Eastern Conference Predictions
Predicting the standings out East.
Where each team will stand in the conference, plus a bold take or two.
With many of the conference’s heavy-hitters down due to injury, the East is more open than ever. Any playoff team could easily make it to the conference finals, and many often overlooked organizations will be looking to capitalize.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Record: 59-23 (-5)
Team MVP: Donovan Mitchell
Team MIP: Jaylon Tyson
Team DPOTY: Evan Mobley
Team ROTY: Tyrese Proctor
Team 6MOTY: Deandre Hunter
X- Factor: Darius Garland
Notable Additions: Thomas Bryant, Killian Hayes, Larry Nance Jr. and Lonzo Ball
Notable Losses: Ty Jerome, Isaac Okorro
Biggest Weakness: Perimeter and Wing defense
New York Knicks
Record: 53- 29 (+2)
Team MVP: Jalen Brunson
Team MIP: Ariel Hukporti
Team DPOTY: OG Anunoby
Team ROTY: Mohamed Diawara
Team 6MOTY: Jordan Clarkson
X- Factor: Power Forward KAT
Notable Additions: Jordan Clarkson, Guerschon Yabusele, Malcolm Brogdon,
Notable Losses: Coach Thibodeau’s culture.
Biggest Weakness: Size
Orlando Magic
Record: 51-31 (+10)
Team MVP: Desmond Bane
Team MIP: Anthony Black
Team DPOTY: Wendell Carter Jr.
Team ROTY: Jase Richardson
Team 6MOTY: Tyus Jones
X-FACTOR: Team 3 Point shooting
Notable Additions: Desmond Bane, Tyus Jones, Jase Richardson, Noah Penda
Notable Losses: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony
Biggest Weakness: Consistency from 3
Boston Celtics
Record: 49-33 (-12)
Team MVP: Jaylen Brown
Team MIP: Josh Minott
Team DPOTY: Derrick White
Team ROTY: Hugo Gonzalez
Team 6MOTY: Baylor Schiereman
X-Factor- Tatum’s timetable
Notable Additions: Chris Boucher, Anfernee Simons, Hugo Gonzalez, Josh Minott
Notable Losses: Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, Jayson Tatum*
Biggest Weakness: Front-court talent
Atlanta Hawks
RECORD: 48-34 (+8)
TEAM CO-MVP: Trae Young & Jalen Johnson
TEAM MIP: Zaccharie Risacher
TEAM DPOTY: Dyson Daniels
Team ROTY: Asa Newell
Team 6MOTY: Luke Kennard
X-Factor: Starting Front Court Health
Notable Additions: Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Asa Newell, Luke Kennard
Notable Losses: Clint Capela, Georges Niang, Terrance Mann, Koby Bufkin
Biggest Weakness: Point Guard Depth
Indiana Pacers
Record 46-36 (-4)
Team MVP: HC Rick Carlisle
Team MIP: Johnny Furphy
Team DPOTY: Pascal Siakam
Team ROTY: N/A
Team 6MOTY: T.J. McConnell
X- Factor: Bennedict Mathurin
Notable Additions: Jay Huff, James Wiseman*, Monte Morris
Notable Losses: Myles Turner, Tyrese Haliburton*
Biggest Weakness: Center Play
Milwaukee Bucks
Record: 42-40 (-6)
Team MVP: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Team MIP: Andre Jackson Jr
Team DPOTY: Myles Turner
Team ROTY: N/A
Team 6MOTY: Cole Anthony
X-Factor: Kyle Kuzma
Notable Additions: Cole Anthony, Myles Turner
Notable Losses: Damian Lillard, Brook Lopez
Biggest Weakness: Lack of Second Option
Toronto Raptors
Record 41-41 (+11)
Team MVP: Scottie Barnes
Team MIP: Jamal Shead
