King Ken's Eastern Conference Projection Chart 2020-21

[King Ken]

My chart on playoffs teams or teams, in general, is this:

1. Fit

2. Talent

3. System 

4. Star player, usually top impact guy

5. Depth

6. Experience - which is usually important BBIQ and execution, not that big of a deal for RS success.



Fit is the most critical piece of team building. You can have LeBron and still lose a lot without it.

Talent, you must have the talent. You don't have to have the best but you must have enough. The least talented team of all time considering the era of competition to win 60 games was the Hawks lead by Horford, Sap, Teague, Korver, and DMC.

The system is not critical like the fit is but it's important. You must have a system, without one, you look like OKC where it's player-based. Guys with marginal talent or impact could severely struggle in this situation.

Usually, your best player usually tells me where you are at especially in today's NBA. Just by that, I can project if you are underrated or overrated. While it's not as important as 1-3. It's still important, especially for the playoffs.

While depth is more important for the regular season than the playoffs, it's still has a level of importance. The better you are, the better your chances of winning RS games are for unit optimization.

Experience is the least important. Does it help yes especially in the playoffs? But for the RS, it's not that important outside of chemistry and execution. That's where experience is important. For the playoffs where execution is critical is where experience is most important.

I changed my points system for the first time as no one will get a bulk on points unless they are elite at it.

Notes: LA has overtaken Milwaukee as my best team with a 99% overall grade - Miami made the biggest jump going from 49% to 95% - Orlando dropped the most from last year - Atlanta was my biggest flop from a year ago -

Added more details

1. Milwaukee 98% - They have everything needed to win a title but depth. The move to land Holiday who's a much better playoff player than he is an RS player. I don't think he's a big upgrade over Bledsoe in the RS but he is a massive one in the playoffs. They lost a lot of quality depth that helped in the RS but stunk in the playoffs. I am not sure they can do their rest management considering the number of quality vets they lost. Matthews will hurt but Hill will hurt a lot more but mainly, MIL abandoned overly focusing on the RS to focus on the playoffs. 35 + 29 + 20 + 12 + 1 + 1

2. Boston 95% - They are a 100% lock for the playoffs and have everything but the needed top tier depth but their depth is still solid. They are one of the teams I expect to improve this upcoming year. Tristian Thompson's move is underrated. 35 + 25 + 20 + 12 + 2 + 1

3. Heat 93% After I projected them to be a 10th seed type of team with DET and no Wall WAS last year at 49%. They moved up to 93%. Why? Bam made a massive jump to stardom. Butler was an even better fit. Dragic stayed healthy. Duncan Robinson emerged. I was right on Herro. Their fit, talent, offense, shooting, and defense skyrocketed. 35 + 25 + 20 +10 + 2 + 1

4. Toronto 81% - I missed on them because Lowry didn't regress at all and others stepped up as well as their depth was really well last year. Their fit worked extremely well as well. While their balanced like spread on a loaf of bread, their talent is what gets them. They just lack the talent to be a serious team in the East. They remind me of the Millsap Hawks but more talented. 35 + 15 + 20 + 8 + 2 + 1

5. Philly 75% - Ultimately, they have everything but they are low on fit and sadly for them, it's proven so this is not a let's see the situation in Philly. That's their biggest question mark. If they can address this which it seems like they have improved to a degree, they could go to another level if they remain healthy. 15 + 30 + 15 + 12 + 2 + 1

6. Brooklyn 70% - They have elite talent and elite depth which matters in both the playoffs and RS since it's elite but fit and system are the question for these talented Nets. If the fit and system is also elite, this is the best team in the NBA. They have excellent fit on paper but the paper is NOT proof. Not just the east. 15 + 30 + 10 + 12 + 2 + 1

7. Pacers 64% - They are a very talented team. Easily more talented on paper than Toronto. What hurts them is fit which is proven. They remind me of a better coached Woody era Hawks team with a better coach (McMillian). They hired a new coach to get the most out of their talented core. I ultimately think they will have to make a major trade at some point. 20 + 25 + 10 + 6 + 2 + 1

8. Orlando 63% - They got everything for the regular season like last year but my new metrics are harsh on them this year as they are middle of the pack and last year awarded their ability to get the points. This year, they have to earn them. 25 + 15 + 15 + 6 + 1 + 1

9t. Atlanta 60% - Last year, I overrated them viciously because this was the biggest underachiever of 2019-2020, yes bigger than LAC because LAC did get to where I thought they could have issues. Last year, I hit on Trae's success. Missed damn near everyone else in the core but the depth, especially JC. I had him being a lot better than he was and I was wrong for that as I didn't realize teams would adjust so well to what he does well and expose his issue areas constantly. They fit extremely well on paper but the paper is NOT proof. The talent is special and I don't need proof of the games to see that. Coaching was WOAT last year while LP was excellent as a year 1 coach the year before but LP is on the hot seat for a reason. He will get a zero but I truly believe he can be a 20 this year. There are questions of who's the 2nd best player atm but this can quickly change as we saw with Miami last year. Depth is there. Experience is not. This is a team I think could win the east if things turn around because like Brooklyn, the talent is elite. We just need to see the fit and the system. 20 + 30 + 0 + 8 + 2 + 0

