Early Top 8 in the East projections.

jc23 · Post #261 » by **jc23** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 1:32 pm

There are questions marks for every team at this point, but until the cavs pull a trade for Love...

1)Bulls
2)cavs
3)raptors
4)wiz
5)pacers
6)heat
7)charlotte
8)brooklyn

but atlanta will be the sleeper. People forget they were a top 4 team for most of the season last year until Horford went down.

East is going to be much more competitive next season.

jps78 · Post #262 » by **jps78** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 1:37 pm

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

LobCityRondo2KG · Post #263 » by **LobCityRondo2KG** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 1:37 pm

1. Bulls
2. Cavs
3. Raptors
4. Wizards
5. Pacers
6. Charlotte
7. Heat
8. Atlanta

Hello Brooklyn · Post #264 » by **Hello Brooklyn** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 1:39 pm

TDotsfinest97 wrote:
Hello Brooklyn wrote:The Bulls are getting hilariously overrated. Even if they do get Rose back, they do not have the talent that their team had in 2011.

And no way does Rose magically transform into an MVP type player so quickly. They are not gonna be a 1 seed.

And I don't get why everyone is underrating the Pacers. They were still the 2nd best team in the East last year and nearly won 60 games.

As far as everyone saying the Nets will miss the playoffs, because we let Paul Pierce leave. LOL.

Lol without Pierce and Livingston you guys wouldn't be in the second round and you lost them both.

LOL remind me what Livingston did in the first round again?

Pierce is like our 3rd or 4th best player. You guys live in a dream world.

irie · Post #265 » by **irie** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 1:41 pm

Top 8 on records - ignoring the playoff seeding rules

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

Heat will probably be a seed higher, but I just want to see a Heat / Cavaliers playoff series. Hawks I wouldn't be surprised if they get in again.

Hello Brooklyn · Post #266 » by **Hello Brooklyn** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 1:42 pm

TheWhiteMamba wrote:
Hello Brooklyn wrote:The Bulls are getting hilariously overrated. Even if they do get Rose back, they do not have the talent that their team had in 2011.

And no way does Rose magically transform into an MVP type player so quickly. They are not gonna be a 1 seed.

We clearly miss the superstar Keith Bogans.

I agree that Rose is still a huge question mark, and that we have a lack of wing scorers, but let's face it, the Eastern Conference is absolute trash, so if Rose come back at a border-line allstar level, with Thibs as head coach, Chicago has a very good chance being a top seed.

LOL yes I was referencing Keith Bogans.

In 2011 you had prime Boozer and Deng. They both were playing really well. Now you have a washed up Pau Gasol instead. I don't see how you will match that 62 win team.

And its gonna take that much to get the top seed, because I dont see Indiana dropping off.

te887848 · Post #267 » by **te887848** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 1:44 pm

Only the Bulls and Cavs are legitimate contenders to come out of the East. And with the Bulls it banks on everyone being healthy. The Cavs are pretty much guaranteed to be a top 2 team and legit contender due to LeBron.

Brooklyn and Miami will both stink. Same with Indiana - they'll be a little above average but they have no chance at coming out of the East after the loss of Stephenson.

SWadeUP · Post #268 » by **SWadeUP** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 1:50 pm

LOL. People actully beleive the Heat with 4 former all stars in the last 3 years are going to be the 8th seed in the EAST?!?!?! The East?!

LOL! Expectations are low as they have ever been or people are just excited the heat are a "regular" team again.

Post #269 » by **loflin3hree5ive** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 1:51 pm

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

Pacers miss the playoffs

Bowser · Post #270 » by **Bowser** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 1:54 pm

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

lakersin4 · Post #271 » by **lakersin4** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 2:02 pm

Miami
Indiana
Raps
Washington
Cleveland
Chicago
Charlotte
Atlanta

Heat might have lost Lebron but 1 man does not a team make.. Deng is a good replacement & their bench is much better this season. Wade won't have the cushion to take a bunch of RS games off this year. I still see them taking the east.

NZB2323 · Post #272 » by **NZB2323** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 2:02 pm

te887848 wrote:Only the Bulls and Cavs are legitimate contenders to come out of the East. And with the Bulls it banks on everyone being healthy. The Cavs are pretty much guaranteed to be a top 2 team and legit contender due to LeBron.

Brooklyn and Miami will both stink. Same with Indiana - they'll be a little above average but they have no chance at coming out of the East after the loss of Stephenson.

The Wizards are no joke.

Wall
Beal
Pierce
Gortat
Nene

I think the only locks to make the playoffs are the Bulls, Cavs, Wizards, and then semi-locks are the Heat, Pacers and Raptors.

Then out of the Hornets, Hawks, and Nets, one of those teams misses the playoffs. Probably the team with the most injuries.

TheWhiteMamba · Post #273 » by **TheWhiteMamba** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 2:05 pm

Hello Brooklyn wrote:LOL yes I was referencing Keith Bogans.

In 2011 you had prime Boozer and Deng. They both were playing really well. Now you have a washed up Pau Gasol instead. I don't see how you will match that 62 win team.

And its gonna take that much to get the top seed, because I dont see Indiana dropping off.

59 games of prime no-D Carlos Boozer, and 48 games of Joakim Noah.

Deng was great and Rose wonderful, but I don't see now a team in the east that can pull out 60+ wins. I think maybe 55 would be enough to be the first seed.

