Everything Playoffs

[white men can't jump]

I think Giannis takes a huge step this season. They've got some better pieces this season -- Lopez and Ilyasova are good additions, and DiVincenzo is going to be solid for them. I'll be surprised if they fall out of the top 5.

This is my East standings after things have slowly come together closer to training camp time:

Boston
Toronto
Indiana
Philadelphia
Milwaukee
Washington
Miami
8. New York (if Porzingis makes it into the new year)
8. Chicago (good young pieces, if KP doesn't play before 2019)

....Chicago, Detroit, Brooklyn are just outside.

If Porzingis plays before the new year, they'll be solid. I actually think the Knicks' roster is good enough to slip in past Chicago, Detroit and Brooklyn. Griffin is on the downside of his career. Brooklyn still lacks the guy. Chicago is mad young, despite having some solid pieces. KP puts them over the top.

I still just think it would be a monumentally stupid move for Porzingis and the Knicks if he rushed back. He tore his ACL in February, and he is a lanky dude. (*It's not like OG who came back earlier than expected but has big legs and a strong frame, and only had to play a minor/rookie role.) He is their franchise player. He also has a chance at being a legit superstar in this league, make a lot of money and if he's lucky a winning legacy.

Knicks will lose a lot without him, and be in a hole. Better for him not to risk his career, or the franchise to risk, well, the franchise to push for a low playoff seed. If the Knicks are finally trying to go in the right direction, it just seems like a needless risk for a season that can't possibly be that much of a success.

--

As for Milwaukee, I just think they also partly benefit from a bad East where a lot of teams didn't really get better. Can they leapfrog into the 3-6 pack and maybe come out on top of it? Maybe. Giannis should improve a bit, and their roster is slightly better along with a new coach who is probably a decent upgrade. I think adding Lopez and Ilyasova was good for them. We'll see if they can put it all together.

I'm not sure if Indiana gets better or stays kind of the same. They will depend a lot on internal growth, but not sure they can really get into contender status. Washington is the same team, plus Dwight Howard (meh). Philly will need to stay healthy and get a strong season from Fultz, especially since they lost a bit of depth/shooting. They could finish 3rd, or Embiid could get injured and they struggle to win 30+ games.

It's weird that Toronto had such a big offseason but the season seems so uninteresting. If Toronto and Boston do what they are supposed to, probably nothing anyone else in the East does will matter.

[psrs1]

We're living in a world where derozan Aldridge and popovich could win 46 and miss the playoffs, while Charlotte or chicago wins 36 and makes the playoffs and those teams would lose to the spurs in like 5 games

Then again that's the nba reality for as long as I can remember. The east last 2 seeds usually have no business being there

Wizards took us to 6 games last year as#8 seed last year. Bulls took Celtics to 6 games as#8 seed two years ago. That said I agree it would be more exciting to seed top 16 seeds overall. I don’t see that though due to travel concerns.

[G__Deane]

I still think Celts are the team to beat with the Raps a solid #2 and taking them out in the playoffs.
But gelling and returning from injuries are just two things that you just never know what will happen.

Case in point:
Celtics’ Jabari Bird charged with attacking his girlfriend. Could have been a star or could disrupt team chemistry.
NHL dude got 27 games for pushing his girlfriend. This guy should simply be shown the door if found guilty

Boston Celtics guard Jabari Bird appears for his arraignment on domestic violence charges at Brighton Municipal Court, Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018 in Boston. Prosecutors say Bird choked his girlfriend multiple times, kicked her and prevented her from leaving his apartment for hours last week before he collapsed in distress.

[KeonClark]

I still think Celts are the team to beat with the Raps a solid #2 and taking them out in the playoffs.
But gelling and returning from injuries are just two things that you just never know what will happen.

Case in point:
Celtics’ Jabari Bird charged with attacking his girlfriend. Could have been a star or could disrupt team chemistry.
NHL dude got 27 games for pushing his girlfriend. This guy should simply be shown the door if found guilty

Boston Celtics guard Jabari Bird appears for his arraignment on domestic violence charges at Brighton Municipal Court, Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018 in Boston. Prosecutors say Bird choked his girlfriend multiple times, kicked her and prevented her from leaving his apartment for hours last week before he collapsed in distress.

I think the raps are just better. We have the best player and the best 2nd best player and while they may have a better top 4 guys overall, we start to pull away when you get to the 8th to 12th guys in the rotation.

But Kawhi can shut anyone down on their team and is better than any one of them offensively, kyrie included. Kyle now settles in as a clear #2 which is perfect for him, he was never quite good to share the load of top dog.

It really comes down to jv, og and Pascal imo. Those 3 need to be quality, very good NBA players on both sides of the ball and we pull away from Boston

[The Great One]

Meh. Without Porzingis at 100%, the Knicks are going nowhere.

The Eastern Conference is so weak. The 7-8 spot is wide open imo. I think they can hang in there without KP for the first 3 months of the season. Knox is a special rookie.

