NBA 2018-19: Eastern Conference Power Rankings (Month 1 Edition)

Now that we have completed one month of NBA action, it is safe to say that all the predictions the analysts made before the start of the season went wrong. The Toronto Raptors have been in a stellar form and shocked the entire NBA universe with their dominance and are looking like a force to reckon with. Kawhi Leonard fit in nicely from Day 1 and the Raptors are on a roll, setting the stage on fire.

With Jimmy Butler finally coming out of West to join the Philadelphia 76ers in the East, the 76ers' chances of coming out of east are definitely expected to get better and the fans are going to have exciting days ahead.

The Celtics started the season hot, just like everyone expected them to and the Raptors-Celtics matchup showed us glimpses of what it is going to be like in the playoffs. Some teams are finally going to make it to playoffs in the LeBron-less Eastern Conference. Without further delay, let us take a look at the power rankings after one month of NBA action.

#5 Indiana Pacers

Victor Oladipo and the Pacers are going to pose some problems in the post-season

Win-Loss Record: 9-6

Home: 5-3 (0.62)

Away: 4-3 (0.57)

In case you were sleeping on the Indiana Pacers, even after all that Victor Oladipo has done last season, I advise you to not do that anymore, for they are going to pose some serious problems to the so-called powerhouses in the post-season.

They are currently 9-6 on the season, including wins against strong teams like San Antonio Spurs and Boston Celtics. Oladipo picked up where left off and is averaging 22.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game this season.

He is expected to make it to the All-Star game for the second straight season. However, it is not just Oladipo who is posing threat to the opposition, their entire starting unit has been stellar in the first one month and are playing their respective roles to perfection.

Coming off the bench, Sabonis and Tyreke Evans are providing them, a much-needed spark and with a relatively easier schedule ahead, things are definitely looking fine for the Pacers at the moment and it will be interesting to see where they will finish this season.

#4 Philadelphia 76ers

Jimmy Butler will definitely take this team to a whole another level

Win-Loss Record: 10-7

Home: 8-0 (1.00)

Away: 2-7 (0.22)

Maybe this is what Joel Embiid meant when he always re-iterated - 'Trust The Process'. The 76ers have added Jimmy Butler a few days ago in a trade that sent Robert Covington and Dario Saric to the T-Wolves.

The 76ers started the season in a way everyone would have expected them to and are on pace to make it to the playoffs for second straight season. The lion's share of their success is because of Joel Embiid who is having a ridiculous season averaging 27.4 points, 13.0 rebounds per game.

Ben Simmons has been great, yet again and their backup point guard, Markelle Fultz has been doing just fine although he is still struggling to shoot free-throws. However, the 76ers lost to the three teams that will next be revealed on the list in blowouts, but that was before the Jimmy Butler trade. The 76ers currently hold a win-loss record of 10-7 and are placed at the 5th spot on the Eastern Conference Standings.

Considered as one of the powerhouses of Eastern Conference, with the addition of Jimmy Butler, who has only played two games so far for the 76ers, this team is definitely going to get better in the coming days and are expected to make some noise in the playoffs. It is also noteworthy that they are undefeated at home, so far.

#3 Boston Celtics

Celtics, led by Kyrie Irving aredefinitely expected to make it to East Finals — Celtics, led by Kyrie Irving

Win-Loss Record: 9-6

Home: 5-1 (0.83)

Away: 4-5 (0.44)

You may not have seen this coming but yes, the Boston Celtics are at number three on our power rankings list. Before the start of the season, the analysts expected them to come out of the East without any difficulty but that has not been the case so far.

Although the Celtics are a great team, they are still beatable and the opposition teams have shown us that. Kyrie Irving struggled with some rough shooting nights in October but the Celtics have been fortunate to have had an easy schedule and somehow pick up wins. However, once the schedule became relatively tougher in the month of November, they have dropped games even against the teams that everyone expected them to win.

They won against the Bucks in a very close contest before taking two back-to-back losses against the Nuggets and Pacers. Few games later, they lost to Portland and Jazz and so far, the trend has been that, if Kyrie performs, they might or might not get the win but if he fails, they would end up losing or pick up the win with great difficulty.

This only talks about how Kyrie Irving is the centerpiece of this franchise and how they need him to be at his absolute best to beat tough opponents. Gordon Hayward, who came back into the NBA one year after his gruesome leg injury is still taking his time to settle.

Jayson Tatum has been great so far, just like you would expect but the real problem is their bench. Although they have the depth, the players have not showed up the way they should have thus far.

Marcus Smart has been a disappointment for the team in the first month and Terry Rozier has not made any impact and for the Celtics to have any realistic chance of winning the title, their bench definitely needs to do better.

#2 Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee Bucks have shocked the world with their consistency

Win-Loss Record: 11-4

Home: 7-1 (0.87)

Away: 4-3 (0.57)

Who would have thought that the Bucks would be at the second spot on the Eastern Conference Standings after one month of NBA action. But if you had been following the Bucks basketball, this should not be a surprise.

Led by the 'Greek Freak', they are bringing the pain to the opposition on a nightly basis after starting the season with seven straight wins. Giannis has made strong case for MVP in the first month and is averaging 25.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game. The league does not seem to have any answers for him as he keeps dominating them every time he steps his foot on the court.

Their first-month heroics includes wins against strong teams like Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers and have even blown out the Golden State Warriors. However, Giannis is not the only one doing the damage.

Khris Middleton is averaging 19.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game and is shooting at 46.7 percent from the field, including 44.5 percent from distance. Brook Lopez seems to have worked on his three-point shooting in the off-season and is shooting deep threes with a high accuracy and is spreading the floor and the Bucks are on pace to end the regular season as a top three team in the east.

#1 Toronto Raptors

The Raptors are looking spooky this season

Win-Loss Record: 12-4

Home: 7-2 (0.77)

Away: 5-2 (0.71)

Don't try telling me you are not impressed with the way the Raptors have been this season, even if you are not a fan of the Raptors. They have been sensational to begin the season and are currently at the top of the ladder.

The Kyle Lowry-Kawhi Leonard partnership has got it going from the word go and they have been dismantling the oppositions, game after game. While there were a lot of doubts about whether Leonard would be able to gel with his new team and how long it would take, the Raptors have hit a home-run with Leonard as their forward.

Kawhi is leading the team in points, rebounds and steals per game and has been phenomenal, making a strong case for DPOY and MVP, in the first month. Kyle Lowry is averaging 15.9 points, 10.5 assists per game and is leading the league in assists per game. Serge Ibaka is dominating in the paint and is averaging 17.6 points and 1.2 blocks per game this season.

The Raptors' bench is probably the most stacked with players like OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam, CJ Miles to name a few. Their bench has been coming up alive every game and that allows their starters to go to the bench and catch their breath without worrying about the bench blowing the lead. In fact, most of the time, their bench players are extending the lead with their solid performances.

At this point, I would just go ahead and say, they are built to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals and it does not matter what their schedule is, with the kind of starters they have and the bench depth that they possess, they are for sure the favorites to even come out of East.