Now that the dust has settled from the NBA Draft and the preceeding free-agent frenzy that was, we can take stock of where teams are sitting in their respective conferences in terms of power rankings.
We start in the Eastern Conference where we saw the biggest shakeup of them all as LeBron James left Miami to return home to Cleveland. There is no question that Cleveland is a playoff team now which means that one of the teams who made it last year won’t be as fortunate this season.
Here are eDraft’s preseason NBA power rankings for the Eastern Conference
1. Chicago Bulls
There is no question that the Central Division is going to be the most tightly contested division in the Eastern Conference. With the Indiana Pacers and the Cleveland Cavaliers both being tough opponents, the winner of this division must by default be the top team in the conference. The Bulls will get a huge boost from having a healthy Derrick Rose all season long and they acquired Pau Gasol to add some finesse and floor spacing to the power forward spot. I like the Bulls to win the division in a tight race to the finish and because of that they sit atop the conference’s power rankings
2. Cleveland Cavaliers
No team got as good as quickly as the Cavaliers did this offseason. They added the best player on the planet in James and drafted Andrew Wiggins with the first overall pick in the draft. In the span of two weeks they went from a lottery-bound team to the odds on favorite to claim the title next season. Dan Gilbert and the rest of the crew in Cleveland are certainly building the club to make a run as they have added Mike Miller and James Jones to the fold. Rumours persist of a potential Kevin Love acquisition as well, which would most certainly move them into the top spot here.
3. Atlanta Hawks
Folks are quick to forget but the Hawks were a very good team last season and up till Al Horford went down to injury they were the third best team in the conference. On paper they don’t look like a team that can get the job done, but on the court they are just darn hard to matchup against. The Hawks are just so big and their bigs are just so versatile. Put a healthy Horford back in the fold with Paul Millsap and newly drafted Adreian Payne and this front line will flat out wear you down. I’d love to see the Hawks make an offer to restricted free-agent Eric Bledsoe just to see if the Phoenix Suns would match a high-valued contract. My feelings is that Bledsoe can be had and if he could be had in Atlanta the Hawks must be considered serious title contenders.
4. Indiana Pacers
The Pacers were the top team in the conference last season; however, holding onto that sot this year will be an awful challenge. First off the team must deal with the void that Lance Stephenson created upon his departure and they must overcome their internal dysfunctionality and lack of confidence to move forward. Add into the mix that they play in the toughest division in the conference where they must face the Bulls and Cavaliers at least three times and this season could mark a slide for the Pacers. Larry Bird and company are counting on the same roster to get them back to the conference finals, where as the other top teams in the conference have all made significant personnel moves to upgrade.
5. Toronto Raptors
The Raptors are in a good position to repeat as Atlantic Division champions as they kept their core group of players in tact. Even as a division champion they are still lagging behind teams in terms of talent and experience. This group of players is really just one injury away from being an awful bunch and missing the playoffs entirely. All must continue to go well in Toronto for the Raptors to continue their success.
6. Miami Heat
Normally losing one’s best player as a free-agent would doom the team to a year or two of lottery picks. Well this is the Eastern Conference and this is the Miami Heat we are talking about. They still have a pretty decent duo in Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh who are returning and they added Luol Deng on a very cap-friendly deal. While I don’t have them winning their division, they should battle Atlanta down to the wire and put themselves in a good position heading into the playoffs.
7. Washington Wizards
The Wizards were a nice success story last season as they battled hard into the playoffs and raised their basketball profile considerably. Since that time they prioritized the resigning of key free-agents and acquired new talent in the form of Paul Pierce, DeJuan Blair and Kris Humphries. There is no doubt that the Wizards are playing for the now as they all want to expand upon their recent playoff successes.
8. Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets will have a battle on their hands if they want to hang onto that last playoff spot. They did make some roster moves this offseason as they went after Gordon Hayward with an aggressive offer that was eventually matched by Utah; however, undeterred they turned around and poached Lance Stephenson on a very reasonable two year deal. Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson will need to have big years here and rookie Noah Vonleh must have an immediate impact for the Hornets. This is an upstart team but they won’t be taking anyone by surprise this season.
9. New York Knicks
The Knicks did little to actually improve their roster in terms of adding talent. Granted they did procure the services of Carmelo Anthony for the next five years, but past that they did very little this offseason. The Knicks weren’t a playoff team last season with this roster and once you factor in the struggles a new head coach can face, this isn’t going to be a playoff team again this season.
10. Brooklyn Nets
The Nets were the sixth seed last season; however, with the departure of Paul Pierce and the addition of a new head coach they will have a battle on their hands to make a return trip to the postseason. There is little question that the Cavaliers are going to be a playoff team, which means a playoff team from last season won’t be again this season and that team is the Brooklyn Nets. The roster is aging and is injury prone and with the loss of an emotional leader and floor general in Pierce; this team will struggle.
11. Detroit Pistons
The Pistons had a fairly uneventful offseason that saw them acquire a new coach in Stan Van Gundy. The clubs biggest changes came via losing players, not acquiring them. Rodney Stuckey is out as he signed with Indiana and it appears inevitable that Greg Monroe won't be back either. The Pistons did nothing to further their playoff hopes for next season and their ranking here is as indicative of thier talent as it is of the competition in the East.
12. Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers are an interesting case as they have enough on-court talent to be a playoff team in the East; however, they lack experience and cohesiveness at this point in the juncture. Michael Carter-Williams is a true star in the making and with a healthy Nerlens Noel and Thaddeus Young in the front court this team could make some waves. Although the plan in Philadelphia is certainly for the long term, they might actually outperform expectations this season. Having said that they will likely finish near the bottom of the conference standings and ice again take their chances in the lottery.
13. Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks got better by virtue of the draft as they got Jabari Parker with the second overall selection. They do still have Giannis Antetokounmpo, Larry Sanders, Kendall Marshall, Ramon Sessions, Brandon Knight and John Henson; so their roster is capable. The Bucks shouldn’t be the worst team in the conference and they should leapfrog the Magic and the Celtics on their way back to mediocrity. This team has potential, but they are far too young and inexperienced as a squad to be much a force, even in the weak Eastern Conference.
14. Orlando Magic
The bottom three teams in the conference here are going to be not just bad but borderline unwatchable and awful. The Magic traded away arguably their best player in Arron Afflalo to the Denver Nuggets and then attempted to replace / meet the salary cap floor by signing the aging Ben Gordon and then over-paying for the one dimensional Channing Frye. The Magic drafted Aaron Gordon and then acquired Elfrid Payton in a draft day trade. Both players project to be solid players, but neither will be of much help this season. Head coach Jacque Vaughn has his work cut out for him, but it seems as though management has confidence in Vaughn as he did receive a contract extension to help see the Magic through these tough times.
15. Boston Celtics
It is a tough time to be a Celtics fan as the prospects for this upcoming season are bleak. The playoffs are a pipe dream and for many fans it would be preferable to finish dead last than win a few meaningless games and lose potential draft positioning. The C’s biggest acquisitions came via the draft as they got Marcus Smart and James Young. Assuming Rajon Rondo is on the squad come opening day, then the Celtics are very backcourt heavy with players and are very thin and young up front. This will be a long season for the proud franchise as the bright spots will be few and far between.