February Takeaway: The tiers in the East have become more clear
February has turned a once very crowded Eastern conference from spots 2 through 6 into a pretty clear picture as we get ready to turn the corner and go down the home stretch of the season.
Tier 1 – The absolute locks: Bucks
Tier 2 – Peaking at the right time: Raptors, Celtics
Tier 3 – The talented but struggling: Heat, 76ers, Pacers
Tier 4 – The Who Cares?: Everyone else
First off, the Bucks are winning the East. It’s happening – just breathe, it’s not your fault.
I know the Raptors have been great this year without Kawhi Leonard and they play really well together. But off the top of my head, it would be unprecedented for a team without a superstar to beat a likely 70 win team that has perhaps the NBA’s best player on their side. It’s not happening.
In my mind, the Celtics have a better chance than their tier 2 counterpart to knock off the Bucks. If Tatum can keep this up I like some of their potential matchups in a series with Milwaukee, but they haven’t done anything to solve their size issue in the frontcourt and I don’t see them overcoming that flaw.
Tier 3 is by far the most intriguing of the group. The Heat and the Pacers look terrible now and the 76ers are currently without their two best players. And even when they do have their two best players, they can’t win a game outside of the greater Philadelphia area.
But I can’t quit any of these teams, especially the Sixers. They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and if that’s the case then I’m insane because I think the 76ers are going to magically put it all together every time I watch them. They are too talented to be this inconsistent and maybe the playoffs will bring out their best even though the playoffs have never done that for them in the past. Like I said, insanity.
Footnote: That’s not actually the definition of insanity but some old guy with bad hair named Albert said it so we keep doing it – now that’s actual insanity.