Predicting the NBA Eastern Conference
9. Indiana Pacers
The Pacers seem to have a lot of talent, they just haven’t had that talent go to the next level yet. Rick Carlisle’s coaching style along with a healthy Caris Levert should help them hover above .500 for most of the year.
At the least, Indiana qualifies for the play-in game. It would not surprise me if they ended up having a breakout season. Incremental improvement is my safe pick though.
10. Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte will be a fun team to watch but is another star away from being a playoff team. Once the front office realizes they aren’t quite there, I expect them to try and start looking to move Gordon Hayward. They need a younger player who could develop along with LaMelo Ball’s timeframe.
11. Toronto Raptors
Toronto’s coaching is good enough to win some games. They have enough players remaining from their 2019 championship team to where they should stay competitive enough to avoid the NBA cellar. Overall the Raptors are in limbo and close to a complete rebuild. It might be best to cash out Pascal Siakam and get a younger team together.
*12. Washington Wizards
A team that squeaked into the playoffs and is already in rebuild mode. Talk of a Bradley Beal trade seemed to go quiet when the team had a late-season surge and made the playoffs. Don’t be fooled; as soon as the Wizards have a rough start, which I expect them to have, the rumors will heat up again. Like Ben Simmons in Philadelphia, I expect Beal to be on a different roster after the trade deadline.
Next: Page 4 – On the bottom and postseason predictions