In the latest edition of our NBA Power Rankings, we attempt to re-seeding the Eastern Conference after the 2023 NBA Draft and Free Agency.
It’s been quite an offseason in the NBA. We’re not entirely done with it yet, but as the dog days of August begin to come to an end, it’s only natural to begin to get excited about the 2023-24 NBA season. The start of training camps is a little over a month away and soon enough, we’ll be enjoying meaningful basketball once again.
As we continue to inch closer and closer to the official start of the season, we try to power rank the Eastern Conference after everything that transpired this summer.
Way-too-early re-seeding of the NBA’s Eastern Conference
15. Washington Wizards
It should come as no surprise to see the Washington Wizards checking in at No. 15. This is a team that made the effort to pivot toward a rebuild by trading Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns this offseason. Washington made the curious decision to re-sign Kyle Kuzma and the low-risk, high-reward move for Jordan Poole, but I can’t envision the Wizards being all that competitive this season.
Short of something unexpected and special happening this season with their young players, the Wizards are likely going to finish with the worst record in the Eastern Conference. Their next moves heading into next offseason will largely depend on how their young core looks this season. They could have a very bright future but, entering the early stages of a rebuild, they’re probably years away from seeing any fruits from their foundation.
14. Charlotte Hornets
Over the next few years, fair or not, the Charlotte Hornets are largely going to be judged by how well Brandon Miller pans out as a prospect. With the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, the Hornets decided to take Miller over Scoot Henderson. Those two prospects are now attached at the hips for the remainder of their careers. Beyond that, there’s little to be excited about for the Hornets heading into the season.
That said, Charlotte isn’t going to be terrible. If they’re healthier than they were last season, which shouldn’t be that difficult for them to accomplish, they’re going to be better. After his new contract, there are big questions about LaMelo Ball. Can he truly be the face of this franchise and lead them up the hierarchy in the Eastern Conference? That’s far from a given.
Ranked No. 14 may be a bit harsh. It may seem like a jab to the Hornets. But I firmly believe that has more to do with how talented the rest of this conference is. The Hornets will be better than they were last season but considering they only won 27 games last season, that really isn’t saying much.
13. Detroit Pistons
On paper, there’s a lot to like about the Detroit Pistons heading into the start of the season. However, because of how young their talent is, and their injury history from last year, it’s hard to put huge expectations on the Pistons. Quite frankly, it would be flat-out unfair to do so. Their ceiling is high. In a perfect world, there’s a scenario where the Pistons are fighting for a 7-10 spot in the Play-In Tournament in the Eastern Conference this season.
A large portion of that weight falls on the shoulders of Cade Cunningham. If he can continue to develop into the player that many believed he could be coming out of college, the Pistons are in very good hands. However, if he struggles or gets off to a slow start to the season, Detroit is going to naturally struggle. That’s not necessarily a bad thing but it could just mean this team is still 1-2 years away from being a real player in the East.
Honestly, at this point, I could see either outcome taking place. At the very least, they’re certainly a team to keep an eye on as the season progresses.
12. Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic may still be 2-3 years away from truly walking into their potential, but this is a team that should be on everyone’s radar in the Eastern Conference. They’re young, exciting, and have a swagger to them that they haven’t had, quite frankly, in a very long time. The hype around Paolo Banchero is real and he’s only going to get better. The young core surrounding Bacnchero is almost equally talented.
As long as there are no hiccups over the next few seasons, and if the development of their young players remains on track, the Magic have a chance to be one of the better teams in the East sooner rather than later. The NBA is a star-driven league and the Magic may have one of the league’s best young players in Banchero.
If even one of their two lottery picks from this year is a hit, there’s an outside chance that Orlando could be a dark horse threat to make the Play-In Tournament in the East. I won’t say that they are but there’s a chance they could be in that race by the end of the season.
11. Chicago Bulls
Of all the teams in the Eastern Conference, I could make the case that I have the least read on the Chicago Bulls. I don’t know how good the Bulls will be this season and, to be quite honest, I’m not even sure what would be a fair ceiling for the team. They have some talent on their roster but this is not a well-fitting unit and their supporting cast leaves much to be desired. The injury to Lonzo Ball a couple of seasons ago completely nuked their chance to win with this core and that continues to hang like a dark cloud over this franchise.
On one hand, I don’t think it’s outlandish to say that the Bulls could make the playoffs in the East. If Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan can remain healthy, that’s not completely off the table for them this year. Then I try to think more realistically and I can’t say they’re even better than the upstart Indiana Pacers at the moment.
Short of something unexpected happening to start the season, the Bulls are likely going to be fighting tooth and nail to make the Play-In Tournament.
