Best & Worst Case Scenarios For Each Eastern Conference Team

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How Does The East Shake Out?: Imagining the best (and worst) possible outcomes for every team in the East.

CJ McCollum Gets Extension: New Orleans locked in their shooting guard with a two-year, $64-million extension.

Fultz Breaks Toe: The Magic guard will be out indefinitely with a foot injury.

The end of September is an exciting time for NBA fans, especially if you support a team that loses a lot, because… Well, you haven’t lost at all yet! In the early fall, before any basketball has actually been played, your team has the same chance of hoisting that Larry O’Brien trophy in nine months as every other team. That’s not actually true, but don’t let anyone tell you that! Cling to that hope!

As October– the best month of the year– rolls around once again, the temperature begins to cool, brown leaves coat the streets, and basketball fans convince themselves things will be different this season. Their team’s young player is going to take a “leap,” the new head coach has the team “fully bought in,” and those new City Edition uniforms aren’t that ugly. This isn’t about any team in particular. But if the shoe fits…

While we can usually sort of predict how a team will perform, nothing is ever totally certain – except maybe the fact that Mike Breen yelling “BANG” against your team will still feel really, really bad.

With all that being said, here are the best and worst case scenarios for each team in the East. We’ll go in reverse order of last year’s regular season standings.

Orlando Magic

Best Case: The Magic go 30-52, exceeding their projected win total while experimenting with some funky, fun big-ball lineups that include Franz Wagner, Wendell Carter, Jr and Paolo Banchero. The team shows they can be competitive while still locking down one more top-end draft pick before they make their big “leap” in 2023-24.

Worst Case: Jalen Suggs still can’t adjust to the NBA game, and none of the seemingly endless prospects on this team can carve out a role for themselves amongst all the playing time logjams. This leads to more questions than answers about which players the franchise should consider cornerstones moving forward.

Detroit Pistons

Best Case: The Cade + Jaden duo (Caden? Iveyham?) becomes an instant League Pass fan favorite. Dwane Casey gives the two young guards free reign to develop their games at their own pace. The Pistons’ record still isn’t pretty, but the Motor City is energized by their two dynamic backcourt partners.

Worst Case: Cade Cunningham’s three-point jump shot inexplicably remains a question mark throughout his sophomore campaign, and his play style doesn’t mesh with Ivey’s like everyone hoped. The Pistons end up with more of a “Now what?” bad record than a “Well, at least we have a bright future” bad record.

Indiana Pacers

Best Case: Tyrese Haliburton shows that he’s more than just a nice asset, solidifying himself as the PG of the future in Indiana. President of Basketball Ops. Kevin Pritchard finds trade partners for Buddy Hield and Myles Turner, and the Pacers stock up on raffle tickets to the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes.

Worst Case: Rookie Ben Mathurin can’t find a niche in his debut season, and the Pacers coaching staff can’t figure out whether he is a guard or a wing, stunting his development a bit. The Pacers get unlucky in the Draft Lottery, and things start to get bleak in a hurry.

Washington Wizards

Best Case: Bradley Beal remembers how to shoot! This team isn’t totally devoid of talent, and all of their role players find their niche. Monte Morris has a career renaissance in his first opportunity to really run an offense, and Wes Unseld Jr’s squad is the pleasant surprise of the NBA season.

Worst Case: The Wizards remain in NBA purgatory; they aren’t good enough to compete with the elite teams, but aren’t bad enough to find themselves in the top of next year’s lottery, either. There is no evident direction or plan for the future.

New York Knicks

Best Case: Jalen Brunson turns out to be the piece New York envisioned him to be. The addition of a true point guard lightens the offensive burdens of Julius Randle and RJ Barrett, and the unheralded but shrewd signing of Isaiah Hartenstein proves to be one of the smartest of the summer.

Worst Case: The Brunson signing doesn’t move the needle enough, and the Knicks become an expensive, unproductive, dysfunctional team. Tom Thibodeau remains reluctant to play young players regular minutes, and the Knicks get buried in a deep conference.

Charlotte Hornets

Best Case: Strangely, the best case in Charlotte might be a full on implosion this year. With Miles Bridges (presumably) no longer being on the roster, this team is still a few pieces away from being a real competitor. But with a couple savvy trades, a 25-ish win season, and a high lottery pick, there is a clear path to being a real threat in the East; it just doesn't come to fruition this season.

Worst Case: The Hornets find themselves in an all-too-familiar spot of being a perennially mediocre franchise. Rumblings about Lamelo Ball being unhappy in Charlotte begin to make their way through the NBA grapevine.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Best Case: One of the NBA’s most likable teams makes a jump from “good story” to “real contender.” With Donovan Mitchell being inserted onto an already talented roster, Cleveland finds balance on both ends of the court and makes a run to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Worst Case: The Garland / Mitchell backcourt is simply too small to keep up with some of the #bigguards around the league, and opposing teams figure out how to exploit Cleveland's two-center lineup. The Cavs suffer a first-round defeat.

Atlanta Hawks

Best Case: The Trae Young / Dejounte Murray combination works to perfection. The two All-Stars complement each other's deficiencies, and Atlanta once again finds some of the same magic they harnessed on their ECF run in 2021. Deandre Hunter and Onyeka Okongwu continue growing into legitimate young contributors on a high-level team.

