2. Boston Celtics
Now that Kristaps Porzingis is back from injury, we're going to get a better grasp of how dominant the Boston Celtics are going to be this season. At least for now, the Celtics still appear to be the biggest favorite to win the NBA Championship. Interestingly enough, they may finally have a worthy opponent in the Eastern Conference. We'll talk about them in a bit. But even though the Celtics haven't hit their stride as a team so far this season, there's plenty to fear about this team - arguably the deepest and most talented in the league.
What makes the Celtics so difficult to gauge is the fact that this team may not turn it on until later on in the season. Knowing that they're going to be judged by what they're able to do in the playoffs, there's little value for the Celtics to find regular-season dominance. As long as the Celtics keep pace with the top of the East, there's no reason to press much in the regular season. Right now, the Celtics are in the perfect spot as they pace themselves through the first portion of the season. They'll eventually turn it on but it's too soon for that.
1. Cleveland Cavaliers
All of a sudden, the Cleveland Cavaliers look like a worthy threat to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference. Though the Cavs did trip up last week, losing to the Atlanta Hawks twice, they did show just how dangerous they could be by beating the Celtics on Sunday night. At least for now, the Cavs have the look of a team that could potentially know off the Celtics in a seven-game series. I'm not sure if they should be favored over Boston just yet, but it's hard to argue with the results so far this year.
Even in the game that the Celtics did beat the Cavs earlier this season, Cleveland was playing short-handed and only lost by a few points. Cleveland is for real and is going to be a huge headache once the playoffs come around. Can they win a title? I'm not quite sure. However, at least for now, this team is answering all the questions they need to as a legitimate threat in the Eastern Conference. The Cavs may have finally found the right formula as a contender.