Predict the East

[EricaLubarsky]

Vote for up to 8 teams.

Also, post a list of your top 8. We'll get your personal prediction and a forum average.

[Thespiralgoeson]

I fully anticipate that the Kevin Love will be playing for the Cavs this season, so they get my vote with that in mind.

[Mav Addict]

What a shame that Detroit got 2 more votes than New York got, and I doubt Detroit even sniff the playoffs, not including the enitre East.

Whoever voted for Miami still think Lebron is there.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by Mav Addict

Whoever voted for Miami still think Lebron is there.

Boash/Wade/Deng is a top-4 playoff team in the East, don't kid yourself.

[Mav Addict]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Boash/Wade/Deng is a top-4 playoff team in the East, don't kid yourself.

I doubt it ....I dont think Wade is near the same player that Bosh is right now.

You may be right b/c you can have a .425 winning percentage and still be a 4 seed in the east.

[grndmstr_c]

Cavs go to #1 in the East in my book if they get Love. Miami, Indy, Toronto, Chicago and Washington should all be able to field credible playoff teams. A healthy Horford should help Atl, too. Hornets would've been my 8th team if they'd been on the list.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by grndmstr_c

Hornets would've been my 8th team if they'd been on the list.

I was about to correct you by pointing out that the Hornets are in the West, but then my brain started remembering things.

[jthig32]

Hornets really should be on this list. They made the playoffs last year and signed one of the better free agents on the market. They did lose McBob, but I think they're a playoff team next year.

If Horford stays healthy, I think Atlanta could challenge for the top seed in the East (assuming no Love in Cle).

[jay3189]

If Bulls can stay healthy next season, I think they will be a 1 seed in the East. I also believe the Heat, Cavs, Pacers, and Wizards will be in the top 5 if healthy of course

[NeedlesKane]

I'd laugh so hard if the Heat finished in 1st this year after LeBron left for Cleveland. Do I expect this? No!!!

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by NeedlesKane

I'd laugh so hard if the Heat finished in 1st this year after LeBron left for Cleveland. Do I expect this? No!!!

Right now, I have Miami pegged as the #1 seed (there are worse consolation prizes than Deng)... Unless Cleveland gets Love, I don't think LeBron alone can turn the 33-49 Cavs into the #1 seed in just one season.

[Thespiralgoeson]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Right now, I have Miami pegged as the #1 seed (there are worse consolation prizes than Deng)... Unless Cleveland gets Love, I don't think LeBron alone can turn the 33-49 Cavs into the #1 seed in just one season.

I'd be shocked if Love ends up anywhere else.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by Thespiralgoeson

I'd be shocked if Love ends up anywhere else.

Well, I'm voting on what is, not what could be... That's why I usually hold off on discussions like this until the offseason is over.

[Thespiralgoeson]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Well, I'm voting on what is, not what could be... That's why I usually hold off on discussions like this until the offseason is over.

[Skywalker]

Hornets definitely should be on the list

[EricaLubarsky]

Originally Posted by Skywalker

Hornets definitely should be on the list

Unfortunately DM.com's forum technology only allows for 10 options and I went off the top-10 from ESPN's power rankings at the time.

[tap2390]

After the top 2 it gets a little murky, but here's where I'm at:

1) Bulls -> my championship pick; D-ROSE is 100% and ready to dominate; right combo of depth, shooting, youth, defense, and coaching

2) Cavs -> they're going to be ridiculously fun to watch, but ultimately the Bulls are the better team

3) Indy -> Stephenson is a huge loss, but CJ Miles should space the floor better than Stephenson did; better chemistry and continued advancement of Paul George means they don't fall off as much as everyone thinks they will

4) Wizards -> tough call between them and Raptors for the #4 spot, but I think they have more upside and Glen Rice Jr. looks like he can ball

5) Raptors -> they will feast on a weak division but whether they can take that next step remains to be seen, also how motivated is Lowry with the new deal?

6) Hornets -> I'm tempted to put them as high as 3, but they're not very potent on offense; defense should be suffocating however

7) Heat -> forgot about their existence but Wade/ Deng/ Bosh/ McRoberts is the East version of a playoff team

8) Brooklyn -> veteran fortitude and weak division keep them relevant for one more year

9) Atlanta -> Healthy Horford keeps them in the picture



DARK HORSE -> Orlando Magic; made some moves to add some scoring, youth and athleticism may overwhelm some teams; Elfrid Payton is my pick for Rookie of the Year

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by tap2390

After the top 2 it gets a little murky, but here's where I'm at:

1) Bulls -> my championship pick; D-ROSE is 100% and ready to dominate; right combo of depth, shooting, youth, defense, and coaching

2) Cavs -> they're going to be ridiculously fun to watch, but ultimately the Bulls are the better team

3) Indy -> Stephenson is a huge loss, but CJ Miles should space the floor better than Stephenson did; better chemistry and continued advancement of Paul George means they don't fall off as much as everyone thinks they will

4) Wizards -> tough call between them and Raptors for the #4 spot, but I think they have more upside and Glen Rice Jr. looks like he can ball

5) Raptors -> they will feast on a weak division but whether they can take that next step remains to be seen, also how motivated is Lowry with the new deal?

