RealGM

After free agency this summer how do you guys see the East playoff picture shaping up? Are we good enough to make it?

You gotta think if Chicago signs two max free agents they will move to the top. Lebron with Rose and Noah makes them a contender.

Orlando should have their same team. (Vince for Arenas maybe?)

Boston will have their same team but are getting old (could possibly lose Ray Allen)

Miami has the money to sign three max free agents (Wade, Bosh, and ?) would make them a favorite.

If the Knicks can sign a couple of free agents they'll be in the playoffs. (Johnson, Stoudamire, David Lee would be a good combination to make the playoffs)

The Nets have the money, a decent point guard in Harris (who didn't play much at the beginning of the year) and a good big man in Lopez. If they are able to sign a free agent or two (perhaps Boozer) they'll be in the playoffs as well

Not to mention Milwaukee has a young team that is on the rise (remember Bogut didn't play in the playoffs).

Then theres several other teams who could challenge for the last two or three spots. Washington with Arenas and Wall. Philadelphia with Turner. Atlanta still has a good team but not sure how they'll do if they lose Johnson.

The only teams I don't see making it are Cavs (if they lose Lebron ), Detroit, and Toronto. I can't see Dirk leaving Dallas and I'm not expecting the Clippers to do much with their cap space.

I don't think you can make the playoffs with a .500 record in the east next year so where do you see the Pacers finishing? Are we looking at a 12th place finish this year. I think it's obvious Bird definitely has to make more moves if we don't want to be in the lottery again next year. We can't go into next year with Ford as our PG which makes acquiring Collison, Flynn, or Lawson that much more important!

i think the pacers can make the playoffs. i mean toronto wont be in the running bc bosh is gone. the celtics might lose allen and pierce. the hawks will probably lose johnson. my guess is lebron goes to the bulls. idk i think we could make the playoffs with a .500 record.

I will hold off until after FA is over

ok... as generous as you're being in converting the nets and knicks into playoff teams overnight... i'm confident the pacers contend for the eastern conference championship.

I think we will fall anywhere from the 5-8 seed. Maybe the 9th spot just missing the playoffs. But If we can get a reliable backup center, and a better pg we will have the potential to be a great team. We are inching closer and closer to becoming what we used to be.

It's so useless to even try to predict standings at this point when so much player movement is on the horizon and even when the players are in place it's still sort of a crap shoot.