Predicting the NBA Eastern Conference standings: 1-15
- Milwaukee Bucks — 57-25
- Brooklyn Nets — 55-27
- Miami Heat — 51-31
- Philadelphia 76ers — 49-33
- Atlanta Hawks — 49-33
- Chicago Bulls — 46-36
- New York Knicks — 46-36
- Boston Celtics — 44-38
- Indiana Pacers — 42-40
- Charlotte Hornets — 39-43
- Washington Wizards — 36-46
- Toronto Raptors — 35-47
- Cleveland Cavaliers — 33-49
- Detroit Pistons — 30-52
- Orlando Magic — 26-56
Here are my final predictions, always liable to change based on future maneuvers. If Ben Simmons gets traded for Damian Lillard, that would have a sizable impact on how I view the situation. If he gets traded for Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga, that would have the opposite impact.
In the end, it’s too easy to have definitive, hard-line opinions on every team and every matchup. Too much of the NBA season is rooted in variance and randomness. Even so, we do have frontrunners, and basement-dwellers, and teams who we can predict improvement for. There are also several interesting storylines that go beyond the standings. Rarely does the No. 1 seed have absolute dominion over a playoff race (see: 2020-21 Sixers). Teams rest stars and lose strategically. The regular season standings are only part of the puzzle.
For the Sixers, this will be a season of controversy and change. It seems inevitable that Simmons will get moved, and that Daryl Morey will make his signature swing for the fences at some point. Damian Lillard or no Damian Lillard, the Sixers’ roster will probably look different when the season concludes.
Again, we are less than two months away from NBA basketball. It’s an exciting time, and the build-up is palpable. Until then, let this serve as your guiding light for what to expect next season.