[SlickBouncePassParticipant]

 I’ll list the top Impact players for each team as it currently stands.

Atlanta – Schroder, Bazemore, Taurean Prince, J. Collins, Plumlee, bellinelli, bembry

Boston – Thomas, Rozier, Smart, Morris, Crowder, Brown, Tatum, Mickey, Horford

Brooklyn – D. Russell, Levert, Carroll, Lin, Hollis-Jefferson, Mozgov, Jarrett Allen

Charlotte – Kemba, Batum, Kidd-Gilchrist, Marv. Williams, Kaminsky, Howard, Monk

Chicago – Jerian Grant, Lavine, Zipser, Markkanen, Robin Lopez, Portis, Valentine, Dunn

Cleveland – Kyrie, JR Smith, Lebron, Love, Thompson, Jefferson, Shumpert, Korver

Detroit – Reggie Jackson, A. Bradley, S. Johnson, T. Harris, Drummond, Kennard, Ellenson

Indiana – Collison, Oladipo, G. Robinson, T. Young, M. Turner, Stephenson, Jefferson, Leaf, Corey Joseph, Bogdanovic

Miami – Dragic, Waiters, Winslow, J. Johsnon, Whiteside, Olynyk, Tyler Johnson

Milwaukee – Brogdon, Middleton, Antetokoumpo, Parker, Monroe, Dellavedova, Teletovic, Hawes, Maker

NY Knicks – Ntilikina, Hardaway Jr, Carmelo, Porzingis, Hernangomez, O’Quinn, Courtney Lee

Orlando – Payton, Fournier, Ross, Gordon, Vucevic, Isaac, Hezonja

Philly – Fultz, Reddick, Covington, Saric, Embiid, J. Okafor, Bayless, Amir Johnson

Toronto – Lowry, Derozan, CJ Miles, Ibaka, Valanciunas, Anunoby, Siakam

Washington – Wall, Beal, Porter, Morris, Gortat, Oubre

Predicted Standings

1.  Cleveland – can’t bet against Lebron, although they aren’t adding anything.  This is the year they may lose.

2.  Boston – no big man but just really stacked at 3 and 4, with all-star Isiah Thomas.

3.  Milwaukee – Giannis had a breakout playoffs.  If Parker and Middleton healthy all year, book it.  

4.  Toronto – Solid NBA vets at 4 positions.

5.  Washington – again experience, and a strong starting 5.  Not a very deep team

 

 

6.  Charlotte – nice mix of veterans.  Addition of Dwight Howard makes them stronger.  Have a lot of diversity.  

7.  Miami – Waiters, Whiteside, and Dragic play tough.  Good supporting cast, NBA is league for Men.  I think tehy are more developed than Philly, like them at 7.

8.  Philly – at the least.  If everyone is healthy I could see them jumping up a couple more spots.  For now the established vets get priority.

9.  Indiana – they have a lot of solid depth all centered around Miles Turner.  Nice quick rebuild for the absence of George.

10. Chicago – Lavine and Dunn are incapable of playing in a good system.  Markkanen is a nice addition.  Having Wade is always good.  

 11.  Detroit – Bradley and Kennard are nice additions but they sorely lack offense.

12.  Atlanta – Schroeder running the Spurs system isn’t bad, but nobody is a star on this team.  I should probably rank them lower. 

13. Knicks – Can’t discount Carmelo and Porzingis, role players play hard.  If Carmelo could lead at all, they might have a shot at playoffs with Nitty, Hardaway, and Hernangomez to go with their big two.  

14.  Orlando – they’re all solid players but no STAR.  They needed a leader, I would’ve signed Dennis Smith to at least bring some excitement.  

15.  Brooklyn – I actually like Russell, Levert, Hollis-Jefferson, and Jarret Allen, but they got a lot of maturing to do.  J. Lin is a nice sixth man.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SwatLakeCityParticipant]

 How is Gordon Hayward not an impact player for the Celtics?

[SlickBouncePassParticipant]

Well, any other omissions blame me.  I did it more to compare the starting PGs and bigmen, and then finally make the rankings how I see it.  Y’all see the standings any differently?    

[MorseWillParticipant]

 Wade is also still probably Chicagos best player but not listed either… Also I’d move Detroit up a couple spots and maybe Charlotte down 1-2

[BleedGreen808Participant]

Simmons not impactful for the Sixers?  You listed Okafor, Bayless, and Amir over him.

