Poll

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

Best team in the East!
2 (3.9%)
Top 2
3 (5.9%)
Top 3
4 (7.8%)
Top 4
13 (25.5%)
Top 5
10 (19.6%)
Top 6
10 (19.6%)
Top 7
3 (5.9%)
Top 8
6 (11.8%)
We won't make the playoffs.
0 (0%)

Total Members Voted: 50

Author Topic: Eastern Conference Power Rankings  (Read 6193 times)

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Eastern Conference Power Rankings
« on: August 12, 2021, 06:04:22 AM »

Offline Jvalin

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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.
« Last Edit: August 12, 2021, 08:25:59 AM by Jvalin »

Re: Eastern Conference Power Rankings
« Reply #1 on: August 12, 2021, 07:04:28 AM »

Offline LilRip

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I voted top 8. We’re definitely not a top 3 team. I could see a case for us being in that 2nd tier of 4-6 where the Heat and Hawks seem to be a lock. So I have the C’s somewhere at 6-8 alongside the Bulls (who are much improved) and the Knicks (who I don’t think had a fluke season).

If all breaks well, I think we could be as high as 5th seed and advance to the 2nd round. If we run into some bad luck, probably a 7-8 seed again with a non-sweep exit in the first round.
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Re: Eastern Conference Power Rankings
« Reply #2 on: August 12, 2021, 08:30:08 AM »

Offline Moranis

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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. 
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Re: Eastern Conference Power Rankings
« Reply #3 on: August 12, 2021, 08:40:45 AM »

Offline Who

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Tier 1
Brooklyn
Milwaukee

Tier 2
Boston
Philly
Miami
Atlanta

Tier 3
New York
Indiana
Charlotte
Chicago

Tier 4
Washington
Toronto

Tier 5
Orlando
Cleveland
Detroit


So I have Boston in that 2nd tier in that 3-6 range. I like their squad the most out of the 4 teams but there is little separating them. I am worried by the lack of forward depth for Boston. They feel unnecessarily vulnerable to injuries.

So I will pick 3rd but anywhere in that 3-6 range. Doesn't matter greatly. They are all in the same boat.

Re: Eastern Conference Power Rankings
« Reply #4 on: August 12, 2021, 08:43:22 AM »

Offline Jvalin

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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.
« Last Edit: August 12, 2021, 08:49:18 AM by Jvalin »

Re: Eastern Conference Power Rankings
« Reply #5 on: August 12, 2021, 09:09:45 AM »

Offline slamtheking

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Tier 1
Brooklyn
Milwaukee

Tier 2
Boston
Philly
Miami
Atlanta

Tier 3
New York
Indiana
Charlotte
Chicago

Tier 4
Washington
Toronto

Tier 5
Orlando
Cleveland
Detroit


So I have Boston in that 2nd tier in that 3-6 range. I like their squad the most out of the 4 teams but there is little separating them. I am worried by the lack of forward depth for Boston. They feel unnecessarily vulnerable to injuries.

So I will pick 3rd but anywhere in that 3-6 range. Doesn't matter greatly. They are all in the same boat.
I think this is a pretty solid assessment except I'd drop Boston to tier 3.  I think the others you have in tier 2 have better rosters and the C's only really have 2 proven scorers now.

Re: Eastern Conference Power Rankings
« Reply #6 on: August 12, 2021, 09:14:01 AM »

Offline Tr1boy

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Celts ... talent pool wise... just as good as Bucks

Only behind a healthy Nets

If trio of PP, Langford and Nesmith take another leap. Celts arguably are the deepest.  Up to Udoka to bring it all together

Re: Eastern Conference Power Rankings
« Reply #7 on: August 12, 2021, 09:23:24 AM »

Online Goldstar88

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Tier 1
Brooklyn
Milwaukee

Tier 2
Boston
Philly
Miami
Atlanta

Tier 3
New York
Indiana
Charlotte
Chicago

Tier 4
Washington
Toronto

Tier 5
Orlando
Cleveland
Detroit


So I have Boston in that 2nd tier in that 3-6 range. I like their squad the most out of the 4 teams but there is little separating them. I am worried by the lack of forward depth for Boston. They feel unnecessarily vulnerable to injuries.