10. Indiana Pacers
Heading into the season, the Indiana Pacers are one team that I’ll be keeping a close eye on. They could absolutely be one of those teams that drastically plays about their expected projects or they could look very much like a team that is still 1-2 years away from being a playoff threat in the Eastern Conference. Either way, Pacers fans should be excited about the team’s future. Led by Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner, the Pacers, at least on paper, have what it takes to be competitive.
If the addition of Bruce Brown pays dividends, and if Bennedict Mathurin takes another step in his development, the Pacers should be penciled into one of the top 10 seeds in the East. I have them here as the 10th seed but wouldn’t all be that surprised if they were much better by the end of the year.
That said, I’m not sure if this core, at the moment, is better than what the Hawks and Sixers have. Even though those two teams have their issues, the Pacers may still be too young to consider them better than Atlanta and Philadelphia, respectively. For now, it’s only fair to have Indiana as the 10th seed.
9. Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are another one of these teams in the Eastern Conference that are absolutely going through a bit of a transition. However, at the same time, it’s hard not to look at this roster and see the clear talent that is evident. The Hawks are talented and if the Trae Young-Dejounte Murray duo can hit its stride, along with some continued development from the likes of Onyeka Okongwu and DeAndre Hunter, they have the chance to be a real player in the East. However, I don’t believe the likelihood of that ideal scenario playing out for Atlanta is very high.
Unless this team plays above its projections, I think it’s safe to say that the Hawks will be in essentially the same place as they were last season – trying to play their way into the postseason. And maybe they end up doing so again this year. But that should be the real expectation for Atlanta.
Maybe they do end up making a move for Pascal Siakam and everything changes, but I’m still not sold that Toronto truly wants to trade him. Without the insertion of another star on the Hawks, they’ll be just OK this year.
8. Philadelphia 76ers
This is probably where we arrive at the first surprising ranking of this list. I predict that the Philadelphia 76ers are going to struggle mightily this season. James Harden has completely blown up the Sixers’ season by demanding a trade and there are already whispers that Joel Embiid could soon follow shortly after. At least for now, the hope is that Philadelphia can salvage the Embiid relationship. There’s no guarantee of that, but having a good season even without Harden would go a long way in accomplishing that. I just don’t believe that’s all that realistic.
The Sixers aren’t likely to be lottery-bad this season, but I do think this entire situation is something that’s going to hang over the team’s head for the entire year. With Tyrese Maxey and Embiid, the Sixers should be competitive in the East. But it’s just such a good conference where I think the Sixers’ baggage isn’t eventually going to catch up with them.
I think there’s a very real chance that the Sixers end up having to play their way into a postseason berth. I think predicting the Sixers to finish anywhere between the 6-8 seed in the East is fair.
7. Brooklyn Nets
Even after trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving at last year’s NBA Trade Deadline, you can make the argument that the Brooklyn Nets are in a better spot heading into the season this year than they were last year. One big reason is that there’s no uncertainty when it comes to their core players. Both Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson are locked up for the foreseeable future and neither of them is secretly planning their next move away from the Nets. Or at least it doesn’t seem that way.
That wasn’t the case for KD and Kyrie last season. While the Nets may not be considered contenders in the Eastern Conference at the moment, that can quickly change. If Bridges continues to prove he can be a legit No. 1 option, it will give Brooklyn the flexibility to target another star. The Nets have the assets to do so.
Even if the Nets stand pat and continue to be patient in their pursuit of another star, Brooklyn should be a playoff team in the East. They may have to play their way into the playoffs but there is promise all over this roster. The Nets may not be a favorite but they could emerge as a dangerous dark horse by the end of the season.
6. Toronto Raptors
To be quite honest, it’s almost impossible to predict what the Toronto Raptors are going to be this season in the Eastern Conference. They have to talent to be competitive, there’s no doubt about that. However, if they do end up trading Pascal Siakam at some before the season or at the NBA Trade Deadline, that somewhat changes the outlook for the team. If Siakam isn’t on this team for the majority of the season, I don’t believe the Raptors are going to be a playoff team.
That said, I still don’t believe the Raptors are that motivated to trade Siakam just yet. It’s one of those things where I won’t believe it until it happens. Even if Siakam remains on the roster for the remainder of the season, the Raptors aren’t a top 5 team in the East. At least not on paper.
Maybe Scottie Barnes finally makes the jump to stardom this season and he raises the team’s overall ceiling. At least for now, that’s not something you can assume. The Raptors have a talented roster but are in the midst of a transition.
