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The Eastern Conference might be at its most interesting in many years in the 2020-21 NBA season. We have seen the creation of a super roster in the Brooklyn Nets; the Philadelphia 76ers are taking their game to a new level, and the Milwaukee Bucks remain on the quest for success in the postseason after a strong regular-season outing.
Other interesting stories have come out of Miami. The reigning East champions, the Miami Heat, have struggling mightily when Jimmy Butler has been off the court, but they are looking competitive for the second half of the season.
Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics' inconsistencies might catch up with them in the second half of the season. The New York Knicks are shockingly in fifth place in the Eastern Conference after making a 19-18 start to their 2020-21 NBA campaign heading into the All-Star break.
There have been quite a few eye-catching stories so far in the East in the 2020-21 NBA season. However, there could be a few more as the second half of the season commences. On that note, let's have a look at five bold predictions for the Eastern Conference in the second half of the 2020-21 NBA season.
#5 The Milwaukee Bucks will take the first seed in the 2020-21 NBA Eastern Conference
The Milwaukee Bucks remain a big factor in the Eastern Conference. The Milwaukee Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer and the reigning two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo have been subject to a lot of criticism due to the team's postseason struggles in the last two years, but they have a good chance of going deep in the 2020-21 NBA Playoffs.
But before we get into their chances in the postseason, we have to tip the Milwaukee Bucks as a likely candidate to have home-court advantage for the entirety of the Eastern Conference Playoffs.
So far in the 2020-21 NBA season, the Milwaukee Bucks have not performed at an extraordinary level in terms of their consistency, but they still rank third in the East and are just two games off the top spot.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has been making a quiet case for a third consecutive MVP award. Even though it's unlikely he will win the award this year, he has produced 29 points, 11 rebounds and six assists per game. That could easily make the Milwaukee Bucks the first seed in the East for the third straight season, something that could surprise a lot of people.
#4 Philadelphia 76ers will pip the Brooklyn Nets for the second seed
The Philadelphia 76ers have played tremendous basketball in the first half of the 2020-21 NBA season.
However, it remains to be seen if Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons will continue to be available for the team. If they do not sustain their run in the second half of the season, they could lose the top spot in the East.
However, Philadelphia might not be the only team already thinking about the second half of the season, as the Brooklyn Nets could face similar issues. Brooklyn could have an underwhelming second half of the 2020-21 NBA season in a bid to stay healthy for the postseason.
In that case, the Milwaukee Bucks could surge ahead of both teams and Philadelphia could pip Brooklyn ahead of the 2020-21 NBA Playoffs.
#3 Miami Heat will fight for a Top-3 seed
The Miami Heat have an 18-18 record in the 2020-21 NBA season, despite their main player Jimmy Butler missing 14 games.
The Heat have a 4-10 record in Butler's absence and are 14-8 split with him on the court. If the Heat roster stays healthy in the second half of the season, they could make up one of the top four seeds in the East and could even be in the reckoning for a top-three seeding.
Butler, Goran Dragic and Tyler Herro are three of the team's best players, but all of them have missed more than ten games in the 2020-21 campaign. If they get fit, the Miami Heat could have a strong finish to the regular season.
#2 Charlotte Hornets will make the NBA Playoffs as a Top-6 team
The 2020-21 Charlotte Hornets have been an exciting team, even though there were doubts regarding their roster in the off-season.
After giving Gordon Hayward a huge contract, an arguably undeserving one, and picking LaMelo Ball with the third pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, there were a lot of questions about both Charlotte Hornets decisions.
Nevertheless, both players have fared well in the 2020-21 NBA season, and Charlotte now have a decent shot at making the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
They are 17-18 on the season and currently sit in seventh spot in the Eastern Conference. That would give them a spot in the play-in tournament, but the Hornets are just 1.5 games behind the East's Top-4 and could surge up the standings before the regular season ends.
Given the team's talent and the progress made by young players like Ball, the Charlotte Hornets could easily enter the 2021 postseason directly as a top-6 team.
#1 New York Knicks will fall out of postseason reckoning
The New York Knicks's 2020-21 NBA campaign has been one of the endearing stories in the East. Tom Thibodeau's team are currently the fifth seeds in the Eastern Conference after ending the first half of the season with a decent 19-18 record.
However, they could face a tough run of games against top teams in the remainder of the season, and their rather poor record against them doesn't augur well for their postseason hopes.
They will face the Brooklyn Nets, LA Lakers, Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers twice each in the second half. If they flounder in these games, the Knicks' postseason hopes will go up in smoke despite a fabulous start to their campaign.
The Knicks' quest for their first playoffs appearance in eight years looks likely to be a tough one.
They begin the second half of their campaign with a road trip that includes games in Milwaukee, Brooklyn and Philadelphia. They also have a tough schedule in May, as they have a six-game trip to the West to face the Houston Rockets (11-23), Memphis Grizzlies (16-16), Denver Nuggets (21-15), Phoenix Suns (24-11), LA Clippers (24-14) and the defending champions LA Lakers (24-13).
Also Read: 5 best defensive teams in the 2020-21 NBA.
