The Eastern Conference Play-In Teams
7. Indiana Pacers*
8. Orlando Magic*
9. Chicago Bulls
10. Atlanta Hawks
(*winners of Play-In Tournament)
I believe the Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic are going to continue to struggle with consistency down the stretch and out of that third tier in the Eastern Conference, I truly the Miami Heat to emerge to secure the sixth seed over the course of the final two months of the season.
The Pacers and Magic are likely a year away from being a possible top 6 team but they should be good enough to secure the final two playoff spots even navigating through the Play-In Tournament. The addition of Pascal Siakam will continue to need work but by the time the postseason comes around, it should look a lot better. The Magic have struggled a bit over the last couple of months of the season but I still believe their young dynamic duo will be consistent enough down the stretch to secure the final playoff spot.
Either way, if the Pacers and Magic do end up making the postseason, it will be a good story. It's been three years since the last time both Indiana and Orlando were in the postseason. They'll be able to gain some valuable playoff experience even if they don't end up making much noise this season.