With the 2014-15 NBA season knocking on our door (less than a month left) I’ve decided to write a long article to preview briefly NBA’s Eastern Conference. An article on the Western Conference is going to follow, but I feel like this season all eyes are going to be on the East and for many good reasons. It is not that the West is going to be less interesting, but we are just used to the West being interesting and having a competitive East is simply exciting. So, I will try within the length of this article, to give a short preview of all Eastern Conference teams and my prediction (regular season and play-offs).
The most exciting thing with the East is, in my view, the big changes in the balance of power within the conference, which has been, the past four years, dominated by the Miami Heat and their ‘Big-Three’. This summer, however, the ‘Big-Three’ lost their ‘King’ and turned into ‘Big-Two’, while the league’s 2010-11 MVP, Derrick Rose, looks finally ready to return and play a full season. In addition, Miami’s ‘King’ left his realm and instead became the ‘King’ of Cleveland, the land of his ancestors, and brought with him a new Cavalier, Kevin Love, to help him with his quest to bring the title to Cleveland. These major returns/transfers, alongside Paul George’s injury, changed 2014-15 East’s landscape and my prediction is that at the end of the regular season the standings will look like this (the number within brackets refers to the team’s standing for Eastern Conference’s play-offs):
Atlantic Division
1. Toronto Raptors 48-53 wins (4), 2. Brooklyn Nets 45-50 wins (7), 3. New York Knicks 32-37 wins (10), 4. Boston Celtics 22-27 wins (12), 5. Philadelphia 76ers 8-13 wins (15)
It seems like there are no changes in the balance of power in the Atlantic, as my prediction is that at the end of 2014-15 the standings of the teams will be the same with that of the previous season. The reason is that there have not been any major changes in the Atlantic in terms of personnel. Toronto stands out as probably the best team with a year’s experience in the play-offs and all of its young talent returning – resigning Kyle Lowry was a wise move. I expect Brooklyn to look more like a basketball team this year, I really believe Lionel Hollins is a very good coach and an upgrade comparing to Jason Kidd. However, in order to do better than last year and probably finish above Toronto they will have to stay healthy and get great seasons out of D-Will, and Brook Lopez. In my view, this Nets team is merely a play-off team in the East and I do not see them being able for more.
I think that the rest of the teams in Atlantic will not make it to the play-offs again; in fact I expect the Sixers to be the worst team in the NBA and it is a shame for this historical franchise, but this is the rebuilding road they chose. Looking forward to see what Nerlens Noel is able to do playing alongside a 2nd-year Michael Carter-Williams and who knows we may take a glimpse of the very promising Joel Embiid this season. Sixers’ future looks good, however, I am afraid I cannot say the same for another of Atlantic’s historical franchises; the New York Knicks. I feel bad for the Knicks, because I simply believe the league is better when the Knicks play better; New York is basketball’s Mecca. Appointing Phil Jackson as their president seems as a good move, however, I am not so sure, since we have never seen him working as a president in the past. In this sense, I think we have to wait and see as it seems that he has a plan that started with the signing of his former player Derek Fischer as the head coach. Would it also be possible for Jackson to land Rondo? That is a difficult question to answer, but it would turn the Knicks, instantly, into a contender in the East.
Knicks are simply a question mark, much like the franchise with the most titles in NBA’s history; the Boston Celtics. The Celts have been looking for their identity since the 2011-12 4-3 loss to Miami in the Eastern Conference Finals. That was the point the page turned for them and since then the most interesting thing about them, almost every season is whether Rajon Rondo is going to stay or go. It looks like Rondo is finally going to go by the end of this season’s trade deadline as his contract is about to end at the end of the season. What are they going to receive in return for Rondo and what they are going to do with the young talents of Marcus Smart, James Young, Jared Sullinger, Kelly Olynyk and Tyler Zeller will define their future.
