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Side-by-side conference comparison for the 2025-26 NBA season
Avg Wins
38.6
Avg Losses
33.4
Avg Team PPG
16
Total All-Stars
11
Avg Player Age
27.6
Avg Experience (yrs)
4
Avg Wins
40.4
Avg Losses
31.6
Avg Team PPG
19.9
Total All-Stars
12
Avg Player Age
29
Avg Experience (yrs)
4.5
The balance of power between the Eastern and Western Conferences has shifted dramatically over NBA history. During the 1980s, the Eastern Conference was dominant with the Celtics-Lakers rivalry defining the era. The 1990s belonged to the East with Michael Jordan's Bulls dynasty. From 2000 to 2015, the Western Conference was widely considered stronger, featuring powerhouses like the Spurs, Lakers, Mavericks, and Warriors. In recent years, the East has resurged with championship-caliber teams in Boston, Milwaukee, and Cleveland competing at the highest level.
The 2025-26 season continues this trend of competitive balance, with both conferences fielding multiple legitimate title contenders. The Western Conference boasts the league's best overall record with Oklahoma City, while the East counters with Boston's championship pedigree and Cleveland's youthful talent.
The NBA is organized into two conferences — the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference — each containing 15 teams. This structure has been in place since the 1970-71 season when the leagues merged. Each conference is further divided into three divisions of five teams, creating natural rivalries and geographic clustering. Division winners no longer receive automatic top-4 seeding (that rule was eliminated in 2016), but division play still adds intensity to the regular season.
NBA scheduling is designed so that teams play more games within their own conference than against the other conference. Each team plays 82 regular season games: approximately 52 against conference opponents and 30 against the other conference. Within a division, teams face each rival four times per season. This ensures conference standings are determined primarily by head-to-head play between conference peers.
Conference seeding is crucial for the NBA playoffs. The top 6 teams in each conference earn direct playoff berths, while seeds 7 through 10 compete in the Play-In Tournament. The conference playoff bracket runs from the first round through the Conference Finals, after which the Eastern and Western champions meet in the NBA Finals. Home-court advantage in each round goes to the higher seed.
When one conference is significantly stronger than the other, it creates competitive imbalance. Teams in the weaker conference may earn higher seeds with fewer wins, potentially leading to first-round upsets when they face battle-tested opponents from the stronger conference. The NBA has discussed various reforms over the years, including conference-less seeding (1-16 regardless of conference), but has retained the traditional format due to travel logistics and historical tradition.
Each NBA conference has 15 teams split into three divisions of five teams each. The Eastern Conference has the Atlantic, Central, and Southeast divisions. The Western Conference has the Northwest, Pacific, and Southwest divisions.
Conference strength fluctuates year to year. Historically the Western Conference was considered stronger from the 2000s through the 2010s, but the Eastern Conference has been highly competitive in recent years with teams like the Celtics, Cavaliers, and Bucks leading the way.
The top 6 teams in each conference qualify directly for the playoffs, while teams seeded 7-10 enter the Play-In Tournament. Conference seeding determines first-round matchups (1 vs 8/Play-In winner, 2 vs 7/Play-In winner, 3 vs 6, 4 vs 5) through the conference finals.
Historically, teams have changed conferences when they relocate or when the NBA restructures divisions. The most recent shift was the New Orleans Pelicans joining the Western Conference. Conference realignment is rare and typically tied to expansion or relocation.