Eastern Conference Playoff Teams Predictions: 2017-18 Who is going to the dance ?

[ebrian]

Or another view could be the lack of impact that Kyrie Irving brings...

I dunno man. You take away the best player in the world from a team that was built around him and... you will probably lose. Tristan Thompson offers no offensive capability. Kevin Love offers no defensive capability. JR Smith (I'm actually not sure what he brings). I guess we will see in a few weeks what Kyrie Irving brings.

[Chr1s1anL]

Cavs are bring Tristan off the bench. Starting Love at Center. Two top teams in the conference now have Love/Horford as thier starters at C.

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[ebrian]

It's probably for the best. I like Tristan Thompson but only for situational play. He would have been really good 10 years ago.

[Demographic Shift]

Well it’s about a month till training camp opens. With the Irving trade completed the last remaining domino to fall in the NBA East is the ongoing Melo-drama in New York. Right now it looks like no one is interested in helping Daryl Morey get Carmelo for table scraps and promises into Houston…. so for all intents and purposes let’s assume Carmelo goes to camp in NYC with the laugh a minute Knicks.

So its prediction time… who is going to go to the playoffs this year in the east?

I see the East in 4 Tiers.

The Contenders: Cavs / Raps / Whiz / Celtics

Up and Coming: Milwaukee / Hinkies

The Herd: Hornets / Pistons / Heat / Indy / Magic / Knicks

Selling Hope for the Future Cuz we Suck so bad Right Now: Nets / Bulls / Hawks

For my money the Playoff Teams will be… In Order:
1. Cavs….2. Raps…. 3.Whiz…. 4.Chowderheads….5. Bucks….6. Heat… 7. Pistons…8. Philly.

So here we are with 20% of the season now played by most teams.... How good was the crystal ball from the fearless predictions in August ? Above you see what the call was ... now from this seat here is what it looks like now...

The Contenders: Cavs / Raps / Whiz / Celtics
Are still the contenders... Boston is out of the gate like a rabbit in a horse race. Its an impressive run for sure but they are going to come back to the pack. The Raps are for all intents and purposes where they are supposed to be even after a 6 game 13 day western road trip gift from the league to open the season. The Whiz are wobbling out of the gate. A year ago the conventional wisdom was to shit all over them and they finished 4th after contending for a higher seed. This year they were picked to finish top 3 and don't look like that. Still in contender status as that starting 5 is pretty good. The Lebrons are still contenders simply because number 23 still pulls on the jersey for the Cavs but there are stress cracks to be seen. The team is indeed old. Their defense is wonky and even with Isiah Thomas on the periphery to fix the PG problem he won't help the defense. A contender.. absoeffinglutely. but the slam dunk win it going away mantra is no more.

Up and Coming: Milwaukee / Detroit
The Bucks aren't there yet. Yes they have the alphabet but he is a one man band. The all so prevalent sniffs of ISO ball still ring in Raptorville but the Bucks are the epitome of it. Give Giannas the ball and back off. They got Bledsoe which will help but the Bucks are still in the up and coming slot at this juncture. Stans crew from Motown are in 2nd and well deserved. I have not seen them play a single game save for the ass whooping they took in preseason at the hands of the Raps. So far they have beaten the teams they are supposed to and some they weren't (GSW on the road !). Unless the wheels fall off this is a playoff team for now.

The Herd: Hornets / Hinkies / Heat / Indy / Magic / Knicks/ Nets


Out of this compendium of suspects come the final two playoff participants. The Knicks are this years Heat ... They don't have a ton of talent beyond the Zinger but they play hard every night. They stood up as a team to Lebron after he said something none to bright about Frank Ntilinka. The Knicks are a lot of things but they are finally a team. The Hinkies are about where I expected. A 500 team with a full time press corp playing up every thing they do. It all rests on the knees of Embiid and the continued development of Simmons. The Heat need something however they have nothing to trade with to get what ever it is they need. The Pacers .. to the surprise of all are competative. Seems that Olidipo and Sabonis aren't stiffs and Myles Turner is continuing to improve. Watch these guys. They can run and score. The Magic got off to a good start but are becoming the Magic again. Still think that Weltman and Hammond do a makeover on this team. First guy out is Elfrid Payton followed by Aaron Gordon for yet another rebuild. The Nets are this years team plucky. They play hard and are starting to have a foundation but they are just not good enough. Its the last year without a pick. Light at the end of the tunnel. The Hornets suck. They can't score. Kemba Walker is the easts version of Damien Lillard. He puts up lots of numbers but at the end of the game they still lose. This team as constructed isn't going to the dance.

Selling Hope for the Future Cuz we Suck so bad Right Now: Bulls / Hawks


The Bulls are bad.. and as I wrote in August thats the plan. The kid Markaanen is very good and he brings hope. Mirotic will be dumped for nickels soon and the prospect of Lavine coming back provides more hope. Still.. watching the Bulls night in and night out is for saints. The Hawks are bad as well. They win some now and again but they will be picking in the top 6 or 7 which is what they want....

So as it stands.. at least from this corner of the world ...Going to the dance right now are

Raps / Chowders / Cavs / Wiz / Detroit / Bucks ... and scrapping for the the last two slots will be the Sixers... Indy ..and the Knicks.....