[SubZeroParticipant]

Just looking at the roster, I want to put Atlanta last but Coach Bud is making me think twice. Kenny Atkinson also seems like a great coach and with the roster they’ve put together so far, I don’t think they’ll be the worst in the East again. I just don’t know who I’d put below them because a lot of these teams now have guys that I can see bringing them up a little bit. As bad as the East as a whole will be, there won’t be a 2016 Brooklyn

As far as playoff seeding goes, I have the same 8 teams making it and I like the top 3. I might go so far as to move Miami up to 4, I really really like that team and Coach Spo went from being a joke in the Heatles days to being an elite coach. Washington’s essentially the same team but who knows if they’ll have the same results, I think the development of Kelly Oubre will have a lot to do with how good they are next season

I know this might sound crazy, but if Ntilikina plays well and Melo stays and is happy all year, the Knicks could sneak in there somehow. Not predicting that but if someone said they’d be the 8th seed, I wouldn’t say that’s outrageous

[The GoatParticipant]

 It’s outrageous. Ntilikina is 18, they are changing offense and all offseason the talk has been about Melo or Porzingis leaving. They are the same as last year minus Rose, who actually went ok. They are a lottery lock. 

[SlickBouncePassParticipant]

This is for any player that controls the ball in the game:  

1. Lebron

2. Kyrie – his offense is too explosive.  I hated him before Lebron, but now he is called upon in big moments.

4. Isiah Thomas – defensive end weakness.  Him and Kyrie are interchangeable to me, but Kyrie is too explosive on Offense.  

4. John Wall – kind of disappeared in big moments in playoffs and relied on Beal to do all the pressure scoring.  He’s a freak

5. Lowry – solid two-way player with a nice 3 pt shot when on.  Disappears in playoffs but was injured this past year.

6.  Ben Simmons – I think he’ll be the best passer.  6’10” so greatest line of vision.  Just need to see how he scores.

7. Dragic – is leading a tough playoff team.  Probably could score more.  

8. Schroeder – I like him more than Dragic but Dragic is commanding a winning team let’s see how Schroeder impacts a team without other very good players.

9 Kemba – a very good scorer but needs to make a greater impact on his team.  I don’t think he plays as hard or limited by his size as the two above him.  

10.  Fultz – Just cuz he’s 19.  Can see him climbing the list if potential is reached.

11. Brogdon – a safe PG with size.  Does whats needed to win.

12. Reggie Jackson – hurt by inability to lead a team and erratic shooting.  If you’re gonna be the PG, start leading your team to the playoffs through scoring and distributing.

13. D’Angelo Russell – he is a less athletic Reggie Jackson right now.  Don’t think he will pan out, just not athletic enough and I don’t think his vision is broad enough.  Another score-first PG that hasn’t made those around him better.

14. Collisson – good guy.  Nice average PG.

15. Payton – why Orlando didn’t be aggressive in taking a PG astounds me.  Hopefully they get Sexton who is a major upgrade over this guy.

16. Ntilinkina – will reserve judgment till he plays a game.  Europe is one thing, NBA is another.

17.  Dunn – has to mentally mature.  Find his role, get comfortable.  Right now I see a Marcus Smart type, with greater than Marcus Smart expectations, and Less than Marcus Smart ability to score.  

18. Jerian Grant – very ordinary.  

I’d make tiers of [1-5] [6-11] [12-18]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SubZeroParticipant]

John Wall disappears in big playoff games, meaning he has one bad game after hitting the game winning shot from the game before, and relies on Beal for pressure scoring after closing out the Atlanta series by scoring in Atlanta and averaging more ppg in the playoffs than Beal. I know I’m a Wall fan so I’m biased but I don’t see how he’s not #2

[MatosParticipant]

 Wall is for sure number two and you’re disrespecting Kemba having him #9 and behind Simmons. I’m all for my Sixers but Simmons hasn’t played a game yet.

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

 The East looks 5 deep.  No offense to Charlotte.  Then I can see about 13 or 14 teams fighting for the last 3 playoff spot.

After the All Star break we will find out who is gonna make a run at the playoffs, and who is gonna tank for a top 5 pick… 

Teams in the 4-5 hole will either try to move UP or DOWN.  I think they wanna avoid Cleveland, even if Boston is the team on the rise.  The Cavs have that playoff track record… if a team is locked in to either the 2-3 spots or the 6-7 spots, I think they look at the waiver wire at the deadline, rest some guys, and selectively tank to end up avoiding a matchup against the Cavs as long as possible.

