From top to bottom, the Eastern Conference doesn’t measure up to the West. But the top of the conference, especially the contenders in Philadelphia and Milwaukee, shouldn't be dismissed.
Here's what to expect out of each team heading into the 2019-20 season...
MORE: Breaking down Western Conference tiers
The favorites
76ers: If there's a team that will benefit most from Kawhi Leonard’s departure from Toronto, it's the 76ers.
Philly had an eventful offseason. The Sixers decided that Jimmy Butler wasn't part of their future plans, but they did believe Tobias Harris was deserving of a max contract. Their biggest offseason move was somehow convincing Al Horford to leave Boston and play on the other side of a chippy rivalry. Horford has been the one guy who has been able to corral Joel Embiid. By signing Horford, the Sixers not only improved, but significantly weakened a team that has had their number in past years.
The projected starting five of Ben Simmons, Josh Richardson, Harris, Horford and Embiid is the best in the league. They're massive, and the defense will be menacing.
The Sixers are betting that Simmons will continue to improve offensively and potentially develop some type of outside game. Embiid will need to turn up his conditioning if Philly is going to make a run to the NBA Finals.
"Trust the Process" has come full circle. The Sixers are the team to beat in the East.
Bucks: Fresh off a 60-win season and a spot in the Eastern Conference finals, Milwaukee is ready to run it back.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is coming off the first of what could be many MVP seasons. Antetokounmpo established himself as the next great superstar in a league filled with incredible talent. He’s been able to dominate the league without a consistent outside shot. The thought of Giannis hitting from 3-point range at even an average rate should terrify opposing defenses.
Milwaukee had a busy offseason. The Bucks ultimately decided they couldn't match Indiana's offer sheet for Malcolm Brogdon. They rightfully made Khris Middleton a priority and signed him to a five-year, $178 million deal. They re-signed Brook Lopez, a key to the team's spacing around Antetokounmpo, and inked George Hill to a new contract while adding Robin Lopez, a nice addition defensively.
Giannis is still far from a finished product, and another year under Mike Budenholzer will only make him more efficient. Milwaukee will be battling Philadelphia for the top seed in the East all year long.
The challengers
Celtics: The season from hell is in the rearview mirror, and the Celtics have a new leader.
Kyrie Irving is gone, and Kemba Walker arrives in Boston to take his place. Walker is almost as gifted a scorer as Irving, and he brings far less baggage. The Celtics should have a much healthier locker room.
Horford bolting for Philadelphia stings, but it’s unclear if the Celtics had any desire to fork over the kind of money needed to keep the 33-year-old. Boston is counting on Walker to fill the leadership void Horford's departure created. Jayson Tatum took a step back in his sophomore campaign and will need to be more assertive and efficient. Gordon Hayward will be a year healthier after a frustrating 2018-19 campaign.
Boston is flying under the radar this time around. The hype that existed a year ago is gone, but the Celtics may be better off for it.
Pacers: Victor Oladipo's health will determine how far Indiana will go.
Despite losing their lone All-Star midway through the season, the Pacers still managed to finish fifth in the Eastern Conference. But once playoff time came around, it became clear how badly they needed his playmaking.
Even with a healthy Oladipo, Indiana lacked depth. The Pacers went out and signed Brogdon to a four-year, $85 million deal. Indiana also snagged Jeremy Lamb, a forward capable of starting or coming off the bench, plus TJ McConnell and Justin Holiday as insurance policies while they await Oladipo’s return.
Once again, the Pacers will finish near the top of the conference. Without a healthy Oladipo, though, they won’t make it far in the playoffs.
Nets: The signings of Irving and Kevin Durant shifted the power in the New York basketball landscape.
Brooklyn's climb from the bottom of the NBA to a destination spot for stars is nothing short of miraculous. General manager Sean Marks and coach Kenny Atkinson have turned around an organization that just four years ago was in its darkest days.
With Durant out for the entirety of the 2019-20 season, the Nets' playoff hopes will lie directly on Irving’s shoulders.
Irving is in a familiar position. Just like the Celtics, the Nets possess young players looking to take the next step, Spencer Dinwiddie and Caris LeVert being the two with the most promise. Irving was unable or unwilling to be the leader the Celtics needed. Will he change in Brooklyn? Or will this be a lost season as the Nets await the arrival of Durant?
Raptors: Fresh off a championship season, Toronto won't be competing for back-to-back rings. That doesn’t mean the Raptors won’t be good.
There’s still a lot of talent in Toronto even with Leonard gone. Marc Gasol, Kyle Lowry, and Serge Ibaka return. Pascal Siakam is ready to be an All-Star, and the Raptors will need him to play like one if they’re going to remain competitive in the East.
