Why do ppl think the east is wide open now ?BQ?

People think the East is wide open now because before all of these trades the Celtics, Heat, Bulls and Magic were all contenders and even the Hawks have two all-stars. Now the Knicks have 2 all-star starters as a 6 seed. How is this conference not wide open? The Celtics are a very good team but they aren't just going to sweep through everybody.