Entering the 2018-19 season, the Eastern Conference is once again viewed as the lesser of the NBA’s two conferences. Still, there’s plenty of intrigue surrounding the East, a potentially top-heavy conference with a number of teams capable of making it to the NBA Finals once June rolls around. In today’s 2018-19 preview roundtable, our staff looks at the teams out East and predicts who will end up winning the conference.
Previous 2018-19 NBA preview roundtables:
What team is going to be the biggest disappointment?
Jeff Siegel: Compared to their own internal expectations? The Cleveland Cavaliers somehow think they’re still strong playoff contenders, and that’s not just Tristan Thompson saying stuff. The whole organization believes they’re right in the mix at the top of the East and are going to be sorely disappointed when they’re sitting at home by April 20.
Chris Barnewall: When in doubt, pick the Wizards to disappoint even our lowest expectations.
Robby Kalland: The Wizards are the choice as far as teams with real playoff expectations, but I’m going to say the Chicago Bulls. This is a team that somehow got bet up to a season win total over 30 (it’s since come back down to 29.5), but it wouldn’t surprise me if they’re challenging the Knicks and Hawks for the title of worst team in the East. This team may be historically bad defensively and I don’t think they’ve got the offensive firepower to make up for that. I love Wendell Carter Jr. and he deserves better, but this team is simply put a defensive nightmare.
Konata Edwards: Toronto has way too many moving pieces for me to feel comfortable with them. They’re adding a new go-to guy in Kawhi and Kyle Lowry is due for a decline. On top of that, Nick Nurse is a first-time NBA head coach, so the adjustment period is going to be a long one.
Jamie Cooper: Can the Wizards still be considered a disappointment if they keep doing what they always do, which is perpetually under-deliver? Granted, some of last season had to do with health issues, but they have too much talent not to be further along at this point. Also, I can’t tell whether Dwight Howard and his intrepid toxicity raise or lower the expectations.
Brad Rowland: The Wizards make sense but, since everyone is projecting them, let’s go with the Indiana Pacers. That isn’t to say that Victor Oladipo and company won’t make the playoffs, because they will, but there is a growing notion that this could be a 50-win club and I just don’t see it.
Nekias Duncan: I have next to no faith in Detroit. I love Dwane Casey, Andre Drummond, and Blake Griffin. But when you have to rely on Reggie Jackson to look respectable on offense, I just, well, no. A lot of people I respect have penciled in Detroit as a seven or eight seed, but I just don’t see it.
Mike Zavagno: I’m concerned about the Sixers. This whole Markelle Fultz starts the first half but not the second half thing is odd. They took off last season after acquiring bench spacers Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova — but it came against a cupcake schedule. Their ball screen lite offense felt susceptible to the Celtics’ switches in the Playoffs. I’m not saying the Sixers will fall out of the Playoffs or anything dramatic, but I am wary of locking them into a top-three seed.
Raj Prashad: Philly just seems like the logical choice here. The hype after they handled Miami in the playoffs last year was out of control before everything came crashing down. Can Embiid stay healthy? Can Fultz develop his jumper? There are plenty of questions we won’t have answers to right away.
Bill DiFilippo: I really hope this isn’t the case, but Miami is almost completely running it back on a team that won 44 games and got bounced in the first round of the postseason last year. Yes, injured guys are healthier and young guys are a year older, plus a potential Jimmy Butler trade looms large, but it’s very possible last year showed up Miami’s ceiling with this group.
What team is going to be the biggest surprise?
Siegel: The Milwaukee Bucks will push the Philadelphia 76ers for the three seed. It can’t be understated how important it is to have a real coach running a real offensive and defensive system, which the Bucks finally have in Mike Budenholzer.
Barnewall: The Pistons have a chance to be a surprise team. Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin didn’t get that much time together last season and Reggie Jackson has spent so much of his Detroit tenure injured. An actually healthy season could maybe be enough to get Detroit back into the playoffs in a big way.
Kalland: Milwaukee might finally tap into their full potential this year and be actually scary in the East. I’m a believer in what Bud is going to do with this team, both offensively and defensively. I picked Giannis as MVP this season and think Middleton’s going to garner some All-Star love (and MIP love). If they don’t put it together this year, then I don’t know what the plan is going to be moving forward for the Bucks.
Cooper: I realize the Pacers already used up their status as a surprise team last season, but I’m gonna go out on a limb and say Indiana will find themselves fighting for the No. 2 seed in the East by the end of next season.
Rowland: The Bucks shouldn’t be a surprise now with Mike Budenholzer on board. Still, they are the one team with the ability to (potentially) rival the top teams in the conference and that will garner quite a bit of attention. If you’re looking down the list a bit, the Brooklyn Nets may qualify.
Duncan: I have no idea if they’re going to sneak into the playoffs at eight, but I think a lot of people are sleeping on Charlotte. James Borrego’s go-go pace should energize guys like Kemba Walker, Malik Monk, Miles Bridges (Summer League and preseason #Star) and especially Cody Zeller. Their long-term outlook is rough, but there are enough solid rotation pieces around Kemba to make them a playoff team.
Zavagno: I’m going to agree with Jamie in saying that people are down on the Pacers relative to where I think they will finish. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a team that will challenge for Eastern Conference supremacy. But the athletes they can deploy across the board compete to form a stout defense and the addition of Tyreke Evans’ scoring punch off the bench should vault them into the top-four seed conversation.