9t. Wizards 60% - My metrics like them in 2020-21 a lot more than I do. It likes its system for its personnel. They do have ample talent. I would say above average in the east. Their defense is their biggest issue. They should be in the mix for the play-in game. I don't see a lot of potential considering the below-average fit overall. The young players with talent don't exactly fit Beal or Westbrook. Beal is such a big reason for their rank. 15 + 20 + 15 + 8 + 1 + 1

11t. Chicago 42% - They are decent at 1-6 but not good at anything. They lost some depth but once again, decent in most areas out of fit. Coaching could see them improve a bit. 10 + 15 + 10 + 4 + 2 + 1

11t. Cavs 42% - Like last year, they could be good but health is the big issue with this team. They added Drummond which is major. They still have depth but even better than last year. Now that Garland is in year 2, he should be much better. J.B. will have to build on that 6-6 record to end the season. 10 + 20 + 5 + 5 + 2 + 0

13. Hornets 39% - They caught a lot of people off guard last year but after Dec, they were easy food. This year they are rocking with a rookie PG and while Hayward gives them a solid #1 option, they are lacking in key metrics. My metrics hate rookie PG's who start. It also hated rookie Trae. My metrics see the fit benefiting Melo and likes CHA fit on paper. 20 + 5 + 10 + 3 + 1+ 0

14.Pistons 37% - I gave Blake a 1 for star power and didn't see anyone with him for next year. They aren't a lottery lock but they are pretty darn close. 15 + 5 + 16 + 1 + 0 + 0

15. Knicks 33% - R.J. and Obi is a nice start to the rebuild but the players around them simply don't fit that well. They are getting a 10 on fit due to R.J. fitting Obi well which is all that matters. He also fits Robinson M. 10 + 10 + 10 + 2 + 1 + 0

[Spud2nique]

=33 which is Kareem’s number divide that by 3 and you get the Superstar of the year #11 Trae and he doesn’t like this 9th place finish prediction.

Ps You know where my knee bone is connected

11+26+44+91+27 HUT HUT... OMAHA!!! HIKE!

[King Ken]

=33 which is Kareem’s number divide that by 3 and you get the Superstar of the year #11 Trae and he doesn’t like this 9th place finish prediction.

Ps You know where my knee bone is connected

11+26+44+91+27 HUT HUT... OMAHA!!! HIKE!

I personally believe this team could win 50 games in a 72 game season but there is a lot of unknown with us which is why my projection says this. Brooklyn also faced the same fate. A lot of unknown.

[Spud2nique]

=33 which is Kareem’s number divide that by 3 and you get the Superstar of the year #11 Trae and he doesn’t like this 9th place finish prediction.

Ps You know where my knee bone is connected

11+26+44+91+27 HUT HUT... OMAHA!!! HIKE!

I personally believe this team could win 50 games in a 72 game season but there is a lot of unknown with us which is why my projection says this. Brooklyn also faced the same fate. A lot of unknown.

I overrated the Hawks last year as well and had them winning about 46 or so if I’m not mistaken but our vets were horrid. Evan Turner, Len, Jones..etc. We added 2 quality proven vets in Gallo and Rondo. Bogi seems as unselfish as they come. I have them fighting for a top 6 seed. I’m not afraid of any team in the East this year if we meet them in the playoffs, having said that, we seem to new to consistently get regular season wins. I think we feel each other out and come on strong at the end and get that 6th seed.

1. Celts
2. Bucks
3. Raptors
4. Heat
5. Nets
6. Hawks
7. Sixers
8. Pacers

[D21]

I overrated the Hawks last year as well and had them winning about 46 or so if I’m not mistaken

It's a special case, because as soon as John got his 25 games suspensions, everybody had overrated ATL last year

[King Ken]

I overrated the Hawks last year as well and had them winning about 46 or so if I’m not mistaken

It's a special case, because as soon as John got his 25 games suspensions, everybody had overrated ATL last year

Even when he did play, our offensive efficiency was terrible compared to the season before. So much of our success was due to people needing time to adjust to what we were doing. We were spamming the PnR in Trae's rookie year like it was the wildcat offense in the early 2010s. Teams downloaded us and we were easy food.

This year, I would like to see the improvement and adjustments from the young core. I know the vets can play but the young guys outside of Trae and 2nd half Cam really struggled.

[Spud2nique]

I’m sorry Supes but how do you have Orlando in front of us. If Orlando is ahead of us when the season ends, we had a crap year. There is no way that the Magic SHOULD finish ahead of us. We have the vets now and better ones than them, we have better young prospective stars than them. They have Fultz... no, just no way. I’d make an avatar bet with you in the old country but.. someone else can and should make that bet with you.