2022 - 2023 Eastern Conference Predictions

[foucault87]

1. Celtics
2. Sixers
3. Raptors
4. Hawks
5. Nets
6. Bucks
7. Heat
8. Cavs

I need some explanation here. This has to be one of the wildest rankings I have seen

 

[All4One1ForAll]

I need some explanation here. This has to be one of the wildest rankings I have seen

I think we’re going to be clearly better come playoffs than last year but it’s going to take a while for everyone to adjust to roles and that’ll show in the record. Mitchell and Garland learning to play together on both ends, LeVert having to defend SFs, Mobley taking up more responsibility, etc. I also think you’ve got to take into account we were a mediocre team record-wise after Rubio went down and that’s the level we’re improving from right now. You can mention the injuries, but we have a somewhat injury prone roster so that will always be a factor. I’m not a JBB guy either so I don’t see him as someone who will maximize the talent of this group to a great regular season record necessarily.

Finally, a lot of guys had career years last season and even with young players, progress is not always guaranteed to be linear. I could absolutely see JA having a down year, Love not having another 6MOY type season, Rubio taking a while to look close to his past self, Garland or Mitchell starting off in a shooting slump, LeVert not working at the 3 and the team having to experiment with options, etc. With the three big lineup, we racked up a lot of wins last year early on taking the league by surprise. It’s going to be tougher this year imo which will compensate a bit for the increase in talent level.

I personally see 44ish wins again, and I think in the coming years you’ll see us really start to put it together and reach our potential, especially after solidifying our long term starting 3. I’m not seeing top-3 seed material quite yet though, especially in a very strong and deep Eastern Conference right now. Hope I’m wrong but that’s what I’m seeing.

 

[foucault87]

I think we’re going to be clearly better come playoffs than last year but it’s going to take a while for everyone to adjust to roles and that’ll show in the record. Mitchell and Garland learning to play together on both ends, LeVert having to defend SFs, Mobley taking up more responsibility, etc. I also think you’ve got to take into account we were a mediocre team record-wise after Rubio went down and that’s the level we’re improving from right now. You can mention the injuries, but we have a somewhat injury prone roster so that will always be a factor. I’m not a JBB guy either so I don’t see him as someone who will maximize the talent of this group to a great regular season record necessarily.

Finally, a lot of guys had career years last season and even with young players, progress is not always guaranteed to be linear. I could absolutely see JA having a down year, Love not having another 6MOY type season, Rubio taking a while to look close to his past self, Garland or Mitchell starting off in a shooting slump, LeVert not working at the 3 and the team having to experiment with options, etc. With the three big lineup, we racked up a lot of wins last year early on taking the league by surprise. It’s going to be tougher this year imo which will compensate a bit for the increase in talent level.

I personally see 44ish wins again, and I think in the coming years you’ll see us really start to put it together and reach our potential, especially after solidifying our long term starting 3. I’m not seeing top-3 seed material quite yet though, especially in a very strong and deep Eastern Conference right now. Hope I’m wrong but that’s what I’m seeing.

Fair enough. How about Hawks and Tor at 3-4 and Mil down at 6. Consensus put Milwaukee as the favorites to win the East.

 

[All4One1ForAll]

Fair enough. How about Hawks and Tor at 3-4 and Mil down at 6. Consensus put Milwaukee as the favorites to win the East.

Milwaukee is old and not deep. No real young talent developing. They also won a title recently and aren't going to be as motivated to go all out in the regular season.

2020: 9.41 SRS
2021: 5.57 SRS
2022: 3.22 SRS

Trending downward season-to-season too. I think they'll be better than their record suggests in the playoffs. But I think they'll be pretty tame in the RS.

Toronto is coached really well, has a lot of player continuity, and they’re the best in the league right now at developing talent, which will come in handy with guys like Barnes, Precious, and OG. I think they’ll win a lot of games, and they always seem to win more games than the consensus believes every year outside of the year they spent in Tampa.

