1. Boston Celtics
The Celtics finished in first place in a historically weak Eastern Conference last season with a 53–29 record. The East got worse and the Celtics improved by adding All-Star forward Gordon Hayward, who is in the prime of his career.
Trading Avery Bradley may present some initial bumps in the road, but the Celtics netted a quality player in Marcus Morris from the Detroit Pistons. A versatile forward, Morris has done a commendable job guarding LeBron James in recent years. Furthermore, the move opens up more court time for second-year guard/forward Jaylen Brown, who will look to play his way into the starting lineup.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers are the three-time reigning Eastern Conference champions, and yet, the franchise is in turmoil. Kyrie Irving demanded a trade, a trade for Paul George was scraped at the last minute and LeBron may skip town (again) next summer.
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| LeBron James will become a free agent next summer. (Jason Miller/Getty Images) |
Remarkably, the Cavs remain the favorites to reach the Finals for a fourth straight year, even though it’s likely Irving will be moved at some point before February’s trade deadline.
As long as James is in Cleveland, the East is the Cavs to lose.
3. Toronto Raptors
Toronto brought back Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka, but lost P.J. Tucker and Patrick Patterson in free agency. Still, the core of Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, Ibaka, Jonas Valančiūnas and the emerging Norman Powell — set to be a starter in 2017–18 following the trade of the underachieving DeMare Carroll to the Brooklyn Nets — makes the Raptors a near-lock to finish in the top-half of the East standings.
4. Washington Wizards
The Wizards locked up John Wall for the foreseeable future with a supermax contract and re-signed Otto Porter to a max deal to maintain one of the best starting units in the conference.
The bench, which was terrible a season ago and hampered the team in its postseason run, managed to get worse with Bojan Bogndanovic defecting to the Indiana Pacers via free agency. With that said, they have the conference’s top point guard and have a great shot to win a playoff series for the second straight year.
5. Milwaukee Bucks
A starter in the 2017 All-Star Game, Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the NBA’s must-watch players. ‘The Greak Freek’ showcased his all-around game last year, becoming the first player in league history to finish in the top 20 in total points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks for a single season. Antetokounmpo’s presence alone makes the Bucks a playoff contender in the East.
The return of forward Jabari Parker — who tore his ACL this past February, abruptly ending his third season in the league — could be the added boost that propels the franchise to its first playoff series win since 2001.
6. Charlotte Hornets
After reaching the postseason in 2016, the Hornets took a step back last year, finishing 10 games under .500 and missing the playoffs all together.
Kemba Walker was the lone bright spot, as the 27-year-old point guard earned his first All-Star appearance.
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| Dwight Howard holding his Hornets jersey in his introductory press conference. (David Foster III/Charlote Observer) |
Active in the offseason, the Hornets traded for Dwight Howard, who should fit perfectly in Charlotte’s inside-out offensive attack.
Howard joins a strong frontcourt that includes Frank Kaminsky, Marvin Williams, Cody Zeller and lengthy forwards Nicolas Batum (who actually starts at shooting guard, even though he stands at 6'10") and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, a defensive stalwart.
Howard has had a rough-go since forcing his way out of Orlando, but the three-time Defensive Player of the Year actually played quite well for Atlanta a season ago — averaging 13.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per contest . He should see his role on offense expand for the playoff-bound Hornets.
7. Miami Heat
Miami came up just short in its bid for a playoff spot last season. After a woeful 10–31 start to the year, the Heat flipped the script and registered a 31–10 mark for the second half of the season.
Returning the same cast of characters with Goran Dragic, Hassan Whiteside and James Johnson leading the squad, Miami also added former Celtics center Kelly Olynk in free agency. The Canadian sharp-shooting big man bolsters one of the strongest benches in the league — which already includes combo guard Tyler Johnson and guard/forward Josh Richardson.
Add in that 21-year-old Justice Winslow — who played just 13 games last season after tearing his labrum in his right shoulder —will return to the fold and likely become a major contributor, and it’s hard to foresee a scenario where Miami misses the playoff for a second consecutive year.
8. Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers will be the ultimate wild card team for the 2017–18 season. In all likelihood, health will be the major determinant of success. Joel Embiid, who showed flashes of brilliance last year before his season was cut short after undergoing surgery to address a meniscus tear in his left knee, needs to prove he can stay on the court. Ben Simmons — who sat out the entire season — must also live up to expectations in order for Philadelphia to become a force in the East.
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| Joel Embiid has played in just 31 games in three years since being drafted by the 76ers. (Aaron Doster/USA Today) |
The depth of the 76ers is impressive. J.J. Redick was signed to a 1-year deal in the summer and will likely slide into the starting shoot guard role, while free agent addition Amir Johnson is expected to come off the bench.
If the top overall selection of June’s NBA Draft — Markelle Fultz — joins Simmons, Embiid and Dario Saric in the starting rotation, swingman Robert Covington, one of the league’s most unappreciated players, would anchor a formidable second-string unit.
Philadelphia fans have adhered to the “Trust The Process” philosophy set forth by former general manager Sim Hinkie for years now. This seems like the season their faith in the longterm rebuild is rewarded with a postseason appearance.
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