SpursFan86
07-20-2015, 12:12 AM
I'm trying to put together my Eastern standings predictions, and I'm having a hell of a team deciding the 2nd-6th seeds...
If Miami can stay healthy, I'm fairly confident they'll be #2, but Wade staying healthy is a huge "if" at this point. I'm also not sure just how legit Whiteside's performance last year was. Regardless, Riley has done a really nice job of filling out that roster. Dragic/Wade/Deng/Bosh/Whiteside is a nice starting 5, and Chalmers/Winslow/Green/McRoberts/Stoudemire is a decent bench too.
Chicago basically has the same squad as last year, but with a new unproven coach. Guys like Butler and Mirotic could improve. Maybe Rose will finally find some consistency now that he's not rehabbing all offseason, but that's a massive question mark and I'm sure as hell not betting on that. Like Parker, I'm banking on Noah having a better season just because I don't see how he can be as awful as he was last year.
AFAIK, Toronto basically replaced Lou Williams and Amir Johnson with Cory Joseph, DeMarre Carroll, and Biyombo. If Lowry plays like he did in the 1st half of the season, I think I'd put them 3rd. Lowry looked like absolute shit down the stretch of the season though, and if he plays like that, they could fall to 5th or 6th.
Atlanta got dat dude Splitter, but I don't know what the hell they're planning on doing at SF now that Carroll is gone. Also, they were pretty mediocre down the stretch of last season + the playoffs...definitely not as strong as their record suggested.
Milwaukee is going to be an interesting team to watch IMO. MCW/Middleton/Antetokounmpo/Parker/Monroe looks kinda nice on paper, but the spacing seems a bit questionable and a Parker/Monroe duo would be pretty terrible defensively (although Middleton/Antetokounmpo might be able to make up for some of that). I think I have them 6th but it wouldn't completely shock me if they finish 4th or 5th.
Don't know why, but I'm just not that high on Washington. I guess I have them finishing 7th for now, but maybe I'll change my mind and bump them ahead of Milwaukee.
If Miami can stay healthy, I'm fairly confident they'll be #2, but Wade staying healthy is a huge "if" at this point. I'm also not sure just how legit Whiteside's performance last year was. Regardless, Riley has done a really nice job of filling out that roster. Dragic/Wade/Deng/Bosh/Whiteside is a nice starting 5, and Chalmers/Winslow/Green/McRoberts/Stoudemire is a decent bench too.
Chicago basically has the same squad as last year, but with a new unproven coach. Guys like Butler and Mirotic could improve. Maybe Rose will finally find some consistency now that he's not rehabbing all offseason, but that's a massive question mark and I'm sure as hell not betting on that. Like Parker, I'm banking on Noah having a better season just because I don't see how he can be as awful as he was last year.
AFAIK, Toronto basically replaced Lou Williams and Amir Johnson with Cory Joseph, DeMarre Carroll, and Biyombo. If Lowry plays like he did in the 1st half of the season, I think I'd put them 3rd. Lowry looked like absolute shit down the stretch of the season though, and if he plays like that, they could fall to 5th or 6th.
Atlanta got dat dude Splitter, but I don't know what the hell they're planning on doing at SF now that Carroll is gone. Also, they were pretty mediocre down the stretch of last season + the playoffs...definitely not as strong as their record suggested.
Milwaukee is going to be an interesting team to watch IMO. MCW/Middleton/Antetokounmpo/Parker/Monroe looks kinda nice on paper, but the spacing seems a bit questionable and a Parker/Monroe duo would be pretty terrible defensively (although Middleton/Antetokounmpo might be able to make up for some of that). I think I have them 6th but it wouldn't completely shock me if they finish 4th or 5th.
Don't know why, but I'm just not that high on Washington. I guess I have them finishing 7th for now, but maybe I'll change my mind and bump them ahead of Milwaukee.