Early Top 8 in the East projections.

[Austincys21]

I have Lance going to Atlanta

1. Cavs
2. Bulls
3. Pacers
4. Hawks
5. Wizards
6. Hornets
7. Knicks
8. Raptors

[dozendonuts]

My goodness do people not understand divisions?

Atlantic
Central
Southeast

Holy crap

And seriously? The Nets are gonna be better than the Raptors? Especially since they lost the guy that actually saved them from elimination in the 1st round? Please stop the madness.

I see it as

1)Bulls(assuming Rose is healthy even 80%)
2)Cavs
3)Raps
4)Wiz
5)Pacers
6)Heat
7)Hawks
8)Hornets

make no mistake though this year the east will be much stronger that means the hornets may be a bit above .500 like last season but end up 8th.

Raptors fans are getting way too butthurt, because Nets fans think were gonna be better than them.

The Nets are going back to the JJ/Lopez/Johnson core that won them 49 games. I don't think its hard to believe that we can do that again and be better than Raptors. We proved we were better than them in the playoffs.

By one point. You were better by one point.

[dozendonuts]

Factoring in divisions:

1. Cavs
2. Bulls
3. Wizards
4. Heat
5. Pacers
6. Raptors
7. Nets
8. Hornets

Just Missing Out: DET, ATL, NYK

East will probably be a lot more competitive than people think.

That is the total opposite of factoring in divisions.

[richboy]

stop worrying about playoff rankings and just say who are the top 8 teams right now.

1. Bulls
2. Pacers
3. Cavs
4.Heat
5.Raptors
6.Wizards
7.Hawks
8.Knicks

[The Hypnotoad]

1. Bulls
2. Pacers
3. Cavs
4. Raptors
5. Heat
6. Wizards
7. Nets
8. Hawks

I might be off on division seedings.

[Nowitness]

Factoring in divisions:

1. Cavs
2. Bulls
3. Wizards
4. Heat
5. Pacers
6. Raptors
7. Nets
8. Hornets

Just Missing Out: DET, ATL, NYK

East will probably be a lot more competitive than people think.

That is the total opposite of factoring in divisions.

Ugh, stupid me, put the Wizards in the Atlantic for some reason, my mistake.

[number1joker]

Pacers
heat
bulls
Nets
hawks
raptors
cavs
wizards

u do know we lost lebron right??

[kinghasnoequal]

This again with the Bulls? It's going to start this early eh.

They won 48 games last year, and added Gasol, Mirotic, McBuckets and DRose.

I dont see whats so crazy about it.

Until Rose proves he can stay healthy for a majority of a season the Bulls shouldn't be rated so highly.

This.

[dozendonuts]

Factoring in divisions:

1. Cavs
2. Bulls
3. Wizards
4. Heat
5. Pacers
6. Raptors
7. Nets
8. Hornets

Just Missing Out: DET, ATL, NYK

East will probably be a lot more competitive than people think.

That is the total opposite of factoring in divisions.

Ugh, stupid me, put the Wizards in the Atlantic for some reason, my mistake.

Cavs and Bulls are in the same division so they can't be 1st and 2nd seed too.

Your list would be:

1. Cavs
2. Wizards
3. Raptors
4. Bulls
5. Heat
6. Pacers
7. Nets
8. Hornets

[Nowitness]

That is the total opposite of factoring in divisions.

Ugh, stupid me, put the Wizards in the Atlantic for some reason, my mistake.

Cavs and Bulls are in the same division so they can't be 1st and 2nd seed too.

Your list would be:

1. Cavs
2. Wizards
3. Raptors
4. Bulls
5. Heat
6. Pacers
7. Nets
8. Hornets

Rules that that the 3 division champs and the next best team get seeded by record.

So CLE/WAS/TOR are division champs then the Bulls finish with the 2nd best record in the East overall, so they get the 2 seed and all the division champs get home court. Then the rest if just off records.

