It doesn’t take a genius to know why they are leading the pack again this year. However, the competition is not going to sit around and let it happen. Teams in the East are making moves to dethrone Boston as the top squad in the Eastern Conference. Here are my predictions of how I see the East standings playing out:
15. Chicago Bulls 15-67
The windy city team is one bad week away from imploding and starting a rebuild. DeMar DeRozan was the only thing helping them win enough games to make the play-in. Now that he is gone, it’s only a matter of time before management hits the reset button. If fans are expecting Lonzo Ball to be their savior, they are in for a rude awakening. Ball missed the last two seasons due to knee problems and making his comeback on opening night. If he manages to stay on the court, he will bring much-needed playmaking at the point.
That will only take them so far and the glaring weaknesses of this team are still a huge problem. Their defense isn’t good, they lack perimeter shooting and size. With the Zach Lavine uncertainty keeping them hostage for another season, the Bulls have too many questions and very few answers. Priority number one should be to move Lavine early in the season.
14. Washington Wizards 17-65
Unfortunately for Wizards fans, the team is in the middle of a rebuild with no clear direction. The underwhelming season with the pairing of Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Pooled didn’t help their situation. In a surprising move, they traded Deni Avdija who was arguably the best thing they had going for themselves.
After selecting Alex Sarr with the No. 2 pick Washington hopes their rookie will deliver and show them a path forward. Relying on Sarr to provide an immediate impact is wishful thinking. He will be a quality player but that will take some time. At least they have multiple veterans on good contracts they can use to load up on draft picks.
13. Brooklyn Nets 17-65
After trading Mikal Bridges, it would be reasonable to assume the rebuild is well underway. Ben Simmons is coming back and playing the last year of his contract. This will open $40 million in cap space for Brooklyn this offseason. If Simmons is healthy, it could gather trade interest, and the Nets will jump at the opportunity to receive more assets. Either way they are finally set to benefit from the Ben Simmons saga.
Now the focus shifts to Cam Thomas who averaged 22 points last season. The team didn’t get an extension signed and he will become a restricted free agent this offseason. If he can improve on those numbers, Brooklyn will have better clarity on their future. The Nets aren’t a threat in the East and will be building toward the next step of their rebuild.
12. Detroit Pistons 23-59
The Pistons were bad once again last season, making it the fourth straight last-place finish. Leading to an NBA record 28-game losing streak. They were in the bottom five offensively from start to finish. Yet after the All-Star break, there were glimpses of defensive competence. After being a bottom 5 defensive team, Detroit improved to as high as the top 16 as the season went on.
With signs of maturity and effort on the defensive end, it’s clear this team can improve. Now they added quality veterans and a new coach in JB Bickerstaff who has proven he can help teams develop. They have promising talent and along with the improvement of Cade Cunningham the Pistons are set to climb a few spots in the East.
11. Charlotte Hornets 25-27
I’m starting to see a trend here with the Ball brothers. They are really good and when it comes to Lamelo he might be the more talented one. Charlotte hit the jackpot in that regard. The problem is that you can’t count on them being available. LaMelo had a 75-game season in 2022 but has failed to hit the forty-game mark in the previous two seasons.
Brandon Miller had a terrific rookie year and will inevitably eat at someone’s minutes with Ball on the court. Miles Bridges signed a $75 million extension during the offseason after exploring sign and trade scenarios. His contract could turn into a valuable trade asset for the franchise if things don’t work out. This team hasn’t had a lot of time to play with their best player on the court. The Hornets will be figuring things out as they go and as a result, won’t win many games.
10. Toronto Raptors 27-55
This is a talented group albeit with plenty of questions. Immanuel Quickly and RJ Barrett will have their first full season in Toronto after being acquired mid-season last year. With first-time All-Star Scottie Barnes as the main man up north, the Raptors have some promise. Nevertheless, this season will be one of development and learning to play with each other.
