2020-21 Eastern Conference Standings Predictions
Yesterday I made my entire standings predictions for the Western Conference, so today I am doing the same thing in the Eastern Conference. A lot of moves were made this offseason, and here’s my predictions on how the standings will look after 72 games.
1. Milwaukee Bucks (56-16)
2. Brooklyn Nets (51-21)
3. Miami Heat (50-22)
4. Boston Celtics (49-23)
5. Philadelphia 76ers (47-25)
6. Indiana Pacers (48-24)
7. Toronto Raptors (46-24)
8. Washington Wizards (44-28)
9. Chicago Bulls (40-32)
10. Atlanta Hawks (38-34)
11. Orlando Magic (37-35)
12. New York Knicks (36-36)
13. Charlotte Hornets (34-38)
14. Detroit Pistons (27-45)
15. Cleveland Cavaliers (25-47)
#1 – Milwaukee Bucks (56-16)
The Bucks made a lot of improvements to their team this offseason, making them even more of contenders in the Eastern Conference. They greatly improved their backcourt, switching from Eric Bledsoe and George Hill to Jrue Holiday and DJ Augustin. Jrue Holiday is a defensive stud and is a great shot-creator and floor spacer. DJ Augustin is a solid scorer, and a better passer than George Hill. The Bucks added Bobby Portis, giving them muscle down low as well as some shooting. Bryn Forbes was another solid addition. They did lose Wesley Matthews, but the Bucks did a lot better this offseason. And because they play in the East, I expect the Bucks to roll through their schedule. The real test for Giannis and company comes in the playoffs.
#2 – Brooklyn Nets (51-21)
The Nets will finally get to use their superstar duo of KD and Kyrie, making them a very talented team. Kevin Durant might not be 100%, but he is still KD, meaning that he can still give you buckets. But the Nets are also very deep. Caris Levert, Spencer Dinwiddie, Jarrett Allen, Landry Shamet, Joe Harris, Taurean Prince, Jeff Green and Deandre Jordan. The Nets have a lot of depth and defense on their roster, and they have a lot of scoring. Steve Nash seems like a smart coach, and Mike D’Antoni makes any offense good. This Nets team will be scary when good, and I think that they will be a very good contending.
#3 – Miami Heat (50-22)
The Heat shocked everybody last season as they made it all the way to the NBA Finals. Their combination of talent and toughness, along with some excellent coaching and teamwork made them one of the best teams in the East. And the Heat made a lot of moves this offseason to try and improve. They drafted big man Precious Achiuwa with the 20th pick in the draft. They signed Avery Bradley and Mo Harkless for defensive proposes. They lost Jae Crowder, which does hurt. They also lost Soloman Hill and Derrick Jones Jr. They gave Bam Adebayo a massive extension, which he deserves for being their Giannis stopper and glue guy down low. Goran Dragic resigned, as did Meyers Leonard. The Heat had a solid offseason, and their team is still solid. With Butler and Bam at the helm with a lot of role players to support them, this team is poised for another chance to win a title.
#4 – Boston Celtics (49-23)
The Celtics got better this offseason, and they will also be contending this season. They have a rising superstar in Jayson Tatum, who is a do-it-all forward who is a nightmare on the offensive end. Jaylen Brown is an explosive athlete who has decent handles and a decent jumper. Kemba Walker will miss the start of the season, but he is a crafty scorer and ball-handler. Marcus Smart brings defense, toughness, and shooting. The Celtics got two excellent shooters and scorers in the draft, Aaron Nesmith (14), and Payton Pritchard (26). They signed Tristan Thompson to bolster their presence down low. The Celtics still don’t have great size, and that is their greatest flaw. But they made that flaw a little less of a problem, and even though they might now be a top-3 seed in the East, they are still a very good team.
#5 – Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers have had a few disappointing playoff exits the past couple of seasons, and they looked to change that this season as they made big moves to try and win a title. They got Doc Rivers and Daryl Morey. Morey drafted Tyrese Maxey in the first round, and Isaiah Joe and Paul Reed in the 2nd round, a big haul for Philly. They traded away guys like Al Horford and Josh Richardson and in return got Danny Green, and Seth Curry. They also signed Dwight Howard. The 76ers got significantly better this offseason, but they still have their flaws. Joel Embiid is injury-prone and sometimes he doesn’t bring 100% energy. Ben Simmons can’t shoot, meaning that it’s easier for defenses to guard Philly. This will become a problem in the playoffs as they will treat Ben like Russell Westbrook. The 76ers did add some shooters to try and hide the problem, but the problem is still there. The 76ers are a decent team, but I see them as a 2nd round team at best.
