this post was submitted on 19 Oct 2023
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His top 7:

  1. Raptors

  2. Heat

  3. Knicks

  4. 76ers

  5. Cavs

  6. Bucks

  7. Celtics

The top of the Eastern Conference also doubles as the top of the NBA, at least until further notice.

It’s a strange thing to say when three of the past four championships were won by the other conference. However, the East had the three best regular-season records and the four best point differentials last season and, on paper, has by far the two best teams heading into the season. Either Boston or Milwaukee has been in the last seven Eastern Conference finals, and they had the two best 2022-23 regular-season records. After both clubs loaded up even further in the offseason, it looks like a two-team race at the top.

Alas, that quality trails off quickly. Miami, winner of the conference in two of the past four seasons (and nearly a third), lost key pieces and whiffed on Damian Lillard, leaving the Heat a step behind their rivals. Philadelphia is in similar straits while it plays out James Harden’s trade demand, which thus far has been a rerun of the Ben Simmons saga that brought Harden to Philly in the first place. Cleveland, and its talented core quartet, merits watching, but must prove it isn’t just a regular-season paper tiger. The Knicks are deep and fun, but lack star power. The Raptors similarly seem at least one player away from being anything threatening.

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[–] ACCBAN4TRUTHTELLING@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

Damn I guess we just missed the cut

[–] Good_NewsEveryone@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

Why are you asking me, John?

[–] inshamblesx@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Those has to be regular season standings predictions bc having more faith in the Cavs and Sixers than the Knicks and Heat come playoffs is the definition of insanity

[–] xerxesthagreat@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

julius randle is on the knicks why should he have any faith in them

[–] TruthSayerFu@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

When the cavs go further than the Knicks this year. A lot of casuals are going to be shocked.

[–] JoJonesy@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

Yeah, they’re regular season predictions. He lists the predicted win totals

[–] Wes_119@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (3 children)

it's the Bucks chip to lose

[–] JG951519@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (4 children)

No lol

Until I see the team click together and how they look then it’s not and won’t even be then because Boston is a good team.

So far in preseason we’ve looked weird but the coach has also been trying different schemes. Can see it taking a few weeks to get going

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[–] Final-Luck-4222@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

In theory, yeah. But let's see how Dame is come December.

[–] The_Sign_of_Zeta@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

Nah. I think we have a better chance than before the trade, but we have a couple legitimate weak spots we need to figure out. And it may take some time for the Giannis/Dame combo to hit full steam.

[–] nikop@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Hollinger is a clown who claimed that Will Barton for KCP was the Nuggets being cheap and sacrificing talent to save money.

[–] erldn123@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

Clown is a bit much, especially if that's his worst take lol everyone gets stuff wrong.....

[–] Raptors2017champs@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Thats the worst take you could come up with?

[–] nikop@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Barton was so bad that only someone who didn't watch any Nuggets games would say such a thing.

[–] Ok_Buffalo6474@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

Idk we still have will Barton defenders. I thought we stole kcp.

[–] SquimJim@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Some notes:

  • I'm just so much higher on the Hawks. It might be misplaced, but I thought they did a lot of good things in the playoffs and Jalen Johnson is one the rise.
  • I'm sorry, but you can all doubt the Heat again, I'm not falling for it. I was on the Heat train all last year when they sucked and briefly got off when they were still .500 like 80% of the way through the season. Play-ins started and I hoped backed on the train. This year, you aren't getting me off this train at all. I'm not doing it. 6th is way too low.
  • Bucks vs. C's is a coinflip imo and there's no wrong answer between the 2 of them.
[–] junkit33@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (3 children)

I'm sorry, but you can all doubt the Heat again, I'm not falling for it. I was on the Heat train all last year when they sucked and briefly got off when they were still .500 like 80% of the way through the season. Play-ins started and I hopped back on the train. This year, you aren't getting me off this train at all. I'm not doing it. 6th is way too low.

Counterpoint - The Heat were a 34% 3-point shooting team in the regular season, and then shot 45% from deep in their series against Milwaukee and Boston. That's it. That's why they won those series. It happens, tip of the cap, but it's an anomaly.

To put it into perspective how insane shooting mid-40's in a series is - The Warriors 3P% in their NBA Finals wins - 37% vs Boston, and 38%, 38%, and 36% in the 3 Cleveland series.

The Heat realistically were what they were all year - a solid but unspectacular team. And then they shot the 3-ball at an EXTREME aberration in two series against better teams.

The Heat will be in the mix of playoff teams and they're totally capable of beating a Knicks or Cavs caliber team. But I think expecting a deep playoff run again is just fear of the boogeyman more than anything.

[–] SquimJim@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Maybe, but I'm still trusting them over the Cavs, Knicks, and Sixers. Heat didn't shoot well against the Knicks, but beat them relatively easily and the Knicks beat the Cavs relatively easily.

