Choosing A Direction For Every Eastern Conference Team!
The NBA Finals are in full swing and that means that two team’s dreams to compete for a title are coming true. But that also means that 28 teams are watching from their couches. Every team has a direction they think they should go in. They’re usually right, but sometimes they have the wrong idea that can throw off teams for years. Today I will be choosing a direction for every single NBA team and whether they’re doing a good job in doing that.
Eastern Conference
Philadelphia 76ers – Contend W/O Choking
You can make all the Ben Simmons jokes you want, but the 76ers are in a position to contend. Joel Embiid showed his dominance once again, as he was an MVP candidate before his injuries slowed him down. Tobias Harris had a bounce back season and for most of the playoffs, he was good. Ben Simmons isn’t usable in the playoffs, but he was a DPOY candidate for a reason.
Seth Curry was very good, Tyrese Maxey has potential, and Matisse Thybulle is one of the best young defenders in the NBA. But they do have to make changes. I don’t know if I like Doc Rivers as a coach. He’s blown 3 3-1 leads and multiple 3-2 leads. His coaching record as a coach isn’t that impressive.
Ben Simmons might have to go if you can get somebody like Bradley Beal or Damian Lillard. Some elite perimeter player who can pair well with Joel Embiid. I like that Philly declined a deal involving Indiana and Malcolm Brogdon. Adding Malcolm Brogdon doesn’t solve this team. You need a bonafide superstar. If you can’t get that, keep Ben Simmons. I know 76ers fans don’t want that, but it’s not worth it to trade Simmons if you’re not getting a superstar in return.
The 76ers need some more shooting outside of Harris and Curry. Maybe giving Tyrese Maxey more minutes helps. Danny Green is a free agent and maybe he can come back for cheap. But they need shooting and perhaps a superstar. But their defense is elite, Joel Embiid is very good and Tobias Harris showed he can be a viable 2nd option at times. If Harris is a 3rd option? Philly can be very dangerous if they get their hands on a superstar.
If Daryl Morey works some more magic, the 76ers can be right up there with the Nets and Bucks in the East. They just need a little push in the right direction.
Brooklyn Nets – Don’t Get Injured
The Nets are the best team in the league when healthy, simple as that. Hopefully their big 3 can stay healthy next year and they’ll be fine. But their roster might get thinner next year. Doesn’t look like Spencer Dinwiddie is coming back. Bruce Brown is a potential free agent. Jeff Green and Blake Griffin are free agents. This team could be losing some key players.
But they are still loaded. Joe Harris is still a great shooter, one of the best in the league, even with his postseason struggles. Nicolas Claxton looks really promising. Landry Shamet is solid.
Deandre Jordan is probably their biggest cap space hit that they just don’t need. They should definitely look to trade him.
But the Nets Big 3 are all committed, their defense looked solid when they actually tried last season. If they can bring back Green and Griffin (likely) and hopefully hold on to Bruce Brown, they could be great. They have a first round pick this season, the Nets are still very good and without injuries, they would have easily beaten the Bucks and Hawks and would likely be giving the Suns a lot harder of a time than Milwaukee is currently.
So the Nets just need to retain what they have, maybe add a little, and hope for the best in terms of not getting injured and they’ll be fine.
Milwaukee Bucks – Contend With A Smarter Coach
The Bucks are down 0-2 in the finals and things aren’t looking good. But they’re still good. They have a very good team and they realistically don’t need a whole lot more to win a title.
If Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton hit shots more consistently, they would be better. If they had size and defense off the bench, they would be better.
But perhaps the thing that the Bucks desperately need is a new coach. Usually teams that make the finals have great coaching. The Bucks opponent, the Phoenix Suns, have a great coach in Monty Williams. But it seems like the Bucks win in spite of Mike Budenholzer.
His defensive and offensive schemes are just weird. He rarely changes things when they don’t work, a big reason why the Bucks flamed out of the playoffs in 2019 and 2020. The Bucks have to make changes to try and comeback and win this title, but with Budenholzer’s track record? Not likely to say the least.
