With the All-Star break set to begin after tonight’s games, it’s as good a time as any to check in on the NBA’s playoff race and assess which teams are best positioned to finish the season strong and make a deep postseason run.
We’ll start today with the Eastern Conference, which is more competitive in 2021/22 than it has been in years.
No team has been able to pull away from the pack in the East so far, with the 38-21 Bulls currently hanging onto the No. 1 seed by a half-game. If the season were to end today, Chicago’s .644 winning percentage would be the lowest mark for a conference’s top seed since Detroit went 50-32 (.610) in 2002/03.
However, while the East may lack a dominant team, the conference makes up for it in depth. The top five seeds are all within three games of one another, and the top eight seeds are all at least four games over .500 — the same certainly can’t be said of the West, where the 29-31 Clippers are in the No. 8 spot.
The parity in the Eastern Conference has created a fascinating playoff landscape. Instead of having one or two clear-cut favorites to represent the conference in the NBA Finals, the East has at least five or six teams that could realistically make it.
The aforementioned Bulls have the East’s best record despite having dealt with injuries and COVID-related absences to key players all season long. If they’re healthy in time for the postseason, they’ll be an incredibly tough out, especially with DeMar DeRozan shooting the lights out like he has lately.
The 37-21 Heat have also been affected by injuries, but have been dangerous when healthy. Their preferred starting lineup of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Kyle Lowry, Duncan Robinson, and P.J. Tucker has a +13.5 net rating for the season.
The Bucks (36-23) are the defending champions, having proven in last year’s playoffs that they can win big games and big series. The upstart Cavaliers (35-23) are on the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of postseason experience, but have one of the NBA’s best defenses and added some more offensive firepower at the deadline by acquiring Caris LeVert.
Further down the standings, the Sixers (34-23) and Nets (31-27) made themselves legitimate title threats by completing a deadline-day trade to acquire stars who actually want to play for them. James Harden is expected to make his Philadelphia debut after the All-Star break, while Ben Simmons will play at some point for the Nets, who will also be getting Kevin Durant back in the coming weeks.
The Celtics (34-26) and Raptors (32-25) were out of the East’s playoff picture earlier this season, but have been two of the conference’s hottest teams as of late. Boston’s +5.4 net rating and 104.9 defensive rating both rank first in the conference, while Toronto’s length and defensive versatility has created problems for many of its opponents — the Raps have a 6-3 record against the East’s current top three seeds.
Of course, the Hornets (29-30), the Hawks (28-30), and a couple others teams remain in the mix for an Eastern Conference playoff spot, but unless Atlanta can replicate its late-season success from a year ago, a spot in the NBA Finals is an extreme long shot for any of those clubs.
What do you think? Who’s your current pick to come out of the Eastern Conference? How many teams in the wide-open East do you think have a realistic chance to make the NBA Finals?
Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!
Bucks or Raptors. The rest are pretenders. West is more obvious. Suns or Warriors.
Lmao Raptors? Bulls when somewhat healthy are more of a contender then the raptors. Same with Sixers heat and probably nets depending on how it works out with Simmons and KDs/Kyries situations.
Ben simmons and the nets
Probably not enough time left to gel, but no one will want to face them
Heat or Bucks, everyone else has questionable depth. If they all stay healthy then I would have a hard time picking.
Bulls depth is the only reason they are in first right now, bud. 3 of their starters are injured, one of them for almost the whole season – and all of them will be back before the season ends.
All of them are injured right now. If healthy yea I will feel comfortable with the Bulls but Derozan playing out of his mind will not carry a team to the finals without the rest.
The Bulls have the toughest schedule left out of the top East teams.
According to Tankathon, the Bucks do. Bulls remaining SOS is 2nd toughest.
There could be some epic first round match ups! I would love to see Brkln Philly round 1. Even a 7/8 matchup of TOR and BOS would be filthy, with the loser playing ATL or CHA. MIL vs MIA and CLE and CHIC sneaking into the top two spots (stretch but let’s go!)
To be different let’s go with Miami!
Boston is surging at the right time and figuring things out. I don’t think the Bucks are worried about the top seed. The Bulls have been resilient as well as the Heat. Gonna take a little time for Embiid and Harden to gel on offense. I think Cleveland has the easiest schedule left of the teams in the top 8 but not by much over Miami and Toronto. Brooklyn will surge after Simmons gets back but I think they’re too far back to make up 6 games.
With all that in consideration here’s my picks
1. Miami
2. Boston
3. Milwaukee
4. Chicago
5. Cleveland
6. Philadelphia
Then 7. Brooklyn and .8 Toronto winning the play-ins.
My prediction:
1. Miami
2. Milwaukee
3. Chicago
4. Cleveland
5. Philly
6. Toronto
7. Brkln
8. Boston
How is Philly going to get worse?
The difference between Heat and 76ers
Bench back court
Herro and Strus >>> Milton and Korkmaz
There is a chance Celtics knock out 76ers in the first round playoffs
Beat out by 48 points without Harden
That game meant s**t. Boston lost next day to Pistons and Sixers beat Bucks on the road.
CHI, MIA, MIL, CLE, PHL, BOS, TOR, playin.BRO, 9.CHA(2.5gb8), ATL, WAS, waching.12.NYK(2gb11), 13.IND(4.5gb12), 14.DET(6gb13), ORL
Most teams are within 1.5 games of the team ahead of them. That is a tight bunch to the end of the list.
Bulls with Derozan in a show-them mode will likely prevail. I doubt Caruso needs much time to re-acclimate. They even kept Pat W as their future shining object.
Chicago, proving the expert commenters wrong
Insane parity as the result of injuries and COVID protocols. If everyone gets healthy, it’s the Bucks or Miami with a chance for both the Celtics and Bulls. Harden’s going to doom the 76ers and the Nets lack of time together make them unlikely. And if whatever West team that makes the Finals is healthy, they will win.
Indeed. Both injuries & COVID (as much as talent) has as much to do with the closeness in the EAST standings.
Look closely at the CELTS recent streak, they’ve feasted mostly on injured teams …… this should be true with the streaks of teams of a few other EAST teams e.g. CAVS
I also think it’s the BUCKS (because they have the dominant freak), the HEAT (tough and deep) and the NETS if they get their whole crew back – woe to the better-record team they face in the playoffs.
Methinks the SIXERS will feel the loss of Curry, come the playoffs.