Eastern Conference Power Rankings

[Hoopvortex]

Where do you rank the C's among their Eastern Conference rivals?

Are we legit contenders or are we pretenders?

Imo, the Nets are the team to beat assuming the big 3 stay healthy.

I believe the Bucks are a close second. Obviously, they are the reigning champs. They re-signed Portis on a bargain contract. Their most notable additions were Grayson Allen and George Hill. They lost Tucker and Forbes.

Talent-wise, the Sixers are an elite team. Really don't like the fit of Embiid and Simmons playing next to each other.

The Heat are a force to be reckoned with. They signed 2 battle-hardened vets in Lowry and Tucker. Well coached team as well. Spo is one of the best coaches in the NBA.

I'm relatively low on the Hawks, but maybe that's just me cause I'm low on Trae. I reckon he's a great shot creator in fast-paced games (=regular season). Not so much in slow-paced games. He ain't tall/long enough to consistently create his own shot in the clutch. Don't rate his BBIQ either.

The Bulls seem like a completely overhauled team. Love the fit of Lonzo next to LaVine. I believe they overpaid for DeRozan, but that's another story. Basketbal-wise, he's a nice player. Not sure what to expect from them tbh. Too many changes. They'll definitely be a playoff team.

Not sure what to expect from the Knicks either. At the end of the day, they are still the Knicks.

Charlotte has a super deep roster at the (s)wing positions. I believe they'll make the postseason.

Indy's biggest move was hiring Carlisle. They are a tough team to beat, that's for sure.

I'm low on the Wizards. Don't think they'll make the playoffs. If they have an underperforming season, it's possible that Beal will become available at the trade deadline.

As for the Celtics, I like most of our moves. I'd probably rank us somewhere in the 4-6 range. Worst case scenario, I guess we could end up in the 7th seed, just like we did last season. Best case scenario, I could see us being a top 3 team. Imo, this is a bridge year unless we make a big move at the deadline. We are well-positioned to go after a 3rd star either via trade or via the 2022 free agency.

Interested in reading your thoughts.

No mention of Toronto here, and no surprise since Lowry is gone and Siakam's stock went down last season. But the Raptors are going to be very good, especially in the second half of the season.

[Jvalin]

Where do you rank the C's among their Eastern Conference rivals?

Are we legit contenders or are we pretenders?

Imo, the Nets are the team to beat assuming the big 3 stay healthy.

I believe the Bucks are a close second. Obviously, they are the reigning champs. They re-signed Portis on a bargain contract. Their most notable additions were Grayson Allen and George Hill. They lost Tucker and Forbes.

Talent-wise, the Sixers are an elite team. Really don't like the fit of Embiid and Simmons playing next to each other.

The Heat are a force to be reckoned with. They signed 2 battle-hardened vets in Lowry and Tucker. Well coached team as well. Spo is one of the best coaches in the NBA.

I'm relatively low on the Hawks, but maybe that's just me cause I'm low on Trae. I reckon he's a great shot creator in fast-paced games (=regular season). Not so much in slow-paced games. He ain't tall/long enough to consistently create his own shot in the clutch. Don't rate his BBIQ either.

The Bulls seem like a completely overhauled team. Love the fit of Lonzo next to LaVine. I believe they overpaid for DeRozan, but that's another story. Basketbal-wise, he's a nice player. Not sure what to expect from them tbh. Too many changes. They'll definitely be a playoff team.

Not sure what to expect from the Knicks either. At the end of the day, they are still the Knicks.

Charlotte has a super deep roster at the (s)wing positions. I believe they'll make the postseason.

Indy's biggest move was hiring Carlisle. They are a tough team to beat, that's for sure.

I'm low on the Wizards. Don't think they'll make the playoffs. If they have an underperforming season, it's possible that Beal will become available at the trade deadline.

As for the Celtics, I like most of our moves. I'd probably rank us somewhere in the 4-6 range. Worst case scenario, I guess we could end up in the 7th seed, just like we did last season. Best case scenario, I could see us being a top 3 team. Imo, this is a bridge year unless we make a big move at the deadline. We are well-positioned to go after a 3rd star either via trade or via the 2022 free agency.

Interested in reading your thoughts.

No mention of Toronto here, and no surprise since Lowry is gone and Siakam's stock went down last season. But the Raptors are going to be very good, especially in the second half of the season.

