Gotterdammerung
10-09-2023, 01:42 AM
Eastern Conference
1. Milwaukee Bucks: By any metric the Bucks will be the best in the East, and particularly for the following reasons: they have the best all-around player, high scoring guard who’s a good passer & excellent 2-way wing player, and a first-class center who can score & defend, and a deep cast. They’ve been criticized for winning only one title. Since LBJ left the Cavaliers in 2018, only two East conference teams won the title: Raptors in 2019 & the Bucks in 2021. The Bucks still have one more title than the much hyped Celtics, Sixers & the Heat have combined in the last 5 years anyway.
:hammerhead:
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the best all around player in the league, and is now entering his prime at 28 despite being a 10 year NBA veteran. While Jokic is more dominant offensively as a scorer and a passer, Antetokounmpo is a much better defender. The Bucks traded Holiday for Damon Lillard, who’s clearly the more potent offensive player, but Holiday’s defense and toughness will be missed. Besides Dame, the Greek Freak has a powerful roster built around him in Middleton & Lopez and a deep cast. If Giannis stays healthy, and has a decent roster, he will continue to win more titles and be the best guy of the 2020s.
2. Boston Celtics: Despite not winning a title, the Celtics have been the most consistently excellent team in the East since 2017, appearing in the East Conference finals five times in the last 7 seasons, plus one Finals berth. This summer they rebuilt their roster, getting rid of their 2022 Defensive Player of the Year in Smart, who provided grit, toughness, and intensity on defense, and added Kristap Porzingis, an injury-prone 7-3 power forward with very solid stats. If he stays healthy and is deployed optimally, he will be unleashed. They also obtained Jrue Holiday, an All-Star, All-Defensive Team who will bring value at both ends of the floor and a model teammate. The changes to the roster added size and versatility at the cost of depth, but they remain Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown’s team. As long they continue to play at All-NBA levels, the Celts remain title contenders. Their top six rotation in Tatum, Brown, Porzingis, Holiday, Horford, and Derrick White is the best in the league.
3. Philadelphia Sixers: It’s beginning to look like the Sixers cannot win with the Beard, nor will they win with whatever junk Morey may end up with in exchange of someone who has an incredibly over-inflated sense of his market value. Embiid won the MVP last year, but he shrank when the lights were at their brightest – he scored 15 points on 5-18 shooting in Game 7 vs the Celtics. He is great but he has not proven to be the best player on a team that makes a deep playoff run. Brand new Coach Nurse has the impossible task of turning a toxic combination into a title contender. But with the assclown Morey running the office, Embiid as the Incredible Shrinking Man, and the Beard as the Court Jester, I doubt it.
:kobe:
4. New York Knicks: The Knicks had a great year last season. They posted their best winning percentage since 2012-13 and they won a playoff series for the first time since then. Coach Thibodeau has led the Knicks to the playoffs twice in three years, after they missed the playoffs for 7 straight seasons. Randle hit new scoring highs in 25.1 ppg and led the team in rebounding and was second with assists. Brunson had an All-Star season with 24.1 ppg and 6.2 apg. Brunson also stepped up in the playoffs (27.8 ppg and 5.6 apg) but Randle fell off (16.6 ppg and 8.3 rpg), and shot 37.8% FG. In order for the Knicks to get past the second round, Randle must play up to expectations. They did shut down the Heat in the playoffs (104.3 ppg at 42.5% FG) but their offense was even worse.
5. Cleveland Cavaliers: The Cavaliers had their best season since LBJ left, but they landed with a thud in their return to the playoffs (4-1 loss to the Knicks). Mitchell made the All-NBA second team, after hitting career high in scoring (28.3 ppg) but his numbers fell in the playoffs. In his playoff career he has been up and down (32.1% in 2019 playoffs, then 36.3 ppg and 52.9% in 2020), and not won much (2-6 career playoff series). He’s a very good player but he is undersized and inconsistent offensively and not very good defensively. That’s not championship quality as a first option. The Cavaliers were first in points allowed and 7th in defensive FG %, but if they want to climb the standings and get beyond the first round with Mitchell as their best player, Mitchell must become better on defense and include their big guys on offense more than ever. Darius Garland was nice in the regular season, but when both he and Mitchell cratered in the playoffs, nobody else could step up. They added Strus, Niang and Jerome for depth and 3 point shooting but that’s not going to be enough.
6. Miami Heat: Who is the real Miami Heat? The mediocre team of the 82 regular seasons, or the maniacal playoff destroyer from 2022 and 2023? Unfortunately, their two toughest rivals improved themselves in the offseason (Bucks with Lillard and Celtics with Holiday/Porzingis), while they themselves remained flatfooted, if not worse (lost Vincent and Strus).
7. Brooklyn Nets: After getting rid of the Super-Team that Never Was, both Durant’s Suns and Beard’s Sixers lost in the second round, and Kyrie’s Mavericks failed to even qualify for the playoffs. Meanwhile the Nets finished sixth before getting dusted by the Sixers. Mikal Bridges is a throwback player from the 80s who never misses a game, plays hard at both ends of the floor and is zero-drama. He likely will make the All-Star team next year. We don’t know if he can become the best player on a championship team, but there’s no doubt he can be the best guy on a playoff contending team.
8. Indiana Pacers. Might be a reach but the bottom of the East Conference is a wasteland of bad teams. Their rotation players are all at least 27 or younger, excepting for Buddy Hield. Haliburton is now an All-Star, and Myles Turner flourished in the absence of Sabonis. They also added Obi Toppin who will provide electricity and energy. If the Pacers don’t improve on defense, they will fall back in the Draft Lottery for the fourth year in a row. Coach Carlisle will be solid enough to help them improve on defense and finish at .500 this year.
