The Eastern Conference is up for grabs, now that the Cavaliers have been weakened due to LeBron’s departure to Los Angeles. Next year’s playoffs will be a competitive one, but there are a few teams who stick out more than others. With that being said, here are our predictions for how the regular season will end up.
1. Boston Celtics – 62-20
The Celtics will presumably be healthy for the first time with their whole post-rebuild squad, which includes Kyrie, Jaylen Brown, Gordon Hayward, Jayson Tatum, and Al Horford. That is a lot of talent, and if it weren’t for The King they’d have been in the Finals for the past two seasons. Brad Stevens is a brilliant coach, and there’s no doubt they’ll be the 1-seed.
2. Toronto Raptors – 58-24
Kawhi Leonard on the Raptors means they are even better than before. His addition puts them on the Celtics’ tier, meaning they will make up the top seeds and have the deepest playoff runs. It’s too early to predict how good Toronto will be, but with Leonard, Lowry, and many other impressive pieces it is hard to believe they won’t be.
3. Philadelphia 76ers – 52-30
Philadelphia is still very young, but their raw talent is enough for the 3-seed. Embiid recently said he’s looking to have an MVP-type season, and we’ve got to believe him. He put up 22.9 points and 11.0 rebounds per game last year, and at 24 years old he’s just getting better. Reigning Rookie of the Year Ben Simmons will also have a big season, but they’re even deeper than that. Philly has former #1 pick Markelle Fultz, J.J. Redick, Dario Šarić and more.
4. Indiana Pacers – 50-32
After Victor Oladipo’s breakout season, it became apparent to everybody that Indiana was no joke. They took LeBron to Game 7 last year, and made a fantastic pickup in Tyreke Evans for the upcoming season. Myles Turner, Al Jefferson and Thaddeus Young are also important pieces for them, and they should easily be able to secure the #4 seed.
5. Milwaukee Bucks – 48-34
Giannis Antetokounmpo will continue to dominate on both sides of the ball, and honestly he’s the most likely MVP-candidate from the East. The Bucks did lose Jabari Parker, but picked up an important role player in Ersan İlyasova. Milwaukee will be decent, but no better than the 5-seed.
6. Washington Wizards 47-35
John Wall has been on an underachieving team for most of his career, but unfortunately the addition of Dwight Howard doesn’t change that. Despite being a definite first-ballot Hall of Famer, Dwight no longer is an impact player. Wall and Bradley Beal are a filthy duo, but they seem to lack surrounding pieces that could give them any better than the #6 spot.
7. Miami Heat – 42-40
The Heat are the only team on this list without any star players, yet are still capable of making the playoffs. They do have a lot of all-around talent though, which is why they are good. Hassan Whiteside is, despite what people say, can score the ball and be a good defender. Goran Dragić is solid, Tyler Johnson is very talented and Dion Waiters can step up in big moments. Not too bad.
8. Detroit Pistons 41-41
The Stan Van Gundy-less Pistons should be able to secure the final playoff seed, if you factor in their big men. Andre Drummond is an animal in the post, and Blake Griffin’s game is still evolving. That is arguably the best 4-5 duo in the entire league, and the best since Blake was in Los Angeles with DeAndre Jordan (oh, how times change). Stanley Johnson and Reggie Jackson are decent too, and Detroit really won’t be that bad.
And about the bottom 7 teams…
- Cleveland Cavaliers – 38-44
- Charlotte Hornets – 37-45
- Chicago Bulls – 35-47
- Orlando Magic – 34-48
- Brooklyn Nets 29-53
- New York Knicks 25-57
- Atlanta Hawks – 17-65
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