Agreed that they are in the conversation, but imo they'll be a lotto team. The way I see it, they got plenty of valuable role players, but they need a legit go-to scorer. I mean, who's their #1 option in the half court? Probably 6'1'' Fred VanVleet? Siakam is more of an open-court player rather than a half-court player.

If they underperform during the early months of the regular season, I bet Siakam will become available at the trade deadline (especially since they drafted Scottie Barnes).

[jbpats]

I'd put us 6-8.

Bucks, Nets, Heat, Knicks, Chicago and Philly are all better than us.. That said I see Philly taking a serious step back depending on what happens with Simmons.

I feel we are in the same league as Atlanta and we will be battling the 7-8 seed with them.

[Hoopvortex]

I think Boston as it currently sits is the 5th best team (MIL, BKN, MIA, PHI).  Boston is not very deep though, so I wouldn't be surprised if its record is the 6th, 7th, or 8th best in the conference at the end of the year.

I would argue we are super deep at ball handlers and bigs. We are relatively deep at wings. We are worryingly thin at swings, especially if we are forced to cut Jabari. All in all, I'm fine with our depth.

I mostly agree.

I don't see a problem with swing depth.

1) Tatum;
2) Fans are drastically underestimating Grant Williams;
3) With Horford on board, more two-big lineups are likely.

Perhaps you recall Brad Stevens a couple of years ago saying that he actually only sees ballhandlers, wings, and bigs.

As for wings. Is Smart a ballhandler or a wing? Hard to say, but he guards up a lot. Either way it's safe to say that he's part of the wing depth, whatever category you put him in and whether he starts or not.

Add Brown, Richardson, the emerging Nesmith, and Langford; and I have to say I'm optimistic about wing depth - more so than big depth, in fact, where age and fragility are potential pitfalls. I'm positive about the Kanter signing, but he has his defensive limitations.

[Moranis]

I expect Toronto to waive or trade Dragic and generally not be very good. 

Expected top 6 (not in order) - Boston, Brooklyn, Milwaukee, Miami, Atlanta, Philadelphia
Expected Play-In Teams (not in order) - New York, Indiana, Charlotte, Chicago
Possible Play-In Teams - Toronto, Washington
Crap - Cleveland, Detroit, Orlando


Out West

Expected top 6 (not in order) - Utah, L.A. Lakers, Dallas, Denver, Portland, Golden State
Expected Play-In Teams (not in order) - Phoenix, New Orleans, L.A. Clippers, Memphis
Possible Play-In Teams - Minnesota, Sacramento
Crap - San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Houston


Obviously trades could alter the projections, but as they stand now that is what I'm going with.

[BringToughnessBack]

Tatum and Brown will take another big step up this year and at the end of the season, we will be around 55 wins and 2nd or 3rd best record in the conference. Dont be shocked to see Tatum enter the Top 10 this year and it would not shock me to see him get closer to Top 5 as well. His progression has been incredible. Brown has also grown by leaps and bounds.

If our 2 young stars stay the same, we will fall between 4-6.

[Moranis]

I think Boston as it currently sits is the 5th best team (MIL, BKN, MIA, PHI).  Boston is not very deep though, so I wouldn't be surprised if its record is the 6th, 7th, or 8th best in the conference at the end of the year.

I would argue we are super deep at ball handlers and bigs. We are relatively deep at wings. We are worryingly thin at swings, especially if we are forced to cut Jabari. All in all, I'm fine with our depth.

I mostly agree.

I don't see a problem with swing depth.

1) Tatum;
2) Fans are drastically underestimating Grant Williams;
3) With Horford on board, more two-big lineups are likely.

Perhaps you recall Brad Stevens a couple of years ago saying that he actually only sees ballhandlers, wings, and bigs.

As for wings. Is Smart a ballhandler or a wing? Hard to say, but he guards up a lot. Either way it's safe to say that he's part of the wing depth, whatever category you put him in and whether he starts or not.

Add Brown, Richardson, the emerging Nesmith, and Langford; and I have to say I'm optimistic about wing depth - more so than big depth, in fact, where age and fragility are potential pitfalls. I'm positive about the Kanter signing, but he has his defensive limitations.

I think Boston is still a pretty ill constructed team that lacks anyone that can really score outside of Tatum or Brown and doesn't have a good true PF on the team.  I think Schroder is the only true PG on the team and he is a bad shooter and mediocre (at best) defender.  Tatum will obviously play a lot at PF, but I don't like him as full time PF as I think it will wear him down and generally doesn't suit his strengths.  I'm not sure I want Nesmith being the only SF on the roster aside from Brown (again with Tatum at PF), I just think that is problematic and sure Richardson or Smart could probably give you some minutes there, but that is a recipe for disaster.