If the Bucks had a good x’s and o’s coach, they would be fine. They have the talent, they just need the right coach. Apparently Budenholzer was on thin ice this season (rightfully so), but I doubt they fire him after the Bucks made the finals. Maybe they do what the Bulls did in the late 80’s. Fire Doug Collins, a coach that led you to the Eastern Conference Finals and hire Phil Jackson. Win 6 titles. Simple enough.
Now, I don’t think the Bucks have Phil Jackson in their back pocket, but I don’t see them winning a title with Mike Budenholzer being coach.
New York Knicks – Contend While Scoring
I was one of the people who thought the Knicks would be good this past season. The only thing is that I had them as the 10th seed, not the 4th seed. Now, the Knicks talent level is certainly not at the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference and their 4th seed is likely inflated due to Covid and injuries to other teams. But the Knicks were great defensively under Tom Thibodeau and Julius Randle was the Most Improved Player.
The Knicks have some young talent – RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Mitchell Robinson Obi Toppin, they definitely have some talent. But they also have old guys who played a big role this past season. Derrick Rose, Reggie Bullock, and Taj Gibson in particular. Rose is a free agent this summer and he’s 32. Bullock is 30 and also a free agent. Taj Gibson is 36.
Nerlens Noel, who was so good in place of the injured Mitchell Robinson, he’s going to be one of the most sought out free agents this summer. So the Knicks might lose some of their key guys from this past season.
But they have two first round picks in this year’s draft (thanks Dallas). The Knicks also have a lot of cap space for a DeMar DeRozan or Kyle Lowry type player, which would help them a lot.
So the Knicks are on the rise. They have set the foundation with a great culture and coaching staff. They have some pieces to build around for the future, now it’s time to build on that and win.
Atlanta Hawks – Keep Doing What You’re Doing
The Atlanta Hawks made an unlikely run all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals and if not for an injury to Trae Young, they could have made it to the Finals. But it’s clear their roster is ready to win and their blend of youth and talent has worked out perfectly so far.
Trae Young is the villain we didn’t ask for, but desperately needed. He was excellent this postseason and he will be a threat in the East for a long time. He has excellent support. De’Andre Hunter’s great season was cut short by multiple knee injuries, but when healthy he’s very good. John Collins is a free agent this summer but expect the Hawks to keep the athletic forward. Clint Capela is very good down low.
Cam Reddish is forgotten, injuries slowed him down a lot this past season, but he was very good in the conference finals and he should be good for the Hawks as a scorer off the bench next season. Kevin Huerter and Bogdanovic are great compliments to Young and great shooters. Onyeka Okongwu showed flashes in the playoffs, with more playing time next year, he could be special.
Oh yeah, Lou Williams and Danilo Gallinari are on this team. Gallinari is getting paid too much for what his role is on this team, but it’s not a horrible contract. Only two years, $41 million left on that deal. Lou Williams is a free agent this summer, but it’s clear he wants to stay with the Hawks.
The roster is great, filled with lots of young talent and they have a great coach. Nate McMillan took over for the Hawks when they were 14-20 and 11th in the East and turned them into a contending team. He got re-signed for 4 years, so the Hawks have a very good roster and coach locked up for the foreseeable future.
The Hawks have one of the brightest futures in the NBA. They are ready to win and they are a very young team, so their championship window is wider than most contending teams. The Hawks are on the rise and they should be a very good team for years to come.
Miami Heat – Rebuild (Bubbles Are Good)
Let’s face it, the bubble was kind of a fluke. Those situations will almost certainly never be repeated and I doubt the Heat are making the finals with this current roster. They have good pieces but they got worse this past season.
Jimmy Butler is now 31 years old and under contract for a few seasons, with a player option in 2022. He also likely wants a massive extension. Bam Adebayo is fine, although he struggled in the playoffs, he’s not the problem. Can’t exactly say the same about the rest of the team.
Tyler Herro showed real promise as a rookie in the bubble, but disappointed in his 2nd season. He’s a pure scorer and doesn’t have much upside other than that. Duncan Robinson is a very, very good shooter, but he doesn’t give you defense and he’s a potential free agent this summer.
Goran Dragic is 35 years old. Trevor Ariza is is 36 years old. Andre Iguodala is 37 years old. What do you do with Victor Oladipo? He’s injury prone and didn’t add anything to your team when you traded for him. He’s likely not going to be an All-Star ever again and he seems to think he deserves a max-contract. He’s a UFA this summer and I don’t think it’s wise for the Heat to go after him again.