6) Hornets -> I'm tempted to put them as high as 3, but they're not very potent on offense; defense should be suffocating however

7) Brooklyn -> veteran fortitude and weak division keep them relevant for one more year

8) Atlanta -> Healthy Horford keeps them in the picture



DARK HORSE -> Orlando Magic; made some moves to add some scoring, youth and athleticism may overwhelm some teams; Elfrid Payton is my pick for Rookie of the Year

How are the Heat not on your list?? Bosh used to take the Raptors to the playoffs pretty much by himself... Obviously Deng isn't LeBron, and Wade isn't as good as he used to be, but they're still a playoff squad in the East.

[EricaLubarsky]

Heat are definitely top-5, if not 2nd not because they are fantastic, but because it's the East

[Underdog]

One thing I can say about the Heat is that we're about to find out what kind of a coach Erik Spoelstra really is...

[tap2390]

Originally Posted by Underdog

How are the Heat not on your list?? Bosh used to take the Raptors to the playoffs pretty much by himself... Obviously Deng isn't LeBron, and Wade isn't as good as he used to be, but they're still a playoff squad in the East.

Brain fart. East is getting better but not enough to push the Heat out of the picture.

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

Heat are definitely top-5, if not 2nd not because they are fantastic, but because it's the East

I disagree. Wade has already been showing signs of shutting down. Bosh hasn't been 'the guy' in forever, while he's an excellent mid-range shooter we'll see how he fares when every look is tightly contested. They're still a playoff squad in the East, but just barely.

[Thespiralgoeson]

I really hope both the Cavs and Bulls can stay healthy over the next few years, because that has all the components necessary for a great NBA rivalry.

[EricaLubarsky]

Originally Posted by tap2390

I disagree. Wade has already been showing signs of shutting down. Bosh hasn't been 'the guy' in forever, while he's an excellent mid-range shooter we'll see how he fares when every look is tightly contested. They're still a playoff squad in the East, but just barely.

I hate to admit it because I hate Wade unlike any NBA player who has ever lived, but Wade still has some in the tank. Before getting shut down by SA, he averaged 20-4-5 on 54.5% shooting and 46% from three in his previous series. He's definitely on the slide, but not enough to disregard him.

Bosh can definitely step it up with the offensive/defensive versatility he's learned in Miami but with more FGA and McRoberts behind him.

Deng is a solid defender and overall player. Napier is going to surprise some people with his NBA-ready he is. They won't be anywhere near where they were with LeBron, but it doesn't take a lot to get into the top 4 teams in the East-- may only take 44-45 wins to get there.

[tap2390]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

I hate to admit it because I hate Wade unlike any NBA player who has ever lived, but Wade still has some in the tank. Before getting shut down by SA, he averaged 20-4-5 on 54.5% shooting and 46% from three in his previous series. He's definitely on the slide, but not enough to disregard him.

Bosh can definitely step it up with the offensive/defensive versatility he's learned in Miami but with more FGA and McRoberts behind him.

Deng is a solid defender and overall player. Napier is going to surprise some people with his NBA-ready he is. They won't be anywhere near where they were with LeBron, but it doesn't take a lot to get into the top 4 teams in the East-- may only take 44-45 wins to get there.

I didn't realize DWade shot 54.5% from the field during the regular season and then played so well in the playoffs before the Finals. Yet, I stick with my original prediction. He's never played a full season, and things will be very, very different without Lebron. Wade will no longer be able to play off the ball for extended stretches, the Heat have very little depth, and an injury-prone team.

[jthig32]

Wade skipped 28 games last year. He never played back to back and skipped games to keep himself from breaking down. And then he still broke down in the Finals.

He's not going to have that luxury this year.

[spreedom]

Maybe none of this stuff in the East will matter, because I think at least the top 5 teams in the league are out West, but this is an interesting topic anyway.

1. Cleveland - This is assuming they get Kevin Love. I'm almost positive that this will happen. If not, maybe drop them down to #2. I honestly think they'd still win the East (regular season) either way as long as LeBron stays healthy.
   
2. Chicago - Great looking roster, but can Rose/Gasol/Noah all stay healthy? Recent history says no. If they get 70+ out of all three guys then they have a great chance at winning the East, but I bet at least one of these guys misses 25+ games.
   
3. Miami - Rebounded very nicely after losing LeBron, but honestly they're mostly this high because the East is awful. I expect Bosh to re-establish himself as one of the best players in the league. He's been very overlooked for the past few years.
   
4. Toronto - Another nice roster, but their lack of one dominating scorer that can take games over is probably going to prevent them from home-court advantage for more than one round. I wonder if they've given any consideration to selling high on Derozan in hopes of getting a more dynamic scorer.
   