Atlanta had a disappointing season last year and still won 43 games, going 26-15 in the second half of the year. I don't see them making it far in the postseason, but their offense will be very hard to stop in the RS. Trae and Murray looked like a perfect fit together during the preseason. Having two guys who can get into the paint at will like that, surrounded by a good amount of shooting and with a young big in Okongwu who I think is poised to take a big leap...I think they'll put up points. Defense will probably be league average because of Trae's ineptitude alone but they'll probably be the #1 offense.

 

[cavsfever]

I think we’re going to be clearly better come playoffs than last year but it’s going to take a while for everyone to adjust to roles and that’ll show in the record. Mitchell and Garland learning to play together on both ends, LeVert having to defend SFs, Mobley taking up more responsibility, etc. I also think you’ve got to take into account we were a mediocre team record-wise after Rubio went down and that’s the level we’re improving from right now. You can mention the injuries, but we have a somewhat injury prone roster so that will always be a factor. I’m not a JBB guy either so I don’t see him as someone who will maximize the talent of this group to a great regular season record necessarily.

Finally, a lot of guys had career years last season and even with young players, progress is not always guaranteed to be linear. I could absolutely see JA having a down year, Love not having another 6MOY type season, Rubio taking a while to look close to his past self, Garland or Mitchell starting off in a shooting slump, LeVert not working at the 3 and the team having to experiment with options, etc. With the three big lineup, we racked up a lot of wins last year early on taking the league by surprise. It’s going to be tougher this year imo which will compensate a bit for the increase in talent level.

I personally see 44ish wins again, and I think in the coming years you’ll see us really start to put it together and reach our potential, especially after solidifying our long term starting 3. I’m not seeing top-3 seed material quite yet though, especially in a very strong and deep Eastern Conference right now. Hope I’m wrong but that’s what I’m seeing.

If we have the same number of wins as last year after trading away basically all our assets for the next decade in a win-now move Koby is going to be on the hot seat

People don’t seem to get how radical our trade was

 

[Rich]

I think Boston wins the conference by at least 3 games.

The addition of Brogdon at the cost of essentially zero of their top 7 players was way underrated.

The thing they lacked was a guard who could reliably initiate offense when they got stagnant.

And voila, Malcolm Brogdon

Cavs 6th seed at 48 wins.

 

[Sir'Dom Pointer]

If we have the same number of wins as last year after trading away basically all our assets for the next decade in a win-now move Koby is going to be on the hot seat

People don’t seem to get how radical our trade was

I think it's JBB who's gonna be on hot seat. And by that I mean 85% fired.

 

[Peacedog]

My 2022-2023 Eastern Conference Predictions:

1. 76ers (Healthy Embiid/Harden)
2. Bucks (Giannis/Healthy Middleton)
3. Nets (Still have Durant/Kyrie)
4. Celtics (Low due to Williams injury)
5. Heat
6. Cavs (Growing Pains)
7. Hawks
8. Raptors (Young/Athletic)
9. Bulls (Lonzo Ball Injury, Aging Derozan)
10. Knicks
11. Pistons (Young, talented roster)
12. Wizards
13. Hornets
14. Pacers
15. Magic

What would you change?

 

[Peacedog]

I think Boston wins the conference by at least 3 games.

The addition of Brogdon at the cost of essentially zero of their top 7 players was way underrated.

The thing they lacked was a guard who could reliably initiate offense when they got stagnant.

And voila, Malcolm Brogdon

Cavs 6th seed at 48 wins.

 

[tn819]

Intriguing to gravedig on this one. Lots of people had us at 4 and that feels right.

I said 4-6 not anticipating the Celtics dominance but Brooklyn may still slide a bit post trade to get us to the more optimistic 4 range of the scenario that many predicted.

Milwaukee has also been laying off in the regular season as well so who knows and Philly is white hot. Could we still get hot and squeeze into 3/4 or Miami picks it up and we slide to 6?

Feel good about real playoff ball this year.

 

[Dr No]

So how is everyone’s prediction looking? I said 50-32 and the 5 seed. Pretty close