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NBA's Eastern Conference has seen a renaissance of sorts in the last couple of seasons with the competition seriously getting an uplift. This time around, as many as five teams can have realistic ambitions of going all the way in the NBA Playoffs.
However, before we jump ahead to that discussion, the seeds need to be finalized from the East for the NBA Playoffs. The eight games before the postseason will hold much significance for a few franchises.
Eastern Conference: Road to NBA Playoffs 2020
Except for the top spot, things aren't set in stone for the NBA Playoffs. The scenario has changed completely following the long hiatus and eight games are enough for a few teams to gain momentum or spiral downwards.
On that note, let us look at the predicted Eastern Conference seeds for NBA Playoffs 2020.
#8 Orlando Magic (Current record: 30-35, 8th)
Much of what the Orlando Magic have been able to achieve this season has been based on their defensive capability. Jonathan Isaac played a key role for Orlando in that regard and how well he performs following his freak knee injury will have a bearing on the Magic's chances.
Besides that, the franchise hasn't shown enough to suggest that they're ready to leap beyond the last spot in the East for the NBA Playoffs. They only have the 16th toughest schedule so that should be enough to keep the ninth-placed Washington Wizards at bay.
#7 Brooklyn Nets (Current record: 30-34, 7th)
The Brooklyn Nets are seriously short-handed and missing as many as six first-choice players. Their first scrimmage against the New Orleans Pelicans saw them getting walloped 99-68. But given the nature of their squad, it's likely that they will take time to get into the groove of things.
The addition of Jamal Crawford will pay off at some time. Besides this, the likes of LeVert, Joe Harris, and Crawford are all decent scorers. If they get into that flow, it shouldn't be that difficult for the Nets to win a few fixtures. Their 30-34 record puts them just half a game ahead of the Magic whom they'll face twice inside Disney World. Win these both and the seventh seed is pretty much theirs.
#6 Indiana Pacers (Current record: 39-26, 5th)
The Indiana Pacers restart their NBA campaign against the Philadelphia 76ers with both teams holding a 39-26 record. The addition of Victor Oladipo could be a big factor, but he didn't fare so well in the few games he played after returning from injury prior to the NBA suspension.
The Pacers' final seeding depends on how well they do in their first few games after the resumption. Their final four fixtures include matches against the LA Lakers, Miami Heat, Houston Rockets, and then Miami again. Barring the 3-point win against the Lakers, Indiana only has losses to show against the rest.
#5 Miami Heat (Current record: 41-24, 4th)
No one expected the Miami Heat to be serious contenders in the NBA Playoffs picture at the beginning of the season. But Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo have propelled Erik Spoelstra's side to the fourth seed in the East with a 41-24 record.
On the back of some serious shooting by Duncan Robinson, the Heat won their first scrimmage game 104-98. But their defensive identity was certainly amiss and the team is likely to take some time to get into full gear. Unfortunately for them, they face the Nuggets, Raptors, Celtics, and Bucks in quick succession in the first four seeding games.
While I do not expect the Heat to slip up considerably, they had shown some inconsistency following the All-Star break and that could continue in Orlando.
#4 Philadelphia 76ers (Current record: 39-26, 6th)
No team has split opinion like the Philadelphia 76ers this season. They've been imperious at home with a 29-2 record but at the same time managed to win just 10 out of their 34 games on the road.
However, Philly needs to make the most of their easy schedule in Orlando to move up from the sixth seed in the NBA Playoffs picture. The Houston Rockets and the Toronto Raptors are the only two teams against whom Brett Brown's men should really be breaking a sweat.
Shake Milton's uprising will allow Ben Simmons to play as the power forward. Milton is a very capable shooter, raking in 45.3% of his shots from downtown. And with Simmons playing higher up the court, the chances of Joel Embiid getting doubled up inside the paint go down significantly. Everything about this switch suggests a positive outlook for the Sixers as we inch closer towards NBA Playoffs.
Also read: NBA Orlando Restart: 5 Bold predictions for the Eastern Conference
#3 Boston Celtics (Current record: 43-21, 3rd)
When it comes to depth, Boston Celtics remain unmatched in the East. They've got plenty of options to go to for offense and defense. But injuries and inconsistencies have seen them lose very close encounters and for this very reason, I don't see them closing the gap on Toronto Raptors above them.
Kemba Walker is likely to take his time with his knee soreness and that does leave the Celtics shorthanded in the road to NBA Playoffs. At the same time, they only play three teams with a winning record in their seeding games, so they should hold on to their third spot.
#2 Toronto Raptors (Current record: 46-18, 2nd)
The Toronto Raptors weren't expected to perform so well this season with many even expecting them to bow out of contention for the NBA Playoffs. But thanks to Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, Norman Powell, and Serge Ibaka all averaging career-high numbers in scoring, the Raptors find themselves sitting comfortably in the second spot as we head towards NBA Playoffs.
The Raptors have the toughest schedule with 0.638 being the cumulative record of their opponents. At the same time, they've gone 7-8 so far this season against the teams they're set to play in Orlando. Even splitting their remaining eight games should allow Toronto to enter the NBA Playoffs as the second seed from the East.
#1 Milwaukee Bucks (Current record: 53-12, 1st)
The Milwaukee Bucks have looked like a million bucks this season. Even the season suspension has seemingly not affected them with Mike Budenholzer's men steamrolling San Antonio Spurs 113-92 in their first scrimmage game.
They will be the team to beat in the NBA Playoffs and need to do very little to lock up the first seed in the East. Powered by Giannis Antetokounmpo's 29.6 points and 13.7 rebounds per game, expect the Bucks to make a deep NBA Playoffs run.
Also read: NBA Playoffs 2020 - Predicting the 8 seeds from Western Conference
Guess the Lakers players!