[jmnvcavs]

1. Cavs
2. Bulls
3. Wiz
4. Trex's
5. Pacers
6. Hornets
7. Heat
8. Hawks
9. Knicks
10. Nets
11. Magic
12. Celtics
13. Pistons
14. Bucks
15. Sixers

[Ricky ROY Rubio]

posting the top 8 teams by wins

1. bulls
2. cavaliers
3. pacers
4. heat
5. raptors
6. wizards
7. nets
8. hawks

[Boneman2]

The Pacers are gonna smash.

[markdeez33]

1. Cavaliers 55-27
2. Bulls 52-30
3. Raptors 50-32
4. Wizards 48-34
5. Pacers 45-37
6. Knicks 43-39
7. Heat 41-41
8. Hawks 40-42

[Pnjguy]

Bulls - 56 wins
Cavs - 52
Pacers - 50
Wizards - 49
Raptors - 48
Hornets - 46
Hawks - 45
Heat - 43

[DarkXaero]

1)Deron isn't coming off a major surgery, in terms of recovery.

2)Nets were without Brook for almost the entire last season. If they have him back this season, it's already a huge improvement.

3)Livingston has been replaced by Jarrett Jack, who is a much different player, but still a decent enough replacement. While Livingston was very solid defensively, his lack of shooting and playmaking was a major negative. Jack is nowhere near defensively, but he does bring the things that Livingston didn't. It's a trade off.

The Pierce loss sucks, especially given that Nets had the option to match. There's no denying that. KG is a year older, but I really like him in a backup role to Brook. 28-30 MPG for Brook, with 20 MPG for KG. Plumlee with minutes at PF and C. Plumlee should improve his game, and the team as a whole has gotten younger. Also, Nets have a better head coach than Kidd this time. Bojan Bogdanovic is a solid Euro prospect who might make an immediate impact.

Williams had surgery on both ankles! Lopez had one of the worst injuries van have (Big Z and Yao both had it).

The entire Nets style last season relied on causing turnovers and getting out in transition. Lopez does neither. The Nets are also probably going back to a conventional line up w Hollins as coach.

They'll probably with 42'45 games, but I wouldn't expect anything more.

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Surgery on both ankles is not a knee surgery or a foot fracture surgery. It's nowhere near as severe. Lopez had an awful injury, I know that, that is what you call a severe injury. Like I said, health is a factor here.

Nets won 49 games with a core of Brook, Deron and JJ, with Wallace & Evans as starters FFS. The bench consisted of the great Keith Bogans, and 38 year old Stackhouse. This roster is far better than that. Not sure what you were watching last season but the Nets didn't "get out in transition". Far from.

The other thing is the adjustment of going small had to be made partially because of Pierce IMO. He really can't play SF anymore unless he's surrounded by athletic players (Wall and Beal applies here). He especially can't play SF next to JJ, who is super slow for a SG, and Deron, who is relatively slow now for a PG. So Pierce playing at 4 was Kidd's solution to utilizing Pierce to most effect on that roster.

If Lopez is back, Nets are far better off than they were last year. It's that simple really. He's a very good, underrated center, who scores the ball very efficiently, and is very underrated at rim protection. He has his weaknesses, but his pros outweigh his faults. Deron surely can't get any worse, especially after finally getting ankle surgery. And JJ will give his usual production. The question is whether Brook can stay healthy, and how the other younger pieces come along.

[Jvaughn]

Bulls are being ranked too high and are overrated

Everyone thought in the playoffs that the Bulls would easily eliminate the Wizards

Nobody thought that.

[GooniesNeverDie]

Bulls (w/ Rose)
Indy
Toronto
Washington
Cavs (3rd best record but useless division rules)
Brooklyn
Miami
ATL

just missing the cut:
CHA
NYK

and all the teams after indy, chicago & the cavs are very interchangeable.. toronto could end up 7th, miami could end up 5th, melo could go insane and drag that team into the playoffs..

[yogimvp]

1. bulls
2. cavs
3. raptors
4. heat
5. pacers
6. wizards
7. hawks
8. bobcats

[PaKii94]

If derrick stays healthy, bulls are at atleast 55 wins but closer to 60. We always try hard during the regular season, and we are back to 2011 depth.

Also, why are the Pacers getting so overrated? What was their record the last few months of the season?

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