10. Milwaukee Bucks
It's been quite the up-and-down year for the Milwaukee Bucks and right now, the team finds themselves in another slump. The Bucks have dropped four of their last five games and are just 3-5 in their last eight games. They're losing some of the ground they managed to make up in the Eastern Conference standings and at this point, they may be kissing their shot to catch the New York Knicks for the No. 3 seed goodbye. But that's not the end of the world for the Bucks. What this team needs to be prioritizing at the moment is health.
While many will disagree with this assessment, if the Bucks are going to have any shot to make noise in the East playoffs, they're going to need to be healthy. Right now, more than anything, that's what the Bucks finally are. They're healthy. Things will need to stay that way as they play the rust off their game. I still wouldn't worry all that much about the Bucks right now but if they're still playing this inconsistent in March, that's the moment it may be time to panic about not only this team's chances this year but also about their future.
9. Orlando Magic
At some point, you'd expect that the Orlando Magic are going to get healthy. However, at least for now, this is a team that has continued to see the injuries continue to pile up. The hope is that they will return the heart of their team, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, at some point soon. However, without that certainty, you can't help but wonder if this year is beginning to look more and more like a lost season for the franchise.
Even though the Magic have done an admirable job in remaining afloat in the Eastern Conference, with much of the credit due to their superb defensive unit, at a certain point the team is going to need both Banchero and Wagner back if they're going to emerge as a real threat in the conference. Hopefully, their dynamic duo is able to return before it's too late. For now, the Magic are a team to keep a close eye on even though they're still not at full strength.