Optimally the team will find a real PF using Smart.  I think that would really balance out the roster and set it up better for success, because I don't really like the roster construction all that much and really don't like the PF or PG positions at all (at least Schroder helps with that).   

[Hoopvortex]

Where do you rank the C's among their Eastern Conference rivals?

Are we legit contenders or are we pretenders?

Imo, the Nets are the team to beat assuming the big 3 stay healthy.

I believe the Bucks are a close second. Obviously, they are the reigning champs. They re-signed Portis on a bargain contract. Their most notable additions were Grayson Allen and George Hill. They lost Tucker and Forbes.

Talent-wise, the Sixers are an elite team. Really don't like the fit of Embiid and Simmons playing next to each other.

The Heat are a force to be reckoned with. They signed 2 battle-hardened vets in Lowry and Tucker. Well coached team as well. Spo is one of the best coaches in the NBA.

I'm relatively low on the Hawks, but maybe that's just me cause I'm low on Trae. I reckon he's a great shot creator in fast-paced games (=regular season). Not so much in slow-paced games. He ain't tall/long enough to consistently create his own shot in the clutch. Don't rate his BBIQ either.

The Bulls seem like a completely overhauled team. Love the fit of Lonzo next to LaVine. I believe they overpaid for DeRozan, but that's another story. Basketbal-wise, he's a nice player. Not sure what to expect from them tbh. Too many changes. They'll definitely be a playoff team.

Not sure what to expect from the Knicks either. At the end of the day, they are still the Knicks.

Charlotte has a super deep roster at the (s)wing positions. I believe they'll make the postseason.

Indy's biggest move was hiring Carlisle. They are a tough team to beat, that's for sure.

I'm low on the Wizards. Don't think they'll make the playoffs. If they have an underperforming season, it's possible that Beal will become available at the trade deadline.

As for the Celtics, I like most of our moves. I'd probably rank us somewhere in the 4-6 range. Worst case scenario, I guess we could end up in the 7th seed, just like we did last season. Best case scenario, I could see us being a top 3 team. Imo, this is a bridge year unless we make a big move at the deadline. We are well-positioned to go after a 3rd star either via trade or via the 2022 free agency.

Interested in reading your thoughts.

No mention of Toronto here, and no surprise since Lowry is gone and Siakam's stock went down last season. But the Raptors are going to be very good, especially in the second half of the season.

Agreed that they are in the conversation, but imo they'll be a lotto team. The way I see it, they got plenty of valuable role players, but they need a legit go-to scorer. I mean, who's their #1 option in the half court? Probably 6'1'' Fred VanVleet? Siakam is more of an open-court player rather than a half-court player.

If they underperform during the early months of the regular season, I bet Siakam will become available at the trade deadline (especially since they drafted Scottie Barnes).

Good point about go-to scorers. And Siakam might not even start the season because of his surgery. Toronto will certainly be the most open-court team in the league, to follow on your point. By the same token, they'll be one of the best defensive teams - in fact, I'm predicting that they'll lead the league with a gap. Barnes is ready to play defense now, just as he is not ready to be a go-to scorer.

As much as Boston, Toronto's last season was snakebit with Covid and injuries; and they even lost their home court. No one in consequence is more undervalued than Siakam and the Raptors as a whole.

I think that Siakam stays.

I like them better than the Bulls and Wiz and Knicks. I think that the Sixers have a real chance of imploding. I share your doubts about Trae and the Hawks.

[Jvalin]

I think Boston as it currently sits is the 5th best team (MIL, BKN, MIA, PHI).  Boston is not very deep though, so I wouldn't be surprised if its record is the 6th, 7th, or 8th best in the conference at the end of the year.

I would argue we are super deep at ball handlers and bigs. We are relatively deep at wings. We are worryingly thin at swings, especially if we are forced to cut Jabari. All in all, I'm fine with our depth.

I mostly agree.

I don't see a problem with swing depth.

1) Tatum;
2) Fans are drastically underestimating Grant Williams;
3) With Horford on board, more two-big lineups are likely.

