NBA: The only 6 teams that can win the 2022 championship

Eastern Conference NBA teams that just missed the cut

Chicago Bulls – The Chicago Bulls will likely finish as a top 3 seed in the conference, short of a complete collapse over the last few weeks of the season. However, there are more than a few concerns with this team. For one, they don’t have an elite defense. They don’t even have an above-average one. They’re ranked 20th on defense. Additionally, they don’t have a superstar on the roster. This is the perfect example of a team built for the regular season.

Cleveland Cavaliers – The Cleveland Cavaliers are somewhat similar to the Bulls, except they’re exact mirrors of each other. Instead of a bad defense, the Cavs have a bad offense. And, especially in an offensive-driven league, that’s concerning. Plus, the Cavs also fall into the “paying your dues” clause. They may also be a year or two away from true contender status.

Boston Celtics – The Boston Celtics was the hardest one for me. They have one strong superstar and a second star that might be on the verge of superstardom. They also have a strong supporting cast. They also check the box of having a really good defense. However, the biggest reason why I’m not willing to throw them into contender status is that they were a bad team for the first half of the season. And I had to place the “hot streak” clause on this team. Until further notice, I’m not sold on the Celtics just yet. If there’s one team that can buck my formula, it’ll be the Celtics. Though, this is also a team that has disappointed in the playoffs over the last few years.