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I figured we could have a thread about the other conference since there has been some movement over there as well. Off the top of my head (subject to edits with additional thought), I will say..

Contenders and approximate wins

Cavs - 65
Bulls - 56
Hawks - 54
Wizards - 53
Heat - 50
Pistons - 47
Hornets - 45
Raptors - 45
Celtics - 44
Bucks - 43
Pacers - 42
Magic - 35
Nets - 33
Knicks - 30
76ers - 25

I think the Pacers might be the toughest to predict. They are losing their frontcourt, but they had 38 wins without George, and he will be back. I can't remember who they signed though.

bwgood77 wrote:I figured we could have a thread about the other conference since there has been some movement over there as well. Off the top of my head (subject to edits with additional thought), I will say..

Contenders and approximate wins

Cavs - 65
Bulls - 56
Hawks - 54
Wizards - 53
Heat - 50
Pistons - 47
Bobcats - 45
Raptors - 45
Celtics - 44
Bucks - 43
Pacers - 42
Magic - 35
Nets - 33
Knicks - 30
76ers - 25

I think the Pacers might be the toughest to predict. They are losing their frontcourt, but they had 38 wins without George, and he will be back. I can't remember who they signed though.

I think you are giving the east too much credit.

MrMiyagi wrote:

bwgood77 wrote:I figured we could have a thread about the other conference since there has been some movement over there as well. Off the top of my head (subject to edits with additional thought), I will say..

Contenders and approximate wins

Cavs - 65
Bulls - 56
Hawks - 54
Wizards - 53
Heat - 50
Pistons - 47
Bobcats - 45
Raptors - 45
Celtics - 44
Bucks - 43
Pacers - 42
Magic - 35
Nets - 33
Knicks - 30
76ers - 25

I think the Pacers might be the toughest to predict. They are losing their frontcourt, but they had 38 wins without George, and he will be back. I can't remember who they signed though.

I think you are giving the east too much credit.

Thanks for your astute analysis and opinions on how well each team will do.

Okay, here I go.

Cavs - 61
Hawks - 54
Bulls - 51
Heat - 50
Wizards - 47
Bucks - 45
Raptors - 44
Pistons - 43
Pacers - 41
Celtics - 40
Hornets - 36
Nets - 32
Magic - 30
Knicks - 28
76ers - 20

I actually haven't caught up on what all these rotations are going to look like yet, but this 76ers roster is bizarre. Is this the youngest team in NBA history?

If by Bobcats you mean Hornets, what puts them 12 wins higher for you? Actually asking because again, I'm way behind on the Eastern Conference. This is also terrible since I'm an NC resident.

Did some quick calculation in my mind, and if i'm not mistaken, it seems you project East to win 90 more games than they did last year. That's 6 more wins for each team per average. I don't think it's happening.

Anyway, here's mine:

Cavs 57
Heat 53
Hawks 51
Pacers 49
Bulls 48
Wizards 47
Raptors 44
Bucks 42
Hornets 42
Pistons 38
Celtics 34
Magic 29
Nets 26
Knicks 25
76ers 20

Miklo wrote:I actually haven't caught up on what all these rotations are going to look like yet, but this 76ers roster is bizarre. Is this the youngest team in NBA history?

If by Bobcats you mean Hornets, what puts them 12 wins higher for you? Actually asking because again, I'm way behind on the Eastern Conference. This is also terrible since I'm an NC resident.

Well, they regressed a little bit this year I think, but they did get rid of Stephenson and added Batum, Hawes and Mo Williams, and drafted Kaminsky, so I think they should improve. Their problem was having offense, and Mo definitely will help in that regard as can the other two and possibly Kaminsky.

suns91fan wrote:Did some quick calculation in my mind, and if i'm not mistaken, it seems you project East to win 90 more games than they did last year. That's 6 more wins for each team per average. I don't think it's happening.

Yes, when I make actual projections for the entire league, I make sure wins and losses are equal, so I am probably too high on a number of teams, but that was just a quick stab in the dark.

A cupcake conference like the East is a total sh*tshow where anything can happen. IT can be an X-Factor who can single handedly propel a team into the playoff picture the last month of the regular season. That about sums up

bwgood77 wrote:

Miklo wrote:I actually haven't caught up on what all these rotations are going to look like yet, but this 76ers roster is bizarre. Is this the youngest team in NBA history?

If by Bobcats you mean Hornets, what puts them 12 wins higher for you? Actually asking because again, I'm way behind on the Eastern Conference. This is also terrible since I'm an NC resident.

Well, they regressed a little bit this year I think, but they did get rid of Stephenson and added Batum, Hawes and Mo Williams, and drafted Kaminsky, so I think they should improve. Their problem was having offense, and Mo definitely will help in that regard as can the other two and possibly Kaminsky.

Yeah, that logic makes sense to me. I think that Kaminsky was a questionable pick for them and it's kind of unclear what their rotation will look like exactly, but it's definitely a better roster than they had last season.

