2019-20 Eastern Conference predictions: Which seed will Philadelphia 76ers get?
Where the Philadelphia 76ers stand in the Eastern Conference picture.
It has been three months since we last watched Philadelphia 76ers basketball, and in the meantime, we’ve seen the Raptors dethrone the Golden State Warriors in June, NBA free agency taking over our lives in July, and now comes August — one of the only down times of the NBA, where the only news we are getting is who is withdrawing from the FIBA World Cup. One thing is for sure: it is never too early to talk about season predictions in a time like August.
This article will go over my predictions for the Eastern Conference seedings and discuss important offseason acquisitions and overall expectations for each team. Let’s begin the prediction at the 15th seed.
15. Cleveland Cavaliers (2018-2019 record: 19-63)
The Cavaliers are a weird team currently rebuilding while still having players like Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson on their roster. Although the pairing of Collin Sexton and recently-drafted Darius Garland is very talented, the fit is odd. This season will just be a season of developing their young players in Sexton, Garland and even Cedi Osman, while potentially trying to find buyers for their veterans. Even with a newly appointed coach, this team did not get any better, while the other lottery teams did. That’s why I have the Cavaliers at 15th.
14. Charlotte Hornets (2018-2019 record: 39-43)
A team with no sense of direction and several bad contracts is what seems to be the every-year recipe in Charlotte. Choosing between the Cavaliers and Hornets for the last spot was a tough choice. There’s just not much to say on the Hornets after failing to offer Kemba Walker the supermax, or even a max contract.
We keep asking ourselves, what is management doing? The Hornets have been mediocre for a long time with Walker, and now with the face of the franchise gone, there are no real bright spots in Charlotte. Although I’m not big on Terry Rozier, he has shown he can win his team games, and that’s why I have them just ahead of the Cavaliers.
13. Washington Wizards (2018-2019 record: 32-50)
John Wall‘s inability to stay healthy has been a recurring problem for the Wizards the last two years. Wall’s injury does bring one bright spot, and that is the emergence of Bradley Beal. Bradley Beal has shown he can more than takeover games and has raised his stock with Wall’s absence.
The reason the Wizards are so low in the rankings is because it is hard to believe that they won’t deal Beal before the deadline. His value will never be higher, and a Wall-Beal duo is just not good enough to win a championship — especially a Wall returning from a torn Achilles. However, if Beal does stay, then expect the Wizard to be a bit higher, but still not a playoff-caliber team.