Team DPOTY: Jakob Poeltl
Team ROTY: Collin Murray-Boyles
Team 6MOTY: Grady Dick
X- Factor: Brandon Ingram
Notable Additions: Brandon Ingram, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Collin Murray-Boyles
Notable Losses: Chris Boucher, Kelly Olynyk
Biggest Weakness: A primary playmaker
Detroit Pistons
Record: 41-41 (-3)
Team MVP: Cade Cunningham
Team MIP: Ausar Thompson
Team DPOTY: Ausar Thompson
Team ROTY: Chaz Lanier
Team 6MOTY: Jaden Ivey
X- Factor: Jalen Duren
Notable Additions: Duncan Robinson, Caris Levert, Javonte Green, Chaz Lanier
Notable Losses: Malik Beasley, Dennis Schroder
Biggest Weakness: 3 point shooting
Philadelphia 76ers
Record: 39-43 (+15)
Team MVP: Tyrese Maxey
Team MIP: Jabari Walker
Team DPOTY: Jabari Walker
Team ROTY: VJ Edgecomb
Team 6MOTY: Kelly Oubre Jr
Notable Additions: Jabari Walker, Trendon Watford, VJ Edgecomb,
Notable Losses: Guerschon Yabusele,
Biggest Weakness: Team Health
Miami Heat
Record 37-45 (-)
Team MVP: Tyler Herro
Team MIP: Kel’el Ware
Team DOPTY: Bam Adebayo
Team ROTY: Kasparas Jakiucionas
Team 6MOTY: Pelle Larson
X-Factor: Andrew Wiggins
Notable Additions: Norman Powell, Kasparas Jakucions
Notable Losses: Kevin Love, Kyle Anderson, Duncan Robinson, Alec Burks
Biggest Weakness: Bench Depth
Charlotte Hornets
Record (31-51) (+12)
Team MVP: Brandon Miller
Team MIP: Moussa Diabate
Team DPOTY: Moussa Diabate
Team ROTY: Kon Kneupple
Team 6MOTY: Colin Sexton
X-Factor: Lamelo’s health
Notable Additions: Kon Kneupple, Liam McNealy, Mason Plumlee, Spencer Dinwiddie, Ryan Kalkbrenner
Notable Losses: Jusuf Nurkic, Nick Smith Jr.
Biggest Weakness: Consistency
Chicago Bulls
Record: 31-51 (-8)
Team MVP: Josh Giddey
Team MIP: Matas Buzelis
Team DPOTY: Matas Buzelis
Team ROTY: Noah Essengue
Team 6MOTY: Ayo Dosunmu
X-Factor: Front Office Direction
Notable Additions: Noa Essengue, Isaac Okorro
Notable Losses:
Biggest Weakness: 3 Point Shooting
Washington Wizards
Record: 24-58 (+6)
Team MVP: Alex Sarr
Team MIP: Alex Sarr
Team DPOTY: Alex Sarr
Team ROTY: Tre Johnson
Team 6MOTY: Kyshawn George
X-Factor- Veteran Minutes
Notable Additions: Tre Johnson, CJ McCollum, Cam Whitmore
Notable Losses: Jordan Poole, Malcolm Brogdon
Biggest Weakness: Playmaking
Record: 22-60 (-4)
Team MVP: Cam Thomas
Team MIP: Noah Clowney
Team DPOTY: Nicolas Claxton
Team ROTY: Nolan Traore
Team 6MOTY: Ziare Williams
X-Factor: Michael Porter Jr.
Notable Additions: Micheal Porter Jr., Ben Saraf, Danny Wolf, Nolan Traore, Drake Powell, Terrance Mann, Haywood Highsmith,
Notable Losses: D’Angelo Russell, Ben Simmons, Cam Johnson, Trendon Watford
Biggest Weakness: Roster Cohesion
1 Seed - Cleveland Cavaliers (-)
The Cleveland Cavaliers look to replicate their regular season success from last year. Expect a first place finish, once again.
Writer’s Take: Despite notable additions, the Cleveland Cavaliers will lose a couple wins, as teams know what to expect from them. Lonzo once again won’t play, and Cleveland will be forced to listen to trade offers on long time anchor Jarrett Allen.
