How many beasts in NBA’s East? Plus: Trouble in Belichick’s UNC program

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Good morning! Alex here, filling in again as Chris takes a break. Inside:

📈 A rejuvenated conference

😬 UNC football GM on leave

💔 A tragic story in the NFL

Geography: Just how back is the NBA’s East?

Not even two months ago, it was a common opinion that the “real” NBA Finals were the Western Conference finals between the Thunder and Spurs. They had been the league’s two best teams all season. The West seemed primed to claim a ninth title in the 13 years since the LeBron James-era Heat won their second in 2013. The balance of NBA power was in the West, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama set to keep it there for a while.

Now? Not so fast, my friends. The Knicks becoming the center of the hoops universe was one thing, but Fred Katz made a compelling case after James agreed to a deal with the 76ers last week: The Eastern Conference is back, for the first time in a long time. Once upon a time, it was James’ birthright, renewed each year, to take either the Cavaliers or Heat to the finals. The conference lacked juice outside of his teams. Things feel different now:

The Knicks are champions of the world and have most of their key contributors back.

Yeah, the Sixers will be really good, with LeBron, Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe. They are a clear title contender.

The Celtics are still the Celtics, with a healthy Jayson Tatum, a likely better-shooting version of Derrick White and Mitchell Robinson coming over from the Knicks.

The Pistons are one likely Jalen Duren re-signing away from having the key supporting cast around Cade Cunningham back in the fold. They just won 60 games.

You may or may not like any of those teams in a vacuum against the Spurs or Thunder, as you scribble it out on paper in July. But the East has both quality and quantity up top this year.

Are we getting carried away, though? Just how back is the conference? Let’s tag in Zach Harper, author of the excellent Bounce newsletter.

Zach, hello! When was the last time the East controlled the balance of power?

💬 “Probably the last years of Michael Jordan in Chicago. The late ’90s had a lot of good teams in the West, but it felt like Jordan and the Bulls (or whoever beat them) would win it all.”

Do you think that’s happening again now, finally?

💬 “Perspective matters. If Denver or Minnesota or the Lakers or even the Rockets were in the East, would we think they could win the conference? Yes. I think the East is no longer incompetent in the back half of the standings. There is depth for solid teams. But maybe only three East squads should be considered actual contenders.”

At the least, this upswing seems like it should be good for business. Is it?

💬 “It should be great for business! We need more intrigue from the East than feeling like a team got to the NBA Finals by default. We need a tough path to winning the conference. We should have that this season.”

Like always, it’s great to have Zach. You can sign up here to read him all the time.

News to Know

UNC GM Lombardi on leave

North Carolina placed football general manager Michael Lombardi on paid leave, the school said yesterday. The move came after a human resources complaint, three people told our reporters. Carolina has billed Lombardi as a key partner to coach Bill Belichick in building up the Tar Heels’ roster.

Shortly after taking his job prior to last season, Lombardi said the Tar Heels considered themselves the 33rd NFL team because of the pro backgrounds of so many people in their building. (UNC then went 4-8.) The team also fielded a recent approach from the College Sports Commission, the enforcement body that tries to police NIL agreements.

Wife of Chiefs coordinator shot; son arrested

Mia Bieniemy, the wife of Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, was shot at their home in Virginia on Sunday night, an NFL source confirmed with our reporter. Afterward, police in Loudoun County, Va., arrested the couple’s son, Elijah, and said they did so in connection with a shooting in which an adult female suffered “multiple gunshot wounds.” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Mia was in stable condition and that she was “a saint, one of God’s good blessings.”

More news

The Commanders fired tight ends coach Ben Steele after he was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

Quarterback Daniel Jones will be a “full go” at Colts training camp after rehabbing from a right Achilles rupture, he said. Wideout Alec Pierce will start on the PUP list.

ICE said it deported former Colts linebacker Daniel Adongo, who allegedly overstayed a visa. A former rugby player from Kenya, he played for the Colts in 2013 and 2015.

Stanford football players moved to organize a bargaining unit. It was not clear how many players had signed onto the union effort, who their counterparty would be or what various courts, boards and governments might do to stop them.

Outgoing Michigan AD Warde Manuel will get $7.1 million and assorted perks from the university after he steps down at the end of the year. Full backstory here.

The ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee wants to talk with FIFA president Gianni Infantino about his relationship with the Trump administration.

The Trail Blazers and Portland continued to clash over the team’s arena, leaving the franchise’s future in Oregon uncertain.

Watch Guide

📺 MLB: Cubs at Cardinals

7:45 p.m. ET on TBS

Big October ramifications, as the Cubs try to solidify a postseason spot and the Cardinals look to hang in there amid a glut of teams for the third NL wild-card position.

📺 WNBA: Fever at Storm

9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN

Seattle took a league-worst 6-23 record into the All-Star break. For Indiana, a healthy-looking Caitlin Clark is back in the mix with Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston.

Pulse Picks

A terrific story by Mike DeFabo on the Steelers’ new coach: “Mike McCarthy came home to Pittsburgh, his family and the grief he can’t escape.”

Tim Britton’s effort to turn MLB trade deadline returns into an actual science. What would the Tigers get for Tarik Skubal? We may know soon, but Tim offers a good idea.

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert may be unpopular with the league’s players, Candace Buckner writes, but she’s not paid to be their friend.

Where could the U.S. find more rugby players? Well, in basketball, reports Daniel Gallan.

The going rates for a men’s college basketball roster, explained by Brendan Marks and CJ Moore. Your price of admission to be competitive this year? $10 million.

Most-clicked in yesterday’s newsletter: Once again, Kerry Wood’s behind-the-back pitch for the Savannah Bananas.

Most-read on the website yesterday: The news report about Mia Bieniemy.

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