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For the last few pieces, I've been trying to give a preview of this upcoming season. I've ranked the top 10 players in the East and the West, and this time it will be more of a focus on teams as a whole.
You will hear all the time about how weak the Eastern Conference is and how it is nothing compared to the West.
The polarization of the two conferences has been overblown, and it has taken away from the talent that is present in the East.
There have been many changes to the East. Coaching changes, injured players returning to their teams, and the younger players having more experience will all contribute to different conference standings than last year.
The obvious most notable change will be the Cavaliers. Losing the King will push them outside of the clear-cut teams, as they will have to battle for the 8th seed. It is unlikely the team will be able to make the playoffs with their primary ball-handler will being rookie, and under immense pressure to replicate the magic, Kyrie Irving once had on the city of Cleveland.
My conference predictions will be assuming none of the teams listed have any major injuries that will derail their season. I can't predict injuries but I do hope everyone is able to stay healthy, despite however hopeless that dream may seem.
8th seed: Detroit Pistons
There will be many teams competing for that eighth seed. The Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers and possibly the Miami Heat will all be in the hunt. This one was close between the Pistons and Heat, but I decided to go with the Pistons because of their level of talent.
Detroit has always been an underwhelming team that has found themselves near the bottom of the Eastern Conference in the last few seasons after the first few games with Blake Griffin there was some hope, but that quickly faded. The Pistons have pieces that can contribute, but they just were never able to execute.
Until now.
Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond are some of the game's best big men. Both of them have good passing ability, and Drummond has arguably the best rebounding in the league.
The difference maker will be Griffin staying healthy and the arrival of the 2017-18 Coach of the Year, Dwane Casey. Griffin needs to return to his All-Star level of play, and Drummond needs to add some more scoring to his game and get close to being a top three center in the league, which is where I think he has the potential to become. The keyword is potential.
Casey is an excellent coach who has great success with point guards with Kyle Lowry, Delon Wright, and Fred Van Vleet.
He should be able to take that success and elevate Reggie Jackson's game. Other pieces like Stanley Johnson and Luke Kennard will also need to step up their scoring numbers to help the team.
The new culture that Casey will implement along with being healthy are the keys for the Pistons making the playoffs.
7th seed: Charlotte Hornets
This one is largely dependent on Malik Monk. NBA critics and analysts will continue to poke fun at the decision of the Hornets to draft Monk over Donovan Mitchell, but for now, we need to move past that. Yes, Monk had an abysmal rookie year, and it was quite easy for fans to jump off the Monk bandwagon.
However he is still very young, he is only 20 years old. It is too early to give up on him, and the way he played in the last few games of the season should give Hornets fans hope that they will get the high scoring backcourt they desired.
In the last six games of the season, he averaged near 20 points per game and four assists a game in only around 25 minutes per game.
If he keeps up that scoring and the Hornets increase his minutes, he could be getting anywhere between 20 to 23 points per game. I don't expect him to average that next year, but I think he could average around 18 points per game.
In an earlier piece, where I graded the new coaching hirings in the league, I gave the Hornets hiring of James Borrego a B.
It could have been higher, but Borrego hasn't had much head coaching experience aside from interim stints. He is a member of the Gregg Popovich coaching tree and has stated he intends to increase Monk's role.
Kemba Walker is just going to need to play like himself and if his love and passing for Charlotte are real then he should be able to lead this team under their new head coach into the playoffs.
The addition of Tony Parker shouldn't be written off, his leadership and championship experience will help the team in ways that won't show on a boxscore.
I think the change of coaching and Malik Monk becoming the scorer scouts had envisioned will allow the Hornets to push for a lower playoff seed in the East.
6th seed: Washington Wizards
John Wall needs to stay healthy for this to be true. Trading away Marcin Gortat for Austin Rivers will help with the apparent locker room problems that surfaced this past season, and Rivers will be able to provide some scoring for the second unit.
The Wizards have one of the best backcourts in the league with John Wall and Bradley Beal. I think John Wall is a top 5 point guard in the league, just his health has been a concern his entire career. Both him and Beal are easy locks for the All-Star team next year.
What is the biggest x-factor for the team will be Dwight Howard. Dwight has fallen off since his days in Orlando, and he has become a journeyman. After two disappointing seasons in Atlanta and Houston, he had a pretty solid year in Charlotte averaging 16.6 points and 12.5 rebounds per game.
His passing and desire to win have constantly been questioned, if the Wizards want to take that next step in the playoffs they need Dwight to play at the same or even better level then he did in Charlotte. He also isn't getting any younger, which may be a concern.
Overall Washington should be a lock to make the playoffs, it's just a question of health and whether players like Otto Porter and Dwight Howard can elevate their game in comparison to years past to push the Wizards deep in the playoffs.
5th seed: Indiana Pacers
Lance Stephenson will be missed. He is by far one of the most entertaining players and always had a way to make NBA fans laugh and smile. Nonetheless, the Pacers are talented. Victor Oladipo will be expected to play at the same level he played last year, if not better.
This shouldn't be a problem, as his skill playing both sides of the court was sustained for the entire season and in the playoffs.
He's a hardworking individual, who credits Westbrook for some of his inspiration to improve his work ethic. There is no question that he is currently working hard to improve his game during the offseason.
Myles Turner was expected to take a big jump last year after Paul George had left, however that jump never happened and he remained as a solid starting center.
He does have a bright future as he is only 22 years old, but he needs to add some scoring to help the Pacers make a push for a higher seed or deeper in the playoffs. The Pacers will need him to score 15+ points to provide some scoring with Oladipo and Tyreke Evans.
