Change is constant, especially in the NBA. It wasn’t long ago that the Bulls and Pacers seemed like perennial playoff contenders in the East and the Jazz were a rising power in the West.
Gordon Hayward single-handedly changed the fortunes in Utah when he left for greener pastures in Boston. Chicago reacted to a string of disappointing seasons by trading Jimmy Butler to Minnesota. And Indiana didn’t want to be left empty handed when Paul George reached free agency, so the All-Star forward was shipped to Oklahoma City.
But for every team on the decline, there are others on the rise. The bottom half of the Eastern playoff picture was already jumbled before the offseason started, and some young teams looked ready to challenge the traditional powers in the West.
With training camps about a week away, let’s examine some of last year’s non-playoff teams that might be ready for the postseason:
- Sixers: It’s rare that a team has two Rookie of the Year candidates, but Philadelphia enters this season with the top picks in the last two drafts in Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz. Assuming good health, which has been an issue with the Sixers, both should have significant roles on a talented young team. Free agent additions J.J. Redick and Amir Johnson will bring some playoff experience, but Philly’s fortunes fall mainly on the health of Joel Embiid, who was limited to 31 games last season as team doctors were reluctant to take any chances with his surgically repaired right foot.
- Hornets: Charlotte acquired Dwight Howard at a bargain price, and the former All-Star will try to rebuild his reputation as he joins his third team in three years. The Hornets needed a defensive anchor on an otherwise fine team that actually scored more points than it gave up a year ago, despite winning just 36 games. ESPN’s real plus-minus rating projects 44.1 wins and a fifth-place finish in the East for Charlotte.
- Heat: Miami nearly rallied to make the playoffs after a horrible start to last season and was able to retain its key free agents. The Heat have a solid core with Goran Dragic, Dion Waiters, Hassan Whiteside, James Johnson and the return of Justise Winslow, and have an outside chance of signing Dwyane Wade once his buyout in Chicago is complete.
- Nuggets: Denver was probably the best team that missed the playoffs last season, finishing one game behind Portland for the final spot in the West. Everyone knows about the talent of Nikola Jokic, but a series of shrewd drafts has given the Nuggets plenty of young talent to surround him with. The offseason signing of power forward Paul Millsap may be the addition Denver needed to challenge the West’s top teams.
- Timberwolves: Few organizations had a better offseason than Minnesota, which now has veteran talent to team with Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins. Butler was the big addition, of course, as he upgrades the team on both offense and defense. Adding Jeff Teague, Taj Gibson and Jamal Crawford allowed the Wolves to take a huge step forward in rebuilding.
- Pelicans: Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins never seemed to mesh after New Orleans acquired “Boogie” at the All-Star break, but with a full offseason and training camp to prepare, we’ll find out if that experiment can work. The Pelicans upgraded their depleted backcourt by signing Rajon Rondo and Ian Clark this summer, and recently added defensive force Tony Allen.
How many of these teams are playoff ready, and should some others be added to the list? Please share your thoughts in the space below.
My playoff predictions for teams above. ..
Sixers- nope
Hornets-nope
Heat-nope
Nuggets -yes
Wolves-nope
Pelicans-nope
Maybe the Clips fall out.
Who on earth is in the Eastern Playoffs if the Sixers Hornets and Heat all miss?! Is this a joke?
Your question is a joke. If there’s 15 teams in the East, you take away 3, there’s 12 teams left and eight of those make the playoffs. What’s so difficult to understand??
I think he meant what teams you have ahead of those making it. NY, Brk,Orl,Atl, are in full rebuild. Add that to the Sixers, hornets, and heat that’s 7 teams. So by that logic you have the Pacers, Bulls, and Pistons making the playoffs ahead of Sixers, hornets, and the heat. And the bulls and pacers just traded away their best players. Is that what you believe?
I believe that yes. The Bulls are a little shaky but I’ll stick my neck out and stand by what I say. The Heat and hornets just don’t inspire me. Sixers comment below.
Barring ridiculous injuries heat will definitely make the playoffs. Hornets will to.
And wolves
The wolves are greatly improved but with so many new pieces that will take a while to gel.
I think the Nuggets get in before the wolves.
They’ll still win enough to make the playoffs. Nuggets and wolves will make it.
The only team that made the playoffs in the East last year who may Fallout is Atlanta. I don’t think the Heat or Hornets have the rosters to get in.
Lol so you think bulls and pacers are better than heat and hornets?
Not saying the Bulls are strong, or that the Pacers will be better than last year, but looking at the Heat roster…. I dont think they get in. I don’t like the Hornets either…
The Heat will not just be in, but give leaders a test. They found their style and turned the corner already. Gotta say it, their 4 is nicknamed ‘bloodsport’.
