The removal of the LeBron James Lakers means that the control of the East will change. 5 teams are ready.

LeBron James is the problem of the West now. Having signed with the Lakers for four years on what appears to be little more than a promise of a return to the exceptionalism of the Lakers, the Eastern Conference can now step out of the Huge shadow of the King. LeBron has controlled the conference for almost a decade, so he will have to get used to it, but the idea that the East is devoid of quality players and teams is exaggerated.

Its release leaves a superstar void in the East, but the slandered conference is in much better shape than many would have you believe. There are at least five teams with a potential of 50+ and a host of young stars ready to emerge without James to block their progress.

No one benefits more from LeBron's departure than the Celtics. By doing nothing more than writing a project center at the end of the first round and re-signing his own great veteran man, Danny Ainge positioned the C's to control the Eastern Conference for the upcoming season and possibly to be in the future.

Of course, Ainge has already done the essentials of his work over the past three summers. He signed Al Horford and Gordon Hayward as a free agency, traded for Kyrie Irving, and wrote Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Terry Rozier. The last three all grew up during a fierce race at Game 7 conference finals where their fate was sealed by LeBron James again.

LeBron beat the Celtics off the playoffs for three of the last four years, winning 12 of the 16 playoff games. He would have made a similar four if the C had not been pulled out by Atlanta in 2016. It's strange that LeBron's signature with Los Angeles was Boston's favorite result, but that's the way of the league.

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It would certainly be helpful if Ainge could re-sign the priceless Marcus Smart. He may even go for broke with a blockbuster for San Antonio unhappy superstar Kawhi Leonard, although that seems less likely when you consider what he already has in hand.

The path can be cleared for the C's, but there will be stiff competition. The Sixers have Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, as well as Dario Saric and Markelle Fultz. Leonard's trade market is unclear, but the Sixers could also race Kawhi, a development that could tip the balance in their favor.

This lawsuit is a little more urgent now that LeBron and Paul George are not members of the board of directors. The Sixers head coach / interim general manager Brett Brown has been outspoken about having to sue the veteran starpower and this leaves Leonard as the last remaining target.

Even if they fail in this business, the Sixers are good and better. A revitalized Boston-Philly rivalry should lead the conference well into the next decade.

Then there are the Raptors. In a universe without LeBron, they were the clbad of the conference. The core of the Raps is still there – for the moment anyway – led by their All-Star backyard of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, with this killer bench. Running back, still may not be the most exciting option, but it was before LeBron took his talents in the West.

The Pacers, along with Victor Oladipo, came in a knockout game LeBron's Cavs in the first round. Oladipo has become one of the best two-way players in the league, a goalkeeper with defensive lockout capabilities. The young Myles Turner still has untapped Unicorn potential and Domantas Sabonis is a player.

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The Bucks have arguably the best conference player at Giannis Antetokounmpo, with the underrated Khris Middleton. At Mike Budenholzer, they now have one of the best game strategists, who should help them reach their full potential.

Again, five quality teams, all with over 50 wins and All-Stars, at each stop. It's a matter of degrees, but remember that the Blazers, who went beyond their limits, were the third-seeded Westerner last season.

What the East does not have is the depth of quality. At least not yet. The Heat and Wizards are playoff teams, but with limitations. Several teams, including the Nets, Bulls and Hawks, are in the early stages of a large-scale rebuild that will take several years.

Others like Knicks, Hornets, Magic and Pistons are still trying to find their way. The Cavs are a joker. If they stand with Kevin Love and others, they will remain competitive. If they demolish it, it may take years before we hear again about them.

For the moment, the West is deeper and yes, better. The concentration of high level superstars is dense in the west, but it is also very heavy with the Warriors and Rockets who hold most of the best talent.

The feeling of reshuffling the playoff game to allow the top 16 teams to play in a playoff tournament, no matter the geographic location, will become stronger. This is the one I share, but the idea that the East is a sterile graveyard is not it.

Give it a year or even two or three. We are looking for a whole new era while the Eastern Conference is finally emancipated from its King.