2 Seed - New York Knicks (+1)
The Knicks will take advantage of a weaker top end, and improve to second in the conference.
Writer’s Take: New York’s offense will thrive under Mike Brown, landing him in top 3 coach of the year voting. Ariel Hukporti will slide into Mitchell Robinson’s role and Robinson will be shopped at the deadline, with teams like the Celtics and Lakers calling Leon Rose’s phone.
3 SEED - ORLANDO MAGIC (+4)
The Orlando Magic will take one of the biggest jumps this season after landing Desmond Bane via trade. While Bane will not be the face of this franchise, his secondary playmaking abilities and elite 3 point shooting will be what transforms this offense making him their “Most Valuable Player”- heavily contributing to their best roster since the Dwight Howard era.
Writer’s Take: Desmond Bane will net his first all star appearance, securing more votes than Paolo and Franz. Jalen Suggs’ shot will come back and he’ll average a healthy 16 on great efficiency, proving this is a win-by-community organization. Goga Bitadze will continue to improve, making Mo Wagner available for trade, as well as young guys like Jett Howard who may be shopped for win-now contributors.
4 Seed- Boston Celtics (-2)
The Celtics losing 3 starters to trades and injury means they’ll undoubtedly take a step back. While owning their first round pick would suggest they could welcome a gap year and willingly slide further down this list, this front office has no interest in taking the season off.
Writer’s take: Tatum will return in the second half of the season improving their record and claiming home court advantage in the first round. Ultimately, they’ll suffer the ramifications for competing this year in the long term. Expect Jaylen Brown to net an All-NBA selection from his time as a number 1 option, and Anfernee Simons gets moved at the deadline to add a competent big man.
5 - Seed Atlanta Hawks (+3)
The Hawks have their most competent roster in the Trae Young era, and they’ll be looking to compete. While their talent could be enough to land them a top 3 seed, injuries will undoubtedly sideline Jalen Johnson and Kristaps Porzingis; the question is to what extent. Still, the wing depth on this team will propel them to a playoff spot.
Writer’s take: Jalen Johnson and Trae Young will be this era’s Nash and Stoudemire, expertly playing off of each other. Johnson makes an all-star team and Zaccharie Risacher improves to 17 ppg and silences any doubt about him going first overall in 2024. The lack of playmaking outside of Trae, will still prove to be a problem and their half-court offense will show their limitations come playoffs.
6th Seed - Indiana Pacers (-2)
It’s rare for a raining conference champion to find themselves this low, but without Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner, the Pacers are without their biggest difference makers on either side of the ball. They’ll feel those losses heavily during the regular season.
Writer’s Take: The Pacers are still a competent team compared to the rest of the East, and there are certainly worst number 1 options than Pascal Siakam. With Haliburton down, Spicy P will have a chance to replicate his usage numbers from his time in Toronto and average upwards of 24 a night. Guys like Nesmith, Nembhard, Matherin, and TJ McConnel have proven they can step up when guys are down, but it’s still unseen what they’ll contribute over a season long campaign. Still, they have playoff experience and arguably the best coach in the league in Rick Carlisle. Expect the Pacers to be a tough matchup and the final guaranteed playoff team.
7th Seed - Milwaukee Bucks (-2)
Following the loss of costar Damian Lillard, Milwaukee will need to exceede expectations if they want to keep Giannis happy. More likely than not, however, they’ll find themselves in the play-in tournament and with their superstar disappointed.
Writer’s take: Giannis trade talks pickup, and without any sort of promising young talents or playable rookies, they’ll do what they can to secure any sort of draft capital. Expect roster shakeup at the deadline.
8th Seed - Toronto Raptors (+3)
The Raptors will most likely improve over last season with former All Star Brandon Ingram joining their team. With an unorthodox roster construction they’ll be one of the more interesting teams in the East.