1. Milwaukee Bucks: By any metric the Bucks will be the best in the East, and particularly for the following reasons: they have the best all-around player, high scoring guard who’s a good passer & excellent 2-way wing player, and a first-class center who can score & defend, and a deep cast. They’ve been criticized for winning only one title. Since LBJ left the Cavaliers in 2018, only two East conference teams won the title: Raptors in 2019 & the Bucks in 2021. The Bucks still have one more title than the much hyped Celtics, Sixers & the Heat have combined in the last 5 years anyway.
:hammerhead:
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the best all around player in the league, and is now entering his prime at 28 despite being a 10 year NBA veteran. While Jokic is more dominant offensively as a scorer and a passer, Antetokounmpo is a much better defender. The Bucks traded Holiday for Damon Lillard, who’s clearly the more potent offensive player, but Holiday’s defense and toughness will be missed. Besides Dame, the Greek Freak has a powerful roster built around him in Middleton & Lopez and a deep cast. If Giannis stays healthy, and has a decent roster, he will continue to win more titles and be the best guy of the 2020s.
2. Boston Celtics: Despite not winning a title, the Celtics have been the most consistently excellent team in the East since 2017, appearing in the East Conference finals five times in the last 7 seasons, plus one Finals berth. This summer they rebuilt their roster, getting rid of their 2022 Defensive Player of the Year in Smart, who provided grit, toughness, and intensity on defense, and added Kristap Porzingis, an injury-prone 7-3 power forward with very solid stats. If he stays healthy and is deployed optimally, he will be unleashed. They also obtained Jrue Holiday, an All-Star, All-Defensive Team who will bring value at both ends of the floor and a model teammate. The changes to the roster added size and versatility at the cost of depth, but they remain Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown’s team. As long they continue to play at All-NBA levels, the Celts remain title contenders. Their top six rotation in Tatum, Brown, Porzingis, Holiday, Horford, and Derrick White is the best in the league.
3. Philadelphia Sixers: It’s beginning to look like the Sixers cannot win with the Beard, nor will they win with whatever junk Morey may end up with in exchange of someone who has an incredibly over-inflated sense of his market value. Embiid won the MVP last year, but he shrank when the lights were at their brightest – he scored 15 points on 5-18 shooting in Game 7 vs the Celtics. He is great but he has not proven to be the best player on a team that makes a deep playoff run. Brand new Coach Nurse has the impossible task of turning a toxic combination into a title contender. But with the assclown Morey running the office, Embiid as the Incredible Shrinking Man, and the Beard as the Court Jester, I doubt it.
:kobe:
4. New York Knicks: The Knicks had a great year last season. They posted their best winning percentage since 2012-13 and they won a playoff series for the first time since then. Coach Thibodeau has led the Knicks to the playoffs twice in three years, after they missed the playoffs for 7 straight seasons. Randle hit new scoring highs in 25.1 ppg and led the team in rebounding and was second with assists. Brunson had an All-Star season with 24.1 ppg and 6.2 apg. Brunson also stepped up in the playoffs (27.8 ppg and 5.6 apg) but Randle fell off (16.6 ppg and 8.3 rpg), and shot 37.8% FG. In order for the Knicks to get past the second round, Randle must play up to expectations. They did shut down the Heat in the playoffs (104.3 ppg at 42.5% FG) but their offense was even worse.
5. Cleveland Cavaliers: The Cavaliers had their best season since LBJ left, but they landed with a thud in their return to the playoffs (4-1 loss to the Knicks). Mitchell made the All-NBA second team, after hitting career high in scoring (28.3 ppg) but his numbers fell in the playoffs. In his playoff career he has been up and down (32.1% in 2019 playoffs, then 36.3 ppg and 52.9% in 2020), and not won much (2-6 career playoff series). He’s a very good player but he is undersized and inconsistent offensively and not very good defensively. That’s not championship quality as a first option. The Cavaliers were first in points allowed and 7th in defensive FG %, but if they want to climb the standings and get beyond the first round with Mitchell as their best player, Mitchell must become better on defense and include their big guys on offense more than ever. Darius Garland was nice in the regular season, but when both he and Mitchell cratered in the playoffs, nobody else could step up. They added Strus, Niang and Jerome for depth and 3 point shooting but that’s not going to be enough.
6. Miami Heat: Who is the real Miami Heat? The mediocre team of the 82 regular seasons, or the maniacal playoff destroyer from 2022 and 2023? Unfortunately, their two toughest rivals improved themselves in the offseason (Bucks with Lillard and Celtics with Holiday/Porzingis), while they themselves remained flatfooted, if not worse (lost Vincent and Strus).
7. Brooklyn Nets: After getting rid of the Super-Team that Never Was, both Durant’s Suns and Beard’s Sixers lost in the second round, and Kyrie’s Mavericks failed to even qualify for the playoffs. Meanwhile the Nets finished sixth before getting dusted by the Sixers. Mikal Bridges is a throwback player from the 80s who never misses a game, plays hard at both ends of the floor and is zero-drama. He likely will make the All-Star team next year. We don’t know if he can become the best player on a championship team, but there’s no doubt he can be the best guy on a playoff contending team.
8. Indiana Pacers. Might be a reach but the bottom of the East Conference is a wasteland of bad teams. Their rotation players are all at least 27 or younger, excepting for Buddy Hield. Haliburton is now an All-Star, and Myles Turner flourished in the absence of Sabonis. They also added Obi Toppin who will provide electricity and energy. If the Pacers don’t improve on defense, they will fall back in the Draft Lottery for the fourth year in a row. Coach Carlisle will be solid enough to help them improve on defense and finish at .500 this year.