Eastern Conference Power Rankings: 2021-2022 Preseason Edition

1. Brooklyn Nets

If the Nets have their health (which is a big if) and if the Kyrie situation gets resolved (possibly an even bigger IF), it’s hard to argue against the Nets as being the undisputed favorites to win it all. The roster is deeper this time around with the additions of Patty Mills, rookie Cam Thomas who looked fantastic in Summer League, Paul Millsap, James Johnson, Jevon Carter and DeAndre’ Bembry. Jeff Green will be missed, but LaMarcus Aldridge is back after being medically cleared to return to the game. It will all ultimately come down to KD, Kyrie and Harden staying healthy and on the court together. That should go without saying, but we are saying it. And all that said, the defense here is still questionable, especially the rim protection. We like Nic Claxton’s game, but how much can you trust him in the playoffs? He’s still a youngin’, but perhaps he will blossom. Seems like a lot is riding on… Blake Griffin. At least they got rid of DeAndre’s Jordan’s harrowing contract.

2. Milwaukee Bucks

Usually we would have the defending champs #1 here, but usually there isn’t a looming juggernaut like Brooklyn waiting to strike. The Bucks did also lose P.J. Tucker who was a V.I.P. on defense despite not bringing much on offense whatsoever, save for a couple of corner pocket 3’s. George Hill is back, but honestly his teams do not have a postseason resume that bodes too well. Grayson Allen is here now, acquired via trade for Sam Merrill and two future second-round draft picks. Not one afraid to let the 3 fly, Grayson can help fill in for Donte Divincenzo who has not been cleared for camp or resumed 5-on-5 ball yet. Other newcomers include the often injured Rodney Hood and Celtics fan-favorite Semi Ojeleye. A ton of pressure that was on Giannis and Coach Bud has been alleviated by winning the Chip. That should be helpful for the team atmosphere and do wonders for their confidence. And something tells us that humble Giannis isn’t satisfied just yet.

3. Atlanta Hawks

Last year’s overachievers now have sizable expectations as the Hawks return everybody (save for Okongwu’s injury) from a team that soared in the 2nd half of last season and right through the playoffs all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. Plus they should have De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish healthy to go along with the addition of rookie Jalen Johnson and backup point guard Delon Wright. The Hawks are deep. There will also be added stability from having Nate Mac calling the shots from Day 1. John Collins got the money he earned last season, continuing on his path of being a premier rim-running big who can also space the floor and shoot 40 percent from 3. Collins has gotten better every year he’s been in the league, just like Trae Young, Atlanta’s engine and maestro. The Hawks got a taste last season, and we expect them to be hungry for more.

4. Miami Heat

Kyle Lowry’s caboose has made it to South Beach at long last. Zach Lowe recently described the trio of Lowry, Butler and Bam on The Lowe Post as the “Bermuda Triangle of Hell.” Throw in another new member to the lauded HEAT CULTURE, P.J. Tucker, and you definitely have a scary as hell defensive lineup that can also have some shooting sprinkled in with either Duncan Robinson or Tyler Herro. Those two will be imperative (because: shooting) and a bounce back season for Herro seems like it should be in the cards. The lack of depth for the Heat is the main question. There will be more Markieff Morris and Dewayne Dedmon than you would prefer, but Max Strus did get a lot of run last year (and had a sudden-death game-winner at Summer League!) and let’s not be quick to forget that Gabe Vincent cooked Team USA for Nigeria in that Olympics exhibition game. Another question is when will Victor Oladipo be ready to play? He doesn’t seem to know, but it doesn’t sound like anytime soon.

5. Philadelphia Sixers

The Ben Simmons cloud continues to hover over Philly, leaving them still in a dilly of a pickle. Daryl is notorious for not settling, but he’s never faced a situation like this before. How long can he and the Sixers wait? We do know Daryl doesn’t think of his rosters on Opening Night as complete, yet it would be nice for everybody to no longer have this looming over them. Getting adjusted to new players with real practice time can also be beneficial. Even without Simmons or his replacement(s), the Sixers should be plenty good. Shake Milton and Tyrese Maxey can run the point. Maxey flashed a lot of potential as a rookie. While the Drummond signing got all of the noise, Georges Niang was a quiet signing this summer. Niang is a floor-spacer who has shot over 40 percent from 3 for three straight seasons. Paul Reed is already becoming a fan favorite. BBall Paul!

