Predict the Eastern Conference Standings 2013/14

[closg00]

Hoopsworld has us ranked 8th in the East.
http://www.hoopsworld.com/ranking-the-e ... nce-so-far

[dckingsfan]

50+ win teams

Miami
Brooklyn
Chicago
Indiana

-----------------

New York - They could also implode
Cleveland - Unless the hole at SF sinks them
Atlanta - Teague/Horford will get it done? Millsap > Smith?
Washington - Need some health

-----------------

Boston - Might just sneak in, hope not
Detroit - Guard problem
Milwaukee - No PG, Jennings could resign but not happily
Toronto - Gay just can't have a team ride on his back
Orlando - Just too young
Charlotte - Don't mean to be taking but they are
Philly - going for the tank

[LyricalRico]

Hoopsworld has us ranked 8th in the East.
http://www.hoopsworld.com/ranking-the-e ... nce-so-far

Wow, they've got NY over CHI?



I also think they (and others) are overrating Cleveland. Their primary additions over last year's team are:

1) Bennett - A #1 overall pick whose impact could be limited because he plays the same position as one of their young starters (Thompson).
2) Bynum - I don't think you can really count him in your projections. Anything he gives them is gravy IMO.
3) Jack - Third guards do not contenders make (except when Harden was in OKC).
4) Verajao - Counting him as an "addition" since he missed so much of last season. He might have the biggest impact, but he's still primarily an energy player.

I really don't see anything that takes them from having the 3rd worst record on the league to a 6th seed as Hoopsworld is projecting. That would almost certainly be a 20 game swing in wins, which has only been done like once in NBA history (I think when SA has the Robinson injury and Duncan pick scenario). Seems like more runaway Kyrie Irving hype IMO.

[Rafael122]

6-8 will be us. I think Wizards/Cavs/Pistons take the last 3 spots.

Atlanta is a darkhorse, but they have no bench.

[LyricalRico]

^ Really Raf? The Pistons in the playoffs? Do you think Josh Smith (possibly playing lots of minutes out of position at SF) will have that much of an impact? I guess I just don't see it. They also have backcourt issues IMO.

[MikeTheKid]

Miami
Indiana
Chicago
Brooklyn
Washington
Cleveland
New York- High Possibility of Implosion
Atlanta/Boston/Detroit

[FAH1223]

1. Miami
2. Indiana
3. Chicago
4. Brooklyn
5. New York
6. Washington
7. Atlanta
8. Detroit

CLE gets in if Bynum and Sideshow Bob somehow stay healthy.

I think we can take Boston's spot and Detroit can overtake Milwaukee.

[Dat2U]

TIER ONE (legit contenders)
1. Miami ... The margin of error is getting smaller. Could use some new blood upfront next to Bosh & LeBron.
2. Chicago ... May have a better regular season record than Miami but Rose determines how far they go in playoffs.
3. Brooklyn ... The Boston duo of Garnett & Pierce join Kirilenko as the key additions to a playoff pretender to make them a legit contender.
4. Indiana ... Can Paul George take another jump up in his ascendancy to become an elite player? It's probably the only way Indiana breaks through.

TIER TWO (playoff pretenders & hopefuls)
5. Atlanta ... May have actually upgraded from Josh Smith to Paul Millsap, especially offensively.
6. Washington ... Depth upfront & at PG are major concerns. Once again team is not really built to withstand injuries to Wall or Nene.
7. Detroit ... Need shooting in worst way. Perimeter is huge question mark. Bringing Billups to mentor Knight was wise though.
8. Toronto ... The expensive perimeter duo of Gay & DeRozan is what's really holding this team back.
9. Cleveland ... key players have too many health concerns. Does Irving actually make his teammates better?
10. New York ... Outside of Melo & Chandler, roster is simply turrible. Melo, Amar'e & Bargs on D should be entertaining, especially for opposing fans.
11. Milwaukee ... No starting PG or SF as of yet, projection may change by addressing those weaknesses.

TIER THREE (Race to the bottom of the lottery)
12. Orlando ... Oladipo will be a good one. No PG on the roster worth speaking about.
13. Boston ... It's probably only a matter of time before Rondo gets dealt and the roster annihilation is complete.
14. Charlotte ... They got Al Jeff to spur development of kids. But they'll be bad enough to collect another high pick.
15. Philadelphia ... Leader out the gate in Wiggins lottery race. Will have their eye closely on Pelicans pick as well.