100 x%sure
The Heat ? Not seeing it…
That projected starter at the 4, has he ever been a starter in the league outside of a 10-game injury substitution spurt?
He’s decent but not a starter on a playoff team. Unless you’re talking about Olynyk and wow, backup center at best.
Here’s the final word on the Heat: you’ve got Dion Waiters taking your final shot in the fourth quarter. Enough said.
At best you can argue it’s about a coin flip if everything broke right for the pacers and especially the Bulls. Logically I don’t see it. How do you have more confindence in the Bulls roster over the heat? Dunn has been awful, Lavine is coming off a major injury and wade is a shell of himself and he is not in that team for that much longer. Whiteside and Dragic are better than any player the Bulls have on their current roster.
The more I think about the Bulls it looks like they’re going to be a bunch of crap this year. You’re right.
Need to change Bulls for another team, just not Heat, Sixers, or Hornets….
Zzzzzzzzzzzz
Clearly, the championship this year goes through NYC. Knicks or Nets going to run the table.
I actually had all six of these teams making the playoffs. This is my playoff brackets:
East
Boston
Cleveland
Washington
Toronto
Milwaukee
Miami
Charlotte
Philly
West
Golden State
San Antonio
Houston
OKC
Denver
Minnesota
Clippers
New Orleans
Pretty spot on apart from I’d put griz 7th and then it’s between clippers, New Orleans and blazers for 8th.
Those are the popular pics, I agree with that and that’s what the offseason free agent time and draft do for the fans….. it creates excitement for the teams that have been down.
No problem with that but just not how I see it.
I guess we’ll wait and see. I’m going to take a screenshot of a couple of these posts, saving for next year. Maybe I’ll eat crow? Looking stupid later is half the fun right? Just ask my wife !!
But, there’s just no way to Sixers make the playoffs. It’s sort of like tanking. Or coasting and resting. Fans think that teams can just turn it on at will. Or turn it on in 4th period or cruise in practice and then excel in games. Just doesn’t work that way.
The Sixers haven’t really played together, haven’t really played period !! They’ve been hurt. And they are so young. I hope they do well but I’m just predicting they don’t make the playoffs.
Then there’s the heat and the Hornets. Their rosters just don’t have playoffs written on them. But we’ll see.
The sixers are young and haven’t really played together and they have been hurts. Ok I can agree with that but that almost contradicts you are argument for picking the Bulls. They have young players too. They haven’t played with each other. Wade is injury prone and Lavine is coming off a major injury. Also the young players on the sixers are miles better than the Bulls young roster.
Ya, but the Bulls have….., they’ve got……, um…,
Robin Lopez !!
Yep you’re right the more I think about it the Bulls don’t look too hot.
Portland definitely makes the playoffs. I think that’s a no-brainer. With that backcourt, great Center, and they’re loaded with decent wings… not great Wings, decent wings.
That kicks out the mess that’s the Pelicans. Cousins will be traded at the deadline because this twin tower thing doesn’t work anymore. And it’s not McHale and Parish who would be willing to sacrifice for the team, we’re talking DeMarcus Cousins here.
Softy Gentry standing up to DC during a blow up? Not happening. They just don’t make the playoffs in the tough West.
Utah was the four seed and you don’t have them making the playoffs because they lost non “crunch time” performer Gordon Hayward? I watch them quite a bit and they went to Joe Johnson to close out games. Couldn’t count on Hayward . So that’s quite a drop for just one player.
The Jazz may have actually improved at point guard because George Hill doesn’t play if he has the slightest nick.. ….
Memphis had some success with ZBo and Gasol. Offensively, DMC and AD are better than them, too. It is still likely they work something out.
I would say a healthy Jackson with Bradley is much more hopeful to make the playoff than the sixers.
A healthy Jackson with a upgrade over kcp should make Pistons much more likely to make the playoffs than the sixers.
I read here that a healthy Jackson activates Drummond. Detroit has an interesting roster like that. Olidipo amd Turner will have allstar-like years, while Philly players have to get used to each other and everyone else. Charlotte is harder to firm up than Indy and NY doesnt know what they want, so
1Cleveland 2Boston 3Washington 4Miami 5Milwaukee 6Toronto 7Detroit 8Indiana 9NewYork 10Charlotte.
1GSW 2Houston 3OKC 4Spurs 5LAC 6Utah 7Port 8-10NO/Min/Den 11Memphis 12Dallas. Tough fight for the 8th spot, or else my brain just got tired at the end!