Dan Feldman Predicts the East.

[Diesel]

Dan Feldman

Regular-season standings

1. Milwaukee Bucks

2. Philadelphia 76ers

3. Boston Celtics

4. Toronto Raptors

5. Brooklyn Nets

6. Miami Heat

7. Indiana Pacers

8. Atlanta Hawks

9. Washington Wizards

10. Orlando Magic

11. Chicago Bulls

12. Charlotte Hornets

13. Detroit Pistons

14. New York Knicks

15. Cleveland Cavaliers

First round

Milwaukee Bucks over Atlanta Hawks

Philadelphia 76ers over Indiana Pacers

Boston Celtics over Miami Heat

Brooklyn Nets over Toronto Raptors

Second round

Milwaukee Bucks over Brooklyn Nets

Boston Celtics over Philadelphia 76ers

Eastern Conference finals

Milwaukee Bucks over Boston Celtics

The Bucks have been the class of the Eastern Conference over the last two regular seasons. The lessons of playoff failures past plus upgrading to Jrue Holiday should make Milwaukee stronger in the postseason. With Giannis Antetokounmpo signing his super-max extension, the Bucks can focus on their championship pursuit without that cloud hanging over their heads.

The 2-6 teams – 76ers, Celtics, Raptors, Nets, Heat – are closely grouped. With incredibly talented Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving returning from injury and having never played together, Brooklyn has the highest ceiling ceiling and lowest floor. Better shooting around Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons plus Doc Rivers’ coaching should make Philadelphia more formidable. Miami earned its conference title last season, but some reasons for it might not be sustainable.

The Hawks and Wizards appear soundly in the play-in range (7-10). The Bulls and Hornets could also work their way in.

NBA Eastern Conference predictions originally appeared on NBCSports.co

[Diesel]

While I can see us about the 7th seed. ...  I am not so quick to dismiss the Wiz and the Bulls.

[hawkzlova123]

I'm real quick to dismiss the pacers, raptors, heat and even Boston 

[RedDawg#8]

What if we finished 7th or 8th seed, but lost the play in round.

Would you all be pissed?

[JeffS17]

1 hour ago, RedDawg#8 said:

What if we finished 7th or 8th seed, but lost the play in round.

Would you all be pissed?

yeah, even if we were to get swept in round 1 i want trae and the team to feel playoff basketball

[macdaddy]

16 hours ago, RedDawg#8 said:

What if we finished 7th or 8th seed, but lost the play in round.

Would you all be pissed?

Yes.   I hate play ins.  What's the point of the regular season if you can miss the playoffs but win a couple games to get in anyway.  

 

[kg01]

1 hour ago, macdaddy said:

Yes.   I hate play ins.  What's the point of the regular season if you can miss the playoffs but win a couple games to get in anyway.  

 

Agreed.  I only like 'em when the season just happens to come to that.  Last year was great because it came outta nowhere.

No need to artificially force it.  There's enough drama and intrigue in the real playoff races.

This year's "play-in" feels forced and "well, I gotta do something"-y.

[macdaddy]

Only thing about this season and play ins is i think the league thought there will be a bunch of teams who have the argument 'if we hadn't had so many dnp-covids we would have made it' so i can see that argument a little.   I'd still have some kind of qualifier around it though.  I mean if you're 10 games back why should you get to win 2 to get in.  

[JayBirdHawk]

40 minutes ago, macdaddy said:

Only thing about this season and play ins is i think the league thought there will be a bunch of teams who have the argument 'if we hadn't had so many dnp-covids we would have made it' so i can see that argument a little.   I'd still have some kind of qualifier around it though.  I mean if you're 10 games back why should you get to win 2 to get in.  

I think teams have to be within 4 games within each other to be in the play-ins.

[RedDawg#8]

3 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

I think teams have to be within 4 games within each other to be in the play-ins.

That's good, I hope so.

Flip side, what if we were the team on the outside looking in, but finishing the year on fire? Not even saying we had a losing record. Lets say the East is ultra competitive and teams 8-10 are all .500 or better, but we are sitting at 9 or 10 with the same excuses of maybe Trae missed 2 weeks because of Covid?

All of a sudden the play in seems like a fair deal right? lol

[JayBirdHawk]

7 minutes ago, RedDawg#8 said:

That's good, I hope so.

Flip side, what if we were the team on the outside looking in, but finishing the year on fire? Not even saying we had a losing record. Lets say the East is ultra competitive and teams 8-10 are all .500 or better, but we are sitting at 9 or 10 with the same excuses of maybe Trae missed 2 weeks because of Covid?

All of a sudden the play in seems like a fair deal right? lol

I have to look up the specific rules, they may have modified it for the bubble.  What I'm now seeing is "teams 7-10 are in the play-in"

[macdaddy]

I think the NBA is figuring that there are going to be a ton of teams clustered.  It's just going to be a hard season to win at a .650+ clip.  And probably fewer teams with <20 wins.  Heck the only two super crummy teams in the west last year were GS and Minny and they should be coming back much improved.