6. Boston Celtics

The Celtics actually have some depth this season, an area where they previously lacked a season ago. Marcus Smart as the main point guard is an interesting choice, but a Marcus Smart stat that we love: Last year in games that Smart had 8 or more assists, the Celtics were 9-1. One man’s misfortune turned out to be another team’s treasure as Schroder for $5.9 milly is a substantial bargain. Things didn’t work out for Dennis The Menace in LA, but we aren’t far removed from him being the runner-up for 6th Man of the Year in OKC. In their returns back to Boston, Al Horford and Enes Kanter can offer veteran big-man help, something else the C’s didn’t have last year. But hopefully Robert Williams III’s recent contract extension means it’s actually time to unleash Time Lord. Don’t underestimate the fact that Theo Pinson’s teams always have the happiest bench in the league and usually overachieve.

7. Chicago Bulls

The Bulls were the surprise free agency splash team of the summer, bringing in Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso. Derrick Jones Jr. was also acquired in the Markkanen trade. It’s a revamped roster with a lot of offensive upside. The defense is the big question, but Caruso and DJJ can help on that side of the ball. The Bulls hope the offense is so good that it won’t matter. The Bulls significantly improved, yet it’s kind of hard to imagine them being better than the six teams above them here. It’s certainly a possibility, but it’s also possible they spent all that money to be a play-in team. Kudos to them for trying at least. It’s unfortunate that they will start the season without Coby White (offseason shoulder surgery) and Pat Williams (severely sprained ankle). Somebody we liked in his limited playing time last season for the Nets: Alize Johnson.

8. New York Knicks

This feels too low for the Knicks, but the East is legit these days. The element of surprise will be gone, but the defensive prowess should remain. Can Randle duplicate his breakout big leap last season? The consistency he showed all of last year and his work ethic make it sure seem doable. Yet that playoff series vs. Atlanta is a little cause for concern. Everybody returns save for Reggie Bullock’s hair and Elfrid Payton, replaced by Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker (Mr. New York himself) who will both offer additional offense that the Knicks were missing. Kemba at MSG should be lights out when he gets on a roll. He could be the steal of the summer if he’s able to stay healthy. Fournier signed for a lot of money, but he looked damn good for Spain in the Olympics. We’d like to see more minutes for Obi Toppin and are curious to see what he does with them. How could the Knicks let Theo Pinson go?! He was the bench mob extraordinaire.

9. Charlotte Hornets

Another young surprise team from last year, the Hornets faded in the second half of the season due to a slew of injuries. Behind the uptempo-ness of LaMelo Ball, the Hornets put themselves on the map as a League Pass fan-favorite, filled with ridiculous LaMelo dimes, Miles Bridges power dunks, Scary Terry in the clutch and Eric Collins losing his fricken mind. Add in the rookies, James Bouknight and Kai Jones, as well as Kelly Oubre, and the recipe for excitement is even more potent this time around. A Zeller is gone (Cody) for a Plumlee’s (Mason) arrival. The slightly additional play-making and rebounding will be welcomed with open arms. The actual winning in Uptown will likely hinge on Gordon Hayward’s health once again. Hayward is the piece that really unlocks everything for James Borrego. And expect to see more of the small-ball lineups that obliterated opponents last year with P.J. Washington at the 5.

10. Indiana Pacers

From Nate Bjorken to Rick Carlisle, there might not be a bigger coaching upgrade to be had. The thought of Carlisle paired with Malcom Brogdon and T.J. McConnell is one of a team with good structure and organization. That goes a long way and can give you an advantage, especially when it was once a weakness. The Pacers (like most teams) had terrible injury luck last season. T.J. Warren is still out indefinitely with his fractured foot apparently not healing quite like they hoped it would and Caris LeVert recently suffered a stress fracture in his back. Apparently they think LeVert won’t miss substantial time and will return by the start of the season. Whenever T.J. Warren is able to return, replicating the bubble is unlikely, but his scoring will be nice for Indiana to have. It was missed all of last year. Myles Turner block parties are back in the mix, but Dougie McBuckets is gone. The rookie Chris Duarte should be the fill-in there. The other rookie is Isaiah Jackson from Kentucky. Carlisle is on record stating on Media Day that, "Duarte and Jackson are going to help us right away.” We’ll believe it when we see it — in terms of him actually giving them minutes. The Torrey Craig signing was a good one. And don’t sleep on Oshae Brissett!

