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The Eastern Conference is highly competitive and although it is hard to predict a rough preview will be covered to allow us as Basketball fans to dive into the season as the pre-season buzz rises.
First of all, the perennially successful
Boston Celtics will be hoping to follow up last year's success and it is more than likely that they are champions. They have been to the final’s multiple times in the last few seasons, more than any other team and know they have come out with a Championship as well as an improved and experienced team.
The 76ers have also improved and they have no need to worry about regular-season success which they have achieved with Embiid in previous years, however, the acquisition of PG will hopefully allow them to succeed in the playoffs but Paul George will be hoping to stay fit and they will hope he will bring some playoff experience and get them past the second round.
The New York Knicks have pulled off two big trades bringing a dominant team to a new level by trading for Mikal Bridges and KAT. Last season they fought for the Eastern Championship and they will be challenging the Celtics for the Eastern Conference Championship again this season and hopefully win the championship for the first time in years.
The Chicago Bulls have been on a downfall for the past few years and they have finally traded one of their ageing stars Demar Derozan to Sacramento and Caruso to OKC who could be a key role player for them. However, it will be a surprise to see Giddey and co rally the Bulls to a playoff spot.
The Nets have traded away their star man Mikal Bridges to their neighbours in New York State the Knicks and what remains will not be good enough to win them many games and it will be a shock to see them high in the standings.
Miami is a consistent team and has been for many years but although no players have left the Heat will probably not be as good as they were last season. Their star player is ageing and they will be hoping that other players like Bam and Tyler Herro can step up as without them they won't be able to push for the final position they want to return to with Jimmy Butler and finally win that Championship they've been so close to.
The Magic will hope that the young talents on the team like Banchero, Wagner and Suggs can take a step up and that they can make a playoff push. Banchero has proved himself as one of the best young talents in the league and doesn't get enough recognition for it and Suggs and Wagner are the most perfect role players a team could ask for with consistent shooting and defence.
The Hornets have a star in Lamelo but despite the fact that Lamelo Ball is a star, his injury issues have been problematic in the past. If Brandon Miller can improve and take a step up and Lamelo stays healthy, they could be a competitive team in the East potentially pushing for a play-in spot. Their acquisition of the draft in Salaun is exciting and they will hope he can play a key role in the offence and defence and allow them to compete for the play-in or a playoff spot.
Atlanta, having moved on from Dejounte Murray they are not likely to be the greatest version of themselves and with the help of number 1 pick Risacher they could fight for a play-in spot as Trae Young is an excellent playmaker and he can always lift a team especially if Jalen Johnson can improve and Okunwu but it isn't likely that they are high up the standings.
Toronto could be a team on the up but the mid-table of the Eastern Conference is a hard place to fight as a lot of teams are competitive. However, if RJ Barret, Immanuel Quickley and Scottie Barnes can gel well they could fight for a good seeding and potentially the playoffs/ play-in.
For the Cavaliers the duo of Donovan Mitchell and Garland hasn't panned out as well as was hoped by the front office when they made the trade, but it isn't something they can return on. If Mobley takes another step and they can fix their defensive issues then they could be a competitive team in the upcoming season. However, it is more likely they are fighting in the middle of the Eastern Conference for the 4th-6th seed.
The Indiana Pacers could be excellent as Tyrese Haliburton is an excellent playmaker and scorer so if he continues to improve and gel with Siakam then they could be a top team in the East, however, as previously mentioned it is a highly competitive NBA in the modern-day and the Eastern Conference is very even in the mid-table but I see them being highly successful and fighting against the top teams.
In Milwaukee the plan for Giannis and Dame didn't go to plan and they weren't exactly the best duo last year and the man they let go of in Jrue Holiday is now a 3-time champion. If they can be healthy, they are obviously a contender with players who can dominate a game and experience winning titles. They could push for the 3rd seed but I see them fighting it out with the likes of the Cavs and the Pacers.
For the Washington Wizards, not much needs to be said about their success as they were at the bottom of the conference last season and have been a lot in the past 10 years, hopefully, Alex Sarr can drag them somewhere and show some potential for the future.
Western
For the Golden State Warriors, Steph Curry is a world-class player and although he doesn't have many stars alongside him he can still put the team on his back, however, it feels like the Golden State era is over as the players that made it possible in Klay Thompson, Draymond and Steph are either ageing or playing elsewhere.
The Lakers will be hoping they can rally behind Lebron and AD however, Lebron seems to be in his final seasons and his age is showing with his son playing with him in Bronny. But they could make a playoff push but I think it is more likely they play their way in.
For the Clippers, the loss of Paul George is definitely a loss and with Kawhi and Hardens injury history it's unlikely that the Clippers will be a good team in the upcoming season and I see them finishing in a lottery position.
In Sacramento, the acquisition of Demar Derozan could either be detrimental or exactly what the Kings need and they could make a deep playoff push behind Sabonis, Fox and Derozan. If the beam is lit, they will perform well and improvement from Keegan Murray could see them be a good team in the West and potentially the best in California for the first time in a while.
The Dallas Mavericks made the finals, only adding more playoff experience and if Luka improves again along with Lively they could be competitive. They also acquired Klay who will give them more defence on the wings as Kyrie isn't and hasn't been a top-level defender like Klay has. I see them being competitive in the regular season and potential champions of the Western Conference.
The Rockets have been stockpiling excellent young players and if they can improve with players like Cam Whitmore, Jabari Smith Jr, Amen Thompson, Jalen Green and Sengun they could finally become a competitive team again in the West and potentially push for the play-in.
The San Antonio Spurs have Wembanyama who is a generational talent and with the addition of an excellent playmaker in Chris Paul, they could contend in the West and potentially make the play-in. The time is only ticking before Wemby becomes one of the best players in the league and the quicker the better for the Spurs organization.
Oklahoma City Thunder have Shai who is a star player and potential MVP. Along with their stock-piled draft picks and the acquisition of an All-NBA defender in Alex Caruso, they will be even more competitive and could make a push for their first championship.
Detroit were the worst team in the NBA last season will hope to improve but it will be surprising to see them in the top half of the table and they will most likely be in a lottery position and potentially the worst team in the conference again.
The Utah Jazz are certainly not the best team out West but they could fight for a play-in position behind Lauri Markennen, however, there are a lot of teams better equipped to win than them.
Denver and the Joker are proven champions and if they can put it together they could be a contender to top the conference or go to the Western finals. Jokic is a dominant force and if MPJ, Gordon and Murray can be the team he needs they can win again.
The Suns appear to be past their window since CP3 and Ayton have moved on. However, Booker and Durant are dominant offensive forces but without Beal being healthy they won't be competitive.
Pelicans- With the acquisition of Murray they could finally make a push if Zion is healthy and their team is always amazing when everyone is healthy. Dejounte should help them if this does happen as he provides excellent play on both sides of the ball.
Finally, it will be a massive surprise to see the Trailblazers be successful as their team is young and they don't have a real star player and I expect to see them at the bottom of the standings.
The NBA is highly competitive and although it isn't easy to predict it is always a good thing to indulge in speculation and see what we think could be the best teams in each conference.