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Free Agency isn't quite over. Barring Joe being able to Net Monta Ellis, are general core is now set. Where do you see us ending up next season?

Playoff Locks:
1. Miami
2. New York
3. Brooklyn
4. Indiana
5. Chicago

After that:
Washington, Detroit, Cleveland, Toronto, Boston, Atlanta

I think if KCP/Knight develop, there is no reason we can't gain that 6th seed and possibly upset someone in the first round. No, our team isn't "pretty" offensively. But defensively, we should be right there and we have deceptive scorers all over the team that people seem to be ignoring. I'm not going to claim we're a playoff lock, anything can happen. But I don't look at this team right now and honestly know for sure that we'll be picking top 10 in the upcoming draft. I think squeezing into the playoffs right now is a legitimate goal.

6th or 7th for me personally. Washington looks pretty good, though. That'd be our main obstacle in all honesty.

Josh smith either learns how to shoot the 18 foot three or this team will see the 8th seed at best.

We'll be battling with WAS for the 6th spot. So I'm gonna go with 6th or 7th.

I voted 7th seed. I don't know why, just seems about right, I expect a. Little bit of growing pains as we adapt to each other.

I voted 6th. There's going to be a lot of teams tanking this season. A lot you can immediately write off; Cleveland, Milwaukee, Toronto, Philly, Orlando, Charlotte, and probably Boston.

That's nearly half the conference going into the next season with zero plans to succeed. Meaning, Detroit doesn't even really need to beat anyone out to get into the post season this year. It's basically automatic. I think they can finish with a better record than Washington and Atlanta. Maybe the fifth seed if they really come together or make another trade to really round out the team.

Who voted 5th or above

Unless Brooklyn has a Lakers-esque collapse its near impossible

ComboGuardCity wrote:Who voted 5th or above

Unless Brooklyn has a Lakers-esque collapse its near impossible

Considering their front court is built of porcelain, that's entirely possible.

ImHeisenberg wrote:I voted 6th. There's going to be a lot of teams tanking this season. A lot you can immediately write off; Cleveland, Milwaukee, Toronto, Philly, Orlando, Charlotte, and probably Boston.

That's nearly half the conference going into the next season with zero plans to succeed. Meaning, Detroit doesn't even really need to beat anyone out to get into the post season this year. It's basically automatic. I think they can finish with a better record than Washington and Atlanta. Maybe the fifth seed if they really come together or make another trade to really round out the team.

I don't think Cleveland and Milwaukee are tanking this year

engelbert321 wrote:I don't think Cleveland and Milwaukee are tanking this year

Those may have been more of blanket statements. If Cleveland aren't clearly in the playoff race by February, I fully expect Irving to come down with all kinds of phantom injuries again.

As for Milwaukee, their back court has been gutted. Jennings will probably get overpaid and continue to shoot 30% from the field and plunge back into the lottery where they belong.

ImHeisenberg wrote:

engelbert321 wrote:I don't think Cleveland and Milwaukee are tanking this year

Those may have been more of blanket statements. If Cleveland aren't clearly in the playoff race by February, I fully expect Irving to come down with all kinds of phantom injuries again.

As for Milwaukee, their back court has been gutted. Jennings will probably get overpaid and continue to shoot 30% from the field and plunge back into the lottery where they belong.

That's what I initially thought. Good point.

ImHeisenberg wrote:I voted 6th. There's going to be a lot of teams tanking this season. A lot you can immediately write off; Cleveland, Milwaukee, Toronto, Philly, Orlando, Charlotte, and probably Boston.

That's nearly half the conference going into the next season with zero plans to succeed. Meaning, Detroit doesn't even really need to beat anyone out to get into the post season this year. It's basically automatic. I think they can finish with a better record than Washington and Atlanta. Maybe the fifth seed if they really come together or make another trade to really round out the team.

The playoffs is plausible with this reasoning. 6th?

Detroit still has to play New York, Miami, Indiana, Chicago, and Brooklyn 3-4 times. I doubt the Pistons will split with any of them at best.

This in tandem with elite teams in the west could add around 20 losses on top of all the other L's due to other basketball reasons.

A reasonable expectation was that the Celtics board would have toned down their homerism just a touch over the years. Did you guys see some of their Rondo trades with us? WTF? I voted 9th. Fun team to watch this year, flashes of brilliance, but I believe the start to this upcoming season is going to be brutal. New Coach, new players, I would be surprised if we were 5-12 to start.

zeebneeb wrote:A reasonable expectation was that the Celtics board would have toned down their homerism just a touch over the years. Did you guys see some of their Rondo trades with us? WTF? I voted 9th. Fun team to watch this year, flashes of brilliance, but I believe the start to this upcoming season is going to be brutal. New Coach, new players, I would be surprised if we were 5-12 to start.

I put 8th for that reason but I see a trade either soon or at least by the dead line to move us forward.

I said 6th. Size/defense/rebouding/physicality will be our identity and it will carry us into the playoffs. Knight shows some life, KCP establishes himself as a good player, Monroe improves, Drummond takes the next step, and Smith fits seamlessly

1) Even if we don't land Monta Ellis (which is a whole other discussion, and probably as polarizing a signing as Josh Smith), I don't think you can say that our team is "basically set." The smaller, cheaper, role-player signings are going to be very important for us and greatly determine where we finish in the Eastern Conference next year 'cuz they will greatly shape our bench (and if you don't think that's a massive part of team success, look no further than how essential the role players on the Spurs were during their playoff run).

2) Milwaukee may not be actively TRYING to tank, but does anyone really believe O.J. Mayo improves upon their team from last year? Ditto with Atlanta essentially swapping Josh Smith for Paul Millsap (after all that has been said and written about them wanting a true center so they could shift Horford to PF)? And unless Dan Gilbert is smarter than literally everyone else, does anyone see Anthony Bennett immediately making the Cavs a playoff team? It really looks to me like the top five Eastern teams are set in stone, but so are those bottom seven; that leaves us and Washington battling for the sixth and seventh seeds.

I believe Josh Smith will surprise a lot of folks with his play for the Pistons. I know hes been in the league 9 years but that was all for ONE team. He now is in a NEW environment. NEW state. NEW fans. NEW owners and coaches and NEW fans. I'm not saying he pulls a Harden and averages 26 points but I believe he will lead us into the playoff as a 6th seed. I think Drummond and Monroe step up. I actually think Brandon Knight will break out. Not sure about Maurice Cheeks tho.

6/7th seed. If we Gay or Rondo(which I doubt then 4th seed.

6th. Pistons still have expirings as well. If they don't do anything big again this off-season, they have trade deadline ammo.

I say 6th right now just based on defense and rebounding. This team has so much youth though...that if Monroe develops and mid range shot and Knight cuts down turnovers, this team could surprise someone in the playoffs.

Hood President wrote:I believe Josh Smith will surprise a lot of folks with his play for the Pistons. I know hes been in the league 9 years but that was all for ONE team. He now is in a NEW environment. NEW state. NEW fans. NEW owners and coaches and NEW fans. I'm not saying he pulls a Harden and averages 26 points but I believe he will lead us into the playoff as a 6th seed. I think Drummond and Monroe step up. I actually think Brandon Knight will break out. Not sure about Maurice Cheeks tho.

6/7th seed. If we Gay or Rondo(which I doubt then 4th seed.

I'm pretty sure I've seen you posting on the Hawks board before. Are you just a Josh Smith fan?