The main question is whether the Raptors decide to rebuild. They certainly have enough talent and veteran leadership to be a playoff team in a weak East, but the roster could be turned upside down as the trade deadline approaches.
Heat: The Dwyane Wade era in Miami is over. Jimmy Butler will attempt to fill his shoes.
Butler enters the season on a mission to prove that he can be the No. 1 guy on a playoff team. Last season, he got lost in the shuffle with all the talent in Philadelphia. It’s finally his time to shine. Heat president Pat Riley was able to unload the contract of Hassan Whiteside, and Miami expects Goran Dragic and Dion Waiters to be back and fully healthy.
Even though Miami has many holes to fill, the addition of Butler to a solid Heat culture should be enough to earn a playoff spot.
Potential playoff teams
Magic: Orlando made the playoffs for the first time since 2012. Did the Magic do enough for a repeat performance?
They had to make a decision on Nikola Vucevic and eventually felt that he was worth the $100 million they gave him this offseason. They also re-signed Terrence Ross to a four-year deal.
Outside of those contracts and the signing of Al-Farouq Aminu, not much has changed for the Orlando roster. In order for the Magic to really jump beyond this tier, they’ll need a young player like Aaron Gordon or Markelle Fultz to grow into a star.
Pistons: Blake Griffin showed everyone that he can still be a force in the league. He’ll need a repeat if the Pistons are going to find their way into the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
The All-NBA forward was finally healthy and put up big numbers while playing in 75 games, though injuries caught up with him before the postseason. Andre Drummond put up career numbers in his first year under coach Dwane Casey. But where do the Pistons stand now?
Griffin had offseason surgery on his knee, and there were minor changes to the roster. Derrick Rose signed a two-year, $15 million contract, and the Pistons are hoping his performance last season wasn’t an aberration. Detroit also picked up Markieff Morris and Tony Snell, but they are just decent bench players that don't really move the needle.
The Pistons are in no-man's land. They'll be fighting for a chance to get swept by either Milwaukee or Philadelphia.
Lottery teams
Hawks: Atlanta was mocked when it chose Trae Young over Luka Doncic at the 2018 NBA Draft. Young proved the Hawks weren't completely crazy.
A case could be made that Young should have won the 2018-19 Rookie of the Year award with averages of 19.1 points and 8.1 assists per game. If he can continue to improve, the Hawks have their franchise guy.
Atlanta added De'Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish at the 2019 draft. Throw in the emergence of John Collins, and things are starting to look up in Atlanta. The Hawks aren’t ready yet, but the future is bright.
Bulls: Apparently Jim Boylen is the guy?
After a tumultuous season that saw Bulls players nearly revolt against Boylen's leadership, the brass felt he had done enough to deserve a three-year extension.
Lauri Markkanen is the future of the organization, but a sophomore season littered with injuries brought expectations down a notch. Drafting Coby White gives Bulls fans hope that they’ve finally found someone to fill that Rose-sized hole at point guard.
Knicks: The Knicks' dream scenario in free agency turned into an epic failure. It’s time to build from the ground up.
No. 3 overall pick RJ Barrett has a chance to be really good and, shockingly, he wanted to be in New York. Coach David Fizdale will look to incorporate Barrett as second-year players Kevin Knox and Mitchell Robinson attempt to make significant strides. The additions of Julius Randle, Bobby Portis and Taj Gibson should earn the Knicks a few more wins — even if they do play the same position.
This won’t be the year Knicks fans were expecting, but Barrett, Knox and Robinson should provide some intrigue.
Cavs: A year removed from LeBron James' second chapter with the team, and the Cavs are back to square one.
Cleveland’s biggest splash this offseason was the hiring of longtime Michigan basketball coach John Beilein. He inherits a young team highlighted by Collin Sexton. Cleveland drafted Vanderbilt guard Darius Garland, who has an incredibly high ceiling despite playing only five games in college.
We've seen the Cavs attempt a rebuild after James left the first time. If nothing else, it might not be possible for this round to be worse.
Wizards: Ernie Grunfeld is no longer in charge. Will the Wizards be able to start anew?
Tommy Shepard takes over duties as GM, and considering the circumstances, he's done a nice job. He refused to take on huge contracts and drafted Rui Hachimura out of Gonzaga. The status of Bradley Beal in a Wizards uniform is tenuous at best, and no one knows when John Wall will be back on the floor.
Expect a full rebuild in Washington.
Hornets: Welcome to the bottom of the league.
After losing Walker for nothing in free agency, the Hornets tried to save face by signing Terry Rozier, but that contract is going to haunt them. They drafted PJ Washington, and they have some young talent in Miles Bridges and Malik Monk, but the future is bleak.
It's going to be a long year in Charlotte.