His top 7:
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Raptors
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Heat
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Knicks
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76ers
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Cavs
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Bucks
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Celtics
The top of the Eastern Conference also doubles as the top of the NBA, at least until further notice.
It’s a strange thing to say when three of the past four championships were won by the other conference. However, the East had the three best regular-season records and the four best point differentials last season and, on paper, has by far the two best teams heading into the season. Either Boston or Milwaukee has been in the last seven Eastern Conference finals, and they had the two best 2022-23 regular-season records. After both clubs loaded up even further in the offseason, it looks like a two-team race at the top.
Alas, that quality trails off quickly. Miami, winner of the conference in two of the past four seasons (and nearly a third), lost key pieces and whiffed on Damian Lillard, leaving the Heat a step behind their rivals. Philadelphia is in similar straits while it plays out James Harden’s trade demand, which thus far has been a rerun of the Ben Simmons saga that brought Harden to Philly in the first place. Cleveland, and its talented core quartet, merits watching, but must prove it isn’t just a regular-season paper tiger. The Knicks are deep and fun, but lack star power. The Raptors similarly seem at least one player away from being anything threatening.
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Celtics always at the top when they haven’t won sht lmaoo
Cavs Knicks and 76ers all before Miami makes me chuckle…hard
Those has to be regular season standings predictions bc having more faith in the Cavs and Sixers than the Knicks and Heat come playoffs is the definition of insanity
Yeah, they’re regular season predictions. He lists the predicted win totals
julius randle is on the knicks why should he have any faith in them
When the cavs go further than the Knicks this year. A lot of casuals are going to be shocked.
it’s the Bucks chip to lose
Nah. I think we have a better chance than before the trade, but we have a couple legitimate weak spots we need to figure out. And it may take some time for the Giannis/Dame combo to hit full steam.
In theory, yeah. But let’s see how Dame is come December.
No lol
Until I see the team click together and how they look then it’s not and won’t even be then because Boston is a good team.
So far in preseason we’ve looked weird but the coach has also been trying different schemes. Can see it taking a few weeks to get going
Were the betting favorites. That does in fact mean it is our chip to lose whether you agree or not
Pretty sure I’ve seen Boston tied or ahead in betting odds?
Who cares lol
They just see dame and Giannis and automatically assume they are going to the finals which isn’t true.
It varies by book, but it’s pretty dead even overall:
https://www.vegasinsider.com/nba/odds/futures/
Regardless, it’s not anybody’s “to win” when you’re neck and neck with another team.
We keep coming in here, every year, disrespecting the Heat. When will we learn? Well I learn today.
- Bucks
- Celtics
- HEAT
- 76ers
- Knicks
- Cavs
- Hawks
- Pacers
Ngl, kinda baffled. Watching how the Cavs biffed it in the postseason, and how Miami clapped the Knicks with a hobbled team, and the shitstorm that Phili is going through, seeing all these teams ahead of the Heat is just a mystery to me.
But this is r/nba, I’m ready to get flooded by replies telling me how the Heat did nothing to get better, and biffing Lillard makes them from top2 in the league to barely a play in somehow.
The other way of looking at it is that the Heat know they don’t have to be a top four seed, while the Cavs aren’t so sure they have a chance without home court advantage. So the Cavs have more incentive to go for a top four seed.
I don’t disagree that they’re too low, but to be fair, they were a playin team last year
Didn’t they also lose some role players?
If you saw Strus in the playoffs, then not really.
Gabe Vincent was fine for the Heat, but most of our fan base agree he’s been meh to serviceable his whole career.
They got rid of Dedmon and Zeller and they got some Thomas Bryant, which was a massive upgrade.
They always have some up and coming new players they keep bringing in and then give official contracts like Haywood Highsmith and Jamal Cain and the fan base is pumped for them.
But the biggest win is getting back JRich, who some fans actually thought was too useful to trade Jimmy for, way back when. He knows the system and is now a seasoned vet.
I’m a Celtics fan and Vincent was huge against us. You might not have beaten us if he wasn’t there
Thomas Bryant isn’t that good honestly
They also were the 3rd or 4th most injured team. I think every year every team really just comes down to injuries and who doesn’t have them. Same with Football.
I wish I had this level of confidence
Damn I hate these Bucks jerseys
I think heat will be better than 6th, cmon
I don’t really trust the Heat in the regular season. I don’t think they’ll be a top 4 seed. But in the playoffs, they’re a different animal.
After the Heat fan base, nobody respects the Heat as much as Boston fans do lol
Nobody has watched the Heat more (aside from Heat fans) than Celtics fans
Cavs continue to be the most overrated team in the Eastern Conference.
They won 54 games last year, had the 2nd best net rating, and got better. Just because the Knicks cleaned their clocks in the playoffs doesn’t mean the Cavs won’t be a better regular season team, again.
They are built to win a lot of RS games with their defense. But I’m with you that I will need to wait until the playoffs to buy into anything they are doing. They were just awful in the playoffs last year.
I mean are we really putting THAT much stock into a teams first playoff appearance that was a horrible matchup for them?
The teams third best player was in his second season and the team had no spacing.
Assuming you tweak the offense by adding spacing, which they did, and that Mobley takes a minor stride in offense that’s at least a seven game series with the Knicks.
The Knicks beat them in 5 but by no mean we’re these games not close.
They legit couldn’t generate half court offense. Not like they were playing some juggernaut either in the Knicks. It’s one thing being young and another being a complete deer in the headlights.
It wasn’t a deer in the headlights the team had no spacing they worked to address this in the off-season.
Assuming the teams offense gets slightly better they win the series. You’re not running back a one for one.
Cleveland seems to be just like star young players. Trae young is a great example. People like the new fun player with a bunch of potential then one thing goes wrong and people tend to hate and undervalue them.
Determining a young teams standing based on 5 games last year seems pretty illogical
3?..really?
3?..really?
Raptors? LOL
No matter whatever teams the cavs, Knicks, or sixers put out I’ll have the heat in front of them as finals contenders
The Sixers are winning the most unlikely of championships this year.