Prashad: I really love Milwaukee and they don’t seem to be getting the love they probably deserve. Giannis looks like he’ll be unleashed this year, Khris Middleton is in a contract year and it could be a sneaky good team under Mike Budenholzer.
DiFilippo: To go off the beaten path a little, how about the Brooklyn Nets? I don’t think they’re going to be a top-4 seed or anything — they might not even make the playoffs — but I love how hard they play under Kenny Atkinson. There’s talent in Brooklyn, and if Jarrett Allen makes a leap and D’Angelo Russell has a big contract year, I can see Brooklyn challenging for a postseason spot, even if that costs them the chance to be at the top of the 2019 NBA Draft.
Who is the best team outside of the conference champions?
Siegel: Toronto is clearly the second-best team and the only other real contender for the Finals. If Kawhi is even 80 percent of what he was pre-injury, they’re going to be a devastating team on both sides of the ball.
Barnewall: The Raptors are the obvious pick here with Kawhi Leonard, but they’re going to need time to make adjustments. Let’s not sleep on the 76ers. Improvement of youth could lead to yet another massive jump by that core.
Kalland: It’s the Raptors provided Kawhi is still Kawhi. I think the 76ers are pretty much who they were last year, which is a good team still needing a little more time (and a little more shooting). Toronto’s depth is impressive, I think the offense will be a bit more free-flowing without DeRozan who could at times take the air out of the ball, and defensively, they have the pieces to be nasty. They just don’t have the top-level talent across the board Boston does.
Edwards: I think a lot of people are sleeping on Indiana. They added two guys in Tyreke Evans and Doug McDermott that are gonna give the Pacers a versatile roster that can match up with most teams.
Cooper: If Kawhi is healthy, it’s the Raptors. He’s the third or fourth-best player in the league when he’s at his best, and they basically swapped him in for DeMar DeRozan, which no offense to DeRozan, is a massive upgrade on both ends of the court. But the Sixers are right there, too.
Rowland: Toronto and Philadelphia are the only choices and it comes down to Kawhi Leonard. If he’s the player we all know and love from San Antonio, the Raptors could even challenge the Celtics. If he isn’t, the Sixers have the goods.
Duncan: Toronto. They have, at worst, the second-best player in the conference in Kawhi Leonard. I’m a big fan of new head coach Nick Nurse, and that roster is deeeeeep.
Zavagno: If Kawhi returns to form (and he’s looked the part in the preseason), Toronto is the answer. First-year head coach Nick Nurse has a versatile roster that is malleable to fit the opponent. Pascal Siakam taking a mini-leap could function as a swing piece for the Raptors’ hopes.
Prashad: Going with the crowd here and picking Toronto. Kawhi has to be Kawhi or the Raptors will crumble. However, I’m assuming they get their act together and seriously challenge the Celtics for the conference crown.
DiFilippo: I believe in the Sixers. They have talent around Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons — both of whom I expect to take a step forward in 2018-19 — and Markelle Fultz (who I think is going to have a solid season) looms super, super large. It’s super close between themselves and Toronto, but I’ll go with Philly.
Who wins the Eastern Conference?
Siegel: Boston Celtics. They’re deeper in playoff-level talent than the Raptors and can match Toronto’s top-end talent well enough to make it work. They have plenty of bodies to throw at Kawhi Leonard defensively and can win a grind-it-out defensive battle with anybody in the league.
Barnewall: Boston Celtics. It’s a boring pick, but the Celtics came within one game of the NBA Finals with injuries all over the place last season. Not picking them, when LeBron James is in the West, would just feel silly.
Kalland: Boston Celtics. If they’re healthy I really don’t think anyone’s close to them in the East. Even if Kawhi is “that dude” again in Toronto, I just don’t think they’ve got the firepower to go up against the top talent in Boston.
Edwards: Boston Celtics. They have a bench unit that could start and be a playoff team in the East. Add a coach that is among the best in the game and this is academic.
Cooper: Boston Celtics. They took the Cavs to Game 7 without their two best players, and they’re running it back with both of them healthy this season. They have the most talent outside of the Bay Area, and it’s gonna be tough for anyone in the East to challenge them.
Rowland: Let me join the crowd in taking the Celtics. They are the best team on paper (especially from a depth standpoint) and, as long as everyone stays healthy for the playoffs, Boston should be considered the favorite.
Duncan: I’m going to go with Boston, but I’m feeling a little uneasy about it. They have the best roster and the best coach, so it should be an easy call. The offense has been ugly in the preseason (I know, I know), and a team like Toronto has the defensive versatility and star power to win a series if the offense isn’t humming. There’s plenty of time to work things out, but it’s something I’ll be looking out for.
Zavagno: Sweeps are boring, whether on the court or in predictions, but I’m not going to be the one to break the Celtics trend here. Boston is simply too talented across the board when compared to its Eastern Conference counterparts to not be the choice.
Prashad: With LeBron out of the East, it’s the Boston Celtics. Even without everyone healthy, Boston could make a run at the conference title. Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, and Al Horford are going to get rest, but even with the kids running the show, Boston stands as the favorites.
DiFilippo: The answer is Boston. I’m a hair concerned by the “there’s only one ball” thing, but they have the most talented roster in the conference with a defined pecking order and a coach who I trust can manage things as well as anyone. Outside of Golden State and maybe Houston, I don’t think anyone can beat the Celtics in a seven-game series.