I would be surprised if NEITHER the Cavs nor the Celtics made the ECF, but I wouldn’t be shocked if one of those two teams didn’t make it. 

It’s possible that the ECF is Cavs/Celtics and a team like Bucks/Raptors/Wizards.  Of course, it depends on matchups.  Then a 2 seed would be a slight favorite against a 3 seed.  

That winner of the 4-5 first round matchup would be the wildcard.  If Bucks are at 4, or the Wizards fall there, then I think they can upset the Cavs.

The 2018 playoffs will be a referendum on Isaiah Thomas.  If they win AT LEAST a game in the ECF then I think they will be back.  BUT, if they get swept in the ECF or don’t even make it there, then I think that Boston tries to low ball IT a bit… I think they consider moving on from IT… They might even try to get YOUNGER at point guard, with somebody like Seth Curry, Patrick McCaw, or Dante Exum.  Maybe they can sign TWO of those guys for the price of IT.  OR, they sign Seth Curry as a combo guard who you can put next to Marcus Smart.  I think all three of those younger options (Curry, McCaw, Exum) would be a good fit next to Marcus Smart.  

The Wizards and Bucks CAN get to the ECF (or maybe even to the Finals as sleeper teams) BUT they need a lot of internal improvement.  

I think the Raptors have peaked.  They look like a second round team and out for the next few years…

The Heat are playing for a playoff spot AND towards the free agent market.  I can see Chris Paul semi-retiring in Miami 2 or 3 years from now…

Hmm…

I think that if any team is in the 8th spot with a 3 game lead heading into the All Star Break, might end up getting in the playoffs by 5 or 6 games.

This draft is top heavy too, so I can see teams from 9-15 trading some of their old guys at the deadline, calling up some guys from the G League, and basically playing their young guys more.  You don’t wanna be out of the playoffs by 1 or 2 games, essentially locking yourself into a middling first round pick (12-14 range).  

This draft looks top heavy, too, maybe even more than last year.  The strength of this year’s draft was in that 5-10 range.  The one next year might have a more well-defined top 3 or 4 NOW, but it might really drop off after the 5-7 range.  … and I am not sure that it has enough mid-tier depth in that 20-45 range…  I think this draft had a lot of late-first round type talent (i.e., guys who can make an NBA roster) well into the 2nd round.  The 2018 second round looks a bit weaker.  You could basically be looking at 2-way G League type talents after the 20th pick or so…

I think that Detroit should be in the Bamba/Ayton/Porter, Jr Or Bust Camp (with Miles Bridges as a decent consolation prize, and basically a local/regional guy) by All Star Weekend IF they aren’t essentially locked into the 7th or 8th seed (at least a 3 game lead over the 9th slot).  

Unless a team in the 12-15 range can trade DOWN for either two late firsts or a late 1st rounder and 2 seconds, then I don’t they will receive good value…  then it might be even TOUGHER next year to move up into the top 3-5 range.  

So, you wanna either make the playoffs this year (preferably avoiding a Warriors or Cavs juggernaut, maybe even the Celtics/Spurs), OR do a big enough semi-tank job to get your team moving in the right direction again, especially if you are a middling, small market team with a mediocre core.  

Basically, you wanna be in the Bamba/Ayton/Porter, Jr. sweepstakes with Miles Bridges or a top tier freshman guard as a consolation prize… Get a guy like that.  A core type at worst, and a FRANCHISE type player at best.  Then use your 2nd rounder and get player who is very similar to someone you could have taken at 15-20.  Or, buy into the 2nd round… get a utility player that you need.  You can basically get an Allonzo Trier or a Grayson Allen or a stretch four like Johnathan Williams any time you want, so you might as well swing for the fences for a top 3 pick…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ChammesParticipant]

 because there is 15 teams In a conference you see? It can’t be 5 deep and 14 teams fighting for the last spots

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

 True.

I meant that about 12 or 13 teams can contend for a playoff spot, so that would be 7 or 8 for the last 3 spots?

Looks like the standings fall off at about 5… 

I would think that the West would be similar…

It will be interesting to see when teams go for the full tank job.

The Nets will at some point (probably will lose a ton even if they want to win).

I can’t think of an obvious tank job team out West.  

Maybe the Jazz…

If any team is projected to be a playoff team but gets off to a sluggish start, I can see things getting ugly quick.  

I think it may be a long year in Chicago.

