Who will be the top 4 teams in the Eastern Conference (2020-2021)

J-Wolves · Post #1 » by **J-Wolves** » Sun Nov 22, 2020 11:12 am

At the end of the 2020-21 NBA season (including playoffs) who will be the top 4 teams in the Eastern Conference?

Make 4 Selections in the poll.

76ciology · Post #2 » by **76ciology** » Sun Nov 22, 2020 11:13 am

Sixers will be the rich man’s version of the Heat.

Statlanta · Post #3 » by **Statlanta** » Sun Nov 22, 2020 11:23 am

Boston
Toronto
Brooklyn
Milwaukee

iamoti · Post #4 » by **iamoti** » Sun Nov 22, 2020 12:02 pm

76ciology wrote:Sixers will be the rich man’s version of the Heat.

lol

Sent from my SM-G975F using RealGM mobile app

basketballRob · Post #5 » by **basketballRob** » Sun Nov 22, 2020 12:10 pm

Not sure why you didn't just make a top 8?

Sent from my SM-G950U using RealGM mobile app

PrinceCliche · Post #6 » by **PrinceCliche** » Sun Nov 22, 2020 4:34 pm

Statlanta wrote:Boston
Toronto
Brooklyn
Milwaukee

So you think the best East team from the restart can't be top 4?

You don't see that as disrespectful as you add Toronto to the top 4 as they have lost Serge Ibaka???

PrinceCliche · Post #7 » by **PrinceCliche** » Sun Nov 22, 2020 4:35 pm

Milwaukee
Brooklyn
Mia
Boston

pr0gr4m · Post #8 » by **pr0gr4m** » Sun Nov 22, 2020 5:19 pm

PrinceCliche wrote:
Statlanta wrote:Boston
Toronto
Brooklyn
Milwaukee

So you think the best East team from the restart can't be top 4?

You don't see that as disrespectful as you add Toronto to the top 4 as they have lost Serge Ibaka???

Gasol, Boucher, Hernandez, and Oshae is the projected big man rotation for next season. I think it would suffice. The Raptors will probably trade Powell and Davis for an expiring big as well.

Toronto has really strong defense from bigs to guards. OG/Siakam are top 5 in forward defense then Lowry/FVV are top 5 guard defenders.

Gasol is old but the above make him easy to "hide". Considering he's a former DPOTY you don't really need to hide him and he can hold his own against bigger centers.

Boucher was under utilized last season. I think his stats and impact last season was great. I would easily pencil him in as a starting center. He gets offensive rebounds, stretches the floor, contests 3's, and provides help defense. Using Gasol for special match ups is what will probably happen.

Toronto could be a top 2 team next season. Most likely top 3 but with a weak playoff showing.

Fencer reregistered · Post #9 » by **Fencer reregistered** » Sun Nov 22, 2020 7:19 pm

The Sixers are marginal. They're maybe back to the talent level of the Embiid/Simmons/Covington/Reddick/Saric Sixers, depending on what you think of Thybulle, and Embiid and Simmons haven't developed enough to make a big difference.

Toronto is stepping backwards.

The Nets have huge health, attitude and coaching risks, but if we give them the benefit of the doubt, then the top four in alphabetical order are Boston, Brooklyn, Miami, and Milwaukee.

scrabbarista · Post #10 » by **scrabbarista** » Sun Nov 22, 2020 7:22 pm

Sixers get Harden, #1 seed, and win it all.

PrinceCliche · Post #11 » by **PrinceCliche** » Sat Nov 28, 2020 4:38 pm

pr0gr4m wrote:
PrinceCliche wrote:
Statlanta wrote:Boston
Toronto
Brooklyn
Milwaukee

So you think the best East team from the restart can't be top 4?

You don't see that as disrespectful as you add Toronto to the top 4 as they have lost Serge Ibaka???

Gasol, Boucher, Hernandez, and Oshae is the projected big man rotation for next season. I think it would suffice. The Raptors will probably trade Powell and Davis for an expiring big as well.

Toronto has really strong defense from bigs to guards. OG/Siakam are top 5 in forward defense then Lowry/FVV are top 5 guard defenders.

Gasol is old but the above make him easy to "hide". Considering he's a former DPOTY you don't really need to hide him and he can hold his own against bigger centers.

Boucher was under utilized last season. I think his stats and impact last season was great. I would easily pencil him in as a starting center. He gets offensive rebounds, stretches the floor, contests 3's, and provides help defense. Using Gasol for special match ups is what will probably happen.

Toronto could be a top 2 team next season. Most likely top 3 but with a weak playoff showing.

So if Toronto truly is top 2 or 3 team, please tell me who and why they're better than of the following?

Milwaukee
Brooklyn
Mia
Boston

Parataxis · Post #12 » by **Parataxis** » Sat Nov 28, 2020 5:43 pm

Statlanta wrote:Boston
Toronto
Brooklyn
Milwaukee

This is how I have it. Although Brooklyn depends heavily on how well KD comes back from injury. Could see Miami taking their spot.

Jordan Syndrome · Post #13 » by **Jordan Syndrome** » Sat Nov 28, 2020 6:14 pm

I'm off the Toronto ban wagon for now--I see them closer to the Pacers/Heat in the regular season.

1. Celtics
2. 76ers
3. Bucks
4. Nets

Forte IV · Post #14 » by **Forte IV** » Sat Nov 28, 2020 6:17 pm

If healthy the Sixers should be really good in the standings. As much as Doc is a terrible playoff coach, he makes up with it being a very good regular season one.

