Prior to the playoffs, the NBA season is characterized by teams jockeying for position. For the elites of the league, they battle for homecourt advantage in the playoffs—the real season. For the tankers, they jockey for lottery positioning in hopes of landing the superstar that will turn the franchise around.
For the teams somewhere in the middle, there’s usually a race to see who can snag the final few spots in the playoffs. It’s usually followed up with a first-round exit, but it’s a playoff berth nonetheless.
This year, the Eastern Conference can be separated into three distinct tiers.