NBA: Are the Boston Celtics the Best Team in the East?

The NBA season is a little less than a month away (October 16th) and as a fan, I can't wait. I have been ready for the regular season since the start of the free agency period. In the free agency period, teams around the league sign new players to their roster. The biggest signing of this year's free agency could potentially impact an entire conference. The signing I am referring to is the Los Angeles Lakers signing LeBron James.

Earlier this summer, LeBron and the Lakers agreed to a four-year, $154 million deal. For the first time in his career, LeBron James will play in the Western Conference. Since 2003, James played in the Eastern Conference. Although he's played with two teams during his 15-year career, both teams were in the same Conference. James played for the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2003- 2010, then again from 2014-2018. He played for the Miami Heat between 2010 and 2014.

LeBron James helped the Cleveland Cavaliers reach the 2018 NBA Finals. The Cavs faced the Warriors after sneaking past the Boston Celtics. The Cavaliers beat the Celtics in a 4-3 series. In other words, the young Celtics were one game away from reaching the NBA Finals. The Celtics would have reached the NBA Finals for the first time in nearly 8 years since their last trip was in 2010 when the Celtics lost to the Lakers in the NBA Finals.

The Celtics reached the Eastern Conference Finals this year without their star players. They played without Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. The Celtics lost Irving towards the end of the regular season and lost Gordon Hayward on the opening night of the season. It was the young Celtics such as Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum that led Boston to the Conference Finals.

The Boston Celtics were the second seed of the Eastern Conference. They maintained a record of 55-27 during the regular season. They were four games behind the Toronto Raptors, who were 59-23. The Raptors were the first seed, but the Cavs (who were the fourth seed) swept them in the second round of the playoffs. However, the Celtics gave the Cavs a challenge in the Conference Finals.

Now, LeBron is no longer in the Eastern Conference. Before his departure, any Eastern Conference team he played in (be it the Cavs or the Heat), were considered contenders. While the Cavs could potentially exceed their expectations, they'll still regress. The dynamic of the Eastern Conference will be much different. The top teams are (likely) set, but the rest of the Conference is up for grabs. The Boston Celtics are in the discussion as one of the best teams in the East.

The top teams of the East are The Boston Celtics, The Philadelphia 76ers, and arguably the Toronto Raptors with the newly acquired Kawhi Leonard. The Celtics and Sixers are young, talented teams who both had impressive playoff runs this season. The Celtics were shorthanded in the playoffs, but they made their presence felt. Boston was so close to the Finals, that it's nearly impossible for them not to reach the Finals again. That is if their full roster is healthy.

Kyrie Irving is expected to return and Gordon Hayward is playing 5-on-5 full court games before training camp. Hayward and Irving will make the Celtics even better. If the young players (Jayson Tatum, Terry Rozier, etc.) and veteran players (Al Horford, Gordon Hayward, and Kyrie Irving) play as a team, the Celtics will be hard to beat.

The Eastern Conference is different, but the Celtics remain contenders. They are contenders without LeBron in the Eastern Conference and would be contenders even if he was still in the Conference. With their talent and their coach (in Brad Stevens), the Celtics can become the top team of the East and reach the NBA Finals.