Buzzard · Post #15 » by **Buzzard** » Sat Nov 28, 2020 6:20 pm

Milwaukee
Brooklyn
Philadelphia
Boston

Bucks slightly over Brooklyn. Philadelphia slightly over Boston.

1 - Jrue to the Bucks makes them better.
2 - Brooklyn with Durant and Kyrie is hard to argue with. I think they want to be at least a 2nd seed to ensure a easy 1st round match up. Point being, they try in the regular season.
3 - I like the 76ers with Doc and getting Harris back to power forward. I think Danny Green and Seth Curry could be just what the doctor ordered. It should have been ordered a season sooner.
4 - I think Boston feels the loss of Hayward in the regular season.

The Heat and Raptors are 5th and 6th. The difference between the 4th seed and the 6th seed was only 2 games. So Rap and Heat fans don't act like I am predicting they fall off a cliff :lol:

Godymas · Post #16 » by **Godymas** » Sat Nov 28, 2020 6:39 pm

Bucks got better not having them as #1 is disrespectful

Toronto got objectively worse

Philly leveled up

Brooklyn should be good

Miami and Toronto will drop out

Losing Jae Crowder means Heat got slightly worse even if rookies step up it won't be enough to counter the growth from Philly and Brooklyn

Feel_the_Heat15 · Post #17 » by **Feel_the_Heat15** » Sat Nov 28, 2020 6:58 pm

Sam1r wrote:Bucks got better not having them as #1 is disrespectful

Toronto got objectively worse

Philly leveled up

Brooklyn should be good

Miami and Toronto will drop out

Losing Jae Crowder means Heat got slightly worse even if rookies step up it won't be enough to counter the growth from Philly and Brooklyn

We lost Crowder and Jones Jr. but gained Achiuwa, Harkless and Bradley. Also, what about the Heat's growth?

NPZ · Post #18 » by **NPZ** » Sat Nov 28, 2020 7:29 pm

Buzzard wrote:4 - I think Boston feels the loss of Hayward in the regular season.

They see their Maryanne walking awaaaaaaayyy-haaaaaay-HAAAAAAAAY! (Boston, the band reference, check em out).

Post #19 » by **oldncreaky** » Sat Nov 28, 2020 7:29 pm

PrinceCliche wrote:
pr0gr4m wrote:
PrinceCliche wrote:So you think the best East team from the restart can't be top 4?

You don't see that as disrespectful as you add Toronto to the top 4 as they have lost Serge Ibaka???

Gasol, Boucher, Hernandez, and Oshae is the projected big man rotation for next season. I think it would suffice. The Raptors will probably trade Powell and Davis for an expiring big as well.

Toronto has really strong defense from bigs to guards. OG/Siakam are top 5 in forward defense then Lowry/FVV are top 5 guard defenders.

Gasol is old but the above make him easy to "hide". Considering he's a former DPOTY you don't really need to hide him and he can hold his own against bigger centers.

Boucher was under utilized last season. I think his stats and impact last season was great. I would easily pencil him in as a starting center. He gets offensive rebounds, stretches the floor, contests 3's, and provides help defense. Using Gasol for special match ups is what will probably happen.

Toronto could be a top 2 team next season. Most likely top 3 but with a weak playoff showing.

So if Toronto truly is top 2 or 3 team, please tell me who and why they're better than of the following?

Milwaukee
Brooklyn
Mia
Boston

Fairly easy case to make for Toronto. They went 53-19 last year, and have most of their squad coming back -- 85% based on minutes played. They are deep, so even an injury-riddled season (starters missed 75 games last year) doesn't stop them from winning a ton of RS games. Most of the team coming back is young and still improving and everybody on the Raptors plays defence. Departing players Ibaka and Gasol, who last year missed 46 games combined, are replaced by Baynes and Len -- a drop off in talent for sure, but let's not exaggerate, and if Baynes/Len avoid injuries, may even be better.

You might think not playing "home games" is an issue for the Raptors, but they've won 2/3 of their road games the last few years. Winning 2/3 of their games would be 48-24. I'm guessing 50 wins, a slight step back from last year. No rose colored glasses: without a trade, they still have issues in the playoffs, and likely get bounced in the conference semis, but in the RS, they are gunning to win 50 for the sixth straight year.

Milwaukee is an easy pick to repeat as RS win leader. I don't think either Boston or Brooklyn will have the depth to keep up with the Raptors, and Miami will need continued improvement from it's young players to keep up.

Easiest bet in Vegas, every year, is to take the "over" on Raptor wins

Can you make a case for Brooklyn that includes KD having a "typical" recovery from an Achilles?

VanWest82 · Post #20 » by **VanWest82** » Sat Nov 28, 2020 7:42 pm

I like Sixers to have a comeback year and Bucks will be a top 3 seed as long as they don't blow it up.

Celtics and Raptors got objectively worse though they may make up for that with internal development.

Heat might struggle to start the season after Butler and Dragic played so hard and so well in the bubble. That short turnaround will be tough.

I can't trust Brooklyn until KD proves he's still good.

Bucks, Sixers, Celtics, Heat feels like the safe bet for ECSF though I'm not sure they'll be the top 4 seeds.

Top 4 teams in the Eastern Conference at the end of 2020-21?