Eastern Conference Power Rankings

[RJ87]

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.

But they're going to score a ton. They're going to be dynamic in transition with Lonzo and I think people underrate Demar's ability as a point forward in the half court. If Lonzo's shooting holds up, which I think it will based on his improvement as a free throw shooter, they'll have some nice pieces next to Lavine and Vuc.

[Celtics2021]

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.

Completely with you on that.  Their upside is last year's Wizards.  No way are they a top 5-6 team.  People are concerned with Tatum playing too much at the 4 -- the Bulls are going to need to run out some lineups with DeRozan or Lavine there the way they're currently constructed.

[Who]

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.

Completely with you on that.  Their upside is last year's Wizards.  No way are they a top 5-6 team.  People are concerned with Tatum playing too much at the 4 -- the Bulls are going to need to run out some lineups with DeRozan or Lavine there the way they're currently constructed.

Yeah, I expect DeRozan to be their starting PF. He played there a lot for San Antonio last year too because they had a guard-heavy team also.

DeRozan at PF with Pat Williams at SF.

[jambr380]

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).

I know people are all-aboard the Beal train, but Siakam is my preference. I just think he would be the perfect fit with Tatum and Brown. If he becomes available, I hope we make a strong offer. He'd even cost [a little] less on the cap moving forward, too.

[Who]

I have a hard time putting Philly on a pedestal when they flamed out in the playoffs last season against Atlanta. Both teams are similar heading into next season with Atlanta having more developing young talent that is likely to improve.

[Erik]

As of right now:

1) Nets
2) Bucks
3) Miami
4) Celtics
5) Sixers
6) Atlanta
7) New York
Chicago

[footey]

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).

I know people are all-aboard the Beal train, but Siakam is my preference. I just think he would be the perfect fit with Tatum and Brown. If he becomes available, I hope we make a strong offer. He'd even cost [a little] less on the cap moving forward, too.

Siakam or OG, right?  What would we have to give up to get either of them?  If Nesmith keeps shooting like game 2 SL his trade value is going to sky rocket to the point that we can combine him with picks to get someone decent at the power forward position.  Of course if that happens, everyone on this site will say you can't trade Nesmith!!!

[Vermont Green]

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).

I know people are all-aboard the Beal train, but Siakam is my preference. I just think he would be the perfect fit with Tatum and Brown. If he becomes available, I hope we make a strong offer. He'd even cost [a little] less on the cap moving forward, too.

Siakam or OG, right?  What would we have to give up to get either of them?  If Nesmith keeps shooting like game 2 SL his trade value is going to sky rocket to the point that we can combine him with picks to get someone decent at the power forward position.  Of course if that happens, everyone on this site will say you can't trade Nesmith!!!

Siakam has 3 more years starting at $33M.  Nice player and nice fit but that is a big investment.  To do it, we likely need to send out Horford, Nesmith, and maybe still some picks.  Not sure either team likes that deal, but maybe if Toronto would do it for just Horford and Nesmith.

I believe in Nesmith.  His athleticism and "hops" exceeded my expectations.  I understood he was a shooter (still to be proven he can be one at the NBA level) but did not realize how much of an overall athlete he is.  If he was in a trade that got us back a legitimate starting level PF, I would be disappointed but we would be better for it (assuming a reasonable contract).

[Jvalin]

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).

I know people are all-aboard the Beal train, but Siakam is my preference. I just think he would be the perfect fit with Tatum and Brown. If he becomes available, I hope we make a strong offer. He'd even cost [a little] less on the cap moving forward, too.

I'd be happy with any one of Beal/Siakam/Simmons. The first 2 may become available at the trade deadline. Simmons is likely available right now for the right price. Personally speaking, my #1 target would be Simmons.

Smart + JRich + Nesmith + Timelord redirected to a 3rd team for a first + a couple more firsts for Simmons would be a valid trade, salary-wise. Not sure whether Philly would pull the trigger, but imo it would be worth a try.

I remember last year when one of these threads went up. A ton of people thought we were top 3, but we... were not.