Toronto has a lot of concerns to figure out, including size and depth. Their defense got consistently worse as the season progressed. It will need to be considerably better for them to be a play-in team in the East. If they can avoid injuries talent alone will win them some games.
9. Atlanta Hawks 34-48
The Hawks hit the reset button by trading away Dejounte Murray. In doing so, they have returned to an offense centered around Trey Young. Jalen Johnson’s emergence has given Atlanta some comfort room to avoid a full rebuild. They also got the number one pick in the lottery and used it to draft Zaccharie Risacher. Expectations for him aren’t very high mainly because this rookie class didn’t receive a lot of buzz before the draft.
If the pre-season games tell us anything, Risacher might be a better fit in Atlanta than anyone expected. He might not be Wemby but he is underrated and does a lot of things extremely well. They have interesting pieces at the wing and size to complement Trae. Teams should warry of sleeping on the Hawks, especially on back-to-backs and the play-in. They aren’t winning a championship, but this year will give management a glance into what is possible for this team.
8. Miami Heat 42-40
Injuries were once again a problem for Jimmy Butler and company. After a trip to the NBA Finals, Miami was bounced in the first round by the Boston Celtics. The reality for this team is that at full strength they can compete with the best in the league. But they are still missing another piece to be considered a contending team. They are aware of this but have failed in their attempts to add another superstar to pair with Butler.
The departure of Caleb Martin hurts but it will open minutes for Jaime Jaquez. Miami didn’t do much in the off-season while the top teams got better. They will have to rely heavily on Butler who happens to be in the middle of contract negotiations. There is a possibility that he won’t finish the season in Miami. The Heat are better than the bottom teams in the East. But with health and turmoil concerns they won’t climb out of the play-in group.
7. Orlando Magic 49-33
The Orlando Magic have two of the most promising players in the league. Paulo Banchero and Franz Wagner are the main duo in Orlando who took them to a fifth seed last season. They lost in a seven-game series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was a close series with both teams winning every home game. Orlando believes home court made the difference and their goal is to be a top 4 team in the East.
Considering the teams ahead of them it would be normal to question how realistic that goal is. This team is way better than people are giving them credit for, and that goal is well within their reach. Banchero is special with averages of 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. If he can take another leap offensively this team will be scary to deal with. Defensively they were already one of the best teams in the league last season, only behind Minnesota and Boston. To compete with the top of the league they added 2-time NBA champion and defensive swingman Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The Magic mean business, they have youth and talent on their side. Expect them to finish no lower than the 7th seed.
6. Philadelphia 76ers 51-31
Philadelphia hit a home run when they signed Paul George in free agency. His addition to a team with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey arguably makes them the best big three in the league. Not just because of the collection of talent but fit-wise this is a dream scenario. The funny thing about dreams is that it doesn’t take much to turn into a nightmare.
Both George and Embiid have had injury concerns throughout their careers. As good as this collection of talent is, it is useless if they don’t get to play together. This is not the player’s fault, it’s an unfortunate part of the game. Everybody and their grandma have the Sixers as a top 3 seed in the NBA. Some are going as far as calling them the biggest threat to Boston. I say Boulogne, this team might look good on paper but it doesn’t inspire confidence for the playoffs. The season hasn’t started and they are already dealing with injuries and uncertainty for opening night.
Embiid and the Sixers are taking a load management approach this year. This means the team will be at less than full strength for much of the season. Add the games George and others will eventually miss, and you quickly realize they wont be at full strength often. Expecting them to win enough games to be a top 3 seed and be healthy for the playoffs is delusional.
5. Cleveland Cavaliers 52-30
Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell are still Cleveland Cavaliers. After last season ended there was a feeling one of them likely played their last season in a Cavs uniform. They are both back along with Evan Mobley and Jarret Allen who signed extensions this off-season. With a relatively unchanged roster familiarity is the strongest asset this team has going for them. They are hoping it helps them in the process of answering all the questions surrounding this roster. Injuries and fit at the back court and front court are the main issues to address.
