GoBlue72391 wrote:PJSteven22 wrote:GoBlue72391 wrote:We're somehow 5 to 9 games worse than last year despite at least partially addressing a few of our biggest weaknesses? How does that work?
Teams around us got better and the younger teams are taking a step.
Some people are saying the East got worse, some are saying it got better.
Summary
The top four teams, if they stay as is, are just as strong as ever (Bucks, Celts, Sixers, Cavs). The Sixers might dramatically dip though if Embiid or Harden leave. The Knicks may be trending up, building on last year's strong performance because they have solid strong young talent. The Heat might be the 6th best team, since they lost a bunch of talent but added two solid rotation players through free agency. Everyone else is probably trending down or staying where they were. The Nets are garbage. The Hawks lost John Collins so they might lose a step or stay at the same place they were because their roster is still deep. Young teams (the Magic, the Pacers) seem like they got a shot at the bottom of the East but their rosters are extremely speculative and depend on their youngsters to have breakout seasons while other young teams (Hornets, Pistons) seem way to raw to even have a fighting chance at the playoff fringes. Then you got the straight up tankers (Raptors, Wizards).
Quick refresher of the major players based on last year's standings:
1. Bucks - were the top seed in the East last year before getting rolled by Miami, still have all their main dudes
2. Celtics - stayed about even, losing depth like Marcus Smart, Grant Williams, and Danillo Gallinari but upgraded their starting line up via Kristaps Porzingis... might become the best East team by far if they stay healthy.
3. Sixers - Harden may leave, which would likely crush this team, but it hasn't happened yet; Joel Embiid wants out, which would absolutely devastate the team, but that hasn't happened yet either; didn't draft anyone but signed Mo Bamba and Pat Bev... this is the most mysterious team still remaining. If they keep Harden, it's probably a lock for a top 3 spot in the East.
4. Cavs - Mild to moderate upgrades for their roster since they traded for Max Strus, signed Ty Jerome, and brought in Caris Levert for the tail end of last season. Evan Mobley and Darius Garland are the core of this newly successful franchise, but their vets like Ricky Rubio and Damian Jones can play some respectable minutes, too.
5. Knicks - after bagging the biggest steal in FA last season, this team has a surprisingly young upside core with Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, RJ Barrett, etc.
6. Nets - This trashfire team lost relevance immediately after KD, Kyrie, and Harden all bolted their roster. The strength of their 6th place finish was built on the backs of the great dudes who ditched this team. Can the core of Ben Simmons, Mikhail Bridges, and Nic Claxton do anything, now that they spent two late first round picks AND signed Darius Bazely + Lonnie Walker? I kinda doubt it.
7. Hawks - lost John Collins to Utah, which you'd have to think probably hurts them and didn't sign anyone significant in FA but a starting line up of Trae Young / Dejounte Murray / Saddiq Bey/ De'Andre Hunter / Clint Capella still looks good to me
8. Heat - fresh off this year's Finals appearance, they've lost Victor Oladipo, Max Strus, and a bunch of other guys on their bench but I love the dudes they grabbed in free agency-- Thomas Bryant and Josh Richardson-- and Tyler Herro is back after adding an intense amount of muscles to his frame. I could buy into a Lowry/Herro/Jimmy/Bam/Bryant starting line up with Richardson and Kevin Love off the bench as much as what the Knicks got going on at the very least.
Where do we place within this group? My guess is that, if the Sixers keep everyone in spite of the creepy recent "blow it all up" vibe, maybe we're at 5th or 6th. Otherwise between 7th or 8th? What do you think?
9. The Raptors lost Fred Vanvleet and replaced him with Dennis Schroeder, a move which brings them deeper down the lotto tree because the only other established star on this roster is Siakim, and he's not even that good, or maybe Scottie Barnes who's very young and not even established
11. Pacers have Haliburton, and a decent starting line up (Myles Turner, Bruce Brown, Jarace Walker (#8th pick in the draft), & Buddy Hield but the roster is unproven and so is the depth.
12. Wizards are in full tank mode after losing Bradley Beal, Kristaps Porzingis and Chris Paul.
13. On paper the Magic look solid. Do you believe in a Markelle Fultz/Jalen Suggs/Franz Wagner/Paolo Banchero/WCJ starting line up, with dudes like Jonathan Isaac and Joe Ingles off the bench? Maybe this is the year each of these dudes takes a step up... but there's just no way to really tell.
14. Hornets might have two good foundational pieces to build on (Lamelo, Brandon Miller - #2 pick in the latest NBA draft) but the rest of the roster doesn't seem elevated enough for that to matter much even in the Least right now
15. If you look at the number of super high lotto picks on the Pistons roster, you'd be hopeful - Cade Cunningham, James Wiseman, Jaden Ivy, Jalen Duren, Killian Hayes, Marvin Bagley, etc. Really seems like another year in the tank is up ahead for now though.