NBA Opening Week: Ranking Eastern Conference Teams by Excitement

Oct 27, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Thabo Sefolosha (25, left), guard Jeff Teague (0), forward Paul Millsap (4) and forward Tiago Splitter (11) wait as officials review a play in the third quarter of their game against the Detroit Pistons at Philips Arena. The Pistons won 106-94. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

8. Toronto Raptors

Kyle Lowry and DeMar Derozan are a dynamic duo, but they’ve got some interesting pieces like Jonas Valanciunas and DeMarre Carroll. I want to see if and how Valanciunas steps up this season without Amir Johnson holding down the paint with him. I watched a lot of Raptors games last season and losing Johnson won’t deter me from doing the same this season. I’ve read that Kyle Lowry’s in better shape too, so I expect an All-Star repeat this year.

7. Atlanta Hawks

There’s no more DeMarre Carroll, but let’s be honest, as good as he is, I wasn’t tuning in for him. The Hawks were fun to watch last year and their success was quite unexpected. So the big storyline this year is can they continue their success this season? However, that storyline is only so exciting. They do get cool points for their new uniforms, though.

Next: A Couple Of Young Beasts