9. Indiana Pacers (30-16)
The Pacers’ roster is better than people think, and while they don’t necessarily have a bonafide superstar, their starting five is pretty freaking solid. Domantas Sabonis has been an absolute stud, with averages of 18 points, 14 rebounds, and four assists. T.J Warren is one of those ‘Professional Scorers’, also averaging 18 a game and when he gets hot, it’s really a thing of beauty.
Malcolm Brogdon is no slouch himself and was a production monster (before missing games in December due to injury). Jeremy Lamb and Miles Turner have been relatively quiet, but the team will be welcoming back Victor Oladipo fairly soon. And while it’s tough to sell this team as a legitimate title contender, it will be interesting to see how they fare come playoff time. They’ll likely slot in as the 5th or 6th seed in the East – which should have them in a slight-underdog role in the mainly top-heavy East.
10. Philadelphia 76ers (30-17)
Philadelphia remains one of the more dangerous teams in the NBA, and it’s important to not get lost in how a team like this fares over the course of the Regular Season – so long as they make it to the tournament. While Kawhi Leonard may have pioneered load management in the NBA, Joel Embiid really exemplifies it. The man is simply too big to be out there for 36 minutes a game for all 82 games. But this team, with its sheer size alone, is going to be difficult to deal with, and we saw them manhandle the Bucks 121-109 on Christmas Day.
Outside shooting, of course, is the topic of conversation with the Sixers, and it’s going to be difficult to get that with the current roster and the way Brett Brown runs his lineups (typically Simmons, Richardson, Harris, Horford, and Embiid), none is particularly known for being 3-point shooters. Some are quick to rip on Simmons’ lack of shooting, but he makes up for it by leading all guards with a 57.6 field goal percentage.
Additionally, he brings tremendous size, driving/finishing ability, and leads the NBA in steals with over two per game. Don’t be surprised if this team tries to make a move for some outside shooting at the deadline, but if they fail to deliver a championship, it might be time to consider some serious roster changes.