5. Washington - I really like Washington. I think they're salty, great athletes, and they could create the most turnovers in the league defensively. I just don't know if I like them better than any of the above teams. They have, to me, a very high ceiling. I'm expecting them to win something like 45-48 games, but they could easily make the jump and win 55.
   
6. Indiana - Losing Lance Stephenson is really going to hurt them. Chemistry-wise, I'm not sure he was that big of a deterrent in the locker room, but on the court he was invaluable to them. They now lack a reliable go-to scorer that can create in the halfcourt. Paul George might be that guy sometime soon, but this year I think their offense is going to be one of the worst in the league.
   
7. Atlanta - I love Horford and I hope he stays healthy, but again the odds are just not that great if you factor in recent history. I think it would be smart of the Hawks to try to pick up a starting-caliber center so Horford can play more PF and take less of a beating down low. To me, Horford is one of the five or six best big men in the league if he's healthy and put in the right situation.
   
8. Charlotte - I hope the Hornets began a trend of consistent success (or at least playoff berths) last year. I like almost every player on the roster... I think they have a great coach and they should be better in the halfcourt this year with the addition of Stephenson. But losing John McRoberts is going to be really tough to get over.

Among the also-rans, I think Brooklyn could be as good as a #6 seed, but with the loss of Pierce, the fragility of Deron Williams (double ankle surgery this summer... yikes!) and Brook Lopez, and the decrepitude of KG, there are just too many things that have to go right for them to compete. The losses Shaun Livingston and Paul Pierce are also going to be a pretty big blow for them. Detroit is probably one or two roster-shaping moves (i.e. dumping Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings) away from making the playoffs, and we still don't even know if Greg Monroe will be back for sure. I have a lot of faith on Stan Van Gundy as a coach, but whether he can rebuild this roster remains to be seen. If they replaced Jennings and Smith with competent starters that can shoot, they'd be right in the mix for the playoffs. But I see this as a frustrating year for SVG and the Pistons. New York just has a terrible roster, and I don't buy into Derek Fisher as a coach yet. Milwaukee has a handful of really great looking prospects (Antetokounmpo [which I can pronounce but not spell], Parker [though he looked rough in Summer League play], Henson, Wolters and Sanders) but I don't think any of those guys are ready to start on a playoff team just yet. Kidd might be the right long-term fit as a coach, but I don't see any reason for playoff optimism out of them yet. Orlando has the same sort of exciting young nucleus, but they also seem to lack a playoff starting-caliber player at any position, except for Channing Frye. They'll look a lot better in two years if they can add one more impact rookie and keep developing those guys. Boston is kind of a mess right now... I like and think they should keep Rondo, but I wouldn't blame them for selling high on him in December if he plays well. The only thing is, do they really want to trade Rondo for draft picks? They have a ton of those in the next four or five drafts. Maybe a team like Milwaukee or Orlando could trade young players for him in the right kind of deal. Philly is hopeless, but in a self-fulfilling-prophecy sort of way.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by spreedom

6. Indiana - Losing Lance Stephenson is really going to hurt them. Chemistry-wise, I'm not sure he was that big of a deterrent in the locker room, but on the court he was invaluable to them. They now lack a reliable go-to scorer that can create in the halfcourt. Paul George might be that guy sometime soon, but this year I think their offense is going to be one of the worst in the league.

Well, you can strike Indiana from your list - that squad will be lucky to score 85 points each night now that Paul George is out for the season.

[spreedom]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Well, you can strike Indiana from your list - that squad will be lucky to score 85 points each night now that Paul George is out for the season.

Brooklyn, Brooklyn take me in.

[xrobx]

Indiana will probably have a top 3 pick next season.

[spreedom]

Originally Posted by xrobx

Indiana will probably have a top 3 pick next season.

I don't think they'll be that bad, unless they totally blow up the team (which I don't see Bird being interested in doing) but they seem lottery-bound for sure.

[EricaLubarsky]

A few things

1) Chicago is going to be back in the top-2 this year.

2) Indy is going to have a rough time with their offense. With West and Hibbert, they still could be alright defensively, but they won't be able to score at all. I still don't predict the lottery for them, because 38 wins can secure a playoff seed, but they aren't going to win more than 43 games, simply because they can't score. They only scored 91.6ppg last year and lost almost 40% of their scoring this offseason and thus far haven't brought in any scorers. I wouldn't be surprised if they averaged a league-low 89ppg as a team.

[EricaLubarsky]

After ten days of voting:

1) Cavaliers
2) Bulls
3) Raptors
4) Wizards
5) Pacers
6) Heat
7) Hawks
8) Pistons
-----
Lottery: Knicks, Nets

[bunkmoreland]

I'll say

Cavaliers
Bulls
Wizards
Raptors
Heat
Hawks
Nets
Pacers

[mavErika]

1 Cavs
2 Bulls
3 Wiz
4 Raps
5 Hornets
6 Nets
7 Heat
8 Pacers

[bunkmoreland]

Interesting looking back at this. Nobody saw Atlanta coming.