Over the last few years, there has been some clamor to eradicate the conferences in the NBA and just select the top 16 franchises to advance to the playoffs. That’s because in the recent past, the Western Conference has looked far superior to the squads out East.

But with the Eastern Conference teams stacking up, there’s reason to believe the East has caught up with or possibly even superseded the Western Conference so far this season.

Franchises such as the Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, and New York Knicks were cellar-dwellers in the East just two or three seasons ago, but their roster has immensely improved as they have completed underrated deals to bolster their squad.

For instance, Atlanta was able to acquire Clint Capela from the Houston Rockets by surrendering pieces that were not part of their future anyways. The Knicks meanwhile hired well-renowned head coach Tom Thibodeau and that has ascended the play of veterans like Julius Randle and Derrick Rose, and the team as a whole.

When discussing the higher tier of the East, it could be argued that the top two teams in this conference are the two best teams in the association as well. A full roster of the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks will wreak havoc any other organization in the NBA. Both squads have not started off as well because of several injuries and absences, but one could argue that none of the West franchises could topple the Nets or Bucks in a seven-game series.

Even without Kyrie Irving, the Nets have a formidable roster led by the superstar duo of Kevin Durant and James Harden. The top competitors in the West have a plethora of injuries, namely Kawhi Leonard, Jamal Murray, Klay Thompson, and now even LeBron James. The Los Angeles Lakers were the heavy favorites in the West entering their campaign, but they are off to a rough start as they are still trying to find their rhythm with 11 new offseason acquisitions.

The number of competitive teams in the West are more in terms of quantity, but the number of organizations that could legitimately compete for the elusive NBA crown seems to favor the East. Even if the Bucks and Nets are excluded, the team from South Beach is another dark horse contender that has vast experience when it comes to the pressure of the playoffs. Head coach Erik Spoelstra always prepares his team for the biggest stage even if their regular season were below expectations as proven by their 2020 Bubble run.

When it comes to the middle of the pack teams, the East still have the Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, and Boston Celtics that have competed consistently, especially in the Playoffs. These three teams could compete with other phenomenal West squads, like the Nuggets, Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns, and Golden State Warriors.

Thus with the equal composition of these teams, the separation lies on the top of each NBA conference. Others could argue that the potential or upside of the West is higher, but due to the present rosters and performances, the East Conference finally has relevant points to prove that they are currently the better conference.