The NBA preseason has kicked off which means the regular season is almost upon us. Stars are in their new threads. Rookies are adapting to their new systems. Most of all, story-lines are already heating up. If I asked you who’s going to win the NBA championship, the immediate answer is the Golden State Warriors. If I asked you to rank the teams in the East, then it gets a little harder.
Yes, there are the Raptors and the Celtics, but the conference is much deeper than that. Almost all the teams in the East have legit arguments for a playoff spot. We look to see what gives certain teams a chance for a playoff spot in the East, while predicting some seeding as well.
This Eastern Conference preview is split into two parts. Everyone knows or predicts the same top-three teams in the east, but they’ll still be previewed. After those teams, it gets more interesting. It seems like there are five non-obvious playoff spots up for grabs.
#1 Seed – Toronto Raptors
Some see the Boston Celtics as the first seed, but I see it differently. The Toronto Raptors got significantly better this season after they acquired F Kawhi Leonard. Leonard is coming off an injury, but when healthy, he’s easily a top-three player in the NBA. This trade also brought Danny Green who’s a solid knockdown shooter. With a lineup of Kyle Lowry, Green, Leonard, SergeIbaka, and Jonas Valanciunas, the team’s defensive prowess is one to be reckoned with.
This Raptors team serves as an upgrade to a team who was already the first seed in the East last year. In addition to that, before Leonard and Green arrived, Toronto had the second-best defensive rating and the most PPG in the East. They have a new coach in Nick Nurse. So, if there’s any part of former head coach Dwane Casey’s system applied, Kawhi and the Raptors may be Finals bound.
#2 Seed – Boston Celtics
On paper, the Celtics look better than the Raptors. However, having Kawhi Leonard really sets the Raptors apart. Toronto is the defending first seed, and they still got drastically better.
When you look at this team, there’s absolutely nothing the Celtics need to do differently in order to compete for a championship. Boston was one win away from the Finals last season, and that came without their two best players in G Kyrie Irving and F Gordon Hayward. Boston is healthy and fully loaded. Irving, Jaylen Brown, Hayward, Jayson Tatum, and Al Horford. This starting lineup can go toe-to-toe with any team in the league.
The bench for this team remains stacked as well with “Scary” Terry Rozier, Marcus Smart, Marcus Morris, Aron Baynes, and rookie Robert Williams III. This team doesn’t really have any clear weaknesses. The depth at the wing is ridiculous with Tatum, Brown, Hayward, and Morris. One of the best coaches in the NBA, Brad Stevens led last season’s banged up team to the best defensive rating in the NBA. He also led them to third in opponent points per game. With their two best players back, and a team ready to go to work, the Celtics will be one of the league’s best teams.
#3 Seed – Philadelphia 76ers
Will the process ever end, or will it just progress little by little? The 76ers are a very talented team. They’re led by C Joel Embiid and future All-Star PG Ben Simmons. Philly arose from the dead last season and looked like Eastern Conference contenders. They lost to the Celtics in five games. After having a questionable offseason, the Sixers haven’t improved much at all.
Last season, turnovers were unspoken of. The 76ers led the league at 16.5 per game. Fastbreak inexperience is a huge issue. The team is young, and clearly, need some work. With JJ Redick, Dario Saric, and Markelle Fultz, the 76ers are bound to compete for the Eastern Conference crown. Is the gap between Philly and the previous two teams on the list a roadblock to an Eastern Conference Finals appearance?
In the first part of this Eastern Conference season preview, these teams are just who I think are going to be the top-three seeds in the East for the upcoming season. The next part(s) will look to overview the next three or four seeds and or sleeper teams in the East.
Do you have a different opinion on how the teams listed above will be seeded? Will Boston restore dominance inside TD Garden, or will the process come to full fruition? Let me know.