Our Expert Eastern Conference Preview & Predictions: Who Will Be Number 1?

Our expert analyst has supplied us with an in-depth preview for the upcoming 20/21 season &  is looking to improve on an incredible 19/20 season where we profited over 112 units at a strike rate of 59%.

Tier 1 – Eastern Conference Champion Contenders 

Barring any significant mid-season moves, I find it really hard to see any of the teams in the East being able to beat the Lakers or Clippers.

Bucks: Under 50.5

The Holiday trade looks a whole lot better now that Giannis has signed his super-max, but I am really not sure they have improved their chances of winning this season. So much of their success last season came from their historically good defence finishing the regular season with a 102.5 defensive rating. Although Jrue is a better and more versatile defender than Bledsoe and this starting unit will be amazing, it’s hard to imagine their defence as a whole being anywhere near as good as last season with the lack of defensive depth they have on the bench. They have a bit more shooting now which is great, but I just don’t see them taking a step forward unless there is some big improvement from Giannis, which isn’t out of the question. They are sitting right at the hard cap so they have very little flexibility moving forward, and once they pay Jrue this off-season will all of a sudden become a very expensive tax paying team.

Nets: Under 45.5

Really hard to predict how this season will play out but there are some encouraging signs early with KD & Kyrie both looking good in their pre-season opener. This team has an insane amount of depth which should bode well for them throughout the condensed regular season, but I just can’t get too excited about a team’s chances whose best defender in the starting 5 is 32 and coming off a torn Achilles. Paid a lot to bring back Joe, but he’s a great complimentary piece for them and they wouldn’t have been able to replace him. Nice work getting Bruce Brown and Shamet for nothing major to add to their already extensive depth. Steve Nash seems like a great hire. Plenty of tradable pieces and definitely wouldn’t be surprised to see them make some mid-season moves.

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Celtics: Under 45.5

Not the best off-season for the C’s. From all account’s it seems that Turner/Hayward deal was on the table for them and they turned it down which really doesn’t make sense to me. Seems like the league is out on Turner and I can’t work out why, he looked great toward the end of the Miami series. They managed to get a trade exception out it in the end so it will be interesting to see how they use that. Did well to get Thompson as he will really help them in some spots especially in the playoffs, but at this point I think Theis is better so it’s a lot of money on a back-up C. Was actually quite keen to see some more Robert Williams, who could end up being better than both. Kemba’s knee is extremely concerning and I think they’ve downgraded their back-up point losing Wanamaker and bringing in Teague. He might have something left and looked good in their opening pre-season game but he was awful for the Hawks last season.

Heat: Over 43.5

Their whole off-season was focused around keeping space for 2021 and the pursuit of Giannis, so obviously not ideal he is now off the board signing the super-max in Milwaukee. It seemed at the time there may have been a large opportunity cost involved with keeping so much flexibility, but they did really well to bring in Harkless to replace Crowder. He was huge for them on both ends of the floor so is a big loss, but it was hard to except that same Crowder to come back for them anyway. They now have plenty of space moving forward and have positioned themselves to remain extremely competitive this season.

76ers: Over 42.5

Had a big miss on them last season, as I really thought they had a chance to be a special defensive team which just wasn’t the case at all finishing with the 8^th best defence. Morey hasn’t been there long at all but has certainly made his presence felt with some great business highlighted by turning Horford’s ridiculous contract (who was also of no use to them) into Danny Green who can help them this season and his expiring deal gives them flexibility moving forward. Curry was also a good get for them and this team has a nice structure to it now. On the surface getting Dwight seems great, but if they are to stagger Embiid/Simmons it means that Simmons will be playing all those minutes with a non-shooting centre. It would have been nice to see them look for a stretch 5 to back up Embiid, but I’m not sure that player was out there. Overall, they managed to get better this season and they have much more flexibility moving forward all coming at a very small cost.

Tier 2 – Playoff Race

Raptors: Over 42.5

Similarly, to Miami, they went all in on cap space for the Giannis sweepstakes, but unlike Miami I think it might really hurt them this season. They lost both Ibaka and Gasol who had been a perfect combination for them at the centre spot the last few seasons. Both guys could have been retained if the Raptors were willing to give them an extra year, but for obvious reasons they couldn’t. Baynes and Boucher should be fine for them in the regular season but may struggle come playoffs so it’s hard to see them making much noise, especially with so many other good teams at the top of the East. Thankfully they were able to retain FVV at a fair contract as that could have been a disaster. Excited to see if OG gets more opportunity on offence this season.