Writer’s take: Brandon Ingram will have his best season in a number of years. Still they’ll be playing without a traditional point guard to set the table for their stars. Expect a fun transition squad that will have to make a hard decision about their direction before long.
9th Seed - Detroit Pistons (-3)
Detroit will miss the contributions of Schroder and Beasley, and their replacements won’t be enough to propel this team forward. They’ll find themselves in the playin spot with low playoff seed potential.
Writer’s Take: The young pieces on this roster like Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland will continue to show flashes of promise, but the team is still too raw to compete in the East. Expect regression in vets Tobias Harris and Duncan Robinson and Jalen Duren and Jaden Ivey will once again struggle with staying healthy.
10th Seed - Philadelphia 76ers (+3)
Once again, Philly will be without their stars for long stretches and find themselves as a low, play-in team with the talent to secure a playoff spot through tournament wins.
Writer’s Take: With Jared McCain already out, PG in the twighlight of his career, and Embiid’s injury history, they’ll intelligently prioritize 3rd overall pick V.J. Edgecomb’s development through the grueling winter months of the season.
11th Seed - Miami Heat (-1)
The Heat will likely be a rare non-playoff roster this year, but with their star Jimmy Butler being dealt at the deadline last year, the necessary jump in production from everyone else might not be there. There are still plenty of intriguing options in this offense and they could also be a team that makes the playoff via play-in tournament.
Writer’s Take: The Heat could look to deal their stars this deadline for a hard reset if the team can’t come out the gate firing on all cylinders. Tyler Herro being only 25 means they could hold onto him and wait for Kel’El Ware and rookie Kasparas Jakucionis to reach their primes and try to compete with them, or they could move him for draft capital. Either way, they should look into moving Bam Adebayo, who is 28 and has likely reached his ceiling.
12th Seed - Charlotte Hornets (+2)
The Hornets are desperately trying to fix the culture and add some identity to this young roster, and rookie Kon Kneupple already looks to be the perfect choice. He lead them to a Summer League championship this offseason, and in the preseason he’s making winning plays like a seasoned veteran. This is one of the more competent rosters Charlotte has put together in recent memory and they’ll show plenty of promise.
Writer’s Take: The incoming rookie class of Keneupple, McNealy, and Kalkbrenner will all be heavily featured in this year’s lineup. They won’t have the talent to make enough noise for a playoff berth, but this team will finally take a giant step in the right direction.
13th Seed - Chicago Bulls (-4)
The Bulls will be a fun team to watch this season, and should look to land themselves another lottery pick to contribute to this young core.
Writer’s Take: Bulls sophomore Matas Buzelis looks to take a leap this season and he’ll have plenty of opportunity to do so. Guard Josh Giddey showed a lot of promise in the second half of last season but whether or not his production is sustainable or just a product of March inflation is still yet to be seen. Chicago will also look to unload long time center Nikola Vucevic to a team with playoff aspirations as he enter unrestricted free agency this offseason. Getting worse by unloading Vooch to any team that will take him will undoubtedly help in the long term.
14th Seed - Washington Wizards (+1)
The Wizards have one of the best young cores in the league. They’ll miss the postseason once again this offseason but give plenty of opportunities to their rookies and sophomores as they continue their rebuild.
Writer’s Take: Tre Johnson was the perfect choice to complement other young stars like Alex Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly. The biggest roadblocks to their development right now are veteran pieces CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton. They’re still too capable not to play, and should be unloaded relatively soon.
15th Seed - Brooklyn Nets (-3)
The Nets are dead in the middle of their retooling phase, as they’re still figuring out who their next star is following the Kevin Durant era. The roster construction is very questionable, and there are no indicators this team will be able to win many games.
Writer’s Take: Micheal Porter Jr. will not be able to make the transition as a number 1 or 2 with an increased usage rate, and will do more harm than good, interfering with the developments of their massive rookie class coming in. Additionally, the 5 first-rounders have too redundant of skillsets, and Brooklyn will have to spend the season deciding which guards they want to run this offense.