“We’ve never had this much depth in the NBA” – Greg Anthony believes the league is currently the most competitive

One of the main reasons the NBA has been popular for so long is its competitiveness, but recent seasons have taken that to new levels.

Teams that were once expected to dominate have faced unexpected challenges, and the underdogs have risen to the challenge again and again. This shift has made predicting playoff results and championship favorites more exciting.

More depth than ever before

This season has been particularly tough for the teams expected to make the playoffs. The Philadelphia 76ers started with a disappointing record in the Eastern Conference. In November, the 76ers went 3:15. These teams have MVP talent and championship aspirations, but have been at the bottom of the standings for weeks.

Former NBA player and current analyst Greg Anthony reflected on this unexpected parity.

“We’ve never had this much depth in the NBA since we’ve had 30 teams; We don’t have that.” Anthony says. “Think about who is at the bottom of the East right now: Philly is 2 of 12, Milwaukee is 6 of 9. Those are two great teams. The same is true in the West, I would say.”

The Western Conference is not immune to surprises either. While the Bucks have shown signs of life lately and fought their way to the sixth seed, other franchises have struggled to maintain their consistency.

A new era of parity

The NBA’s competitive balance has been evident for years. Since the Golden State Warriors won back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018, no team has managed to repeat as champions.

Instead, there were a variety of competitors in the league; The Bucks won their first title in 50 years in 2021, followed by the Denver Nuggets winning their first championship in 2023. The Warriors didn’t make it; After winning the title in 2022, they didn’t even make it past the play-in phase last season.

Even teams with a single championship in their history, like the Dallas Mavericks, have had surprising success in recent years. Although the Mavericks finished the regular season as a fifth seed, they made an improbable trip to the NBA Finals last year before falling to the Boston Celtics. This unpredictability highlights the depth of the league, where no team can comfortably be considered favorites.

This level of competition adds to the excitement of the modern NBA. The days of the Showtime Lakers, the ’90s Chicago Bulls and even the modern Warriors, where a single dominant team dominated the league, are behind us. Instead, basketball enthusiasts are treated to a landscape where every game counts, every series feels momentous and every team could hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy come June.