11. Toronto Raptors

The Raptors are thankfully finally back home where they belong. No Kyle Lowry in Toronto is undoubtedly weird, but Freddy V will lead the way. Spicy P is due for a comeback after Siakam went from Most Improved to most de-proved which is something we just made up. OG Anunoby keeps getting better. His stellar defense is very reliable and he’s shot 39% from 3 two seasons in a row? It’s true, and on high-volume at 6 attempts per game last year to boot. The Scottie Barnes hype train is picking up a lot of Canadian steam. The Bigs should be more dependable with Khem Birch in for a full season and more minutes for Chris Boucher. Precious Achiuwa is here now, too. Does The Dragon have anything left, or will Masai be sending Dragic to Dallas in the near future? Malachi Flynn heat checks are a thing in case you didn’t know.

12. Washington Wizards

Bradley Beal is surrounded by a cast of new characters in Spencer Dinwiddie, Kyle Kuzma, Trez Harrell, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Aaron Holiday and the rookies Corey Kispert and Isaiah Todd. When does Thomas Bryant return from his ACL injury? Tommy Sheppard says sometime in December. Having depth should be a nice change in D.C., but rookie head coach Wes Unseld Jr. does have his work cut out for him as far as finding the right lineups and managing all these dudes’ minutes. How much will Daniel Gafford miss Westbrook? His defense once he got to D.C. looked very legit, though. Speaking of, that’s usually been the Wizards achilles heel the last several years, but they somehow finished 19th overall in defensive rating last season after a stellar month of April that saw them finish 3rd in the entire NBA. Like we said, Gafford’s defense was very legit.

13. Cleveland Cavaliers

Despite the trade rumors (of which we never understood), SEXLAND is still here. Larry Nance is gone to Portlandia so that Markannen’s extra floor spacing can be in Clevelandia. The Cavs heeded our advice and locked up Jarrett Allen, the fro power dunker and power blocker. Looking forward to seeing how the twin towers lineups with the fro and Evan Mobley look. The Kevin Love situation doesn’t appear any closer to being resolved, but for what it’s worth, he was smiling on Media Day. (We would be smiling too if we were getting paid $31 million a year to play basketball.) Winning can cure most anything. And remember when the Cavs started last season smoking hot? K-Love was a part of that. Perhaps history can repeat itself. Ricky Rubio offers a much more competent backup point guard. No offense to Delly who was super washed. There is a decent amount of continuity here. There is something to be said for that.

14. Detroit Pistons

Thanks in large part to lottery lucking into the #1 pick, the Pistons avoid last place in our preseason power ranks — which is precisely where they lived a season ago. (They were literally dead last in each and every one of the power rankings that we published.) Shady Cade will get to show us what he’s got from Day 1. The new face of the franchise is Mo-Town ready to roll. But Jerami Grant is still here too, and we wonder how exactly he fits into the future of this team with a plethora of youngin’s who need time (and the rock) to develop: Saddiq Bey, Killian Hayes, Hami Diallo, Isaiah Stewart and Saben Lee! This summer’s Detroit free agent class includes… Kelly Olynyk and Trey Lyles. Shoo wee. Did you know that there is not one single Detroit Pistons player that remains on this roster from when we first started this blog two years ago before the 2019-2020 season? Life comes at you fast, but at least there is reason for optimism in Little Caesars Arena these days.

15. Orlando Magic

The Magic are last, but we are honestly quite excited to watch them play. They ended last season by showing heart. It was very evident that the young core likes playing ball together, genuinely hugging and yelling and caring and shit. Seriously, though, that’s what you want to see. Their lottery luck was laughed at at first, getting the #5 pick in a four-player draft. Yet then they lucked into that fourth player, Jalen Suggs, still available at #5 after all. Suggs, by all accounts, appears to be a proven winner. And Franz Wagner can be the floor-spacing big needed in today’s game. And he’s paired with his brother which is always nice. (The Brothers Wagner!) Robin Lopez is here — that is if they can pry him away from Disney World. The latest on Fultz and Isaac, both recovering from a torn ACL, appears to be limited on court activity without a timetable for their actual returns. The Magic actually have a deeper roster than you’d think which is a crazy thing to say about the team that’s last in the power rankings.

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Western Conference edition dropping soon.

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