Eastern Conference Showdown: Which Unexpected Team Will Rise to Dominate the NBA?

With the NBA Opening Night just around the corner, the Eastern Conference is shaping up to be a curious mix of promise and uncertainty—kind of like throwing on your old favorite jersey only to find it’s shrunk in the wash. Sure, there’s a familiar excitement that grips you—the crackle before tip-off, the Christmas Day face-offs, the fever pitch building toward the playoffs—but this year, the East feels a tad shaken, not stirred. The Cavaliers appear poised to seize the throne, yet with injuries sidelining stars from Boston to Indiana, and the Bucks nursing grudges as much as rosters, the traditional hierarchy wobbles. And let’s not forget the Knicks—good starting five, benched questions, and a coaching change that might just be their wild card or their Achilles’ heel. So, as we buckle in for what promises to be a rollercoaster season, the real question is: will the underdogs shake the foundations, or will the familiar giants rise once more? Ready to dive into the chaos and order of the East? Let’s unpack it all. LEARN MORE.

NBA Eastern Conference Preview

We are only about a week away from the NBA Opening Night. I’ve said this about baseball, and I feel like it is the same in the NBA: there are very specific moments of heightened excitement. Opening Night is one of them, Christmas Day is one, and then right before the playoffs is also great. Obviously, the playoffs are awesome; they are in all sports. I am pumped for this season, and plan to do more NBA plays for Outkick than I’ve ever done (which shouldn’t be hard, because I never wrote NBA articles previously, just podcasted). Here is my NBA Eastern Conference Preview.

Cleveland Cavaliers – 64-18 – 1st in East

The East has taken a step back this year. The Celtics have an injured Jayson Tatum and have lost a lot of key pieces. The Pacers lost Tyrese Halliburton to injury. The Bucks lost Damian Lillard and only replaced him with Myles Turner. That’s three of the top six teams from last year. The Cavs added Lonzo Ball to an already deep lineup. The books are a bit crazy for thinking that they will lose seven fewer games this season than last.

Boston Celtics – 61-21 – 2nd

I mentioned the Tatum injury in the previous paragraph, and I’d expect him to miss all of this season. The thing is that I can’t imagine the Celtics being great enough to have a realistic shot at the championship if he comes back. I think they will not mortgage his future for this year. Sure, Jaylen Brown is still around, and so is Derrick White. Those two should be enough to keep the team at least competitive. They have Payton Pritchard off of the bench, but it is not a deep bench. Anfernee Simons replaces Jrue Holiday so the team is taking a step back defensively, but Simons can get hot so he might give them as many as he gives up. Sam Hauser and Neemias Queta round out the starting lineup. Hauser is fine, but nothing exciting, and Queta is… an NBA player. The books are calling them a .500 team, and I think they probably go under.

New York Knicks – 51-31 – 3rd

They got rid of their coach. They made it to the Eastern Conference Finals and got rid of their coach. Sure, they replaced Tom Thibodeau with Mike Brown, but it still doesn’t make much sense. The one thing you can probably be sure of with the Knicks this year is that the team won’t be run into the ground. They have arguably the best starting five in basketball, and the team did address the bench issues. They have Miles McBride, Jordan Clarkson, and Josh Hart coming off the bench. That’s a good trio, with Clarkson and McBride kind of being microwaves and Hart doing a bit of everything. Health will be an issue as usual, and seeing if they can get the pieces to fit properly will be an issue as well. over 53.5 feels good, but I’m not rushing to the window with it.

Indiana Pacers – 50-32 – 4th, lost in NBA Finals in 7 games.

The Pacers were the Little Engine That Could. This year they are the Little Engine That Has No Chance To Replicate Last Year. They lost 40% of their starting lineup for the majority (if not all) of the season. They still have some fighters and depth, but this team will struggle this year. Andrew Nembhard is good, but he is not the facilitator that Hali is. The offense will take a major step back and the defense will also hurt without Turner.

Milwaukee Bucks – 48-34 – 5th

I still hate the Bucks from last year. All I needed them to do was win one game against the Pacers that they had a big lead with a minute left in both regulation and overtime. They couldn’t. So, maybe I shouldn’t write about them as I’ll never forgive them. The pairing of Giannis and Dame never really worked out. The team had no depth, and rather than get depth, they got Turner. He is an upgrade over Brook Lopez, but the team is still relying on bench players in the starting lineup. I don’t see a team with Giannis winning fewer than 45 games, though. Will he last the whole season there? Rumors are already swirling about him going to the Knicks.