I could see them ending up with a

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mgreener_34Participant]

 1. Celtics- Say what you want, but this team is better than the one that laced em up last year. Hayward and Morris will give us consistent scoring, something we didn’t have last year, and Baynes/Zizec will provide some much needed energy from our big men. Depth has been the Celtics calling card over the last 3 years, and will continue to be their Ace in the hole throughout the regular season. Baynes/Crowder/Smart/Tatum/Rozier is probably too much to handle for opposing benched. CLE is the better team, but idk if they can get away with playing LeBron 38 minutes a night and Kyrie 35. I expect those numbers to go down, and CLE to stay the course. Celtics will be going harder in the regular season.

2. Caveliers- For reasons mentioned above. Clearly the more talented team, but their lack of depth and cohesiveness will prevent them from winning the 60+ games they will probably need to reach the #1 seed. Do they even care? Probably not. 

3. Wizards- Same level as the Raptors, except Wall/Beal is better than Lowry/Derozen, and they have a better supporting cast at this point. Raptors bench got worse, Wizards got better. Getting Mike Scott as a scorer off the bench was nice, as was getting Jodie Meeks, another solid shooter and contributer. This team has some firepower, but their defense is still going to be terrible. 

4. Raptors- I like their starting 5, and would personally have Val come off the bench as a 6th man, but doubt they do that. Miles was a nice pick up, but they are putting a lot of stock in whoever their backup PG ends up being. If it’s VanFleet or Wright, they are going to be extremely thin on ball handlers. One Lowry injury, and their season comes crashing down. They have 5 quality big men on their roster, if they can utilize that size, they could be good, but as it stands right now, their lack of a solid backup point, and reliable 3pnt shooting is going to cost them. 

5. Bucks- I could easily see this team going anywhere from 3-6. I personally think Kidd is a good coach. He isn’t afriad to try new things, and his rotations are alright. This team clearly has the talent, so their season will come down to health. Parker needs to stay healthy. He can be a super star in the NBA, but he needs to see the court. Middleton as well. He’s one of the better 2 way SG’s in the league, and misses a lot of time every year. Like the Celtics, the Bucks have a ton of depth/young talent, so if they put it all together, I expect them to be better than the 5th best team in the East. 

6. Hornets- Clifford is a really good coach. I like his system, just not the players he has running it. This team is far from perfect, but they won 36 games last year, and did add some nice pieces. Dwight will win them some games, and improve their defense. Clifford is a D first coach, and has gotten this team to play good D over the years. I expect them to grind teams out this year. I also like the additions they made in the draft. Monk and Bacon will be nice young pieces to groom, and have come off the bench looking for buckets. I think they have a complete team, just lack the talent. 

7. Heat- Again, solid coaching, and they started to put things together as the year went on. Olynyk was a nice pickup, and I expect him to have a huge impact in MIA, and hope he starts. He’ll spread the floor for Whiteside and Dragic, and they will be more effective. Adebayo gives them another good energy big off the bench, Winslow will comeback and give them something they didn’t have last year (an athletic wing defender). This team is better than the Hornets, and Spo is a good coach, so I can see them finishing with 40-45 wins. 

8. Pistons- This spot is literally up in the air, as every team left in the east is just too dysfunctional right now to really project acurately. And their are still moves to me made, so as it stands Ill take the team with the most experience and best coach left. SVG has a tendency to lose and cap out his team, and if they don’t get the PG situation figured out, they might be in for a very long year. But as it stands I think Avery Bradley is def. a better plan than KCP, and he will provide more spacing and better defense. Kennard gives them another guard off the bench who can mix it up. I also think Bradley’s attitude can be infectious, and because of that, the team will really take a turn in the right direction. 

Honorable mention:

9. Knicks- Even if they trade Melo, I think they have the talent in the East to fight for the 8th seed. They have a bunch of good big men who all provide something different. Veteran SGs who are consistent in what they do, and help spread the floor. Frank isn’t going to start for them, but is a nice piece off the bench. I fully expect them to look for a PG upgrade. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Rondo take a 1 year prove it deal, and having a great year for NY. He loves playing in the spotlight, and NY could def. provide that. 

Anyone who thinks the 76’ers are making the playoffs are delutional. The East is bad, but not bad enough to were a team starting essentially 3 rookies can make it in without a talent like Giannis. Their will be growing pains, as the team has to learn how to play threw simmons, and even more so for guys like Fultz. They will have the worst D in the entire league starting Fultz and Reddick, and lets be honest, injury concerns plague this team. If Embiib can’t stay on the court don’t expect them to win more than 35 games unless both Simmons and Fultz just break out out of the box. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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