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I pity Cleveland Cavaliers' fans, but it had to happen. It had been 4 years, the Golden State Warriors only got stronger, the east was even getting stronger, and the Cavs were somehow getting weaker. LeBron had to leave in Free Agency but with James now representing the Los Angeles Lakers and out of the east, the mantle as king over the Eastern Conference is now up for grabs.
While last year's Eastern Conference playoff was confusing and slightly un-entertaining, I believe that the East without the crushing presence of LeBron is on the road to becoming competitive again, while still being much weaker than the Western Conference.
Here (in ascending order) are the four players who have the best chance of becoming the new "King of The East".
#4 Kyrie Irving
This one likely comes as a surprise to many and rightfully so, Kyrie Irving should be much higher in these rankings, as he is an NBA Champion, 5x All-Star and his Celtics finished the regular season, with a 53-29 record, despite several injuries to the roster, including himself and fellow star Gordon Hayward (Hayward at the beginning of the season).
However, it is this success that has dented Kyrie's chances so far at being the top dog in the East, as proven via an impressive Conference Finals appearance for the Boston Celtics. The Celtics do not necessarily need him (or Hayward) to compete in the East. Irving is yet to win a major accolade since his time in Cleveland and his constant injury problems make him a risk as a franchise player.
Dubbed the "Spurs of the East", the ball-sharing, team-centred play of the Celtics, engineered by the basketball genius, Brad Stevens, involves scoring off team plays and less individual play stardom. As an isolation-type player, I feel Kyrie is still struggling to fit into the team's game plan. Kyrie heavily desires to be the leader of his own team (hence why he left Cleveland) and while things have been good, he still lacks that leadership authority that LeBron had. The Celtics will most likely still win the East but Kyrie will require a bit more work to claim the top spot he seems to want quite desperately.
#3 Kawhi Leonard
Kawhi Leonard's antics with the Spurs organisation finally came to an end as on July 18, as he was traded to the Toronto Raptors alongside Danny Green in return for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2020 first-round pick.
Though he says very little and shows even fewer emotions, Leonard is a certified top 5 player as the 2014 NBA Finals MVP, a two-time All-Star, two-time Defensive Player of the Year and two-time All-NBA First Team. While Kawhi could quite certainly be called the best player in the Eastern Conference ability wise, his immature behaviour, injury woes and overall demeanour make his credibility as "King of the East" subject to large debate.
He ranks at number 3 on this list because the Raptors now have a legitimate chance at winning the Eastern Conference. If Kawhi stays healthy and well-behaved, maybe even re-signs the Raptors could be a long time threat in the East. But because Kawhi is Kawhi, he will likely end the season as timid and maybe even less involved than he was last season, with his eyes on a bigger shoe deal from the Jordan brand.
Whether its to convince the Raptors he's the right person to lead their franchise, or convincing the Jordan representatives that he deserves a bigger, better-paying shoe deal, or convincing the Los Angeles Lakers and other teams that they should offer him max money to play for their team, Kawhi will be looking to perform this year, both on and off the court. Kawhi has a lot to prove the doubters will be talking, so he needs to start talking on the court and in the interview room, letting people know he means business. If he carries that kind of mindset there is no reason why he can't become the certified, best player in the East.
#2 Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis has only been in the league for 5 seasons and has already bagged 2 All-Star appearances, NBA Most Improved Player (2017), 2 All-NBA Second-Team Selection and an All-Defensive Second Team. The "Greek Freak" has become one of the recent crazes in the NBA with his freakish athleticism and terrorising length. Giannis finished second in All-Star voting in the East last year and was even leading LeBron in the initial voting stage.
As an offensive monster and an even bigger nightmare on defence, Giannis was believed by many to end up being the "King of the East" even before LeBron left. However, Giannis is held back by the weakness of the Bucks roster as the current roster doesn't have the pieces to compete in the east, let alone for a championship.
However, perhaps Giannis' biggest downfall is his own lack of player diversity. While Giannis is extremely talented and has lots of potential, the shooting part of his game is quite poor, as he shot 30.4% from three in the 17-18 season. Even if his team improves significantly, if Giannis can't become more diverse as a player and particularly prove his decency in 3-point shooting, it will be hard to validate any claims he has as the best player in the Eastern Conference.
#1 Joel Embiid
The Chosen One. The Prophecy. Who else could it be? The man named ' The Process' was always the front-runner to become the new Lord of the East. The light at the end of the tunnel to years of darkness in Philadelphia and a franchise long haunted by failure and defeat. Like LeBron he carries a great story inspiring the city of Philadelphia, to truly "Trust the Process".
An iconic representative of a city he's not even from, Joel Embiid may have been one of the most hyped draft picks since LeBron himself. Embiid however, is much more than excitement, while he does more than his share of talk and certainly isn't the most humble player, he is far from an empty vessel, carrying one All-Star Selection (2018), an All-NBA Second Team selection and NBA All-Defensive first team honours. Embiid is big, flashy, extremely charismatic and by far the most marketable player on this list.
Being arguably the second best centre in the NBA, Embiid brings a lot of talent and has a supporting cast of princes, with Rookie of The Year, Ben Simmons, and the top pick in the 2017 Draft; Markelle Fultz. Despite taking a late injury hit to Embiid last season, Philly went hard and continued their good run to end with a 16-game win streak.
They finished with the third seed and despite exiting in the second round, this very young team looks a certain Eastern Conference dynasty in the upcoming years. Embiid is a symbol of the dreams of the 76ers fanbase and a testament of the hard work of the Philadelphia 76ers front office. If he can avoid the injuries that have plagued him in these first few seasons, there is a certainty in believing he will become the Alpha Male in the East.
Signing Off,
The Espresso Team