Central Division
1. Cleveland Cavaliers 55-60 wins (1), 2. Chicago Bulls 55-60 wins (2), 3. Detroit Pistons 38-43 wins (8), 4. Indiana Pacers 30-35 wins (11), 5. Milwaukee Bucks 18-23 wins (14)
Central Division has been the centre of attention during the summer and it is this season’s attraction. It seems like whatever happened this summer happened by and for teams from the Central. The changes, intentional and not, that happened here changed the balance of powers of the entire league. Cleveland became a contender overnight and a favourable destination for superstars. The reason of course was LeBron’s decision (no.2) that he wants to win at least a title with his hometown’s team. LeBron is a very smart guy and once he realized (after being destroyed by the Spurs) that in Miami he does not have the future he wishes, he left. Kevin Love that wanted to leave Minnesota and wasn’t even thinking of Cleveland as an option, became suddenly very fond of it and moved there to play with LeBron and NBA’s rising superstar Kyrie Irving. I think LeBron, Love, Irving and players such as Waiters, Thompson, Varejao and Marion are enough to make a team the favourite in the East. I believe the Cavaliers will win between 55 and 60 games in the regular season and finish first in the East.
However, I expect their Central rivals Bulls to give Cavaliers a very hard time for the lead in the East. Chicago feels great as its best player and one of the leagues best, Rose, seems to be back healthy. I really hope Derrick Rose is going to stay healthy for the rest of his career and we will enjoy watching him play; he is a unique talent. Next to him the Bulls brought a guy that knows about winning titles in Pau Gasol (have you seen him play for Spain in the World Cup? He looked rejuvenated) and two promising rookies in Doug McDermott and Nikola Mirotic. I think the Bulls are going to be very good and lose East’s lead to the Cavaliers for 1-2 wins. Central’s third place, I believe is going to be occupied by a team that has missed the play-offs for many years; the legendary Detroit Pistons. It is my belief that signing Stan Van Gundy would be reason enough for the talented Pistons to make the next step and qualify for the play-offs this year. I think that Van Gundy will find a way to make Josh Smith, Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond play together and dominate the paint, while controlling Brandon Jenning’s game.
The Indiana Pacers are going to be the team with the biggest difference in wins comparing with the previous season, but unfortunately for the Pacers, unlike Cleveland, is not going to be an upwards change. Pacers are expected to play the entire season without their biggest star; Paul George got injured in a team USA’s scrimmage. In addition, Lance Stephenson, a starter last season and one of the league’s rising stars signed with Charlotte as a free-agent. I think that even if Roy Hibbert plays like a true all-star for the whole season they still have no chance of making the play-offs. Finally, is the Milwaukee Bucks, for which I am optimistic; there is positivity and they have also added a player with superstar potential in Jabari Parker, to their already rich in raw-talent roster (Giannis ‘Greek Freak’ Antetokounmpo, Larry Sanders, John Henson). I like the future of the Bucks, if they find a way to make all these talent develop and play as a team; let’s see if Jason Kidd is the right man for this job.
Southeast Division
1. Washington Wizards 50-55 wins (3), 2. Miami Heat 50-55 wins (5), 3. Charlotte Hornets 45-50 wins (6), 4. Atlanta Hawks 35-40 wins (9), Orlando Magic 20-25 wins(13)
It looks like, since LeBron’s departure, there is a new boss in the Southeast Division; Wizards’ fans have been waiting for this moment for many, many years. ‘Good things come to those who wait’ the Chinese say and even though these wise words can be interpreted in different ways, it seems like good times are finally here for those that remained loyal to Wizards basketball. Washington has a backcourt (John Wall – Bradley Beal) that is advertised as the best in the league and I could argue that only the Warriors can disagree actually with that statement. Washington, however, is not only its backcourt as the Wizards have a very good frontcourt as well (Nenê – Marcin Gortat). If we add to that the newly signed Paul Pierce at the small forward position as well as the expected development of last year’s no.3 overall draft pick, Otto Porter, I think we have the winner of Southeast and a contender in the East.
In the second place of the Southeast I see the team that has been hated by so many the last few years; the Miami Heat. I guess there are many celebrating since LeBron decided to take his talents back to Cleveland and expect to see the Heat crush and burn. I wasn’t a fan of Miami’s ‘Big-Three’ and now I have the opportunity to watch a team that I thought would be a team contender, back in the days when LeBron had not yet decided whether to join the Heat or not. What I am saying is that Wade and Bosh in the same team means a contender, simply. Add to that the experience they gained, Luol Deng, Josh McRoberts and Danny Granger and I believe that you ‘should not underestimate the heart of the champion.’
