How many Eastern Conference teams would make the playoffs in the West?

[ken6199]

All true, and the more I think of it its either 2 or 3 to me. I see the top 6 in the West as near locks, but maybe one falls due to injury, leaving the Cavs, Bulls, and maybe Atlanta or Miami if one of the West teams falls out. But I don't see anyone other than the Cavs breaking above SAS, Golden State, OKC, Houston, LAC, or Memphis personally.

WAS right there with Bulls too, that pre Wall injury playoff team was scary, believe they could have mounted a better challenge vs CLE in ECF. But again, if the assumption is 'one west team falls due to injury', same could be applied to CHI/WAS/ATL/MIA (I am excluding CLE out of this, as they are a west top 6 lock even with one injury sans LBJ). Then it comes down to depth, and you wonder taking Blake and Bosh off their respective team and which team gets hit harder, the answer is quite clear. 2.5 we have the true answer:)

[bondom34]

All true, and the more I think of it its either 2 or 3 to me. I see the top 6 in the West as near locks, but maybe one falls due to injury, leaving the Cavs, Bulls, and maybe Atlanta or Miami if one of the West teams falls out. But I don't see anyone other than the Cavs breaking above SAS, Golden State, OKC, Houston, LAC, or Memphis personally.

WAS right there with Bulls too, that pre Wall injury playoff team was scary, believe they could have mounted a better challenge vs CLE in ECF. But again, if the assumption is 'one west team falls due to injury', same could be applied to CHI/WAS/ATL/MIA (I am excluding CLE out of this, as they are a west top 6 lock even with one injury sans LBJ). Then it comes down to depth, and you wonder taking Blake and Bosh off their respective team and what damage it will do, the answer is quite clear. 2.5 we have the true answer:)

Yeah, I just don't trust Washington going into this year with the current team, losing Pierce and having no real big man depth. But 2.5 seems right to me!

[DreDay]

Cavs and maybe Hawks

No other east team is better than GSW/SAS/HOU/LAC/MEM/OKC/NOP

[CP13]

I think only the Cavs would make it to be honest, as I would have GSW/SAS/HOU/LAC/MEM/OKC/NOP as 7 of the play-off teams and then you add the Cavs to that and there is no room for any of the other Eastern teams. I guess maybe the Hawks or Bulls could potentially finish ahead of the Pels. 2 at most though.

[HotTubMike]

Best 8 teams in the league (In no particular order):

OKC
SAS
LAC
CLE
HOU
MEM
GSW
NOP

So, I think only 1 makes it.

maybe just maybe 2 EC teams

I can't see 3 making it.

[TKainZero]

One for sure (Cleveland)
None of the least of the east is as good as Memphis out west, the designated 6th team

So, the big 6 out west

So the other 23 teams are fighting for one spot


Are we assuming a schedueal retweeak as well when the schedueal is more balanced?

1 team for sure
+ west big 6

Rest of league fights for 8th

[NBAfan3024]

Only Cavs would be a lock along with maybe Hawks and bulls

[jbk1234]

Probably the top 5 teams as in Celtics, cavaliers,bulls,heat and hawks

One of these guys is not like the others.

[jbk1234]

People are overrating Memphis and the Spurs. They've both peaked already.

The Spurs might stave off a dramatic decline for another year with LMA, but it's coming. Manu and Parker don't look like the same players anymore. They aren't as deep either.

Gasol and Zbo aren't getting any younger and the Grizzlies still don't have a go to scorer on the perimeter. They lost their back up center and Gasol misses games during the regular season.

[khufure]

Besides Cleveland
- Miami will be much better...add Bosh and Whiteside starter minutes. Subtract some off Wade for another year.

the East has a bunch of question marks
- Atlanta is still good, but was last year an overachieve?
- Chicago has a new coach. Will the defense slip? Is Noah done or will he have a rebound year?
- Washington has zip for wings... Wall is impressive and entering prime. Beal contract situation might be troublesome, and I'm not really sold on him.... team Defense is impressive.