The Cavs brought in Kenny Atkinson to help this talented squad play to their full potential. While Garland is an All-Star in his own right, Mobley’s potential is the key to elevating the Cavs. The promising power forward missed 32 games last season due to injury. For them to be a threat Mobley needs to stay on the court to take another step in his development. Cleveland will need some luck in the health department for the team to consistently play together. Donovan Mitchell can only carry them so far, both Garland and Mobley will dictate how far this Cavs team goes.
4. Indiana Pacers 54-28
Indiana shattered the expectations set last year making it to the Eastern Conference Finals. The trade for Pascal Siakam elevated to Pacers to a serious threat in the East. Even while being unfamiliar with the team, Siakam led them in scoring after his arrival midway through the season. A full training camp should give him plenty of time to get fully integrated. Tyrese Haliburton has emerged as an All-NBA Guard and will be orchestrating the Pacers’ non-stop barrage of offense. He gained some weight in muscle to help with his durability during the season.
Indiana will continue their emergence if his back-court mate, Andrew Nembhard can replicate his impact from the playoffs. Their starting shooting guard averaged a passive 9 points per game during the regular season. He stepped up in the playoffs with 14.9 points per game. He’s been aggressive in the preseason creating scoring opportunities for himself. If he continues to play like this, he will be a candidate for Most Improved Player this year.
Benedict Mathurin is another key piece that has the potential to be a force off the bench. He wasn’t available in the playoffs, and you can’t help but wonder if he would’ve made a difference. Their offense is set to be one of the best in the East again this year. If they show up on defense the Pacers can beat anyone.
3. Milwaukee Bucks 55-27
Despite their championship core and collection of talent, the Milwaukee Bucks are the most underrated team in the East. Understandably so after an injury-riddled campaign and an early exit in the playoffs. Last year was one full of challenges for this team including changing head coaches midway through the season. Nevertheless, the Bucks limped to the third-best record in the conference and can do it again.
Their big three Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, and Khris Middleton only played five games together under Doc Rivers after the All-Star Break. Injuries are a concern for this team, another year of injuries could mean panic in Milwaukee. Things are not off to a great start with Middleton out for the season opener. Luckily the duo of Giannis and Dame is good enough to beat a lot of teams most nights. There might not be a better chance for a squad with sky-high potential, urgency will be of the essence.
2. New York Knicks 57-25
To say expectations are high for the Knicks would be an understatement. They resigned O.G. Anunoby and traded for Mikal Bridges and Karl Anthony Towns. The acquisitions didn’t come cheap as they gave up six first-round draft picks in the trades. New York feels like it found its superstar in Jalen Brunson and went all-in with this roster. They lost key pieces including long stay Julius Randle, but the Knicks are happy with their returns.
The amount of activity this summer has New York feeling optimistic about this squad. They have been specifically built to compete with the current NBA champions. With Anunoby and Bridges at the wings, they will make life difficult for matchups on offense and defense. The Knicks can be elite at both sides of the ball, the difference maker will be if they can withstand the high number of minutes they will play. Their starters are great but beyond that, they are thin in depth and at the Center position. Nevertheless, the Knicks might be the biggest threat to the best team in the East.
1. Boston Celtics 62-20
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown finally got over the hump to become NBA Champions. After years of scrutiny by the media, they proved they could win together. For their efforts, they got an entire summer filled with dismissive treatment towards them. Brown didn’t get an invite to Team USA and Tatum was benched during the Olympics. The entire NBA will have Team USA to thank, for the extra motivation the champs have.
Boston is bringing back the entire championship core. Porzingis is set to miss time early in the season, but that shouldn’t be a problem since the team made their run without him. The Celtics are the best-positioned team to attempt a back-to-back since the Kevin Durant Warriors. Thanks to the summer of disrespect Tatum and Brown are fresh and ready to prove a point. The best offense and second-best defense in the NBA have all the ingredients to be even better this season.