Worst Case: Young and Murray's styles end up being too different that they clash a bit, and the Hawks' offense struggles to find an identity. A repeat of last year's first round exit looks to be a more believable outcome than another deep playoff run, and 2021 starts to look like a fluke. Mid-season, the Hawks are forced to deal some of their young players for win-now pieces in desperation.

Brooklyn Nets

Best Case: Well, this team has Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Ben Simmons on it, so the best case is really good. It's probably an NBA Championship. Whether that's a realistic scenario is a completely separate discussion, but the Nets' ceiling remains as high as anyone's.

Worst Case: The off-court drama this team has dealt with for the last year-plus continues to get in the way of actual basketball, and the team underperforms for a third straight year. Steve Nash gets fired, and the Nets have to actually consider dealing their superstars. 

Chicago Bulls

Best Case: With a healthy Alex Caruso and Patrick Williams, the Bulls defense looks a bit more like it did in September of last season than March. Demar Derozan picks up right where he left off last season, and the Bulls win a playoff series.

Worst Case: Lonzo Ball's injury just continues to nag him, and the longer it does, the more concerning it becomes. Chicago's fiery start last season appears to be a flash in the pan, and they exist as simply a fine team that bows out in the first round of the playoffs yet again.

Toronto Raptors

Best Case: Scottie Barnes runs through the 6ix with his woes. Or he doesn’t? Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Regardless, Scottie Barnes catapults himself into All-Star discussions, and Toronto once again approaches 50 wins while remaining a pesky playoff opponent.

Worst Case: The lack of superstar and real bench depth in Toronto comes to hurt them, and the Raptors get lost in the shuffle, finishing around .500 and getting knocked out in a play-in game.

Philadelphia 76ers

Best Case: It finally all clicks. James Harden looks fit and interested, Tyrese Maxey continues his growth into an All-Star caliber player, and Joel Embiid stays as healthy as possible. The Sixers depth becomes their calling card, and a different player can step up any night. Joel Embiid finally plays in the Eastern Conference Finals, while also securing his first career MVP.

Worst Case: It doesn’t click. Again. Philadelphia flashes greatness on occasion, but James Harden has lost a step, and Joel Embiid’s body inevitably wears down from his overwhelming workload. Another early playoff exit leads to many sad hoagies consumed all around Philly. Carbs always help.

Milwaukee Bucks

Best Case: Giannis Antetokounmpo does not get abducted by aliens, and slowly but surely climbs a few rungs higher on the GOAT ladder. The Bucks remain one of the NBA’s best teams, and march their way to another ring.

Worst Case: While the Bucks didn’t get worse this offseason, many of their fellow Eastern conference teams got considerably better. Milwaukee still finishes the regular season with well over 50 wins, but can’t make it through the gauntlet of a playoff run, getting sent home in the second round.

Boston Celtics

Best Case: This section has been re-written about a half dozen times over the last five days. Perhaps the team can block out the off-court noise and rally for an unlikely playoff run. They are still loaded with talent, after all.

Worst Case: Whatever is happening right now.

Miami Heat 

Best Case: Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry, Bam Adebayo, and Victor Oladipo play an entire season with a clean bill of health, and the Heat sneak back into the NBA Finals. Behind a mix of talent, chemistry, and coaching, Miami shows they still have enough in the tank to knock off the NBA’s elite.

Worst Case: Important role players like Gabe Vincent, Max Strus, and Caleb Martin struggle to recoup the same magic they provided in last season’s ECF run. Kyle Lowry and Jimmy Butler can’t stay on the court, and Miami wins a play-in game, but not much after that. They do, however, still get to live in Miami, so their worst case is automatically a little better than other teams.

Are the Pelicans poised for a breakout year? New Orleans just signed CJ McCollum to an extension that will keep him in the Big Easy through 2026. With Zion Williamson returning to the lineup, and young guys like Herb Jones and Trey Murphy gaining more experience by the game, New Orleans appears primed for a playoff run.

Since drafting Zion, the Pelicans have not beat around the bush with their actions; they want to surround their young star with high-level players as soon as possible. Locking down McCollum for two extra seasons is just another move showcasing a concerted effort to Williamson that they want to compete--with him as the centerpiece--immediately. Trying to win is always a noble act.

It's impossible not to feel bad for Markelle Fultz. The former number one pick can't catch a break, and a broken toe is just the latest setback in what is shaping up to be a supremely frustrating career. He will be sidelined indefinitely, and with Orlando's backcourt already being crowded, Fultz may be in danger of losing his spot in the rotation, through almost no fault of his own. This stinks!

A Utopia of action - Katie Heindl (Basketball Feelings)

Analyzing 5 potential trade destinations for Jae Crowder - Evan Sidery (BasketballNews.com)

Is Jaren Jackson Jr. On His Way To Becoming the NBA's Next Defensive Superstar? - Jackson Frank (The Analyst)

Once again, everyone who reads this newsletter is a basketball genius, as well as extremely smart and funny. We appreciate you reading, seriously! There is NBA basketball this week. We did it. Have a great one!

-Quinn Everts

Trivia Answer: The longest basket in NBA history? That would be the 89-foot (!!!) shot put in by Baron Davis on February 17th, 2001. Can't make it if you don't shoot it!

Trivia Question: The last time an NBA game was played in Seattle was April 13th, 2008, when the Seattle Supersonics defeated the Dallas Mavericks, 99-95. Two players in that game went on to become NBA head coaches. Can you name them?