1) I love Tatum's game. I even believe he's underrated on this board.
2) Hate to say it, but imo Grant won't be in the league for much longer. Not even sure whether we'll pick up his 2022/23 team option tbh. He ain't mobile/explosive enough to defend the perimeter. He ain't tall/long enough to protect the rim either. He's nothing really. Just a hustle guy who's a mediocre shooter. And yes, I know he shot 37.2% from 3 last season, but he was attempting mostly wide open shots. He cannot put the ball on the floor and create his own shot.
3) Horford ain't mobile enough to stay in front of explosive swings on the perimeter. At this stage in his career, imo he's exclusively a Center.

As for wings. Is Smart a ballhandler or a wing? Hard to say, but he guards up a lot. Either way it's safe to say that he's part of the wing depth, whatever category you put him in and whether he starts or not.

If you ask me, Smart is a ball handler on offense and a wing on defense.

Add Brown, Richardson, the emerging Nesmith, and Langford; and I have to say I'm optimistic about wing depth - more so than big depth, in fact, where age and fragility are potential pitfalls. I'm positive about the Kanter signing, but he has his defensive limitations.

All these guys are wings not swings. Wings can provide cover at SG and SF. Swings can provide cover at SF and PF. 

[Jvalin]

Where do you rank the C's among their Eastern Conference rivals?

Are we legit contenders or are we pretenders?

Imo, the Nets are the team to beat assuming the big 3 stay healthy.

I believe the Bucks are a close second. Obviously, they are the reigning champs. They re-signed Portis on a bargain contract. Their most notable additions were Grayson Allen and George Hill. They lost Tucker and Forbes.

Talent-wise, the Sixers are an elite team. Really don't like the fit of Embiid and Simmons playing next to each other.

The Heat are a force to be reckoned with. They signed 2 battle-hardened vets in Lowry and Tucker. Well coached team as well. Spo is one of the best coaches in the NBA.

I'm relatively low on the Hawks, but maybe that's just me cause I'm low on Trae. I reckon he's a great shot creator in fast-paced games (=regular season). Not so much in slow-paced games. He ain't tall/long enough to consistently create his own shot in the clutch. Don't rate his BBIQ either.

The Bulls seem like a completely overhauled team. Love the fit of Lonzo next to LaVine. I believe they overpaid for DeRozan, but that's another story. Basketbal-wise, he's a nice player. Not sure what to expect from them tbh. Too many changes. They'll definitely be a playoff team.

Not sure what to expect from the Knicks either. At the end of the day, they are still the Knicks.

Charlotte has a super deep roster at the (s)wing positions. I believe they'll make the postseason.

Indy's biggest move was hiring Carlisle. They are a tough team to beat, that's for sure.

I'm low on the Wizards. Don't think they'll make the playoffs. If they have an underperforming season, it's possible that Beal will become available at the trade deadline.

As for the Celtics, I like most of our moves. I'd probably rank us somewhere in the 4-6 range. Worst case scenario, I guess we could end up in the 7th seed, just like we did last season. Best case scenario, I could see us being a top 3 team. Imo, this is a bridge year unless we make a big move at the deadline. We are well-positioned to go after a 3rd star either via trade or via the 2022 free agency.

Interested in reading your thoughts.

No mention of Toronto here, and no surprise since Lowry is gone and Siakam's stock went down last season. But the Raptors are going to be very good, especially in the second half of the season.

Agreed that they are in the conversation, but imo they'll be a lotto team. The way I see it, they got plenty of valuable role players, but they need a legit go-to scorer. I mean, who's their #1 option in the half court? Probably 6'1'' Fred VanVleet? Siakam is more of an open-court player rather than a half-court player.

If they underperform during the early months of the regular season, I bet Siakam will become available at the trade deadline (especially since they drafted Scottie Barnes).

Good point about go-to scorers. And Siakam might not even start the season because of his surgery. Toronto will certainly be the most open-court team in the league, to follow on your point. By the same token, they'll be one of the best defensive teams - in fact, I'm predicting that they'll lead the league with a gap. Barnes is ready to play defense now, just as he is not ready to be a go-to scorer.

As much as Boston, Toronto's last season was snakebit with Covid and injuries; and they even lost their home court. No one in consequence is more undervalued than Siakam and the Raptors as a whole.

I think that Siakam stays.

I like them better than the Bulls and Wiz and Knicks. I think that the Sixers have a real chance of imploding. I share your doubts about Trae and the Hawks.

Open-court teams usualy concede plenty of points. It's not rocket science. Up-tempo game = more possessions for both teams = more shot attempts for both teams = more points conceded for both teams.