I really like the Magic but think they need a couple vets or a couple more years experience to make a jump.
Mario and Gordon look really good this summer. Gordon has improved so much since coming into the league and Mario just has great cockiness and believes he belongs.

Cavs 55-58
Bulls 50-53
Wiz 49-52
Hawks 49-52
Heat 45-48
Pacers 45-48
Bucks 44-47
Pistons 42-45
Magic 41-44

I think the Heat will have health issues again this year.

1. Cavs - 60
2. Hawks - 52
3. Raptors - 49
4. Wizards - 48
5. Bulls - 47
6. Heat - 45
7. Pacers - 44
8. Bucks - 43
9. Celtics - 41
10. Pistons - 38
11. Hornets - 37
12. Knicks - 35
13. Nets - 33
14. Magic - 26
15. 76ers - 23

My Eastern Conference outlook:

I predict Love and Irving suffer major injuries in training camp, leading LeBron to decide to take the season off to play football, which he loves and ultimately leaves basketball forever. Cavs are a bottom-ten team for the next three years and then score the #1 overall pick in 2019, the year the protection on the pick they owe us expires.

Meanwhile in Miami, the Heat go all in to win the East now that the Cavs have fallen. They take on overpaid aging superstars to try to win another championship with Wade and Bosh but age and overspending catch up with them rapidly and they end up missing the playoffs and landing a top-three pick in 2018, which means they keep it, and then get the #2 pick in 2019, which comes to the Suns. Pat Riley retires and the team goes into a deep rebuild, again scoring the #1 pick in 2021, which again comes to us.

Of course, by then the Suns have slowly built a championship team from within, and add the #1 and #2 picks in 2019 and the #1 pick in 2021 to strengthen what is to be remembered as one of the greatest sports dynasties of all time.

Walt_Uoob wrote:My Eastern Conference outlook:

I predict Love and Irving suffer major injuries in training camp, leading LeBron to decide to take the season off to play football, which he loves and ultimately leaves basketball forever. Cavs are a bottom-ten team for the next three years and then score the #1 overall pick in 2019, the year the protection on the pick they owe us expires.

Meanwhile in Miami, the Heat go all in to win the East now that the Cavs have fallen. They take on overpaid aging superstars to try to win another championship with Wade and Bosh but age and overspending catch up with them rapidly and they end up missing the playoffs and landing a top-three pick in 2018, which means they keep it, and then get the #2 pick in 2019, which comes to the Suns. Pat Riley retires and the team goes into a deep rebuild, again scoring the #1 pick in 2021, which again comes to us.

Of course, by then the Suns have slowly built a championship team from within, and add the #1 and #2 picks in 2019 and the #1 pick in 2021 to strengthen what is to be remembered as one of the greatest sports dynasties of all time.

Poster of the week. Done and dusted

Can't ever see the 8th seed having a winning record ...

Is Bosh good to go now? If so, the Heat have a good chance to be top three.

JTrain wrote:Is Bosh good to go now? If so, the Heat have a good chance to be top three.

As far as I know, yes. It will be interesting if when Wade and Bosh sit, to see Dragic, Green and Amare playing together. Could see some nice dunks there. They should be tough.

Walt_Uoob wrote:My Eastern Conference outlook:

I predict Love and Irving suffer major injuries in training camp, leading LeBron to decide to take the season off to play football, which he loves and ultimately leaves basketball forever. Cavs are a bottom-ten team for the next three years and then score the #1 overall pick in 2019, the year the protection on the pick they owe us expires.

Meanwhile in Miami, the Heat go all in to win the East now that the Cavs have fallen. They take on overpaid aging superstars to try to win another championship with Wade and Bosh but age and overspending catch up with them rapidly and they end up missing the playoffs and landing a top-three pick in 2018, which means they keep it, and then get the #2 pick in 2019, which comes to the Suns. Pat Riley retires and the team goes into a deep rebuild, again scoring the #1 pick in 2021, which again comes to us.

Of course, by then the Suns have slowly built a championship team from within, and add the #1 and #2 picks in 2019 and the #1 pick in 2021 to strengthen what is to be remembered as one of the greatest sports dynasties of all time.

It sucks this hasn't happened yet exactly as you predicted, but I still have hope it takes a turn that way.

MrMiyagi wrote:

bwgood77 wrote:I figured we could have a thread about the other conference since there has been some movement over there as well. Off the top of my head (subject to edits with additional thought), I will say..

Contenders and approximate wins

Cavs - 65
Bulls - 56
Hawks - 54
Wizards - 53
Heat - 50
Pistons - 47
Bobcats - 45
Raptors - 45
Celtics - 44
Bucks - 43
Pacers - 42
Magic - 35
Nets - 33
Knicks - 30
76ers - 25

I think the Pacers might be the toughest to predict. They are losing their frontcourt, but they had 38 wins without George, and he will be back. I can't remember who they signed though.

I think you are giving the east too much credit.

Funny thing is, I had so many teams in the 40s and it looks like it might come out that way, and I probably had the bottom three right. Probably would look more right if the Wizards and Pacers were swapped though.