Eastern Conference 3-4 seed
Indiana Pacers: 38-20, 11 home/13 away, .522 (8th in the NBA)
Boston Celtics: 37-21, 10 home/14 away, .526 (6th in the NBA)
Philadelphia 76ers: 37-21, 11 home/13 away, .485 (22nd in the NBA)
The race for the third and fourth seeds should be entertaining as the Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers are only separated by one game. Indiana currently holds the third seed but the Pacers are playing without Victor Oladipo who is out for the season. The Pacers have certainly performed better in his absence but losing a player of that magnitude feels like something that will likely be the reason Indiana finishes as the fifth seed, instead of third or fourth.
For Boston, it appears that the All-Star break was much needed so that guys could get some rest and so that the team could get some time away from one another. Lately, Boston has had issues with chemistry and for the Celtics to be true contenders they need to find a way to fix it. The good news is that Kyrie Irving should be fully healed and that Gordon Hayward is starting to look like the player he was before his injury last season.
Philadelphia has made the choice to go all in this season for a shot at the championship. The 76ers have Jimmy Butler, Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid and now Tobias Harris to give them a talented big four. The 76ers should be looked at as a legit threat in the East now, but Embiid’s health will be a major area of concern as he’s had knee issues lately. He is currently undergoing treatment involving physical therapy and load management. He should return to the team next week if his reevaluation goes well.