EASTERN CONFERENCE PREVIEW: 2022-23 SEASON

UPSYDE SPORTS PRESENTS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE PREVIEW: 2022-23 SEASON

15. ORLANDO MAGIC - Between their constant injuries, the lack of talent outside of guys like Wagner and Banchero, I don't see them taking any major leaps this year. They will likely look to clear up the logjam they have in the front court at some point this season and don't be surprised if you see guys like Jonathan Isaac, Mo Bamba, and possibly even Wendell Carter on other teams by the end of the year. I would not be mad at all if in the even things go bad for Phoenix, that they make a play at Ayton. I don't really see a scenario where they're not in the bottom-3 this season.

14. INDIANA PACERS - They might actually surprise us, but Haliburton can't do things a lone. Their rookie Mathurin went off at the end of the NCAA tournament and has looked solid in preseason. He could be a dark horse ROTY candidate, but the things people really want to see from this team is Haliburton taking another leap, Duarte building off of his strong rookie campaign, and Myles Turner getting traded to see if the cream rises within this front court rotation. They have a sizeable number of first round picks on their roster and some of them need to start contributing or they'll remain a bottom team.

13. CHARLOTTE HORNETS - LaMelo should be fine after the first couple of weeks of the season, but if you take him out of the equation, the rest of their team looks very meh. Gordon Hayward is getting up their in age and is oft-injured, they have nobody of relevance in their front court, they're dealing with legal troubles from Miles Bridges, and their bench leaves much to be desired. I don't know if they have the right pieces to trade out of these issues, but I don't anticipate a very successful campaign from a team that was fringe play-off last season.

12. DETROIT PISTONS - Despite adding a solid veteran piece in Bojan Bogdanovic, I don't think they're ready to make a serious attempt at a playoff spot this season. Their goals are to develop Jaden Ivey, give Jalen Duren some run at the end of the season, and build on Cade's strong rookie campaign. There are a lot of question marks on if Stewart will be the center of the future for this team and it seems odd to bring in Burks when they already have Cory Joseph. Diallo was a nice add to fill that Josh Jackson role, but outside of that I don't know who they expect to help boost their win chances.

11. WASHINGTON WIZARDS - I think their season will go sideways. I'm not optimistic that Kristaps will stay healthy and it seems like if there was a year for them to justify blowing up the team and moving on from Beal, it would be this season. There are a lot of teams like the Knicks, Toronto, and New Orleans that have the means and draft picks to get him, but it's more if Washington is ready to part ways. There are a lot of guys on this team that do the same thing and I see some major roster moves happening over the course of the season.

10. NEW YORK KNICKS - Despite the addition of Brunson, I'm still super bullish on this team. I feel like they sort of struck out with Durant and Mitchell, and they are sort of sitting on their hands until another superstar becomes available. RJ Barrett has not taken that jump many expected him to make and maybe it'll take Brunson to get that out of him. If Brunson is the #1 guy on your team, I am not super optimistic about this roster. They have a lot of questions at the center position and Randle might not be as successful with their being two ball dominant players. We'll see if they can make a splash at the deadline.

9. CHICAGO BULLS - They are already starting the year without Lonzo, LaVine has not been the epitome of health, and Vucevic and DeRozan are starting to get up there in age. They have the most potential to rise on these rankings, but they are a play-in team as-is. There is too much of their team depending on the health of guys that can't stay healthy and I think that will ultimately be what causes them to struggle. There are guys on their roster like Coby White and Patrick Williams that have yet to justify their draft position and guys like Dalen Terry are years away from being useful. Ayo will be heavily relied on again this season, which doesn't scream title contender.

8. ATLANTA HAWKS - The addition of Dejounte Murray definitely increases their chances of success, but definitely does not guarantee it. They extended Hunter, who has yet to make a leap in the league, and they still seem unsure about their front court situation. Collins has been subject to trade rumors for two years and Capela is pretty one dimensional as just a rebounder. They have guys that could take steps toward their potential like Okongwu, but I think this team seems like an experiment rather than a sure thing.

7. MIAMI HEAT - With competent coaching and chemistry carrying over from last year, they have a good shot to be a top-4 team. On opening night, I don't think they seem like a major threat to teams in the East. Butler and Lowry are well into their 30s, Herro can't defend, and I think this will rely too heavily on Bam, who is no Embiid. It will be interesting to see with their team healthy, if their rotation guys like Vincent and Strus can continue to step up, but their roster does not seem built for the regular season, but rather possibly a playoff run.

6. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS - They are another team that could end up higher. After years of waiting for a superstar post-Kyrie/LeBron, they might have finally got one in Mitchell. They feel confident in moving on from Sexton after Garland's breakout year, and they have guys like Allen, LeVert, and Mobley to help round out their rotation. They are in a really good position both for this year and going forward and it's really just up to their front office to mess this up. I could see a situation where they're a top-4 team, but I'll need to see more time with them all playing together before I'm confident in their success.