Precious Achiuwa is promising. Kendrick Nunn is another all offense type guard. This team has a lot of old veterans with not much to give left. They don’t have a lot of young talent that helps them. Most of their young talent is all offense, but they’re all one-sided and don’t have a whole lot of upside.
The Heat don’t need a full rebuild, but they need to take a year off to get some players and develop. Because this team isn’t beating the Nets, 76ers or Bucks. It’s just not. They have to re-tool this offseason and maybe even next offseason to get back into contention.
Boston Celtics – Go For It Because The Jay’s Are Good
The Celtics had an awful season but they all but washed it away with a few moves. Brad Stevens becomes the GM and immediately gets rid of that awful Kemba Walker deal and gets Al Horford, somebody who can greatly help a depleted front-court group. They hired Ime Udoka, who has been a very well sought out for coach over the past few seasons. Oh yeah, they have Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The Celtics just have to make a few more moves and they’ll be ready to compete.
Brown and Tatum are your foundation, both of them were All-Stars, it’s time to build around them. Al Horford is a little bit older, but he’s still productive and should help a lot down low. Robert Williams broke out last season and he should also be very good this upcoming season.
Evan Fournier is a UFA this summer and Boston should try and bring him back. They need his shooting and he could be a very good 3rd option for the Celtics. Marcus Smart had an off year defensively last year, but he’s your heart and soul. I don’t think you trade him, he’s very valuable to the Celtics and what they’re trying to build.
The Celtics have a pretty talented core. Brown-Tatum-Horford-Smart-and maybe Fournier is enough to win in the East. Aaron Nesmith showed flashes as a rookie last year and so did Payton Pritchard. The Celtics need some frontcourt depth, maybe somebody like Nerlens Noel or Daniel Theis would help a lot.
Unless they plan on starting Marcus Smart at point guard (not the worst idea, but….), they might need another floor general. Pritchard and Smart is decent, but maybe another body would help. TJ McConnell, Austin Rivers, Raul Neto, Cameron Payne, all of these guys could help the Celtics.
The Celtics have their young nucleus and in a short time with new faces in management, they’ve made moves that would help them a lot. They have a solid core, now it’s time to add around the edges and contend. Expect a very good bounce back season from the Celtics this upcoming season.
Washington Wizards – Blow It Up Because You’re Not Good
The Wizards had a very weird year. They were hit perhaps the hardest by Covid, they got a very good and very bad Russell Westbrook, they were very bad and very good all in one year. Yeah, it was weird. But they need to rebuild. I don’t see the point in what they’re doing, they’re not going to be contenders.
My suggestion would be to trade Beal and Westbrook. Beal is a great player but his value is incredibly high still, no point in letting it drop. Westbrook played very well at the tail-end of the season but he’s not going to lead you to a championship.
Guys like Daniel Gafford, Rui Hachimura, Thomas Bryant, Deni Avdija, and Chandler Hutchison, they’re all worth keeping around. Trade your stars, get lots of picks and more young players, start from fresh.
You’re getting a new coach, likely Wes Unseld Jr from Denver, things just haven’t worked. You guys were good at best with Wall and Beal. Then Wall got hurt and now he’s gone. Now you have Westbrook and I don’t see you guys winning a championship, which I hope is the goal. Not settling for 8th place in the East.
The Wizards should blow it up and try another rebuild.
Indiana Pacers – Go For It Because Being Conservative Is Boring
The Pacers have messed up a bit recently. They had struggled to win in the playoffs and fired Nate McMillan. Turns out McMillan wasn’t the problem as he took over the Hawks and they went to the Conference Finals this past season. Even worse, Nate Bjorkgren, the replacement coach for McMillan, turned out to be a jerk and a horrible coach and was fired after one chaotic season. But the Pacers still have talent and they hired Rick Carlisle, who has coached Indiana previously in the mid-2000’s and he’s one of the best coaches in the NBA. But Indiana has to go for it if they want to be more than mediocre.