Knox can play the 3 and the 4. This could be their starting 5 without KP this season.

Kanter
Knox
Lee
Hardaway
Ntilikina

I think that's good enough to keep them afloat in the EC.

[Puffer]

...It really comes down to jv, og and Pascal imo. Those 3 need to be quality, very good NBA players on both sides of the ball and we pull away from Boston

JV could take a monster big step, IMHO, with the new players and the internal development that we have had sniffs of, if Nurse uses him differently. If the rotation shifts to more of what Dan has been advocating, and Ibaka and JV spend fewer minutes together (depending on matchup) JV's role changes immensely. I also think Ibaka gets a huge shot in the arm with the increased talent level and 3 - 5 more minutes on the bench and some rest days. Even the schedule seems kinder in terms of back to backs and travel.

It's not just the talent of the players. You have to consider Casey's player management. Over the course of an 82 game season, considering the point differential in games lost (weren't the Raptors one of the teams with the smallest point differential in games lost), Casey may have been actively responsible for 3 - 4 loses last year. Was anybody else pulling their hair out in game after game?

[LJ2]

Meh. Without Porzingis at 100%, the Knicks are going nowhere.



I think Charlotte will sneak into the playoffs this year at the 7th or 8th seed. Kemba Walker is pretty damn good, but the rest of that team is...meh. But I think they have enough to make the playoffs. Batum needs to be benched yesterday, MKG is too much of an offensive liability to be useful on defense (Biyombo will be the same as well). Jeremy Lamb has shown himself to be alright last year, Malik Monk hasn't shown much but could be useful off the bench, and who knows what Miles Bridges provides. Marvin Williams and Cody Zeller are solid as usual, those two will help out Kemba Walker a lot with spacing (Williams) and screening (Zeller). Oh, and Dwight Howard is gone.

As for Detroit, that team has so many mismatching pieces:

• Two ball-dominant players who can barely shoot (Blake Griffin and Reggie Jackson)
• Two players who play best in the interior (Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond)
• Not a lot of spacing, not a lot of versatile players
• Guess which player is going to get the ball in his hands the most? (Blake Griffin)

I just don't see how Casey is going to make that work. He's never shown he can be creative with this kind of stuff.

Yeah, I agree that Detroit is a jumble of mixed parts and badly need some shooting to space things out for Blake and Drummond. But Casey will likely to the same as what he did in Toronto and try and get an extra guard into the line-up so there is more ball handling ability out there. Calderon may get more minutes than he's bargained for LOL.

[LJ2]

I don't know if they're a dark horse, but I am very curious about Milwaukee. They finally added some bigs who can shoot/score, which will make it harder for teams to just drop back when Giannis is the ball handler on the p'n'r.

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I wouldn't call the Bucks a dark horse either, but I can see them moving up a couple of spots from their seeding last year. Not sure why that team struggles to score. Between Bogdon and Middleton they have good 3pt shooting. Pretty well balanced team all around. I think the big issue was J Kidd, didn't have a clue what he was doing and by the time they replaced him they couldn't implement a new system. I definitely think coach Bud will be a huge improvement...yeah I can see the Bucks moving up in the seeding this season.

[MACK11]

I have TOR, BOS, PHA, IND in the top 4, MIL, MIA, DET, WAS, in the bottom of the bracket. Threats to crack the top 8 are CHI and (gasp) NYK. They both have some young talent and may take a step at any time, tho a long shot for both I think.

The other rosters in the East are a mess.

Porzingis is gonna be our for half the year. Knicks will be a bottom 5 team

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[MACK11]

I just want to see a Raps/Pistons 1st round matchup. Is that too much to ask?

I would love it. The raptors would annihilate the pistons

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[golden]

[/B]

Yeah, I agree that Detroit is a jumble of mixed parts and badly need some shooting to space things out for Blake and Drummond. But Casey will likely to the same as what he did in Toronto and try and get an extra guard into the line-up so there is more ball handling ability out there. Calderon may get more minutes than he's bargained for LOL.

Casey is in a great position. He gets a free pass for the first 2 years and can blame any lack of success on the front office and the players (been there, done that). When Dwane is 90 years old and reflects back on what transpired this year, he'll realize that it was the luckiest thing that could have possibly happened to him.

[ReubenJRD]

I still just think it would be a monumentally stupid move for Porzingis and the Knicks if he rushed back. He tore his ACL in February, and he is a lanky dude. (*It's not like OG who came back earlier than expected but has big legs and a strong frame, and only had to play a minor/rookie role.) He is their franchise player. He also has a chance at being a legit superstar in this league, make a lot of money and if he's lucky a winning legacy.

Knicks will lose a lot without him, and be in a hole. Better for him not to risk his career, or the franchise to risk, well, the franchise to push for a low playoff seed. If the Knicks are finally trying to go in the right direction, it just seems like a needless risk for a season that can't possibly be that much of a success.

