With the dust settled for big name Free agents this off-season, it's time to look at how the standings in the Eastern Conference will play out.
Most prominently, there is no LeBron James around anymore. After eight straight years representing the East in the finals, the baton will be passed to another this upcoming season.
My prediction (and the East favorite), is the Boston Celtics. With a healthy Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward returning to the Boston cast that fell one game short of a trip to the Finals, the Celtics are primed to get back to their first championship appearance since 2010.
The heart and grit of the squad, Marcus Smart was recently brought back on a four year deal. His presence is invaluable to the Celtics as they make their title run, making winning plays time after time for the C’s.
With what Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown could (and seemingly will) blossom into, along with the proven talent and leadership of Al Horford and Marcus Morris; this Celtics team is loaded. Terry Rozier will be off the bench yet again, after proving this past postseason he's a huge threat on the court with starter potential. With Rozier, Smart, Baynes and Morris being the anchors of the second unit, Boston looks to have one of the deepest benches in the Eastern Conference.
Add one of the best coaches in the league in Brad Stevens running the show, and the Celtics could easily cruise to 60-plus wins and into the NBA Finals.
Tier 2 Teams
Though the Raptors added Kawhi Leonard to an already deep roster, I still wouldn't bet on them over the 76ers for second place in the East. Embiid and Simmons next season will be quite the dynamic duo in year two of their iteration. Both young stars are going to get better, which is scary to think about about considering Simmon’s 15.8/8.1/8.2 rookie stat line and Embiid’s first All-NBA (second team) nod.
Covington, Redick, and Šarić bring additional scoring to the team, along with defensive prowess that had the 76ers ranked 3rd overall in defensive rating last season (Celtics were 1st).
The battle for third place in the east is up for grabs from a few teams, namely the Raptors, Bucks, and Pacers. Kawhi Leonard's presence boasts Toronto to be my favorite to round out the top three, though that is bearing any holdout or extended injury time from Leonard.
The 59-win Raptors bowed out of last season's playoffs with a sweep by LeBron’s Cavaliers. With James now out of the Eastern Conference, Toronto has a chance to overcome their postseason misgivings.
However, the same Cavaliers team that steamrolled the Raptors were brought to a game seven by the Pacers in the first round of the postseason. Victor Oladipo’s emergence as an all-star pushed Indiana to a surprise fifth-seed last year, showing potential for growth with the team. With players like Bagdanovic, Collison, Turner, and Sabonis being key contributors returning to the team, the Pacers could very well be knocking at the door of being a top three team in the East.
Bottom-Half Playoff Squads
Giannis Antetokounmpo might be the best player in the conference now. With averages of 26.9 points, 10 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.5 steals & 1.4 blocks per game during the 2017-2018 campaign, the Greek Freak will likely be an MVP contender yet again as he tries to carry the Bucks as far as they can go. Taking Boston to a game seven in the opening round was an accomplishment in itself for Milwaukee. Depending on their first round matchup, they could advance past the first round next season for the first time since 2000-01.
The Heat and Wizards are probably going to lead the back half of the pack for playoff spots. Both teams however are likely to be first round exits to higher seeded opponents. John Wall did miss half the season in 2017-18, perhaps skewing the perception of how good Washington is coming into this upcoming season. But until the Wizards add another significant piece to their arsenal, I think the Wall and Beal tandem won’t be enough to get things done in D.C. Similar to the Wizards, the Heat are simply just lacking enough high level talent to truly do much in the conference. The Pistons with Blake Griffin in his first full season could make a run for top four positioning, but that's only if head coach Dwane Casey succeeds immediately with his new squad. I’d expect them to end up just squeezing into the postseason as an seventh or eighth seed.
Undoubtedly, there will be many twists and turns through the 2018-19 seasons, with surprise breakout players and teams to go along with big name injuries and disappointments. Overall however, the top dogs in the Eastern Conference fighting for a trip to the Finals are basically set, with my final predictions being:
Final Picks
1. Celtics
2. 76ers
3. Raptors
4. Pacers
5. Bucks
6. Wizards
7. Heat
8. Pistons