This season, I think our defense should be better. Offense is a huge, huge question mark though. The Jays are good, but there's no consistency behind them. We have no surefire, consistent plus shooters around them to really make defenses pay for focusing on them.

TP! I believe this is a valid concern. I'd phrase it a bit differently though.  It's not so much that we lack elite shooters. More importantly, we need serviceable 2-way players who are suited to play off the ball. For instance, look at the Suns. They are starting two 3+D (s)wings in Bridges and Crowder. None of them is an elite shooter, but they are perfectly happy to play off the ball. Another example is the Bucks. Again, Tucker is nothing special as a shooter, but he was perfectly happy to just stand in the corner on offense. This is why I want us to start Nesmith who's an off-ball specialist.

[Celtics2021]

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).

I know people are all-aboard the Beal train, but Siakam is my preference. I just think he would be the perfect fit with Tatum and Brown. If he becomes available, I hope we make a strong offer. He'd even cost [a little] less on the cap moving forward, too.

Siakam or OG, right?  What would we have to give up to get either of them?  If Nesmith keeps shooting like game 2 SL his trade value is going to sky rocket to the point that we can combine him with picks to get someone decent at the power forward position.  Of course if that happens, everyone on this site will say you can't trade Nesmith!!!

I was really disappointed when OG didn't come out of the draft as a freshman, when we had all those picks during the Jaylen Brown draft, and instead came out during the Tatum draft, and was hurt so he slid, but not far enough.  I loved him in college, and he's my white whale of a player.  If he became available, that's who I'm trading for.  Such an affordable contract, too.  I'd also be fine with Siakam, and think he'd be a better on-court fit with the J's than Beal as well. 

[Sketch5]

I put the C's at 4. While we lost some offense with Kemba, I think with Schoder,  and Al helped fill that void a bit, and if Pritchard and Nesmith can step up we are better offensively then last season especially since Kemba wasn't consistent.

Defensivly we are better and more balanced as of now. I still think theres an other move to come, maybe next week.

And with a new coach the players will hopefully take to the new change and be geared up to play hard for him. They have the potential to be the surprise in the East, but also a huge bust, it's just going to be how hard Tatum and Brown want it and what they are willing to do to get it.

[BudweiserCeltic]

I have a hard time putting Philly on a pedestal when they flamed out in the playoffs last season against Atlanta. Both teams are similar heading into next season with Atlanta having more developing young talent that is likely to improve.

I have no problem putting Philly on a pedestal, they have flamed out pretty much every year recently in similar fashion then return and dominate during the season.

It'll all depend on Embiid's health in the end.

[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.

1) I love Tatum's game. I even believe he's underrated on this board.

Post-Covid he was using an inhaler during timeouts. No part of his game suffered more than his team defense last season, but I look for it to be back at a high level this season.

2) Hate to say it, but imo Grant won't be in the league for much longer.

I guess we'll see about that.

. He ain't mobile/explosive enough to defend the perimeter.

And yet he's highly effective at it. Grant jumped the queue in his rookie year and played eighth-man minutes as a rookie because of his defense. That team was fourth in the league in team defense (in case anyone wants to claim that the coaching staff didn't know what they were doing when it came to team defense). He got crunch-time minutes at center most of the season and in the playoffs.

He ain't tall/long enough to protect the rim either.

And yet he's highly effective at protecting the paint; he'll even sacrifice a closeout to contain penetration, maybe to a fault. He's very smart, sees the floor on both ends; he's the most vocal guy on the team on D. As for his alleged slowness - exaggerated, but in any case he's great at something more important, which is anticipation.

He's nothing really. Just a hustle guy who's a mediocre shooter.

They've run offense through him for two seasons now.

And yes, I know he shot 37.2% from 3 last season, but he was attempting mostly wide open shots.

His future does not depend on his creating shots.

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.

I think you missed my point, which was that there's no need for a swing when you're using two-big lineups; typically then you'd have a ballhandler and two wings.

