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Last season, the departure of LeBron James opened up the Eastern Conference and gave an opportunity to play in the postseason games to the teams that rarely got the chance in his presence in the East. With Kawhi Leonard's exit to the other conference this off-season, the doors are wide open once again for such teams to make it to postseason.
It is a widely accepted fact that the Eastern Conference is not as stacked as the Western Conference and there is a high probability that some mediocre teams from the East make it to the playoffs which would not happen if those teams were to play in the West.
Two weeks into the 2019-20 NBA season, several teams are competing for the 7th and 8th seed in the East and this is expected to continue till the end of the regular season. However, there are teams that look like they are already out of playoffs contention and in this article, we take a look at those teams.
#3 Cleveland Cavaliers
Ever since LeBron James, nothing has been same for the Cleveland Cavaliers as they went from being one of the best teams in the league to one of the weakest. In the post-LeBron era, the Cavaliers are in a rebuild mode and are a long way from making it to the postseason.
Coming off a 19-63 record season, the Cavs started 4-7 with three of their wins coming against below-average teams. Their only impressive win this season came against a Victor Oladipo-less Indiana Pacers.
There are also rumors that Kevin Love may get traded before the February trade deadline and if this happens, the Cavs may be competing for the worst record in the league as they hit complete rebuild button.
#2 Washington Wizards
In the absence of John Wall, the Washington Wizards just don't have enough firepower to compete as they are currently one of the worst teams in the league. Bradley Beal has been playing at a high level and with an increased usage rate but he cannot be the only one to show up every night.
He could use some help but the roster lacks reliable scoring options and is completely dependent on one man. The Wizards can only go as far as Beal takes them this season and after a 3-7 start, it seems like the Wizards fans should brace themselves for yet another disappointing regular season.
#1 New York Knicks
The New York Knicks' struggles continue and the fans should prepare for an early off-season as this team is expected to miss the playoffs for a seventh straight season. After failing to attract even a single All-Star free agent to come play in Big Apple, the franchise was quick enough to sign players like Julius Randle, Marcus Morris and Bobby Portis.
They also had the third overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft and selected RJ Barrett of Duke who is expected to feature in the All-Rookie First Team. Two weeks into the season, the Knicks are once again at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings table and things are not looking good for them at the moment.
Marcus Morris has been the best player on this so far as he is averaging career-best numbers this season. He looks like a complete different player in New York and is getting a lot of media coverage by being the best player on the Knicks. Not to forget, it was his clutch three-pointer that saved the day against the Dallas Mavericks.
However, the team's inexperience clearly shows up in the way they perform on the court and with players frequently getting injured, it seems like their bad luck just doesn't have an end to it. Knicks fans, we feel for you.