[Higga]

1. Miami
2. Indiana
3. Chicago
4. Brooklyn
5. New York
6. Washington
7. Cleveland
8. Detroit

[nate33]

Playoff locks:
1. Miami - Still the best team
2. Chicago - Assuming Rose is healthy, they'll be great in the regular season because of Thibs' defense
3. Indiana - I give them the edge over Brooklyn in the regular season because they will play more consistent defense
4. Brooklyn - I don't think Garnett can hold up for 82 games, and when he is out, their defense will suffer.

Likely to make playoffs:
5. Washington - I'm expecting good things. I think Nene will be healthier with the time off and Wall will continue to improve. I'm not expecting much improvement out of Beal though because of his offseason injury.
6. Atlanta - Their interior defense is a concern. They have no height with Horford as the starting center and Brand as the backup. And they no longer have Josh Smith as a weakside shot blocker.
7. New York - Melo and Chandler are good, Smith and Felton are okay. Everyone else stinks. Nevertheless, Melo and Chandler should be enough to get them to the playoffs.

On the bubble:
8. Toronto - They have an expensive roster that should be good enough to get them near .500
9. Detroit - They'll be a nightmare to play against because of their D, but they'll struggle to score.
10. Cleveland - If Bynum and Varejao can combine to form one healthy center for most of the regular season, they could be in the mix for the playoffs. I have serious doubts about both of them though.
11. Milwaukee - They always seem to be near .500. They probably will be again.

Bottom feeders:
12. Orlando
13. Boston
14. Charlotte
15. Philadelphia

[MJG]

Almost no thought put into this, so let's see how it goes:

1. Miami
2. Chicago
3. Brooklyn
4. Indiana
5. Atlanta
6. New York
7. Washington
8. Cleveland
9. Detroit
10. Toronto
11. Milwaukee
12. Boston
13. Orlando
14. Charlotte
15. Philadelphia

[No-Man]

Miami
Chicago
NY
Indiana
Brooklyn
Washington
Toronto
Cleveland
Detroit
Atlanta
Boston
Milwaukee
Charlotte
Orlando
Philadelphia

Pretty clear for me right now.

[No-Man]

You guys are undervaluing NYK staff, they'll be rock solid through the season, they have the 2nd best player in the conference and a solid cast with depth.

Brooklyn is an old team with a rookie coach, and they need to click, you think its better to have Johnson over Shumpert? just because Johnson is a better player? this is about roles and the best team, not about just players.

Indiana didnt improve at all, they lost Hansbrough and Augustin for Watson and Copeland, that's losing talent, they drafted a journeyman in Hill, and Granger will give some punch from the bench... but that's all, they'll be better in PO than during the RS.

Toronto is another team that's being undervalued, they have talent, a coach that's solid on D, and he's been there for a while, Atlanta, Detroit, Cleveland, Boston, Milwaukee, Chartlotte, Philadelphia, all have new coaches, they are going to need time to figure it out.

[TGW]

Vegas has us as a possible eight seed. Basically they gave us the same odds to win the NBA championship as Toronto and Cleveland. With that being said, I think it's going to be:

1. Miami
2. Chicago
3. Brooklyn
4. Indiana
5. New York
6. Atlanta
7. Cleveland
8. Toronto
9. Washington
10 Detroit
11. Boston
12. Milwaukee
13. Orlando
14. Charlotte
15. Philadelphia

[WizardsWorld]

1. cHeat
2. Nets
3. Bulls
4. Pacers
5. Knicks
6. WIZARDS
7. Cavs
8. Hawks
9. Pistons

Pistons are the only other team I could see sneaking in there. I think they might be getting Jennings the way things look to play out now. He could prob get them into the 8th seed or so ahead of the Hawks.

[2Mas]

1. Heat
2. Pacers
3. Nets
4. Bulls
5. Knicks
6. Wizards
7. Hawks
8. Cavs
9. Raptors
10. Pistons
11. Celtics
12. Bobcats
13. Magic
14. Bucks
15. Sixers

Wiz are gonna be good. Hawks are gonna be the same. Cavs are much improved just by Andy coming back. Add some vets & Bynum & they'll be in the playoffs. Detroit will be close but needs guard play. Toronto will have Jonas (beast) & lowry will be better.