I'm not even entirely disagreeing with your claim that Boston is thin at swing; but Tatum is one, and he may well lead the team in minutes; Grant (despite the majority of fans' opinion) will play rotation minutes there; and some lineups won't use a swing at all - so the thinness at swing is not as serious as it might first appear.

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.

I wouldn't disagree with that, either, as long as we stipulate that Boston has mostly had him on the floor with another ballhandler; last season was very much the exception. For me, this is one of the really intriguing things to look for in the Udoka era of Celtics Basketball.

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.

I think I said that. I was responding to your claim that Boston is super-deep at big and only relatively deep at wing. I'd say it the other way around, in fact - that was my point.

And, as you seem to agree, we need to add Smart to the list of wings - whatever position he IS, a big part of what he PLAYS is wing.

Wings can provide cover at SG and SF. Swings can provide cover at SF and PF.

We really ought to just get rid of that antiquated 1-5 business.

[michigan adam]

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 think it is just easiest to say we are missing the guy who can bang with the big guys, not be an oaf on close outs and basic corner D, and maybe hit both inside and outside shots occasionally.  Call him a PF, a Swing, or a young Big AL, doesn't matter, we are missing that guy on this roster.  What we do have is an excess of most of what smart brings, and smart is both an expiring who wants more, and much more expensive than most of the other guys who do what he does. 

I trade Smart for a bagley, nance or similar at my earliest chance. 

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.

Post-Covid he was using an inhaler during timeouts. No part of his game suffered more than his team defense last season, but I look for it to be back at a high level this season.

2) Hate to say it, but imo Grant won't be in the league for much longer.

I guess we'll see about that.

. He ain't mobile/explosive enough to defend the perimeter.

And yet he's highly effective at it. Grant jumped the queue in his rookie year and played eighth-man minutes as a rookie because of his defense. That team was fourth in the league in team defense (in case anyone wants to claim that the coaching staff didn't know what they were doing when it came to team defense). He got crunch-time minutes at center most of the season and in the playoffs.

He ain't tall/long enough to protect the rim either.

And yet he's highly effective at protecting the paint; he'll even sacrifice a closeout to contain penetration, maybe to a fault. He's very smart, sees the floor on both ends; he's the most vocal guy on the team on D. As for his alleged slowness - exaggerated, but in any case he's great at something more important, which is anticipation.

He's nothing really. Just a hustle guy who's a mediocre shooter.

They've run offense through him for two seasons now.

And yes, I know he shot 37.2% from 3 last season, but he was attempting mostly wide open shots.

His future does not depend on his creating shots.

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.

I think you missed my point, which was that there's no need for a swing when you're using two-big lineups; typically then you'd have a ballhandler and two wings.

I'm not even entirely disagreeing with your claim that Boston is thin at swing; but Tatum is one, and he may well lead the team in minutes; Grant (despite the majority of fans' opinion) will play rotation minutes there; and some lineups won't use a swing at all - so the thinness at swing is not as serious as it might first appear.

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.

I wouldn't disagree with that, either, as long as we stipulate that Boston has mostly had him on the floor with another ballhandler; last season was very much the exception. For me, this is one of the really intriguing things to look for in the Udoka era of Celtics Basketball.

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.

I think I said that. I was responding to your claim that Boston is super-deep at big and only relatively deep at wing. I'd say it the other way around, in fact - that was my point.

And, as you seem to agree, we need to add Smart to the list of wings - whatever position he IS, a big part of what he PLAYS is wing.

Wings can provide cover at SG and SF. Swings can provide cover at SF and PF.

We really ought to just get rid of that antiquated 1-5 business.

[PAOBoston]

Brooklyn
Milwaukee
Philly
Miami
Atlanta
NYK
Boston
Charlotte
Chicago

Honest truth is I think there is the first five, and then the rest (NYK/BOS/CHA/CHI/IND/TOR) are sort of bunched together. So honestly wouldn’t be surprised to see the Cs as high as 5 but could legit see them as an 8 seed.