If it is the Heat who currently hold pole position in the Eastern Conference, at 38 wins for 21 losses, with the same record as the Bulls, the “blockbuster” exchange between the Sixers and the Nets, centered around James Harden and Ben Simmons, could well upset this fragile hierarchy.
The Nets’ “Big Three” will never have worked, between injuries, tensions and lack of vaccination… But the arrival of a vengeful Ben Simmons could well be the trigger for the Nets who have still not found their rhythm. cruising. At the same time, the disgruntled James Harden has (finally) obtained his transfer to Philly, where he finds Daryl Morey and where he wanted to go since his desire to leave for Houston…
A strong and tight Eastern conference
“It turns things upside down. There had been rumors, so it wasn’t like it was a huge surprise. But to see it finally come true, we were all like, ‘Wow, who would have thought?’ “explains Fred VanVleet in the Philadelphia Inquirer. “Twelve months ago, we thought that Brooklyn was going to win five titles in a row, and the question was: who is going to stop this “Big Three”? It didn’t work and now they’re redealing the cards. “
More undecided than ever, the Eastern Conference has eight teams with more than 50% of victories, one more than in the West. But above all, these teams present in the Top 8 stand in a pocket handkerchief, between 38 victories for the first and 31 victories for the eighth…
“I know that the East has been criticized often in recent years. But that is no longer the case now. The East is strong! “, asserts Erik Spoelstra, the coach chosen for the Eastern Conference because of his status as No. 1. “There are a bunch of teams that feel like they can claim the title, of which we are one. “
A finding confirmed by the pivot of the Cavs, Jarrett Allen, who knows that this ranking can change almost overnight, depending on the ups and downs of certain teams. This is why this transfer between Brooklyn and Philly, eighth and third respectively, could upset the current state of power.
“If you lose three games in a row, suddenly you can find yourself in seventh place,” does he breathe. “It’s a crazy race. These big transfers can change a lot of things. “
Jimmy Butler can’t wait to face the Sixers
At the top of the East at the time of this writing, Jimmy Butler and his Heat have remained out of these conversations. But, having passed through the Sixers, not without having made waves there, the Florida rear / winger knows what he is talking about when he talks about the potential of the James Harden – Joel Embiid association.
“This trade has nothing to do with me or my team. I just want everyone to be happy and to be able to fight back and smile and love the situation they’re in. If Harden is happy there, then that’s what I wish for him. He is with one of my best friends with Joel and they are going to have a very good team. I can’t wait to play against them and see what we’re made of. “
If Jimmy Butler is impatient to cross swords with these “new look” Sixers, but also with the Nets (who will still have to wait for Kevin Durant’s return from injury), Fred VanVleet takes another path…
“I still hope that it will not work for these two teams”, concludes the Raptor, smirking. “Hopefully they screw up, so that helps our chances going forward. As a competitor, you always want to find weaknesses [à tes adversaires]. But as a basketball fan, you can only be happy to see these two completely changed teams. “