Hopefully Boston keeps Rondo out till Xmas! Tank a little bit so we get a niceee pick. Sixers = full out tank. Bucks & Magic young with not too much upside.

[closg00]

ESPN July Power Ranking (Insider)

1. Miami Heat (2012-13 finish: 1st place)
2. Brooklyn Nets (2012-13 finish: 4th)
3. Chicago Bulls (2012-13 finish: 5th)
4. Indiana Pacers (2012-13 finish: 3rd)
5. New York Knicks (2012-13 finish: 2nd)
6. Atlanta Hawks (2012-13 finish: 6th)

7. Washington Wizards (2012-13 finish: 12th)
Whether the Wizards extend John Wall to the max ranks as one of the biggest remaining questions of the offseason -- they're currently discussing a five-year deal in the $80 million range -- but that shouldn't have much effect on the team's bullish outlook for 2013-14. The Wiz were quietly a top-10 defense for the second half of last season and they drafted Otto Porter Jr., who figures to step in right away at the small forward position.

With the 20-year-old Bradley Beal returning from injury, the Wizards could have the biggest jump in the Eastern Conference next season. Speaking of big jumps …

8. Cleveland Cavaliers (2012-13 finish: 13th)
9. Milwaukee Bucks (2012-13 finish: 8th)
10. Detroit Pistons (2012-13 finish: 11th)
11. Toronto Raptors (2012-13 finish: 10th)
12. Orlando Magic (2012-13 finish: 15th)
13. Boston Celtics (2012-13 finish: 7th)
14. Charlotte Bobcats (2012-13 finish: 14th)
15. Philadelphia 76ers (2012-13 finish: 9 th)

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story/_/ ... conference

[hands11]

Hoopsworld has us ranked 8th in the East.
http://www.hoopsworld.com/ranking-the-e ... nce-so-far

Wow, they've got NY over CHI?



I also think they (and others) are overrating Cleveland. Their primary additions over last year's team are:

1) Bennett - A #1 overall pick whose impact could be limited because he plays the same position as one of their young starters (Thompson).
2) Bynum - I don't think you can really count him in your projections. Anything he gives them is gravy IMO.
3) Jack - Third guards do not contenders make (except when Harden was in OKC).
4) Verajao - Counting him as an "addition" since he missed so much of last season. He might have the biggest impact, but he's still primarily an energy player.

I really don't see anything that takes them from having the 3rd worst record on the league to a 6th seed as Hoopsworld is projecting. That would almost certainly be a 20 game swing in wins, which has only been done like once in NBA history (I think when SA has the Robinson injury and Duncan pick scenario). Seems like more runaway Kyrie Irving hype IMO.

If Tibbs leaves Chicago, maybe we can snatch him up for a year until he finds another HC gig. No Abe and EFJ to stop it this time.

[closg00]

Hoopsworld has us ranked 8th in the East.
http://www.hoopsworld.com/ranking-the-e ... nce-so-far

Wow, they've got NY over CHI?



I also think they (and others) are overrating Cleveland. Their primary additions over last year's team are:

1) Bennett - A #1 overall pick whose impact could be limited because he plays the same position as one of their young starters (Thompson).
2) Bynum - I don't think you can really count him in your projections. Anything he gives them is gravy IMO.
3) Jack - Third guards do not contenders make (except when Harden was in OKC).
4) Verajao - Counting him as an "addition" since he missed so much of last season. He might have the biggest impact, but he's still primarily an energy player.

I really don't see anything that takes them from having the 3rd worst record on the league to a 6th seed as Hoopsworld is projecting. That would almost certainly be a 20 game swing in wins, which has only been done like once in NBA history (I think when SA has the Robinson injury and Duncan pick scenario). Seems like more runaway Kyrie Irving hype IMO.

I disagree Rico, I think Irving is headed to the allstars and to a spot on the USA team. Irving is going to power the Cavs to a playoff spot if their bigs are healthy.

[LyricalRico]

^ If things break right for them, I could see CLE being another Milwaukee this year - sneaking into the 8th spot with wins in the high 30's. That's certainly possible IMO. I was mainly offering a rebuttle to their being a 6th seed.