As the NBA season winds down, there will be a lot of discussion on which teams are serious playoff threats, and can go on to win the NBA championship, while other teams have lost a lot of their luster, and will likely crash out in round one or two.
There’s always teams that look great in the regular season, but come crumbling down in the playoffs, while other teams are staying afloat in the regular season, and make that great push in the most important times. These are the teams in the NBA’s Eastern Conference that are serious contenders for the NBA Championship.
While there are other great teams such as the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, etc, there is massive reasons why each of these teams are not like the three below. The three below have playoff experience, have taken a leap up, and are poised to be champions if all goes according to plan.
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks have already won an NBA championship just two seasons ago. Giannis Antetokounmpo may not be the favorite for the MVP this season, but he is widely considered as still the best player in the world. The Bucks have many players from that championship team, and are currently top in the East, prime for another NBA championship run. As long as Milwaukee stay healthy, they will likely be the favorites to come out of the East.
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics were close to the title last year, as they went to the NBA Finals after winning the East before ultimately bowed out to the Golden State Warriors. However, this Celtics team has been incredibly consistent all year, and Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have taken another step up in their production. Tatum is an MVP candidate, while Brown has proven to be one of the best second options in the league, and has all the capabilities to dominate playoff games by himself. They have the playoff experience, and have the revenge on their mind to win the title that was taken from them last year.
Philadelphia 76ers
Maybe due to their playoff history, many people would consider the Philadelphia 76ers pretenders, until they prove otherwise. However, due to Joel Embiid leading the league in scoring at the moment, and making a serious case to win the NBA, after being the runner up twice in a row, and James Harden being arguably the best playmaker, and averaging the most assists in the nba, this team feels a lot different.
The Sixers are able to shoot threes at a high and effective volume, they have great defense, and they don’t have the elephant in the room that is Ben Simmons this year. I believe the Sixers have changed from contenders too pretenders in the East.
