NBA: Eastern Conference Preview

The season in the world’s leading basketball league starts at the end of October. We decided to evaluate the situation of the teams in the Eastern Conference after changes such as the transfer of Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday to new teams in the summer.

Here’s a ranking of all NBA East teams, broken down into six different levels: underdogs, play-in contenders, teams that didn’t advance past the first round of the playoffs, postseason contenders, NBA Finals contenders, and a title contender for an NBA title.

Foreigners:

Detroit Pistons, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets

Serious results are not expected from these teams next season. The main goal of the team, which is in the restructuring phase, is to provide experience and playing time to its young talents for their further development.

The Washington Wizards traded away their star Bradley Beal and have no plans to compete for the top spot anytime soon. They have built a very young team, led by their new leader Jordan Poole, and will try to get a high pick in the next NBA Draft. They also parted ways with Kristaps Porzingis, who had a great season, in order to accumulate draft assets for the coming seasons.

The Detroit Pistons have an intriguing young core that could be a championship contender in a few years. Players such as Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart, James Wiseman have significant potential. Given this fact, the franchise is focusing on developing these before it starts to claim anything serious.

Getty Images/Global Images Ukraine. Detroit Pistons

The Charlotte Hornets are stuck in mediocrity. After two playoff games, an injury to team leader LaMelo Ball prevented the Hornets from repeating what they did last season. Considering the youth of the roster and limited team formation, the Hornets do not appear ready for a breakout season just yet. With plenty of young talent and a small number of highly skilled, experienced basketball players, the team is ready to compete for the top spot in the draft once again.

Preliminary candidates:

Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic, Chicago Bulls

There are teams that find themselves in the so-called “gray zone”, teams that are not ready to qualify for the play-offs by placing directly in the top six, but are ready to compete for the play-offs through a transition tournament.

The Indiana Pacers have come very close to playoff contention in recent seasons. The team already has its franchise player, star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who has already had a great season for the team and is only 23 years old, and we will definitely see improvement from him. There’s also the up-and-comer Bennedict Maturin, who will make just his second NBA appearance next season, and let’s not forget big man Myles Turner. Indiana may be on the brink of playoff contention in the 2023-24 season.

Getty Images/Global Images Ukraine. Indiana Pacers

On the other hand, Orlando Magic is in the process of creating a new roster after trading Nikola Vucevic. With star Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and a competitive young core, this could be a breakout year for the Floridians as the team moves from a rebuilding phase to playoff contention.

The Chicago Bulls have failed to live up to expectations in recent years; due to early exits from the play-offs and injuries in the team. Chicago made the play-in tournament last year, and it’s likely to be a similar story in 2023-24; There is uncertainty regarding the return of Lonzo Ball and other key rotation players dealing with health issues. Additionally, main star DeMar DeRozan is already 34 and unlikely to progress at that age, and the team is generally looking to trade Zach LaVine but has not been offered an equivalent asset so far.

Teams in the first round of the play-offs:

Toronto Raptors, Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets

There are teams that can compete with the leaders in the East, but it is doubtful that they will be able to stay in the NBA play-offs for a long time.

Toronto Raptors decided to keep Pascal Siakam and not restructure. They released Fred VanVleet and acquired world champion Dennis Schroder. Scotty Barnes is expected to make significant improvements in the 2023/24 season as the player continues to improve with each season. Last year the Canadiens were on the brink of the playoffs and the team is still expected to be able to play in the playoffs.

Atlanta Hawks were expected to perform better last season. The team barely made it to the first round of the playoffs, finishing only eighth in the East. They should be in the playoffs this season with Trae Young, Dejounte Murray and Clint Capela, but their lack of roster depth is unlikely to get them past the first round threshold.

The Brooklyn Nets went through significant roster changes last season but still managed to make the playoffs. Even without major additions in the offseason, with Mikal Bridges continuing to improve, Brooklyn should maintain its momentum and make another postseason appearance in the Eastern Conference.

Getty Images/Global Images Ukraine. Brooklyn Networks

Play-off level teams:

New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers

Teams in this category are serious playoff contenders that can advance beyond the first round. These teams are considered strong contenders, backed by a talented squad that has the potential to secure the championship.

The New York Knicks are back in the playoffs and even advanced to the second round last season, where they lost to the Miami Heat. New York found its star point guard in Jalen Brunson and successfully combined several key pieces to set him up for continued improvement next season. Another year with the same core, the Knicks need to do even better.

The Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Knicks in the last playoff round, but they should also be considered an all-around strong team. Their squad is young and continues to improve; That makes them a force to be reckoned with in the East with Garland, Mitchell, Mobley, Allen and rookie Max Strus coming off an impressive year in Miami.

Getty Images/Global Images Ukraine. Cleveland Cavalry

Philadelphia is the most competitive team on this list. The problem with the 76ers is that they haven’t reached the conference finals in recent years. They can match last season’s MVP Joel Embiid with other teams and expect significant improvement from Tyrese Maxey. But James Harden appears to be in decline, and the team has yet to significantly alter their championship hopes by trading him.

NBA Finals contenders:

Boston Celtics, Miami Heat

In this list, we will look at teams that have reached the finals in previous years and retained the core of their squad to repeat a similar result.

Miami Heat could not add another star to its roster this season. Despite this, the Floridians have two vital players in Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, as well as the continued development of Tyler Herro, who should continue to improve his game. After two trips to the finals in recent years, the team could repeat its winning ways in the Eastern Conference once again.

The Boston Celtics were expected to face Denver in the NBA Finals last year, but the Heat surprised them in the conference finals and won the series 4-3. After acquiring Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, Boston’s roster is one of the best in the NBA. Following their run in the 2022 finals, they continue to add star figures to their squad as they look to repeat that success and win their first title since 2008. Also added to the team is Ukrainian basketball player Svyatoslav Mikhailyuk, who should be in the team’s rotation and will have a chance to become the second Ukrainian in NBA history to win the Larry O’Brien Trophy after Stanislav Medvedenko.

Getty Images/Global Images Ukraine. Boston Celtics

NBA Championship Contender:

Milwaukee Bucks

The Damian Lillard trade made the Milwaukee Bucks one of the championship favorites before the season even started. Paired with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Lillard will have a championship-caliber team he never had in Portland. The Bucks retained most of their core, including center Brook Lopez and shooting guard Khris Middleton, as well as big man Bobby Portis, who was last year’s top reserve prospect.

Getty Images/Global Images Ukraine. Milwaukee Bucks

The Buckeyes’ starting lineup is arguably the best in the Eastern Conference, and they haven’t lost any key pieces from their rotation despite relying on developing young players. Their roster, which includes two potential MVP candidates, is undoubtedly the strongest in the East on paper, positioning them as the favorites to not only reach the finals, but also win their third title in history.

Text: The Fading World

Translation, adaptation: Dmitry Oleynik