Detroit Pistons – 44-38 – 6th

This was the surprise team last year to everyone except Geoff Clark. The Pistons really came together and went from a team that won 14 games two years ago, to one that won 44 last year. What will they do for their next act? Cade Cunningham has proven he is a true superstar. The team has good depth, and added some three-point shooting with Duncan Robinson. I like the addition of Caris LeVert as well. Jaden Ivey is also back in the mix after being injured last season. Expect the Pistons to finish 4th or better.

Orlando Magic – 41-41 – 7th

Orlando made a splash by getting shooter Desmond Bane from the Grizzlies in the offseason. It adds a much-needed option when this slow-paced team gets a bit stagnant. The Magic won 41 games last year with only half of a season from Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs. Suggs still has not been cleared to return, so his status is uncertain, and they aren’t overly deep, but this is a good team. 50.5 seems high, but I don’t think betting against it is the right answer. It is too health-dependent for me to make a determination on it.

Miami Heat – 37-45 – 8th

There were rumors the Heat were going to get Kevin Durant. That didn’t happen. There were rumors forever that they would get Damian Lillard. The Heat, for the first time in a while, seem like they have no idea what they are doing. Tyler Herro is hurt to start the year, but this is a franchise that is best at “Next Man Up.” I don’t love the win total, but I do think they make the play-in tournament.

Atlanta Hawks – 40-42 – 9th

For the first time in a while, the Hawks actually seem to have a logically constructed roster. Trae Young will still be the focal point, but they have a defensive-minded shooting guard. Kristaps Porzingis is a good rim protector and good offensive weapon. Jalen Johnson is super talented. Their bench got deeper with Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard. The biggest question is if Zaccharie Risarcher will take a step forward this year. They should get to over 48 wins, but it will be a sweat.

Chicago Bulls – 39-43 – 10th

The Bulls have been awful for years, and it seems like the franchise’s entire goal is to make the Play-In Tournament. Well, with this roster, that’s probably going to be a goal accomplished again. But, it is possible they miss altogether. They won’t hit the playoffs as currently constructed. They should trade away Nikola Vucevic, and if they don’t plan to build around Coby White, they should trade him too. White won’t lead you to the championship, but he could be a very good second or third option. They are predicted for under 32.5 wins, I could see that coming true.

Toronto Raptors – 30-52 – 11th

This should be an improved team, but I’m not really sure how much better. They have a few good players, but getting them to fit together will be interesting. None of the team members seem interested in playing defense, so look at overs for this team’s games.

Brooklyn Nets – 26-56 – 12th

The Nets will be one of the worst teams in the league again. Cam Thomas took a qualifying offer, and I personally think he is the most ideal 6th man candidate in the league. He is a walking bucket. Send him somewhere that he can be a microwave off the bench. Michael Porter Jr. appears to be a nutcase based on the summer podcasts. Nic Claxton is the lone defender on the team. They will likely allow 120 points per game on average.

Philadelphia 76ers – 24-58 – 13th

The team that didn’t make the playoffs last year is likely to make it this year. Maybe the Raptors fall into that same category, but either way, Philadelphia should be better. Joel Embiid seems healthy again, but it is probably unlikely he will remain that way. Paul George needs to have a rebound season. The team does have depth, though, and if they get Jared McCain back, they could be great. I think they will be better than .500, but not by too much.

Charlotte Hornets – 19-63 – 14th

LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel. Three guys who all have potential to be pretty solid. If Ball can remain healthy and shows growth from maturation and defensively, the team has potential to at least compete for a play-in spot. There isn’t a ton to like about the Hornets, and they will struggle on defense, but this is a better team than the 19 wins from last year.

Washington Wizards – 18-64 – 15th

I think there is some reason for excitement with the Wizards. I don’t expect them to be a Play-In team or even good enough to get to 25 wins, but some of these kids, and veterans, can play. CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton should be trade pieces for contenders near the deadline. Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr could be solid. Bub Carringon showed some flashes last year as well. Think about them as competitive, but not good.

Hopefully these snippets help you with your own plays or leans for the NBA. Can’t wait for the regular season to start!

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