Imo, the Raps will suck. If you ask me, they should want to suck too. They need to find a legit go-to scorer with a view to surrounding him with their promising role players. No point in trying to compete till they get that player. They clearly aren't ready yet.

[nebist]

I look at in terms of tiers:

Tier 1: True contenders to come out of the East. Expected seeding range anywhere from 1-5.
1.1 Nets
1.2 Bucks
1.3 Sixers

Tier 2: I'd be shocked if any of these teams don't make at least the play-in tournament. Expected seeding range anywhere from 3-10.
2.4 Heat
2.5 Hawks
2.6 Celtics
2.7 Knicks

Tier 3: Could challenge for a top 6 playoff spot, but the play-in seems more likely. Expected seeding range anywhere from 5-12.
3.8 Bulls
3.9 Pacers
3.10 Raptors
3.11 Hornets
3.12 Wizards

Tier 4: I'd be shocked if they made the play-in tournament. Expected seeding range anywhere from 11-15.
4.13 Pistons
4.14 Cavs
4.15 Magic

[LilRip]

I think Boston as it currently sits is the 5th best team (MIL, BKN, MIA, PHI).  Boston is not very deep though, so I wouldn't be surprised if its record is the 6th, 7th, or 8th best in the conference at the end of the year.

I would argue we are super deep at ball handlers and bigs. We are relatively deep at wings. We are worryingly thin at swings, especially if we are forced to cut Jabari. All in all, I'm fine with our depth.

I mostly agree.

I don't see a problem with swing depth.

1) Tatum;
2) Fans are drastically underestimating Grant Williams;
3) With Horford on board, more two-big lineups are likely.

This statement confused me. How are people drastically underestimating Grant?

[footey]

I'd put us 6-8.

Bucks, Nets, Heat, Knicks, Chicago and Philly are all better than us.. That said I see Philly taking a serious step back depending on what happens with Simmons.

I feel we are in the same league as Atlanta and we will be battling the 7-8 seed with them.

I think Chicago is going to be awful, despite all their moves.  They won't defend.

[Celtics2021]

I think Boston as it currently sits is the 5th best team (MIL, BKN, MIA, PHI).  Boston is not very deep though, so I wouldn't be surprised if its record is the 6th, 7th, or 8th best in the conference at the end of the year.

I would argue we are super deep at ball handlers and bigs. We are relatively deep at wings. We are worryingly thin at swings, especially if we are forced to cut Jabari. All in all, I'm fine with our depth.

I mostly agree.

I don't see a problem with swing depth.

1) Tatum;
2) Fans are drastically underestimating Grant Williams;
3) With Horford on board, more two-big lineups are likely.

This statement confused me. How are people drastically underestimating Grant?

The argument is that Grant shot 37% from 3 and plays solid defense, and people get too worked up on his low point totals considering he's a low-usage player.  There's also the argument that he was a bit gassed, since he played a lot in the playoffs and then had a short-offseason, which is particularly tough on a rookie.  (Look at other rookies who also had rough second years after a deep playoff, such as Herro.) I tend towards those arguments, and his skipping summer league because he was exhausted and needed to work on his body point to some of those concerns.   That said, he struggled at being a rotation-level player last year, and slotting him into the rotation this year for 15-20 minutes a game is a concern if there isn't some real improvement.  I hope he grabs a thousand rebounds a day over the summer, because he midjudges those a ton.  He's always 4-6 inches away from getting them -- if there's a stat about percentage of rebounds touched but not controlled, he'd have to be near the leaders.

I think he's closer than many to being useful, but I wouldn't go far as to say I'm not concerned with our depth if he's the de facto #2 in our rotation.

[BudweiserCeltic]

I'd put us 6-8.

Bucks, Nets, Heat, Knicks, Chicago and Philly are all better than us.. That said I see Philly taking a serious step back depending on what happens with Simmons.

I feel we are in the same league as Atlanta and we will be battling the 7-8 seed with them.

Knicks, doubt it. The Heat have a lot of question marks, but they certainly have players there to have a great season. Chicago, also a lot of question marks and I'm not sure it's going to work out.

I put Philly, Nets, Bucks as the top 3. Then Celtics, Chicago, Miami fighting between them in the next echelon. Then Atlanta and Knicks who I think are overrated, but Atlanta may come with a lot of confidence which could serve them well.

Don't think there's another team in the East worth mentioning at this point.