In the third place, I would like to welcome the Hornets back. It feels good to see the Hornets back (I grew up with LJ’s and Zo’s Hornets). I expect Charlotte to inflict some damage this season and qualify to the play-offs. The addition of Lance Stevenson to the already talented roster that includes the best offensive center of the league today, Al Jefferson, will make the Hornets a force to be reckoned with. Atlanta Hawks, probably the most boring NBA team of the last 15 years, will again have a mediocre season with the addition of a healthy Al Horford make them much stronger in the paint, but not strong enough in general to qualify for the play-offs. I see them missing the play-offs for a few wins and I do not think anyone, except from Hawks fans, is going to feel bad about this. Hawks officials and owners if you read this, please do something bold change this team make it at least fun as it used to be in the 80s-90s. Finally, the Orlando Magic that added two more talented rookies (Aaron Gordon, Elfrid Payton) to an already young/talented/inexperienced roster. I do not expect any miracles from Orlando but it looks like they have a plan and they have gathered a good amount of talent to build a team for the future/near future – expect them to be fun and decent this season.
Eastern Conference Play-offs
1. Cleveland Cavaliers (59-23), 2. Chicago Bulls (57-25), Washington Wizards (54-28), 4. Toronto Raptors (50-32), 5. Miami Heat (53-29), 6. Charlotte Bobcats (49-33), 7. Brooklyn Nets (46-36), 8. Detroit Pistons (40-42).
At this point and since I completed my regular season predictions I intend to go a step further and make some even bolder predictions regarding Eastern Conference’s regular season records (in brackets) and play-offs. It may seem crazy as not even a preseason game has been played to this point and there are possible transfers that may change the landscape during the regular season. However, this is the magic of imagination and I am not planning to put any boundaries on mine. So, the way I see it, the play-offs matchups in the first round and their winners are going to be the following:
Eastern Conference First Round
1. Cleveland Cavaliers – 8. Detroit Pistons: Cavaliers win 4-2
2. Chicago Bulls – 7. Brooklyn Nets: Bulls win 4-1
3. Washington Wizards – 6. Charlotte Hornets: Wizards win 4-2
4. Toronto Raptors – 5. Miami Heat: Heat wins 4-2
Except from the Toronto-Miami series, I predict that the teams with home-court advantage are going to win and qualify to the semi-finals. Miami Heat, even though I see them finishing regular season with a better record than the Raptors, will be ranked fifth in the East because the Raptors are going to win their division, according to NBA’s rules. Even so, I feel that the experienced Heat will be able to prevail against a talented but less experienced Raptors team.
Eastern Conference Semi-Finals
1. Cleveland Cavaliers – 5. Miami Heat: Heat wins 4-3
2. Chicago Bulls – 3. Washington Wizards: Bulls win 4-2
In East’s semi-finals, I predict a huge matchup; LeBron facing his former team and I see the Heat upsetting the Cavs in seven. It may seem crazy to some but I feel this Heat team is a much more experienced team that is also rich in talent – of course my prediction is based on a healthy Wade and a Bosh playing like the Raptors’ Bosh used to, which are both possible. I believe all LeBron haters out there will be fantasizing of a similar end to that season. Can you imagine LeBron not being able to finally win a championship for his hometown? In addition, I think that even if everybody would be paying attention to a Cavs-Heat series, the Bulls-Wizards series could be a really competitive one.
Eastern Conference Finals
2. Chicago Bulls – 5. Miami Heat: Bulls win 4-2
The Eastern Conference Finals are going to be a rematch of the 2010-11 series, but this time is going to be revenge time for the Bulls. I think it is going to be a great series in which the hungriest for success team will prevail and I feel these Bulls are the hungriest team in the NBA this season; Rose hasn’t played for almost two-years, while Noah, coach Tom Thibodeau and the rest of the Bulls have been fighting without their leader all this time. It seems to me that if Rose remains healthy, the Bulls are aiming for the top and I see them conquering it this year. I am not planning to say anything more about the NBA Finals, as I intend to write an article dedicated to the Finals before the beginning of the play-offs.
NBA All Time 