The Pacers have some talent. Domantas Sabonis is one of the best offensive big guys in the league with his interior scoring and passing. Malcolm Brogdon is the steady handed guard, very efficient, plays well with Sabonis. Myles Turner is the elite defender and rim protector down low. Caris Levert is the smooth pure scorer. Forget about TJ Warren? I did, but he’s still there, he’s good. Especially in the bubble. The Pacers definitely have some talent, but now it’s time to fill out that team.
Some of their pieces around those top 4 guys are good. Justin Holiday is a good shooter. So is Doug McDermott. Oshae Brissett was good to end the year when the roster was depleted by injuries. Aaron Holiday (related to Justin and Jrue), also has potential. TJ McConnell is one of the peskiest defenders in the NBA, but also a UFA this summer.
The Pacers also have a lottery pick, so they can add some talent. For me, I would try and retain TJ McConnell as he is one of the best backup guards in the league. I would try and add some immediate depth in the draft and then go for it. Maybe try and sign somebody in free agency, go swing for a trade that could help you.
The Pacers have always been a conservative team. But like my Blazers, sometimes you just have to go for it. Maybe it blows up in your face. That’s fine, at least you tried. I’m sure Indiana and their fans are sick of first round exits. It’s time to reach that next level in the Eastern Conference. So please, don’t disappoint us again.
Charlotte Hornets – Go For It Because MJ Said So
The Hornets drafted the best player in the draft last year, snagging Lamelo Ball with the 3rd pick. They traded Kemba Walker away for Terry Rozier, who had his best season this past year. They gave Gordon Hayward a big deal and it worked out. The Hornets made the play-in tournament and now they have a bright future. Let’s see how they mess it up.
The Hornets have their center-piece in Lamelo Ball. Now it’s time to pull an Atlanta Hawks. Spend some money in free agency (already kind of did that with Gordon Hayward) and hit on some draft picks. Terry Rozier is under contract for only one more season, more than likely the Hornets keep him.
Miles Bridges had a breakout season, he’s certainly going to be key for the Hornets. PJ Washington has been disappointing as a pro due to his inconsistent play, but you see flashes with him. But the Hornets have one big question that they have to solve this off-season.
What do you do about Devonte Graham? He was kind of the odd guy out with Ball and Rozier playing as well as they did this past season. Malik Monk is your bench scorer so Graham sort lost his place after his impressive 2019-20 campaign. Graham is a RFA this summer and I really wouldn’t care if they let him go. He just doesn’t have a place on this team anymore. Maybe you could use him in a sign-and-trade so you could get something in return.
The Hornets have a few weaknesses, center and defense. They need defense in some form, maybe they can use their lottery pick to help with that. But they do need big guy help, desperately. Nerlens Noel or Richuan Holmes would be perfect for them down low, certainly an upgrade over Cody Zeller and Bismack Biyombo.
The Hornets are on the rise. They have some really good young talent with Ball, Bridges, and Washington. Rozier and Hayward have proven to be great moves for MJ and company and the Hornets are going to be a team looking to actually make the playoffs this year. They definitely can as they try and finally find some success.
Chicago Bulls – Go For It Because You Kind Of Have To
The Bulls swung a big move for Nikola Vucevic at the trade deadline, giving up Wendell Carter Jr and two first round picks in the process (Otto Porter was also in the deal, but nobody likes Otto Porter, so….). The Bulls were worse with Vucevic and didn’t end up making the playoffs and now they’re first round pick is going to Orlando at the #8 overall spot. The Bulls have talent with Lavine and Patrick Williams, but with this trade for an aging star, the time for going all-in is now.
Zach Lavine has turned into an ultra-efficient 3-level scorer, now an All-Star. He’s their centerpiece and Vucevic is his right hand man down low. Those two are set in stone. Patrick Williams showed promise as a two-way wing this past season and has a bright future. But the rest of the team needs to be figured out and fast.
Lauri Markkanen is looking like a bust already, as he’s a RFA this summer and I don’t think he’s coming back to Chicago. Coby White is also looking like a bust of a pick, as he’s not a PG, he’s a SG. The Bulls need a floor general and White isn’t that, which is why he’s a trade piece. Lonzo Ball would be perfect for them, although I doubt he leaves New Orleans.
Thaddeus Young is good, so is Tomas Satoransky. Daniel Theis is one of the best backup bigs in the league. But this team needs some shooting and defense, badly. Denzel Valentine and Garrett Temple certainly aren’t enough.
