It will take the Eastern Conference finalists, the Boston Celtics to knock the Miami Heat out of the playoffs. Miami will not finish second, not even in the top four, but they will be capable of taking every team but the Celts. Pat Riley will pull a Max Strus replacement out of his sleeve. Replacing Gabe Vincent is another matter. None the less, Jaime Jaquez, Nikola Jovic, Jamal Cain, Cole Swider, Orlando Robinson and Dru Smith will be the Vincents, D.Robinsons, Martins and Nunns this season. The Heat have two exceptional stars in JB and Bam, who atune their games to their surrounding cast under the direction of a great coach and GM. Miami will lose to Boston and no one else.
Damian Lillard’s addition to the Bucks is difficult to analyze. Certainly the loss of Jrue Holiday is significant. Not having closely followed the Western Conference, beyond an unconscious scorer, it is guesswork as to his ability to distribute and defend. By the all star break we will know if Giannis and Dame is a marriage made in basketball heaven. On paper, they are second only to Boston.
Will the Sixers implode? How far will they fall, even with reigning MVP Joel Embiid? Sorry Philly fans, the Sixers chemistry is very toxic. They may end up as a play in team.
Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell will play like a premier back court on offense. Evan Mobley can be expected to be stronger and smarter after two years in the league. With his far better D, he could unseat Jules as an all star. Max Strus was a valuable addition to an already 4th place squad.
The Knicks will finish 5th or 6th because they will play harder than other teams night in and night out. However, come the playoffs, we will find it more difficult to advance. Aside from the Sixers, every other top 10 has improved more than the Knicks. With Dejounte Murray and Trae Young having played together for most of a season, they will help the Hawks escape the play-in. Team work has been missing in recent years and Quinn Snyder, with his coaching gravitas, was brought in to remedy that. Atlanta should edge the Knicks for 5th.
The order of finish for the play-in contenders relies to a great extent on the development of their younger players. Is Anthony Black at PG the piece that Orlando needs to make better use of their talented roster? That is asking too much of a 20 year old rookie. With the Magic, it’s not a question of if, but when all their talent will jell.
Toronto is a good bet to vault into the top six based on their individual talent. Siakam, Anunoby and Barnes have all-star potential. Gary Trent Jr. and Gradey Dick provide reliable outside shooting and Dennis Schroder brings solid play at the point. New coach Darko Rajakovgic is the Raptor’s biggest question mark. Jacob Poetl and Christian Koloko are less than adequate in the middle.
Indiana has dealt with its power shortage at PF by trading for Obi Toppin and drafting Jarace Walker. Rookie SG Ben Sheppard impressed in preseason. Benedict Mathurin has an excellent offensive game and the athleticism to be a solid defender. The Pacers also have a deep bench. Even PG Tyrese Haliburton has a solid backup in Andrew Nembhard. Attrition will not effect the Pacers as much as other clubs. Veteran coach Rick Carlisle will be tasked with bringing the Pacers to the next level.
With the uncertainty surrounding the Philadelphia 76ers, we have nine teams heading for the playoffs. The Chicago Bulls should edge out the Orlando Magic for 10th place. The Bulls headliners are Nikola Vucevic, DeMar DeRozan and Zach Levine. Coby White has transitioned from SG to PG. This just doesn’t seem like a change that will improve Chicago’s anemic offense, 24th in the league. Orlando’s 26th ranked offense is also in need of an effective PG. A breakout year by Anthony Black could change this, but the Bulls fifth ranked defense gives Chicago a decided edge here.
The Playoff Rankings in the East:
1. Boston; 2. Miami; 3.Milwaukee; 4. Cleveland; 5. Atlanta; 6. New York; 7. Toronto; 8. Indiana;
- Chicago. Miami won’t finish in 2nd and Philadelphia could finish anywhere from 4th to 7th.