Even though the New York Knicks just won the NBA championship, the Western Conference is widely considered the more difficult side of the bracket because of powerhouses like the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs dominating in the Western Conference. That conception is also expected to play a role in LeBron James’s free agency decision, as Kevin O’Connor outlined on the June 20 episode of the Kevin O’Connor Show.
“People often talk about when it comes to the decision that LeBron James will make, they say, the East has such an easier path to the NBA Finals than the Western Conference,” O’Connor said.
James is widely expected to return to the Eastern Conference, with the Cavs, Heat, and 76ers headlining the list of potential free agency destinations—right where the Raptors don’t want him. But they can at least make the return as uncomfortable as possible if he does indeed return to the Eastern Conference.
O’Connor went on to note that the comparison is true to an extent because no one wants to face the Spurs and Thunder in the playoffs, but also said the Eastern Conference is being underrated. With teams improving left and right, the East is much stronger than it may seem—and the Raptors are one of the teams that can make the playoff race a nightmare for everyone else next season—assuming the Kawhi Leonard trade goes through as planned before the start of the season, of course. With a healthy Leonard, the Raptors can be a top-three defense and a much better offensive team than last season.
“I think the East is a little bit underrated in part because of Toronto being a team that was really, really good last year at 46 wins, a really, really hard out with a great defense,” O’Connor said. “And next year, with a little bit more development from Scottie Barnes, a little bit more development from Ja’Kobe Walter, and with a veteran star in Kawhi, and an upside rookie in Allen Grave, Toronto, I think, is another one of those reasons why the Eastern Conference path isn’t quite as easy as people might make it out to be compared to the West.”
If Kawhi Leonard comes to Toronto and stays healthy, the Raptors should be able to challenge the best teams in the NBA, no matter where LeBron James signs. Toronto isn’t the only team with a better roster, though.
The Eastern Conference will be tough next season
The Knicks aren’t going anywhere after winning a championship and keeping almost all of the most important players from that team around. The other four teams that finished last regular season ahead of the Raptors in the standings will still be good, maybe even better.
Moreover, the 76ers added Jaylen Brown, the Heat got Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Hawks added Lu Dort, and the Pacers will get Tyrese Haliburton back. The Magic, Hornets, and Wizards could also cause some trouble.
The race for the playoffs will be a bloodbath, which is exactly why the Raptors cannot afford to go into next season without Kawhi Leonard on the roster. With a healthy Leonard, they can compete with the best teams in the conference. If the trade falls through and Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick return to Toronto, the Raptors could quickly find themselves in the Play-In Tournament instead of with a top-six seed.
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