Predicting Every Teams Final Record for the Eastern Conference

Cleveland Cavaliers (67-15)
The Cavaliers have finally found something in Cleveland. This is due to numerous reasons from the new coaching philosophy of Kenny Atkinson, the leap of Evan Mobley, but what I think has helped them improve the most is their chemistry. The chemistry of this team is something to behold, it is box office. The joy that they play with is something that fans can feel through the T.V. I am expecting a lot out of them this year in the playoffs and I cannot wait to see what they can do.
Ceiling: NBA Champions
Floor: Eastern Conference finals appearance

Boston Celtics (63-19)
The Boston Celtics this year have looked like they’re cruising through the season and waiting for the playoffs to begin. This can be dangerous however they are the most trustworthy team going into the playoffs this year because they’re the defending champions. Although Kristaps Porzingis has struggled with his health this year, I have no doubt come playoff time he will be playing. For the Boston Celtics this is a big year as they look to defend their title and become the first Back-to-Back champions since the Golden State Warriors in 2017-2018.
Ceiling: NBA Champions
Floor: Eastern Conference Finals appearance

New York Knicks (54-28)
With the addition of Karl Anthony-Towns this year the New York Knicks are definitely a team to look out for. With the duo of KAT and Jalen Brunson and the defensive specialists of Mikal Bridges and O.G. Annunoby the Knicks can be a team that can make some noise this year. However I don’t think this will be the case because of Tom Thibodeau’s coaching style. His philosophy emphasizes the starters playing nearly the entire game and sometimes even the full game if needed too. We saw how that played out last year as the reason they weren’t able to go to the Eastern Conference Finals was purely based on how many injuries they had last year. However I hope they can stay healthy come playoff time because that will be super interesting
Ceiling: Eastern Conference Finals appearance
Floor: 2nd Round Exits

Milwaukee Bucks (47-35)
After a horrendous start to this year the Milwaukee Bucks have somewhat found a stride in their offense. They lack both perimeter defense and rebounding which can be a huge issue if they get faced with a matchup against the New York Knicks. I think if they’re able to avoid the Knicks however they could look to be a decent playoff team. They’re currently ranked 12th at both offensive and defensive rating in the league and have almost no depth on their bench. So, what the Milwaukee Bucks can do is a question to be asked, but the question will be answered within a couple of months.
Ceiling: Eastern Conference Finals appearance
Floor: 1st Round Exits

Indiana Pacers (46-36)
The Indiana Pacers are the most confusing team in the league as of right now. The duo of Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton works on paper but when you watch them play they almost seem to not accommodate each other. This is a team that can either go out and beat the Boston Celtics on any given night or can lose five straight to the bottom five teams in the league. The Pacers lack size and rebounding as they don’t have a single player besides Pascal Siakam who averages over 7 rebounds per game. It is to be noted that Tyrese Haliburton has not been great this year as he was expected to by many fans and this is a huge reason for their lack of winning.
Ceiling: 2nd Round appearance
Floor: 1st Round Exits

Detroit Pistons (43-38)
The Detroit Pistons who are led by the uprising star Cade Cunningham have played above their expectations this year. Detroit has played some good basketball but I can’t see them making a lot of noise in the playoffs this year. Besides Cade Cunningham they don’t have a guy who can go and get them a bucket at any given moment which is what a lot of these teams above them have and is why I have them finishing off the season better than them. Since Jaden Ivey has gone down Cade Cunningham had to step on the pedal a little bit earlier than expected and although he has done that, they need Jaden Ivey back really badly.
Ceiling: 2nd Round appearance
Floor: 1st Round Exits

Orlando Magic (40-42)
An injury riddled season has been for the Orlando Magic but they’ve shown nothing but grit this year. With the leaps by both Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner they can make some serious next season if they can stay healthy. However this year it could get tricky as I think they will be matched up with the hardest task in facing the Boston Celtics in the first round.
Ceiling: 1st Round appearance
Floor: Play-in tournament elimination

Miami Heat (37-45)
With the subtraction of Jimmy Butler after this season's trade deadline the Heat find themselves in a tough spot. But have some good upside for the future as they can look to build around both Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. I believe that Tyler Herro can be a bona fide star in this league however if he wants to become one of the best players in the league he is going to need to play much better individual defense. I don’t expect a lot out of the Miami Heat this year as I just believe they’ll sneak by the play-in tournament because of how bad the Atlanta Hawks and the Chicago bulls are now, but they better pray that Philadelphia doesn’t get healthy for those play-in games because that can mean a ton of trouble for them.
Ceiling: 1st Round appearance
Floor: Play-in tournament elimination

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