#6 – Indiana Pacers
The Pacers have been a solid playoff team in the East for the past few years, but they always get unlucky and fall short of expectations. Weather it be Victor Oladipo getting injured, or Domantas Sabonis. But I have a feeling that if Indiana stays healthy, they can be a good team. They have some good core pieces like Malcolm Brogdon, Victor Oladipo, TJ Warren, Myles Turner, and Domantas Sabonis. They have some solid bench pieces as well with guys like TJ McConnell, Justin Holiday, and Doug McDermott coming off the bench. They drafted a solid scorer in Cassius Stanley 54th overall in the draft. The Pacers got a new coach in Nate Bjorkgren, who has been getting high praise. The Pacers don’t have any superstar talent on their team, but they have a few All-Star caliber players. The Pacers play good team basketball, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they ended up higher in the Eastern Conference standings.
#7 – Toronto Raptors (46-26)
The Raptors got a lot worse this offseason, and in my opinion, they fell out of contention. They lost both of their best frontcourt members in Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka. While they were able find one good replacement in Aron Baynes, but they didn’t find anybody close to Gasol and Ibaka’s skillset. They did get Malachi Flynn in the draft, and they also resigned Fred VanVleet on a 4-year deal. The Raptors will still be decent, but I don’t view them as contenders. Siakam isn’t a star and cannot carry this team in the playoffs, and Nick Nurse can only do so much with this roster. The Raptors will be a good matchup for anybody in the playoffs, but I don’t see them making a deep run again.
#8 – Washington Wizards (44-28)
The Wizards changed their roster quite a bit this offseason. They drafted raw forward Deni Avdija 9th overall. Deni is very raw, and we’ll see if he’s as good as some people say he is. They re-signed sharp-shooter Davis Bertans, giving them some scoring on the wing. And they acquired Russell Westbrook, a massive upgrade from John Wall. With two superstars in Wall and Beal, the Wizards can win a lot more games. They have some solid pieces around them like Avdija, Bryant, Bertans, Hachimura, and Troy Brown Jr. I see the Wizards as a pretty decent team, a team that can make the playoffs. They aren’t contenders by any stretch of imagination, but they are still decent.
#9 – Chicago Bulls (40-32)
The Bulls have been adding young talent over the past few seasons, and they finally got a decent coach in Billy Donovan that can make them take some steps in the Eastern Conference. Zach Lavine is a very smooth scorer with explosive athleticism. Coby White is a sharp-shooter, and should take some big leaps heading into his 2nd season. Lauri Markkanen can be a very good shooter, and Wendell Carter is effective on both ends. But Carter and Markkanen have to stay healthy in order to get better. The Bulls took a big swing with their 4th overall pick, selecting Patrick Williams. Williams is big and strong down low, but I’m not a fan of this pick. There were better option. Otto Porter Jr. is getting paid nearly $30 million this season, and he hasn’t done much with the Bulls. The Bulls are decent, but they are still very young and they don’t have an identity. If this core stays together, they could be a good playoff team in the next couple of seasons.
#10 – Atlanta Hawks (38-34)
The Hawks made a lot of moves this offseason. They already had All-Star Trae Young, who is a great shooter and scorer, as well as passer. John Collins is a bruising forward who works well in the pick and roll. Cam Reddish is very raw, but has a lot of talent on offense. De’Andre Hunter is a bit more polished but much better defensively. The Hawks took athletic stud Onyeka Okungwu 6th overall in the draft. He has a chance to be great, but he will be alongside Clint Capela in the frontcourt, meaning he can’t develop as fast. The Hawks also made some big signings as they signed Bogdan Bogdanovic, Danilo Gallinari, Rajon Rondo, Soloman Hill, and Kris Dunn. But with this completely new team, it will take a while for Atlanta to adjust. They just need time together to mesh well, and that’s why they’re not in the playoffs for me. Like Chicago, keep this core for a few years and you might have something special.
