8. Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers have done well even without CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic out of the lineup due to injury. A big part of the reason why has been the play of Damian Lillard, who has vaulted himself into the MVP conversation.
You have to love what the Blazers have done this season and this is a team that looks like a top 5 squad in the West this season. A playoff series against the Phoenix Suns in a potential 4-5 matchup would be especially entertaining.
7. Milwaukee Bucks
For the most part, the Milwaukee Bucks have floated under the radar in the Eastern Conference this season. A lot of that has to do with the headline-grabbing stars that the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets have on their rosters.
However, the Bucks have still been great this season. They’re not winning me at the same pace as they were last year in the regular season but this is still a team that is going to be a force come playoff time.