Approaching the season, we all knew that the Boston Celtics were the heavy favorite in the Eastern Conference. Coming off a 57W-25L season, an Eastern Conference Finals appearance, and a strong offseason, the Celtics' only challenge in the East would be the Milwaukee Bucks. Since the Bucks shot themselves in the foot by hiring Adrian Griffin, the Celtics have become the only big dog in the Eastern Conference. Boston currently sits atop the East at 37W-12L. I made a list of the top teams that can potentially knock off the kings of the East:
5. INDIANA PACERS:
The Indiana Pacers are currently the 6 seed in the Eastern Conference, with a 27W-23L record, to the naked eye that shouldn’t scare the 37W-12L Celtics. However, the Pacers are extremely dominant on offense, leading the NBA with 124.4 points per game. Led by Tyrese Haliburton, Indy’s explosive offense was enough to carry them through the East in the In-Season Tournament. On their way to being the Eastern Conference’s representative in the championship game, Indiana flew past all the best teams in the East. The modern NBA is driven by scoring and Indiana is the best at doing so. The question must be asked, can the Pacers outscore the Celtics in a 7-game series?
4. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS:
Led by Donovan Mitchell’s 28.2 points per game, the Cleveland Cavaliers are currently 31W-16L, 3rd in the East. Cleveland is on a revenge tour this season. The Cavs had a great regular season last year before being bounced by Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks in the first round. Cleveland has a great team again this season and is looking to carry their success into the playoffs this year. Nothing screams “revenge tour” more than knocking off the top team in the conference. Outside of Milwaukee and Boston, they’re having the most successful season in the East and should be a threat in late May/early June.
3. MILWAUKEE BUCKS:
Before the season, Milwaukee was the one team that scared the Celtics. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to a 58W-24L season last year. Once they added Damian Lillard via a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers, they were considered one of the top teams in the entire NBA. However, the 2023-2024 season hasn’t gone the way Milwaukee had expected. Following their disappointing playoff run, the Bucks moved on from Mike Budenholzer and hired Adrian Griffin. However, they quickly came to regret that decision and fired Griffin after only 43 games.
The Milwaukee Bucks still have both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, so they’re still one of the top teams in the league, but they’re not the team we expected to see. At 33W-16L they’re currently the 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, but it’ll be up to interim head coach, Joe Prunty to rally the troops if they’re going to put up a fight against Boston.
2. NEW YORK KNICKS:
Last season, the New York Knicks won their first playoff series since 2013. This year they’re looking to take another step forward and become contenders. At first, it seemed as if they took a step, but in the wrong direction, as they got off to an average 17W-15L start. Nevertheless, on the final day of 2023, they made it happen. The Knicks and Raptors completed a 5-player trade headlined by OG Anunoby, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley. Toronto sent OG Anunoby to New York in exchange for RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and a 2nd-round pick. Since acquiring OG Anunoby, the Knicks are 15W-3L. The New York Knicks are now a much better team, and reports imply that they’re not done. With the trade deadline this upcoming Thursday, I expect New York to make a move. Names such as Jimmy Butler and Lebron James have been thrown up in the air, with Lebron even noting that he’s thought about playing for the Knicks. While I doubt either of those guys will end up in New York, I do expect them to improve their roster before the deadline. The Knicks have looked great as of late, and if they get even better, Boston should look out.
MIAMI HEAT:
The Miami Heat are currently 26W-23L, and holding onto the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference. However, that’s exactly where they were last year. At 44W-38L, the Miami Heat snuck into the playoffs through the play-in and went on an absolute tear. They knocked off the top-seed Milwaukee Bucks and then made quick work of the New York Knicks before facing the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. Boston did make an admirable comeback attempt and went down fighting, but Jimmy Butler and the Heat sent them packing in game 7. The Miami Heat are a playoff team, and as long as they have Jimmy Butler and Erik Spoelstra, I can’t count them out. Spoelstra has 109 career playoff wins as a head coach and he will most likely add to that total this year. Jimmy Butler has 59 career playoff wins and has been to the finals twice, yet he’s never won a championship. Butler is highly experienced and motivated and he will make a run at his first title.
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