So I will pick 3rd but anywhere in that 3-6 range. Doesn't matter greatly. They are all in the same boat.

Brooklyn is definitely in their own tier. If they had just 2 of their 3 stars healthy they would have won that series vs the bucks in 5 or 6 games. All 3 and its a gentleman sweep.
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Quote
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Re: Eastern Conference Power Rankings
« Reply #8 on: August 12, 2021, 09:25:53 AM »

Offline Jiri Welsch

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As things stand right now, I think we are somewhere in the 4-6 range. I reserve the right to change this prediction within the first 15 games  ;D

We really do have 9 legit (I said legit not great!) NBA players on the team this year, which is a stark contrast compared to last year:

1. Tatum
2. Brown
3. Smart
4. Horford
5. R. Williams
6. Richardson
7. Schroder
8. Pritchard
9. Kanter

Then throw in the trio of Nesmith/Langford/G. Williams who all have been in the NBA for a bit and aren't total deer in headlights hopefully.

I think we are a solid team that's good defensively and will be a nuisance to play against.

Re: Eastern Conference Power Rankings
« Reply #9 on: August 12, 2021, 09:33:55 AM »

Offline footey

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(Assuming full health)

1. Nets
2. Bucks
3. Sixers
4. Hawks
5. Heat
6. Celtics

7. Knicks
8. Hornets
9. Wizards
10. Bulls

Re: Eastern Conference Power Rankings
« Reply #10 on: August 12, 2021, 09:37:06 AM »

Online Donoghus

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Think Celtics are 5 or 6 right now.  Will be interesting to see how fast they gel this season.  Could easily move up.


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Re: Eastern Conference Power Rankings
« Reply #11 on: August 12, 2021, 09:37:29 AM »

Offline #1P4P

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In the regular season, we’re reverting back to a 50+ win RS team, how many games above 50 depends on Udoka, the coaching staff, and team chemistry. We’ve been a 49+ win RS team for the previous 5 seasons with a lesser experienced version of this team, last season was the outlier.

In the playoffs, we’re top 3. With 2 top 20 scorers that are all around players still improving, an elite defense, youth, experience, and veteran leadership, we have all of the ingredients of a contender. In a 7 game series, I like our chances against any team including Milwaukee. The RS will tell us more about how we matchup against Brooklyn.

Re: Eastern Conference Power Rankings
« Reply #12 on: August 12, 2021, 09:49:38 AM »

Offline RJ87

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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. You can have all the ball movement in the world, but it doesn't matter if no one is capable of putting the ball in the basket.

So with that in mind, I think we're in that 5-7 range again.
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C: Kristaps Porzingis/Bobby Portis/James Wiseman

Re: Eastern Conference Power Rankings
« Reply #13 on: August 12, 2021, 10:10:59 AM »

Online Birdman

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 It all depends on 76ers & Simmons..trade him or keep him? And who they get back?
But I’m not big on Miami or 76ers..Atlanta can be top 3..if we get Lauri, we be top 3-4..right now, I’m saying 5th
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SF/SG- Tatum, Brown, Hayward, Smart, Semi, Clark
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Re: Eastern Conference Power Rankings
« Reply #14 on: August 12, 2021, 10:16:28 AM »

Offline Celtics4ever

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I voted 4th but we could be higher or lower depending on our commitment on D and how angry Brown and Tatum and if they come out playing hard to prove people wrong.   Our bench is better.

I can't put us on paper ahead of the Nets, Bucks or Philly at present.   That being said, we might be able to beat all those if things go right for us any given night.    I want to see more from ATL before I put them ahead of us, and I think some of the Knicks guy will backslide once they got paid.   Will Julius Randle pull a Mark Blount, tune in next season.