With the NBA season just past the halfway point, the Eastern Conference appears to be wide open. At this point in the year, there are five teams that have a possibility of making it to the NBA Finals. At the beginning of the year, nobody would have guessed any teams besides the Celtics or the Raptors would be in the hunt for the Eastern Conference title. With the Celtics struggling to live up to the hype, other teams have closed the talent gap in the east. At midseason, here is a ranking of who has the best shot of winning the Eastern Conference.
#1 Toronto Raptors
Since the beginning of the year, Toronto’s record has proven acquiring Kawhi Leonard was a smart gamble. While his future with the Raptors is uncertain, Leonard’s presence will no doubt elevate the team come playoff time.
Leonard is currently the team’s leader in points and rebounds per game, with 27 and eight respectively. These are both career-high averages for Leonard.
The cast surrounding Leonard has elevated their play as well compared to last season. Point guard Kyle Lowry has massively increased his assist average, going from 6.9 to 9.6. Pascal Siakam has increased all his averages since last season, and will certainly be a contender for the Most Improved Player Award. The supporting players of Serge Ibaka, Fred VanVleet and others round out the Raptors’ solid roster.
Barring any major injuries or changes, look for the Raptors to win the Eastern Conference as of now. They’ve been the most consistent team in the conference so far, and will keep the momentum going into the NBA Finals.
#2 Boston Celtics
The Celtics have been the most inconsistent team in the NBA this year, and have also had the highest expectations. Taking LeBron James and the Cavaliers to seven games in the Eastern Conference finals without Kyrie Irving was something that nobody expected. Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Terry Rozier all made tremendous strides as players during the playoff run. Irving, along with Gordon Hayward, are now back with the team and many expected them to run past the competition in the east. Instead, the team has struggled to balance minutes and build chemistry.
Despite the struggles, and currently outside of having home court advantage in the playoffs, the Celtics are too talented to not make it to the conference finals at least.
Irving has a championship pedigree, and even the younger players on the Celtics have more playoff experience than other teams on this list. Finding the right lineups will be tough, but head coach Brad Stevens isn’t known as one of the best in the league without good reason. Look for the Celtics to more or less figure things out before the post-season.
#3 Indiana Pacers
Indiana has quietly been one of the best teams this year, not just the Eastern Conference, but the whole NBA. At the time, many thought the Paul George trade would leave them struggling. Instead, Victor Oladipo has become one of the best players in the conference, and the leader of the team.
The Pacers embody the teamwork mentality of basketball, as they have six players averaging double figures in points per game. Coach Nate McMillan deserves a lot of credit for the Pacers’ performance this year. Young players Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis among others have proven to be great players.
While they are young, the Pacers are deep and could give one of the top two seeds problems in the second round. However, they could potentially find themselves at the top of the east by the end of the year.
#4 Milwaukee Bucks
Right behind Indiana is Milwaukee, yet the two teams are similar in their expectations on the season. The Bucks were ousted from the playoffs in the first round last season by the Celtics in seven games. While the team’s roster is solid, the team will go only as far as Giannis Antetokounmpo can lead them. For The Greek Freak to be considered one of the top five players in the league, the Bucks must win at least one playoff series this year.
Giannis is no doubt an incredible talent, but his teammates will have to step up, especially if they want to make their mark on the post-season. Khris Middleton, along with guards George Hill and Eric Bledsoe, are very solid players.
Ideally, the Bucks would try and land another all-star caliber player this offseason. But currently, at the second spot in the Eastern Conference, the Bucks don’t need to panic or make any moves. Winning a playoff series this year would be good for the franchise to signal to Giannis, as well as potential teammates, that better things are on the way.
#5 Philadelphia 76ers
Acquiring Jimmy Butler was a big risk for Philly, as he could leave in free agency. The team is hoping that the ‘Big Three’ of Butler, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid clicks enough by the time the post-season arrives. If that happens, the 76ers could find themselves in the Eastern Conference finals. However, the team has yet to achieve in the playoffs, as they were swept last year by the Celtics in the second round.
The addition of Butler could pay off in the playoffs, as having three-star players looks good on paper. Simmons is averaging nearly a triple-double this season, and Embiid is putting up a monster 27 points and 13 rebounds so far.
The big question for Philly is the chemistry and the role of Butler on the team. It was recently reported that Butler felt he wasn’t getting the focus he deserved on the team. If these problems linger for the 76ers, it could cost them down the line. These three-star players need to find a way to coexist. If they can, Philly could go far in the east, but right now it isn’t totally clear how the rest of their season will play out.
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