The Eastern Conference will be more competitive this season but the Cleveland Cavaliers are still the only true championship contender. Lebron James has been to six straight NBA Finals and he's looking to make it seven to defend his crown.
Here are the eight teams I predict we'll be seeing in the Eastern Conference Playoffs in April.
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1. Cleveland Cavaliers
Projected record:56-21
Last Season: 57-25
Cleveland coasted through the regular season last year and it'll be much of the same this year. Lebron James has already agreed to follow Tyronn Lues plan for him to play less during the regular season. With Lebron playing around 70 games this season Kyrie Irving will carry the offensive load.
2. Boston Celtics
Projected record:52-30
Last Season: 48-34
Under head coach Brad Stevens the Boston Celtics record has improved every year and that trend shall continue. The Celtics had their best offseason with Stevens as the coach adding All-Star center Al Horford and taking Jaylen Brown with the third pick in the NBA draft.
3. Toronto Raptors
Projected record:50-32
Last Season: 56-26
Kyle Lowry and Demar Derozan carried the Raptors to their best season in franchise history falling two wins short of NBA Finals. That will be tough to follow up after the team lost frontcourt depth in free agency. (Bismack Biyombo signed with the Orlando Magic and Luis Scola signed with the Brooklyn Nets)
4. Indiana Pacers
Projected record:47-35
Last Season: 45-37
Larry Bird quietly had a great offseason adding veterans Al Jefferson, Thaddeus Young, and Jeff Teague to play alongside star Paul George and rising talent Myles Turner.
5. Atlanta Hawks
Projected record: 45-37
Last Season: 48-34
Atlanta is one of the most consistent teams in the east but the organization felt like it was time to make some significant changes. Dwight Howard returns home to replace Al Horford and Dennis Schroder steps in as the team's new starting point guard replacing Jeff Teague.
6. Detroit Pistons
Projected record: 44-38
Last Season: 44-38
Detroit is looking to build off their first playoff appearance in six years. With Reggie Jackson missing the first month of the season Ish Smith gets the keys to run Stan Van Gundy's 1-in 4-out offense.
7. New York Knicks
Projected record:43-39
Last Season: 32-50
Derrick Rose might feel like this spot is too low for his "Super Team" but the team's injury history is the reason why I have them here. In addition to the acquisition of Rose this offseason, the Knicks signed Joakim Noah, Courtney Lee and Brandon Jennings who will become the starter if Rose misses any time. Kristaps Porzingis will continue to improve and Carmelo Anthony is still one of the best scorers on the planet.
8. Charlotte Hornets
Projected record:41-41
Last Season: 48-34
Kemba Walker has to once again play at an All-Star level with the losses of Al Jefferson, Jeremy Lin, and Courtney Lee. He'll have help from Michael Kidd-Gilchrist who's looking to show the league that he can stay healthy for a full season.