Speaking of Tyreke Evans, I think his signing is one of the most underrated of this offseason. He is coming off an incredible comeback year with Memphis where averaged 19.5 points along with 5 rebounds and 5 assists a game.
Tyreke Evans is a point guard. Back when he was drafted, he played a lot of point guard which is why he experienced a lot of success with the Kings, however in the seasons after that teams would play him as a shooting guard.
Memphis ran the ball through him a lot, which is why he played at a great level. If the Pacers want to sustain that level of play from him, they need to play him as a point guard. The backcourt of Oladipo and Evans will be fun to watch.
4th seed: Milwaukee Bucks
The Greek Freak is going to be an MVP candidate next year. He has found a way to elevate his game every season, his numbers and his play have reflected this and there is no reason why it will change this year.
However in years past, the god-like numbers that Antetokounmpo is able to put up haven't translated to team success, which is where the additions of Ersan Illyasova and new coach: Mike Budenholzer Illyasova will help Giannis a lot, as he will be able to knock down the 3 point shot whenever Giannis wants to dish the ball outside the arc.
The loss of Jabari will hurt a bit, but the Bucks have talent with Giannis, Malcolm Brogdon, Eric Bledsoe, and Kris Middleton.
I honestly think that if Middleton can take his level of play up a notch next year, he should be able to make the All-Star team. The real difference maker for the Bucks will be Mike Budenholzer.
Mike is a member of the Popovich coaching tree and has proven to be a great coach in the league after leading that Atlanta Hawks team to the conference finals as well as being a coach of the year recipient.
He's a proven coach and will look to elevate what Jason Kidd was able to create. The Bucks will need their pieces to work well together, and Giannis will need to play like the MVP player we all know he can be to push the Bucks to either a higher seed and/or deep in the playoffs.
Expectations will be high for Budenholzer, but judging by his resume, he should be able to deliver.
3rd seed: Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors offseason has just been a rollercoaster ride. Firing and trading the best coach and arguably the best player in franchise history was probably not anticipated by anyone in the league to happen in the same summer.
The Raptors success will depend on Kawhi Leonard. There are some rumours that he may sit out, but I highly doubt that. I don't doubt it because of the fines, which may play a part, but it is unlikely he will sit out because Kawhi needs to prove himself.
It may sound odd a top 4-5 player in the league needs to prove himself, but everyone must remember those praises of Kawhi were a year ago and at a time where he wasn't causing drama around the league. He needs to play and play well or else his brand that his uncle is so focused on won't be as great as it could have been.
He needs to return at an elite level and show that he wasn't just a player of Popovich's system and that he can strive anywhere he plays. The Raptors can be happy they did not trade away many of their younger pieces.
OG Anunoby will need to step up his game after a successful rookie year and provide some more scoring. The bench mob with Delon Wright, Fred Van Vleet, and Pascal Siakam will be missing Jakob Poeltl, but they should be able to still carry their load.
Nick Nurse hasn't been in the NBA for a long time in comparison to fellow head-coaches, but he will look to prove why he can be a quality successor to the best coach the Raptors have ever had.
There is just so much confusion and new pieces that will let the Raptors repeat as Eastern Conference regular season champions. With Kawhi, Toronto has a shot of going to the NBA finals, but they still aren't the favorite.
2nd seed: Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers are going to be an interesting team. They blew past the expectations that were set for them a year ago, and the expectations have only gotten higher. Markelle Fultz has been practicing his shot this offseason, and it will be time for him to show that he was worth the number one overall pick.
Some critics have already written him off, but it is too early. He's only 20 years old. He was considered the consensus number one overall pick for a reason, and 76ers fans should be excited for when he does show those skills.
Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid will have another year of experience under their belt, and both of them are fierce competitors.
It will be interesting to see the 76ers second unit if they decide to start Fultz out playing with them. Fultz, TJ McConnell, and Zhaire Smith will be entertaining to watch and should be able to keep up with teams when the starters need rest.
Of course, the real measure of success for the 76ers this time around will be the playoffs. Robert Covington will need to shoot better than 31% from three for the team in the playoffs, and the other pieces need to contribute the same way they did last year if not better.
The big thing again will be Embiid staying healthy. I doubt this will happen, but if he does the 76ers could come out and advance to the NBA finals.
1st seed: Boston Celtics
This one shouldn't be a surprise. The Celtics are stacked. Some may argue that after the Warriors, they are the second-best team in the league.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will only get better and develop their game further. Tatum has the potential to be a star in this league. He may not reach this potential soon because of the All-Stars on his team but nonetheless, he will play his part.
Gordon Hayward will return, which is huge for the Celtics. Some may have forgotten the skill and talent of Hayward because he hasn't played in a year.
He is an All-Star level talent and will give the team 20+ points. Kyrie Irving will be expected to play at a similar level last year and will show why he is considered by some as a top 3 point guard in the league today.
Al Horford, the underrated player he is, is going to play a vital position in the franchise. His two-way game and ability to do everything will come in handy to push the Celtics to the NBA finals.
Lastly, we can't forget the Celtics have arguably a top two coach in the league with Brad Stevens. There have been a lot of concerns of how the Celtics will be able to distribute the ball with all the talent they have.
If there is one coach who can do it effectively, it is Brad Stevens. Brad's ball movement and emphasis on defense will be keys for the Celtics to perform at an elite level. This is the team to beat in the East.
Guess the Lakers players!