5. New York Knicks
Coming off a trip to the Eastern Conferene semifinals, there will be an added layer of expectations for the New York Knicks heading into this season. The question is whether they’ll be able to meet or even surpass those expectations. But in the deep East, that could prove to be difficult. Even penciling in some improvement for the Knicks, it’s hard to see them jump any higher than the fourth seed in the standings. In fact, I still predict they’ll be behind the Cavs in the regular season.
Looking back at last season, it’s easy to make the argument that Cleveland, at least on paper, was probably better than New York. The Knicks’ stars in the postseason rose above Cleveland’s when it mattered most. Quite frankly, I’m not sure the only addition of Donte DiVincenzo raises the Knicks’ ceiling all that much.
Could there be some internal development for the Knicks? Absolutely. Would that alone help the Knicks leapfrog the Cavs or even the Heat in the East hierarchy? I truly find that hard to believe heading into the season. Maybe that does end up being the case and they prove me wrong?
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
On paper, the Cleveland Cavaliers should be a top 4 seed at the very least. The big questions that surround this team involve the continued development of their young players and whether or not their offseason moves from this past summer will prove to help the team take another step forward. It’s hard to predict that either way at this point, but there is reason to believe that the Cavs will be better than last season.
Considering Cleveland entered the playoffs as the 4th seed, finishing with a top 3 record in the conference during the regular season isn’t entirely off the table. At least in my opinion, the big X-factor for the Cavs heading into the season is Evan Mobley. He’s the one player on the roster that can drastically raise the ceiling for the team this year.
For the most part, the Cavs know what they’re going to get from Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell. Together, they help create one of the most dynamic offensive backcourt in the league. Mobley, who continues to develop at an impressive rate, could be ready for his true breakout season heading into year three. If it does come, the Cavs could emerge as a surprising championship contender this season.
3. Miami Heat
At this point in the offseason, there is still very much unsettled for the Miami Heat. They’re still waiting to see if the Damian Lillard trade is going to happen or not and while they did make some additions this offseason, I’m not sure I’d be that optimistic heading into the season if they can’t close the deal for Lillard. Because of the drop-off in the Eastern Conference after the top 2 seeds, there’s a scenario where the Heat finish as the 3-seed. If they remain healthy, there’s not much stopping that from happening. Even more so if they’re able to land Lillard.
In my heart of hearts, I think the Heat ends up with Lillard. I honestly believe it’ll happen just before the start of the season. With the trio of Lillard, Bam Adebayo, and Jimmy Butler, Miami will have the chance to be really good this season. Assuming it happens, there’s a very real scenario where the Heat plays themselves into a favorite in the East.
Just think: a team that made a run to the NBA Finals just added Lillard. How can you not consider the Heat favorites if they land Lillard via trade?
2. Milwaukee Bucks
Even after a disappointing showing in last year’s NBA Playoffs, considering the team kept their core intact this offseason, it’s hard to look at the Milwaukee Bucks roster and not consider them one of the favorites to win the Eastern Conference this season. In fact, as long as Giannis Antetokounmpo and the rest of their key players can remain healthy, it would be shocking if they didn’t make at least a run to the conference finals this season. With the way things look in the conference at the moment, the Bucks are the clear second-best team in the East.
Giannis is still getting better and is probably the best player in the NBA at the moment. Khris Middleton, if he can avoid the injury bug, is also still a problem on the offensive end of the floor. And Jrue Holiday continues to be one of the most underrated two-way players in the NBA. With a new coach (Adrian Griffin), there’s a chance we could see the best Bucks team since they won their championship a few years ago.
Despite the sour ending to last season, I wouldn’t entirely sleep on the Bucks and their potential to bounce back in a big way this season.
1. Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics will be under a microscope this season in the Eastern Conference. Heading into the 2023-24 NBA campaign, it’s clear championship or bust for the Celtics. The decision to trade Marcus Smart (essentially) for Kristaps Porzingis was a bold one. If Boston ends up winning a championship, it will all pay off and the front office will be praised. However, if the Celtics fall short of expectations once again, it won’t be remembered as a popular move.
On paper, though, the Celtics are the best team in the East. Unless a big injury happens or a blockbuster trade takes place, that’s going to continue to be the case. For Boston, it’s all about playing up to their ability. This is a team that feels close to winning a championship. This could finally be the season. If they avoid injury, it shouldn’t be surprising to anyone if they’re able to pull it off.
There’s a lot of pressure on Boston heading into the season. Then again, it’s rare when that’s not the case for the Celtics. Can they recover from a devastating Game 7 loss on their home floor in the Eastern Conference Finals? Can the new-look Celtics gel quickly? For the “favorite,” there are certainly plenty of questions surrounding Boston.