Pacers: Over 37.5

Not too much at all to hit on here with the Pacers essentially bringing back their entire roster. I’m surprised they have such a low line as they won 45 games last season (from 73) and they actually have a few paths to improvement headlined by Oladipo who is in a contract year. Aaron Holiday has shown enough but really needs to be more consistent. They will be hoping he can step into a larger role early in the season with Warren being week to week with Plantar Fasciitis. I like the coaching change, expect them to play faster and shoot a lot more 3’s.

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Hawks: Over 34.5

So much depth on this team but there are plenty of question marks. They are going to be elite offensively and by bringing in Rondo & Bogdan, it will allow Trae to play off ball which adds another element for them. Bogdan’s contract was definitely on the higher side, but you have to pay up for restricted free agents. Dunn is a great defender but it’s going to be so hard playing him alongside Rondo. Reddish really turned it around in the back half of his rookie season and he all of a sudden look like a really good prospect and he should get plenty of chances as he can be a positive defender. Don’t love the Gallo signing to play as a backup but they got him at a decent price and could end up being a positive asset for them, or insurance if they can’t reach an extension agreement with Collins and decide to move on. Okongwu was the best defender on the board so the pick was fine, but they are already heavily invested in Capela so I was definitely a little surprised.

Wizards: Over 33.5

Holding onto Beal while they were a 30-win team seemed insane to me and I have been strongly of the opinion they should move on, but an opportunity arose for them to turn Wall and his ridiculous contract into Westbrook and his. I am by no means a Westbrook fan, but what he brings on a nightly basis throughout the regular season is so valuable and I honestly wouldn’t be shocked to see this team in contention for home court come the end of the season, making this line seem very low. They will however lose first round regardless of who they verse. Deni looks like he is ready to contribute immediately and Lopez finally gives them some defensive presence in the paint.

Tier 3 – Play In Race

Magic: Under 30.5

Stuck in purgatory while Vooch plays out the rest of his contract. I actually think he could help a few teams, but that contract is seemingly too hard to swallow as I’m sure they’ve tried to move on and reset. Very quiet off-season for them. Lots of buzz around Fultz and it would be nice to see him have a breakout season.

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Bulls: Over 28.5

Really not sure what to make of this team. They have some nice offensive pieces but it’s just so hard to see them being any good defensively. Last season they had the 9^th best defence, but that was all scheme based as their PNR coverage was insanely aggressive. This is completely ineffective at the end of games and against good teams and it showed, as they had the bottom ranked defence in the clutch. Billy Donovan is a nice coaching upgrade. I am excited to see how Wendell Carter goes this season as I am sure he will be much more heavily involved in the offence. Donovan really helped Steven Adams as a passer.

Tier 4: Lottery

Hornets: Under 26.5

Why on earth did they sign Hayward… The 2021 draft is absolutely loaded, and it should’ve been a top priority for them to get a high pick to pair with some of their other young guys. I had LaMelo a clear #1 on my board so for them to get him at 3 was great. He’s looked like he’s going to be a lot of fun after a couple of pre-season games. I like PJ Washington and think he could become an impactful player for them this season.

Pistons: Under 23.5

Absolute insanity in Detroit. Once they moved on from Drummond it finally looked like they were going to attempt to hit the reset button which certainly would’ve been the right thing to do but instead they have dished out some horrible contracts in an attempt to remain relevant. Funnily enough they executed everything so poorly that it might end up working in their favour, as I can’t see them finishing close to the play-in game with the roster as currently constructed.

Cavs: Over 22.5

Very quiet off season for Cleveland. It’s very early, but it looks like they’ve nailed their pick with Okoro, and he can be a nice long-term piece for them. They’ll be right down the bottom of the East again.

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Knicks: Over 21.5

First time in a while they haven’t completely botched an off-season. They by no means kicked any goals but have managed to maintain a lot of flexibility moving forward which is always positive. I don’t understand the team structure at all. Everything I hear coming out of New York is that they want to develop RJ and make it his team, but they have not done anything at all to help him through their roster construction. Although they have some passable rotation guys, the spacing is just awful. Not a huge Toppin fan but should give the media something to talk about with his really polished offensive game.

It’s likely going to be a very strange season so I can’t say I am overly excited about betting into any of the over/under markets at this stage, but I think depth is the most important factor to consider if you are having a bet.

Eastern Conference Champions; Milwaukee Bucks

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