Does the East have a true favorite? Execs, coaches, scouts weigh in

"I think there's probably six to seven of us who believe all we need is good health at the right time and we can go on a run. All of the teams in the playoffs are going to be flawed and all of them are going to have upside."

"There's two to three teams that are going to have some real fallout if they don't make the conference finals. That's the case every year."

"The reality is when you speak with coaches, scouts and executives, there isn't a clear favorite. This may frustrate the Detroit Pistons, who have firmly held the No. 1 seed since November, but that's the prevailing sentiment."

The 2025-26 NBA season features dominant Western Conference teams including defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, surprise contender San Antonio Spurs, and Denver Nuggets led by Nikola Jokic. However, the Eastern Conference presents a starkly different landscape characterized by remarkable parity. Multiple general managers and team executives acknowledge that six to seven Eastern Conference teams believe they can make a deep playoff run if they maintain good health. This widespread competitive balance means no clear favorite exists despite Detroit Pistons holding the No. 1 seed since November. The parity creates both opportunities and pressures, as teams with championship expectations face potential organizational changes if they fail to reach the conference finals.

Read at ESPN.com