Some 'up and coming' teams:
- Milwaukee .. impressive defense especially considering age of team. the upside is real.
- Orlando .. if they played defense they'd be as interesting as MIL. enter Skiles as HC.
- Detroit

[Nebula1]

2 or 3

Best odds..
Cleveland
Atlanta
Chicago
Miami

I think
GS
OKC
Spurs
Are locks

LAC
Houston
Are near locks

Memphis is a bubble team for me.

Houston might be the best team in the NBA next season. Near lock... please.

[vxmike]

Two. Cleveland and one of Miami/Chicago/Atlanta.

(in no particular order)
Warriors
Clippers
Spurs
Thunder
Grizzlies
Rockets
Cleveland
one of Miami/Chicago/Atlanta

The top six West teams are all better than anyone in the East outside of Cleveland. That leaves whichever of the Heat, Bulls and Hawks who have the best health and chemistry as the likely 8th seed.

I would agree with this almost exactly except I'd add Washington and Toronto as contenders for the other spot out of the East -I think they'll both be better than Atlanta this year - and I'd add the possibility that the Pelicans might be good enough this year that only Cleveland out of the East would get in.

I think the Pels are starting to get overrated. I agree that Anthony Davis is a top 3 player and should continue to improve, but I don't like the rest of their roster. Very uninspiring and injury-prone guard rotation of Gordon/Holiday. Ryan Anderson (also major injuries last two seasons) should be playing major minutes at PF next to Davis but instead they resigned Asik who is a questionable fit. Poor floor spacing overall and very little depth on the bench too.

[slothrop8]

Two. Cleveland and one of Miami/Chicago/Atlanta.

(in no particular order)
Warriors
Clippers
Spurs
Thunder
Grizzlies
Rockets
Cleveland
one of Miami/Chicago/Atlanta

The top six West teams are all better than anyone in the East outside of Cleveland. That leaves whichever of the Heat, Bulls and Hawks who have the best health and chemistry as the likely 8th seed.

I would agree with this almost exactly except I'd add Washington and Toronto as contenders for the other spot out of the East -I think they'll both be better than Atlanta this year - and I'd add the possibility that the Pelicans might be good enough this year that only Cleveland out of the East would get in.

I think the Pels are starting to get overrated. I agree that Anthony Davis is a top 3 player and should continue to improve, but I don't like the rest of their roster. Very uninspiring and injury-prone guard rotation of Gordon/Holiday. Ryan Anderson (also major injuries last two seasons) should be playing major minutes at PF next to Davis but instead they resigned Asik who is a questionable fit. Poor floor spacing overall and very little depth on the bench too.

I agree with everything you say. But they won 45 games last season with Jrue Holiday out for 40 games. He'll play more than that this year. Plus the ugrade to Gentry from Monty Williams is likely worth a couple wins too. Monty was shaky to say the least. AD figures to keep getting better. You can see the pathway to 50 wins for NO. That would get them in.

[165bows]

Poll options should be:

1.) 1
2.) 2

[nba2k16]

This year I'd say only one, that's Cleveland

[Ball4life32]

ATL and CLE

[NBA4u]

I snap voted 3. But after I chose I'm trying to figure out who the 3rd team is. Don;t think that 3rd team would be a shoe in. they would HAVE to win 50 games and health would be a big issue,

CLE
CHI

ATL ( low tier seed obv)





No way should we be having that much faith in MIA if they were out west. How many games do you expect Wade and Deng to be healthy?

[NBA4u]

very surprised people are debating CHI.

If they stay healthy, which they should with their roster depth, They can compete for 55 wins even in the west. I don't see Gasol, Rose and Noah being as banged up this year

[I_Eat_Ass]

The answer is none

Cavs would have injurie problems by the end of the season.

Bulls are now trash ( Derrick Rose fans his best days are long gone).

Hawks don't have a star player ( no one on that team would make the west allstar team).

The wizards don't have Paul Pierce so no 4th quarter or closer to depend on.

The raptors........NO

And every other team in the east would struggle in the d league.


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