--

As for Milwaukee, I just think they also partly benefit from a bad East where a lot of teams didn't really get better. Can they leapfrog into the 3-6 pack and maybe come out on top of it? Maybe. Giannis should improve a bit, and their roster is slightly better along with a new coach who is probably a decent upgrade. I think adding Lopez and Ilyasova was good for them. We'll see if they can put it all together.

I'm not sure if Indiana gets better or stays kind of the same. They will depend a lot on internal growth, but not sure they can really get into contender status. Washington is the same team, plus Dwight Howard (meh). Philly will need to stay healthy and get a strong season from Fultz, especially since they lost a bit of depth/shooting. They could finish 3rd, or Embiid could get injured and they struggle to win 30+ games.

It's weird that Toronto had such a big offseason but the season seems so uninteresting. If Toronto and Boston do what they are supposed to, probably nothing anyone else in the East does will matter.

Great points.

I can't for the life of me write Washington off. Something about John Wall. If he manages to stay healthy (which is the question EVERY year), I think he's poised for a huge season, especially if Dwight is serviceable in the pick-&-roll. Those two guys can't shoot, but Washington has a few shooters where they can make that specific play a nightmare.

For the Knicks and KP, it was mostly hypothetically based on the timeline of his return. I don't want him back playing if he's not 100%. Loveeee his game and I don't want the league to lose another star to bad recovery, i.e. Rose.

I'm on Indy's bandwagon, I think Oladipo is a stud. Finally given the minutes and the role to expand on his game. He was well-worth the 4th pick in the draft. Orlando was a bad situation and in OKC had to defer to an insanely ball-dominant Westbrook MVP season. I originally was in the group of "Indy is not that good," but, I am convinced. They added Tyreke Evans, McDermott, O'Quinn, and aside from Oladipo, Sabonis and a learner Myles Turner will grow from last season. They've got a solid depth chart.

Collison-Cojo
Oladipo-Bogdanovic
Evans-McDermott
Sabonis-Young
Turner-O'Quinn

[ReubenJRD]

It's weird that Toronto had such a big offseason but the season seems so uninteresting. If Toronto and Boston do what they are supposed to, probably nothing anyone else in the East does will matter.

I think everyone is still coming to terms with the DeRozan/Kawhi trade. Whether you were the average fan or hardcore supporter, there was definitely mixed emotions on Kawhi/DeMar, which is still happening until Kawhi hits the floor and puts the jersey on.

Greg Monroe was a solid signing too, but, again, nothing that splashes the soup 'cause of the previous deal.

Toronto had a great off-season: Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, Fred VanVleet re-signing, Monroe signs a vet-minimum -- but, again, so many fans are still butt-hurt about DeRozan, which I can't blame any of them for.

However, the knowledgeable basketball fan knows the Raptors got exceptionally better, and it's just taking time for fans and analysts to really wrap their head around a top-3 player being in Toronto. This is completely new territory.

[Demographic Shift]

I think everyone is still coming to terms with the DeRozan/Kawhi trade. Whether you were the average fan or hardcore supporter, there was definitely mixed emotions on Kawhi/DeMar, which is still happening until Kawhi hits the floor and puts the jersey on.

Greg Monroe was a solid signing too, but, again, nothing that splashes the soup 'cause of the previous deal.

Toronto had a great off-season: Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, Fred VanVleet re-signing, Monroe signs a vet-minimum -- but, again, so many fans are still butt-hurt about DeRozan, which I can't blame any of them for.

However, the knowledgeable basketball fan knows the Raptors got exceptionally better, and it's just taking time for fans and analysts to really wrap their head around a top-3 player being in Toronto. This is completely new territory.

It’s a bit like the trade for Robbie Alomar and Joe Carter....lots of fans upset at losing McGriff and Tony Fernandez but it kinda worked out....same as the Wendell Clarke to Nordiques for Matt’s....

Leonard is the better player and a bit younger...you make that trade 100 times out of 100.
Love Demar..loved the loyalty..the discipline..his game...but if you love upping your odds of winning....you have to park the emotional attachment..Ujiri is taking an informed risk with a ton of upside. Winning will cure any heartache.

[EthanHarris]

I think everyone is still coming to terms with the DeRozan/Kawhi trade. Whether you were the average fan or hardcore supporter, there was definitely mixed emotions on Kawhi/DeMar, which is still happening until Kawhi hits the floor and puts the jersey on.

Greg Monroe was a solid signing too, but, again, nothing that splashes the soup 'cause of the previous deal.

Toronto had a great off-season: Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, Fred VanVleet re-signing, Monroe signs a vet-minimum -- but, again, so many fans are still butt-hurt about DeRozan, which I can't blame any of them for.

However, the knowledgeable basketball fan knows the Raptors got exceptionally better, and it's just taking time for fans and analysts to really wrap their head around a top-3 player being in Toronto. This is completely new territory.

Totally agree.
DeRozen was the face of Toronto, but currently the team became even better.