The Cavs can be that team if the chemistry works very well.
Indiana maybe can resurrect into a decent 50+ win team, but no Stephenson here, and locker-room problems.

I think Chicago, with Thibs, with a borderline allstar D-Rose, can win 55 games.

The Bulls won 48 games this year, without Rose, Gasol, Mirotic, McDermott.

Liver_Pooty · Post #274 » by **Liver_Pooty** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 2:08 pm

NZB2323 wrote:
te887848 wrote:Only the Bulls and Cavs are legitimate contenders to come out of the East. And with the Bulls it banks on everyone being healthy. The Cavs are pretty much guaranteed to be a top 2 team and legit contender due to LeBron.

Brooklyn and Miami will both stink. Same with Indiana - they'll be a little above average but they have no chance at coming out of the East after the loss of Stephenson.

The Wizards are no joke.

Wall
Beal
Pierce
Gortat
Nene

I think the only locks to make the playoffs are the Bulls, Cavs, Wizards, and then semi-locks are the Heat, Pacers and Raptors.

Then out of the Hornets, Hawks, and Nets, one of those teams misses the playoffs. Probably the team with the most injuries.

I don't foresee Charlotte even coming close to missing the playoffs.

OrlandoMagic · Post #275 » by **OrlandoMagic** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 2:09 pm

Call me a homer as much as anyone wants to but I wouldn't sleep on the Magic this year. A dog fight for the 8th could be up or grabs. Magic get into a hot streak near the end of the season I could see them slipping in.

Bowser · Post #276 » by **Bowser** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 2:14 pm

OrlandoMagic wrote:Call me a homer as much as anyone wants to but I wouldn't sleep on the Magic this year. A dog fight for the 8th could be up or grabs. Magic get into a hot streak near the end of the season I could see them slipping in.

The Magic are gonna be in the running for another top 5 pick this season. Every team in their division got better except Miami (can't get better losing the best player in the world), but Miami is still leagues ahead of the Magic. Hornets got at least marginally better adding Lance, Hawks get Horford back (they were really good last season until he got hurt), and the Wizards swap out Ariza for Pierce. Pierce may not be what he once was, but he's still a useful, grizzled vet that will bring a lot to the table.

I look at Orlando and see a team that's built to tank again honestly.

Post #277 » by **MadNESS** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 2:14 pm

1.) Bulls
2.) Cavs
3.) Wiz
4.) Pacers
5.) raps
6.) Miami
7.) Hornets
8.) hawks / Bucks / Knicks / nets / celtics

LofJ · Post #278 » by **LofJ** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 2:15 pm

If the Bulls add another player that can score off the dribble, someone like Sessions or Stuckey, then they are my pick to be the top seed. I'm not sure how good the Cavs will be with their frontcourt, if Varejao gets hurt again teams will have an open lane to the basket against them. There are still lots of questions that need to be answered and not everyone's roster is where it will be by the beginning of the season, but based on where everyone is know here is my best guess:

1) Bulls (Added McDermott, Mirotic, and Gasol - they are deep and talented)
2) Raptors (playing in the worst division in the NBA tends to help your record)
3) Wizards (I love the Pierce and Humphries signings, they will be good)
4) Cavaliers (With their youth and paper thin frontcourt I couldn't justify them being higher)
5) Hornets (Our spacing will still be bad, but it will be better. Our defense is a lock to be top 5)
6) Pacers (Will take a step back, but I expect Hibbert and George Hill to play a lot better)
7) Heat (Lost Lebron, but they're still stacked with veteran winners. They could definitely go higher)
8) Hawks (Team full of smart vets that can play with a good coach, they'll make it over Brooklyn)

Detective · Post #279 » by **Detective** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 2:17 pm

I like how Lance Stephenson is soley responsible for magically changing the Raps previous position in this thread as either out of the Top 4, regardless of how division standings indicate otherwise, or out of the playoffs/8th seed at worst, to magically being a 3rd or 2nd seed again.

Lance, YOU DA REAL MVP

:rofl:

dobrojim · Post #280 » by **dobrojim** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 2:23 pm

DaeDae wrote:Based On seeding

Bulls
Wizards
Raptors
Cavs
Pacers
Heat
Bobcats
Hawks

Barring Injuries, I believe that Regular Season Records WILL matter this year for Central Division seeding purposes. Lebron James returning to the Central Division means it is VERY VERY likely that the two best teams in the conference will reside in the same division, which almost certainly means they will meet in the second round as opposed to the Conference Finals where they should.

I have the Bulls coming out of the east, but it will be a rugged road. Cavs in Round 2 and Wizards in the Conference Finals sounds about right.

I'm getting old so my memory may be faulty but IIRC, this doesn't necessarily have to
be the case. The 3 division winners are merely guaranteed a top 4 seed. But if
CLE/CHI finish with 2 of the best 3 records in the east with one of them being #1
(the other 2 or 3 in wins) they wouldn't meet until the ECF.

FWIW, wiki says this

The team that has the best record in each of the three divisions in each conference is declared division champion. The three division champions, and another team in the conference with the best record, are seeded one through four by their records. This guarantees the division champions no worse than the fourth seed, and also guarantees the conference's two best teams (by record) will be the top two seeds even if the second-best team doesn't win its division. Of the remaining eleven conference teams, the four with the best records are seeded fifth through eighth based on their record.