12. Indiana Pacers (15-8)
Even without Victor Oladipo to start the season, the Indiana Pacers have been a good team in the Eastern Conference this season. The addition of Malcolm Brogdon has paid dividends and the only question surrounding this team centers around how high of a ceiling they’ll have once Vic comes back.
Could the Pacers win the East? Probably not, but there’s no question that they could give a top 4 seed some real headaches in a playoff series.
11. Utah Jazz (13-10)
Once again, the Utah Jazz has had a confusing start to the season. Last year, they were horrendous to begin the year and dug themselves into a hole that they could never seem to get out of. This season, they’ve at least survived an up-and-down start and are three games over .500.
With an immensely talented roster and one of the best defenders in the league, there’s no question that this team could emerge as a real threat in the Western Conference as the season continues to play out.
But it might come down to Donovan Mitchell and his ability to evolve into a superstar.