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[–] GiveMeShadePls@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

The Heat had outlier-y bad shooting luck in the regular season on offense and defense, the odds of that happening again are extremely low.

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[–] BoopasaurusRex_____@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

We keep coming in here, every year, disrespecting the Heat. When will we learn? Well I learn today.

  1. Bucks
  2. Celtics
  3. HEAT
  4. 76ers
  5. Knicks
  6. Cavs
  7. Hawks
  8. Pacers
[–] Nuclearsunburn@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I’m fine with the ranking, Cavs at 3 is ballsy but not indefensible.

I do have issues with saying the two best teams are Boston and MIlwaukee….like Denver and the Lakers just don’t exist? With all the smoke blown up Milwaukee and Boston’s butts I am now sorta hoping Denver just buzzsaws the league again.

[–] KyrieLS777@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The post is about the Eastern conference

[–] Nuclearsunburn@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

“The top of the Eastern conference also doubles as the top of the NBA until further notice” - that’s what I take issue with

[–] Rohkha@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Ngl, kinda baffled. Watching how the Cavs biffed it in the postseason, and how Miami clapped the Knicks with a hobbled team, and the shitstorm that Phili is going through, seeing all these teams ahead of the Heat is just a mystery to me.

But this is r/nba, I’m ready to get flooded by replies telling me how the Heat did nothing to get better, and biffing Lillard makes them from top2 in the league to barely a play in somehow.

[–] RadiantFun7029@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I don’t disagree that they’re too low, but to be fair, they were a playin team last year

[–] lolvalue@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

They also were the 3rd or 4th most injured team. I think every year every team really just comes down to injuries and who doesn't have them. Same with Football.

[–] Timoteo-Tito64@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Didn't they also lose some role players?

[–] esridiculo@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

If you saw Strus in the playoffs, then not really.

Gabe Vincent was fine for the Heat, but most of our fan base agree he's been meh to serviceable his whole career.

They got rid of Dedmon and Zeller and they got some Thomas Bryant, which was a massive upgrade.

They always have some up and coming new players they keep bringing in and then give official contracts like Haywood Highsmith and Jamal Cain and the fan base is pumped for them.

But the biggest win is getting back JRich, who some fans actually thought was too useful to trade Jimmy for, way back when. He knows the system and is now a seasoned vet.

[–] Timoteo-Tito64@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

I'm a Celtics fan and Vincent was huge against us. You might not have beaten us if he wasn't there

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[–] wjbc@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

The other way of looking at it is that the Heat know they don’t have to be a top four seed, while the Cavs aren’t so sure they have a chance without home court advantage. So the Cavs have more incentive to go for a top four seed.

[–] jotyma5@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I think heat will be better than 6th, cmon

[–] recollectionsmayvary@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

After the Heat fan base, nobody respects the Heat as much as Boston fans do lol

[–] GiveMeShadePls@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

Nobody has watched the Heat more (aside from Heat fans) than Celtics fans

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[–] YourWorstNightmare9@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Cavs continue to be the most overrated team in the Eastern Conference.

[–] Blumpkin_Party@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They are built to win a lot of RS games with their defense. But I’m with you that I will need to wait until the playoffs to buy into anything they are doing. They were just awful in the playoffs last year.

[–] Lonnywalkman@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I mean are we really putting THAT much stock into a teams first playoff appearance that was a horrible matchup for them?

The teams third best player was in his second season and the team had no spacing.

Assuming you tweak the offense by adding spacing, which they did, and that Mobley takes a minor stride in offense that’s at least a seven game series with the Knicks.

The Knicks beat them in 5 but by no mean we’re these games not close.

[–] Blumpkin_Party@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They legit couldn’t generate half court offense. Not like they were playing some juggernaut either in the Knicks. It’s one thing being young and another being a complete deer in the headlights.

[–] Lonnywalkman@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

It wasn’t a deer in the headlights the team had no spacing they worked to address this in the off-season.

Assuming the teams offense gets slightly better they win the series. You’re not running back a one for one.

Cleveland seems to be just like star young players. Trae young is a great example. People like the new fun player with a bunch of potential then one thing goes wrong and people tend to hate and undervalue them.

Determining a young teams standing based on 5 games last year seems pretty illogical

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[–] 647_416@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

Raptors? LOL

[–] redder294@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

Cavs Knicks and 76ers all before Miami makes me chuckle....hard

[–] Dymatizeee@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

Celtics always at the top when they haven’t won sht lmaoo

[–] SenatorBimmons10@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

The Sixers are winning the most unlikely of championships this year.

[–] 20BeersDeep@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

No matter whatever teams the cavs, Knicks, or sixers put out I’ll have the heat in front of them as finals contenders

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