Which Team is the Rising Power in the Eastern Conference?

[Jamaaliver]

Congrats to Boston. They are the 2024 Champs after a dominating season and were the best team from wire to wire.

But they have rising salary obligations, injury concerns, an aging starting 5 and a clear weakness in the front court.

Heat face many of those same concerns. Same with Philadelphia and Milwaukee.

The Knicks look formidable and have the assets to improve their roster.

Orlando has the talent and a dominant defense.

Indy has the talent and a dominant offense.

Which team is best set to run the conference moving forward?

[Jamaaliver]

Truthfully, I don't foresee Boston being terribly competitive after next summer. Two much money tied up in 2nd tier players.

Also, a team with a dominant big man can run through that Celtic front court without issue.

I foresee Embiid and the 76ers taking the mantle of best EC team as soon as this Fall.

[HMFFL]

Truthfully, I don't foresee Boston being terribly competitive after next summer. Two much money tied up in 2nd tier players.

Also, a team with a dominant big man can run through that Celtic front court without issue.

I foresee Embiid and the 76ers taking the mantle of best EC team as soon as this Fall.

I don't believe Boston falls off much. They'll make the proper changes going forward to continue tonstay competitive.

Joel Embiid will need to trust his front office to work wonders. For now, I believe Boston will continue to be the force, and Giannis being their only real competition. I don't trust Dame because so they'll need to make some better moves this off-season.

[Jamaaliver]

I'm not convinced Indiana will duplicate their magical run from last season.

I also see the Bucks and 76ers each making a run at #1 in the Conference next year.

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[Jamaaliver]

I agree with the below.

Pacers operated like the 2021 Hawks, largely doubling down on what worked for them this past season.

The secret is out and they'll have a target on their backs next season.

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[Jamaaliver]

Orlando would not surprise me with a run to the top-4 of the standings.

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[jayu70]

Orlando would not surprise me with a run to the top-4 of the standings.

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I still think they have a point guard problem to maximize their bigs full potential.

[Jamaaliver]

Orlando would not surprise me with a run to the top-4 of the standings.

I still think they have a point guard problem to maximize their bigs full potential.

That is fair. But even with that issue, they won 47 games last season.

It will be interesting to see if they can maintain that growth or if they collapse under the weight of expectations.

[jayu70]

Orlando would not surprise me with a run to the top-4 of the standings.

I still think they have a point guard problem to maximize their bigs full potential.

That is fair. But even with that issue, they won 47 games last season.

It will be interesting to see if they can maintain that growth or if they collapse under the weight of expectations.

This.
Being the hunted changes perspective.

[Jamaaliver]

Trae Young and Bogdan Bogdonavic will be a losing duo. Trae puts a great deal of pressure on his frontcourt due to his poor defense. Bogy's not much better at the 2 spot in regards to defense.

A team won't go very far when their point guard shots 43% from the field and the 2 guard shoots 42%. They averaged these percentages last season.


Clint Capela has been on the trading block for three seasons. The Hawks are good at dragging it out like they did with John Collins.


Onyeka Okongwu needs to start at the 5. It's going to be year five foe him and the Hawks used a sixth pick on him in 2020. Start the undersized OO at the 5 so they can se if he performs. I predict that he's going not going to workout due to being undersized. Trae's poor defense only adds unnecessary pressure.

[Jamaaliver]

Boston is still the class of the Eastern Conference. But they got lucky in the NBA Finals, drawing a flawed, overachieving Mavericks team.

Celtics have a huge hole in their front court and the Knicks, Bucks and 76ers all have the personnel to abuse them in the paint.

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[Jamaaliver]

Who will win the Eastern Conference finals?

The Celtics seem inevitable.

Jayson Tatum signed one of the largest contracts in NBA history this offseason and Boston will return eight rotation players from last season's title team, including Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Al Horford and Jrue Holiday. However, an expensive roster and a potential sale of a majority stake of the team could be the catalysts that halts a possible dynasty. The Celtics are clear favorites in our forecast to return to the Finals, but who can stop them from achieving their 19th title?

The 76ers make their case as front-runners after adding nine-time All-Star Paul George, one of the best two-way players in the league. Tyrese Maxey, last season's Most Improved Player after a career-best season, will look to take the next step as Philly's lead guard, but only with the help of 2022 NBA MVP Joel Embiid.

The Knicks are close behind the 76ers. Despite injury woes to OG Anunoby, Mitchell Robinson and Julius Randle throughout the season, the Knicks came within one game of the East finals. If coach Tom Thibodeau's team can stay healthy, it is one of the Celtics' most formidable foes.

The Bucks will hope that Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard can find their groove in their second season together, while Donovan Mitchell will try to get the Cavaliers back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2018.

ESPN Insider

[Jamaaliver]

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[Jamaaliver]

There is some risk here, but I now have NY in the top tier of the East along side Boston.

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[Jamaaliver]

Are the Hawks a rising threat in the East?

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Fans of the Boston Celtics may have noticed an Eastern Conference ball club that looked like a non-factor at the start of the NBA's 2024-25 regular season is suddenly looking like a team that could make some noise in the 2025 postseason. The Atlanta Hawks have turned a rough start to their current campaign around, and could be a squad to watch as the rest of the season unfolds.

Could the Hawks one day challenge Boston for supremacy in the East? And how much of a threat might they end up being this season? The hosts of the CLNS Media "The Big Three NBA" podcast, A. Sherrod Blakely, Gary Washburn, and Kwani Lunis, took some time on a recent episode of their show to talk it over.

Celtics Wire

[Jamaaliver]

I had us around 5-6th place this season with good health.

We legitimately might be even better than that.

I could see us making a run at the #4 Seed...with some luck in the health department.

[Jamaaliver]

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[HMFFL]

Orlando will be our problem for many years. Once this team is healthy it's going to be difficult to stop them.

I hope Miami falls to the wasteland for awhile but Pat Riley always seems to figure things out. I expect them to have a productive off-season unless Pat has lost his touch.


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