#11- Orlando Magic (37-35)
The Magic have been solid for the past few years, but they aren’t getting better. They drafted Cole Anthony 15th overall in the draft, giving them another PG prospect. But they lost DJ Augustin this offseason, meaning they have two young guards in Fultz and Anthony to lead them. Nikola Vucevic is decent, but not a star. Aaron Gordon isn’t a great fit next to him, as he isn’t a great shooter. Jonathan Isaac also doesn’t fit well on this team. Mo Bamba doesn’t get to play much, and his career has been wasted as of right now. The Magic haven’t been better at all over the past few years and remain mediocre.
#12 – New York Knicks (36-36)
The Knicks made a lot of moves this offseason, and they got a lot better. They selected Obi Toppin with the 8th pick in the draft, and I love the pick. Toppin is explosive and has a decent jumper. He reminds me a lot of Amar’e Stoudemire. With the 25th pick, they selected Immanuel Quickley. Quickley is a good shooter, but nothing else for the moment, a bit of a reach. And they selected big man Daniel Oturu with the 33rd pick. He is physical and can help this team right away. The Knicks dumped most of their forwards, making room for the rookies. They still have Julius Randle, who I expect to be traded. RJ Barrett was solid his rookie year, and poised for a breakout 2nd season. The Knicks still don’t have a great guard, just Elfrid Payton, Dennis Smith Jr, and Frank Ntilikina for now. The Knicks added Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel, and Austin Rivers in free agency. Tom Thibodeau is a very good coach, and should shape you these young guys. I like what the Knicks are doing, and they should be decent at best.
#13 – Charlotte Hornets (34-38)
The Hornets made a lot of changes to this roster, but I don’t think it’ll result in any major changes. They drafted Lamelo Ball 3rd overall, trying to get a franchise player. It gives them the weirdest backcourt in the league, and I’m not 100% sold on Ball being a star. They also got Vernon Carey Jr. and Grant Riller in the 2nd round. The Hornets moved on from $30 million to Nick Batum, to giving Gordon Hayward $30 million per year. Hayward is not a max player anymore, but he is still decent. He gives Ball a reliable, veteran teammate. The Hornets already have Rozier ($19 million), Devonte Graham, PJ Washington, and Miles Bridges. The Hornets might have the weirdest roster in the league, and they are still near the bottom of the East, making marginal improvements.
#14 – Detroit Pistons (27-45)
The Pistons were a team that made a lot of moves this offseason, and again, it doesn’t make them good. They got 3 players in the first round, only one of which I really like. They drafted raw PG Killian Hayes with the 7th pick. Hayes is a jumpshot away from being very good, and he could be the Pistons’ franchise PG. They got traditional center Isaiah Stewart with the 16th pick. I don’t really like this because he game isn’t well fit for the modern NBA. And with the 19th pick, they got a stud in Saddiq Bey. Bey is big and strong down low, but he shot 45% from 3 at Villanova. Bey is a NBA-ready prospect, and it was the Pistons best draft choice. In free agency, Detroit got Jerami Grant, Mason Plumlee, Jahlil Okafor, Wayne Ellington, Delon Wright, and LiAngelo Ball. This Pistons team got a lot of new faces, many of which I like. They aren’t good by any stretch of imagination, but it’s leaps and bounds from where they were last season (they also have D-Rose and Blake Griffin, but I don’t expect those guys to be with Detroit much longer).
#15 – Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavs didn’t make many changes to their roster, and that isn’t a good thing. They had the 5th pick, and they selected Isaac Okoro. Okoro was the best defensive wing in the draft, and he is an explosive wing. If he develops a solid jumper, he could lock down the wing for Cleveland. They added JaVale McGee from the Lakers, but their team didn’t change much. They still have Sexton and Garland, a duo that isn’t likely to do much. They continue to pay Kevin Love and Andre Drummond, not a great thing especially for the rebuilding Cavs. 2019 first round pick Dylan Windler will get to play after missing all of last season. But the Cavs didn’t change much with this team, and their franchise is still in a pretty bad place.
It’s harder this year to make predictions in the standings because of Covid. A lot can change quickly, so take these predictions with a grain of salt. I’m assuming that most of these teams are healthy for the year, and if they don’t have any major injuries, which is a big if.
What Would You Change About These Predictions? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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