22. Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets have had a pretty inconsistent season thus far but that's not all that shocking considering the team probably is preparing for a full-blown rebuild. All signs continue to point in that direction as it's been reported the Nets are expected to be open to trading a few veterans on their roster heading into the NBA Trade Deadline. Whether or not the Nets will end up pulling the trigger on any deals remains to be seen. However, there's no question this team could look a lot different at the end of the year than they do now.
The Nets are technically still in the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament picture at the moment but I cant imagine that's going to continue to be the case - especially if they move forward on embracing the label of a seller at the NBA Trade Deadline. The Nets have been a pretty good story in the East this season, especially considering the continued emergence of Cam Thomas as one of the premier offensive guards in the league.
21. Philadelphia 76ers
It's been far from an ideal start to the season for the Philadelphia 76ers but would be insane to count out this team. While the team's overall injury situation is clearly concerning, you can't deny the talent that the Sixers have on their roster. And if they can figure out how to remain healthy, this is a team that could make a strong run up the Eastern Conference standings. But that remains one very big question and a huge uncertainty for the team moving forward. For now, the Sixers are still one of the worst teams in the league. But hope could be on the horizon.
Entering Friday night's action, the Sixers had won four of their last five games. It's amazing what rhythm and a tiny bit of health can do for a team. I wouldn't say the Sixers have completely figured things out because most of their hope this season continues to rely on the knee of Joel Embiid. The fact he had only played in five games (entering Friday night) is not a good sign for the team. The Sixers have plenty of work to do to climb out of this early-season hole but if there's any team talented enough to pull off such a feat, it's probably this one.