct 29, 2025
3 min read
The East is the land of opportunity, where teams will be fighting for a spot all season long.
Good NBA lesson from week 1?The East is more interesting than you think
NBA hoops opening week delivered ALL the goods.Oklahoma City began its championship defense with two double overtimes, the Nuggets and Warriors delivered an overtime thriller.Luka Doncic became the first player in NBA history to open the season with consecutive games of 40 plus points, 10 plus rebounds and 5 assists.Giannis Antetokounmpo became the first player in NBA history to start a season with 60-plus points, 30-plus rebounds and 10-plus assists in two games.Aaron Gordon joined the elite club of players dropping 50 or more points in the season opener.And then there's the * wild hand * Victor Vembanyama waves of it all.It was fun.
Despite all thisMy mind still goes back to*Payment* of the Eastern Conference
Please resist the temptation to put the l before east and stick with me.I'm sure it's easy to point to the Cleveland Vivalers in Cleveland and June in New York and call it a contender and call it a day, but there's something about this East that I can't shake.
Cavaliers, Knicks have questions
There is more to learn than meets the eye at the start of the regular season.We can recognize early weather patterns very quickly.In Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell still looks open to Kenny Atkinson's high-octane offense.You can see the confidence he plays with off screen.At this point, he only has command and control over the offense.To get his tip in the jump.
As good as the Cavs have proven to be, questions swirl to some degree.Health is their biggest concern, but what's next for Evan Mobley?Is it more work?Is it continued consistency when he's off the ball?Will the Cavs be ready to deal with teams looking to land Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland and Mitchell during the playoffs?
The Knicks, meanwhile, are in the second year of this roster and the first year of Mike Brown's vision. Brown is implementing a faster, faster pace, more opportunities to run a balanced offense behind Jalen Brunson and Karl Anthony Towns. That just makes Brunson a star player who constantly keeps defenses off balance. Teams already know they have to deal with Brunson in the pick-and-roll, and he can find ways to get to his spots and score.goals. They now have to deal with him as a break-and-kick receiver who can penetrate and attack defenses in rotation.
But how will more film on them develop as the season and teams progress?Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby have a bigger piece of the pie that can unlock the Knicks' offensive attack, but what happens when the defense doesn't cooperate?How do the Knicks balance the rushing attack and half-court execution?
And that's where the regular season journey draws me to the Eastern Conference.To truly understand what a team can do, we can't jump — we must learn what a team does, what a team is, if it thrives with these struggles, and what to try to emulate.
If these are the questions we can ask above, what do you think the whole conference thinks?Don't believe me, watch Antetokounmpo say the name after the loss to Cleveland.
"Obviously, we think cave and maybe dalit are the best team, but time will tell," he said."Nothing is guaranteed. Nothing is given. They have to prove themselves."
Eastern hopefuls abound
To tell the story of Giannis, he brings Milwaukee money to the environment.Milwaukee State's overall offensive attack was crisp, precise and efficient.The opponent will attack Gianis and "Wall" will attack, but the money will improve the first time to solve the "Wall" in the end. The transition attack is given, but Gianis will flash with balls, elbows, or flash with elbows.
A devotion to distance has allowed Antetokounmpo's passing ability to continue to shine as he reads help defenses and delivers the ball to teammates.Myles Turner's combination of distance, movement and short-handed decision-making has been excellent so far.
The Cavaliers gave him a dose of honesty on Sunday by throwing a double team early on Giannis.If the following teams follow suit, will the race continue?Will he go down on those around him every time he shoots?Or is the bad muscle moving to one end of the trial?
The Orlando Magic traded for Desmond Bane in the offseason to move into the top tier of the East, and the early returns have been mixed.Bane's ball handling gives them a boost in transition and in the midcourt.His skill set allows him to engage in a number of moves that can help the Magic's sometimes stagnant midcourt offense.Something as simple as pushing Bane, hitting a big shot and setting the back screen can open up a scoring opportunity.He can be used as a checker for Paolo Banchero or Franz Wagner, forcing defenses to decide whether or not to switch.
Bane's shooting power is in the main idea of finishing Magic, and although his Magic share is not at 26.7%, it can certainly deal with Magic.Old habits can take a while to break through, and defenses can fight that magic differently.If things slow down, if the defense is comfortable switching and moving under the show, will we see the full weight of what Orlando is addicted to?
Where do the Toronto Raptors fit into the equation?The talent they've assembled doesn't scream for a team that doesn't believe it can compete.Brandon Ingram feels like a missing piece, a scoring threat who can consistently create himself to balance an offense that can sometimes abandon pursuit.
Rapiers open up more opportunities for their offense, more opportunities to take the fumble, making it easier to ease off.These are the shots that could be anchors for a team in the playoffs.But that might be strong for Toronto, but can it carry enough for the offense to balance it all out?Movement is one thing, but without rotation, it can open up consistent plays for opponents.
The Atlanta Hawks have high hopes, but can they develop an identity to compete every night?Can the Detroit Pistons build on the formula of success they found last season, or will they have to face a team that pays more attention to Cade Cunningham?If he constantly gets caught up in pick-and-rolls or game plans, will that open up more plays or disrupt their flow of play?
This is all the fun.As I write this now, the Chicago Bulls and Philadelphia 76 Urs are the only unfit teams in the East with a slate above the Nikes and Cavaliers.
Could this be the year LaMelo Ball's unique combination of scoring and play lifts a Hornets team that has scored over 130 points in two of its first three games?Can the leadership ability of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe help keep the Sixers working with Joel Embiid back in the lineup?Will the increased speed, decisive Bam Adebayo and aggressive Norman Powell be enough to return Miami to boring status?Will the Boston Celtics and Jaylen Brown be able to make a mark on the rankings with his competitive level?
Overall, I think you can build a big roster of Eastern Conference teams that believe they can beat each other, and that's where the fun starts - having the mindset to understand what they can do and what they can take away from other teams.
The season always takes me to the east team because it is the land of time and they will be competing for the territory every season.The chase will be fun with hunger, the team is able to work hard to shuffle the deck to put themselves on the run when it matters.Shake your head if you want, but remember how you felt about the Indiana Pacers early in the season?