With no picks, they have to go through free agency. Tony Snell, Alec Burks, TJ McConnell, Austin Rivers, bring some guys in to fill out this bench.
The Bulls have kind of forced a going all in party on themselves. They don’t have a draft pick this year or in 2023, so they can’t exactly slowly rebuild. They have to make decisions on young guys like White and Markkanen and hit on some free agents. The Bulls could be decent at best, but the Vucevic trade might have put them in a really bad position for the future.
Toronto Raptors – Get Back Home & Go For It
The Raptors were a mess last season. They didn’t have a frontcourt for most of the year and playing in Tampa Bay certainly didn’t help matters. But, hopefully they can return up north back to Canada for basketball this upcoming season and that will help with their overall stability as a team. They have a top-4 pick in the draft and a great coaching staff, the Raptors could return to form in this upcoming season.
Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam are great building blocks. Chris Boucher broke out as a 3&D big last year and Gary Trent Jr is a RFA this summer, likely to be brought back by the Raptors after they acquired him at the deadline.
OG Anunoby has come on as an excellent 3&D wing. Kyle Lowry is a free agent and it’s not certain whether he’ll leave or stay. He’s still a good player and has value, but the Raptors still have the #4 overall pick which they can use as a Lowry replacement if needed.
The Raptors have solid pieces, a great coaching staff, and hopefully they’ll be back home for 2021-22. Now they just have to add depth at guard, wing, and certainly center. If they can do that, they can definitely be a playoff team in the Eastern Conference.
Cleveland Cavaliers – Rebuild But Tear Down Sex-Land
The Cavaliers are rebuilding, but they just have to do one thing for me. Trade Collin Sexton. I know he can score, I know he’s their best player, but Darius Garland is your franchise point guard with a lot more upside. Can Collin Sexton get better than he currently is? Definitely not defensively, because he’s one of the worst defenders in the NBA. I think you roll with Garland, Okoro, Allen, and the package you get for Sexton and move on.
Jarrett Allen is a RFA this summer, just pay him whatever he’s going to get on the open market. He’s already a premier defender and you need a lot of defense with Garland on the floor. Isaac Okoro looks really promising as a 3&D wing, you have good pieces. Larry Nance Jr looks like a very good defensive forward.
The only thing is trying to move that big Kevin Love contract with 2 years left on it. That’s about it. I would trade Sexton, this Sex-Land duo isn’t going anywhere. Two undersized guards who can’t play defense won’t work in the NBA. Just pick the one with the higher upside and run with it. Simple as that.
The Cavs are rebuilding but as soon as this year, probably next year, they could be a play-in team if they play their cards right. Key word if.
Orlando Magic – Rebuild Because You Have To
The Magic were meh for a few years with the core of Gordon/Vucevic/Fournier. Well one day, March 25th to be exact, they just kind of went crazy and traded everybody. Now they have all young players and a bunch of picks. It’s time to rebuild. Pretty simple.
Fultz, Cole Anthony, RJ Hampton, Johnathan Isaac, Mo Bamba, Wendell Carter Jr, Chuma Okeke, all of these guys have potential and the Magic also have two top-10 picks (thanks Windy City), to add to this large young talent pool.
They’re looking to hire Jamahl Mosley, a Dallas assistant coach, as their new head coach. So the Magic are starting from scratch. Now it’s time to try to make enough good decisions to build a winning team.
Detroit Pistons – Rebuild Because Cade Is Good
The Pistons are also in full rebuild mode. They have the #1 overall pick in this year’s draft (aka they’re drafting Cade Cunningham) and they have some young talent. They also have a lot of cap space, so they sort of have a blank canvas for what they want to do as a team.
Saddiq Bey, Killian Hayes, Jerami Grant, Saben Lee, and Isaiah Stewart are all guys that are future assets for the Pistons and Cade Cunningham will be added to that pool. Interesting to see what they do with all that cap space, whether they keep some for when the free agency class is stronger than this year’s class.
The Pistons can definitely be good for the first time in a long time with Cade Cunningham at the helm of their team. They just have to build a team around him and quick otherwise he’s going to leave. Want to know why? Because small market teams are doomed. If you want to read more about that, look back at some of my other articles.
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