5. TORONTO RAPTORS - I am probably higher on most for this team. When you hear the Raptors, people are like, "are they good?" They still have two high-caliber veterans in VanVleet and Siakam, they hit a home run with Scottie Barnes who will look to improve on his Rookie of the Year season, and they have an excellent, young 3-and-D guard in Gary Trent Jr. They also have surprising depth. Guys like Precious Achiuwa, Chris Boucher, and Otto Porter Jr are fringe starters on a rebuilding team, and all come off their bench. If OG can stay healthy, that only adds to their already excellent defensive make-up.

4. BOSTON CELTICS - If they didn't have the coaching change, I would've rated them higher. Even with the early season injury to Time Lord, I think they finish the season as a top-4 team. They were already a championship caliber team last season, and then they add Malcolm Brogdon. The rumors of them acquiring Myles Turner might be a possibly this season and they still have a top-3 wing combo in the league and a DPOY guard in Marcus Smart. Every year they seem to have finally hit a wall, but they end up proving everyone wrong.

3.  MILWAUKEE BUCKS - They very well could be competing for the number 1 spot by the end of the season. Giannis is a 2x MVP and a former DPOY. They just extended Bobby Portis and they are entering the season with a healthy Brook Lopez. Middleton, Connaughton, and Joe Ingles will start the season injured, but they have more than enough depth to get them buy until they return. Giannis seems motived to raise another banner this season and if their squad can return to full health by playoffs, he very well might.

2.  BROOKLYN NETS - I am very optimistic about their team, even with their off-season turmoil. At the end of the day, these guys are professionals and they all want to play... and win. Durant will put up MVP-like numbers, Kyrie is still a top-5 PG in the league, and Ben Simmons is wanting redemption after going through a tumultuous ending of his Philly career. The biggest question mark for this team is their center rotation. They have two young guys that have been very inconsistent in Sharpe and Claxton, and they have two pure shooters in Curry and Harris that can't stay healthy. When you have two guys like Kyrie and KD on your team though, a lot of these concerns sort of vanish.

1. PHILADELPHIA 76ERS - There really is not much more they can do on this roster to improve. They have a former MVP in James Harden entering the season in excellent shape, Joel Embiid coming off an MVP-type career, Maxey coming off an impressive season, and they added PJ Tucker and Melton to improve their defense. This team has a lot of two way players and the most impressive part of this team is their depth. Montrezl Harrell is their 3rd center on roster, that's how good they are. It's their title to lose at this point.

- Adam Safianow - NBA Analyst - Upsyde Sports [Copyright 2022]

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

DALLAS SUMMER LEAGUE

UPSYDE SPORTS PRESENTS: DALLAS SUMMER LEAGUE PROSPECTS: Derrick Alston Jr - SF/PF - A solid G-League prospect that averaged close to 20 PPG and some potential as a stretch shooter from the 4-spot. He is an above average passer and a good free throw shooter. From the eye test he does not appear to be an explosive athlete but he's a hard finisher and is often relied on to defend multiple positions. He could be useful down the line, but I don't see him being able to get minutes on a competing team. Grade: C- Marcus Bingham Jr - C/PF - Outside of Hardy, he might be the crowned jewel of this group. He's a true 7-footer, came from a solid college program, and showed improvement every year at Michigan State. His defense is much further along than his offense, but his efficiency has improved over time and he's added a 3-ball to his game. Foul trouble will be a major concern, but I think he could be a bench big within a year or two. His block rate is outstanding and I think if h...
Read more
UPSYDE SPORTS PRESENTS: CAN THE PELICANS MAKE THE PLAYOFFS? This article comes in the midst of the Pelicans being on a 4-game win streak. The Kings which got hot, finally ended their streak. Nuggets, Grizzlies, and Rockets seems to be in a slump. I wouldn't say the door is open for them, but there's at least a window. What has propelled this team? A lot. Let's start with the obvious. Zion and Ingram have played very well. During the win streak, Zion has scored 23.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 5.8 APG, and 1.3 BPG. Ingram has averaged 25.5 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 4.8 APG, and 1.8 BPG. While these numbers don't jump off the page, what's interesting from both players is the increased amount of passing. Everyone on these team seems to be getting involved in the offense, nobody on this team is selfish, and it's just a group effort in every facet of the game. The next player that has done phenomenal has been Lonzo Ball. He's almost the forgotten Ball brother since his younger brother, La...
Read more
UPYSDE SPORTS PRESENTS: Addressing the Viability of a Kristaps Trade: I myself, have been very critical of Kristaps. Ranging from his health, finding him overrated as a shooter, not assertive enough on offense, and feeling that his defensive stats are empty. Obviously, I can see his upside, it's the name of my blog, but I feel like he plays out of position, is too thin, and his biggest strength (his size), is also likely going to be what limits his potential. Now, I gave him time. When the trade happened originally, I was pretty excited. He was coming off an injury, but had a really nice All-Star season in New York. Most Mavs fans, myself included, had somewhat soured on Dennis Smith Jr, and we saw what Luka is - a superstar. Wanting to get some wins in his rookie contract, I was receptive of the trade. Tank for the rest of the season and then the following year we get the two Euro sensations. Didn't quite work out that way. He did play very well in the bubble - helping us get ...
Read more