NBA 2018-2019: Eastern Conference Power Rankings Week 11
The Eastern Conference went through a drastic change in the off-season. An off-season signing led to an Eastern Conference superstar to change conferences. An off-season trade led to one of the stars of the Western Conference to join the East. The stars I am referring to are LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard.
In the off-season, LeBron James signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. Then, the San Antonio Spurs traded Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Pöltl and a 2019 first round pick. Both moves had an impact on the Eastern Conference.
The loss of LeBron James impacted the Cleveland Cavaliers as well as other teams of the East. Now, the Eastern Conference is up for grabs. Kawhi Leonard has helped the Raptors remain one of the top teams of the East. But, they are no longer the top team in the East. Another team has a slight lead on the Raptors.
The addition of Kawhi Leonard and the loss of LeBron James changed the Eastern Conference. The top teams of the East are slightly different from last year. And, there is a possibility the East will remain this way. Here are the top-five teams of the Eastern Conference.
#5 Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are fifth in the Eastern Conference. They have a record of 21-14. In their last game, the Celtics beat the Memphis Grizzlies 112-103. The Celtics overcame a 19-point second-half deficit. Kyrie Irving led the Celtics with 26 points.
On Christmas Day, the Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 121-114. The Celtics beat the Sixers in overtime. Irving had 40 points and 10 rebounds in the victory. The win over the Sixers was a significant one. It was a win over another top team of the East as well as a division rival of the Celtics.
The Celtics and Sixers are in the Atlantic Division. The Celtics currently have a better Division Record than the Sixers. The Celtics are 5-2 against their division and the Sixers are 4-6. However, the Sixers have a better overall record than the Celtics.
On Thursday, the Celtics lost to the Houston Rockets 127-113. James Harden led the Rockets with 45 points. The Celtics lost this game but bounced back against the Grizzlies. Overall, the Celtics went 2-1 this week.
The Celtics continue to make adjustments, but remain a top-five team in the East.