The Eastern Conference has changed for the better. They may not be the laughing stock conference of the NBA much longer, as many teams have slightly improved, making it tougher to predict the seedings. Last night, we put out the predictions for the Western Conference, so here is your inferior Eastern Conference one.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers – Well, the Cavaliers made it to the NBA Finals without two of their big three last season. Surprising? Hardly. As long as LeBron James is not the one being sidelined with these injuries, this team is bound to have another superior season, possibly making it back to the NBA Finals, but let’s not get too ahead of ourselves. Anyway, it would be ideal for this team to have Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love healthy this time around, so that King James is not doing too much to tire himself out.

2. Atlanta Hawks – The surprise of last season may finally be earning respect around the league. The Hawks mustered 60 wins and clinched the conference last year before they were swept in the Eastern Conference Finals. Losing DeMarre Carroll this off-season may hurt them defensively, but the additions of Tim Hardaway Jr. and Tiago Splitter should compensate for the loss. Besides, this team didn’t win 60 games last season because they had tremendous talent. It was their flawless ball movement and unselfish team play that earned them the top seed.

3. Chicago Bulls – It seems like injuries will continue to be the theme for the Bulls, as they are already down two players and the season hasn’t even started. Fortunately, this team knows how to win even when Derrick Rose is on the sidelines rocking a fly suit and tie. With the emergence of Jimmy Butler last season and the surprising high level of play by Pau Gasol, the Bulls maintained a top-three record and shouldn’t have trouble doing it again.

4. Miami Heat – The Heat has probably the most complete starting lineup in the league, with Chris Bosh returning and Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside being on the roster from the beginning of the season. The only concern for this team is Dwyane Wade’s health since his nagging knee issues have held them back over the last couple of seasons. Thankfully, Pat Riley put together a deeper bench this off-season, and Miami is now ready to compete at a high level again, this time without LeBron James.

5. Milwaukee Bucks – The Bucks were another surprising team last season, as they had a complete turnaround from the prior year. Jason Kidd magnificently coached this young team to the playoffs, and even when number two overall pick Jabari Parker went down with a season-ending injury, they stayed competitive. Now with more talent coming in via the addition of Greg Monroe, Milwaukee is set to have a better year. Perhaps we should “Fear the Deer”, for real this time.

6. Washington Wizards – Losing Paul Pierce could quite possibly hurt the Wizards, but they have plenty of talent and now an even deeper team to remain competitive in the weak Eastern Conference. John Wall believes he is seasoned enough to vocally lead this team, and Otto Porter, after strong playoff performances, is ready to make the jump into the starting lineup. Now if only Bradley Beal can take his game to another level to help the Wizards achieve.

7. Toronto Raptors – Sorry, Canada. We know that your team has improved defensively with the additions of DeMarre Carroll, Cory Joseph, and even Bismack Biyombo, but other teams have significantly improved as well. It’s not that the Raptors aren’t a good team; it’s just that the East is a little more stacked this year. Nonetheless, the Raptors will still make noise from above the border and try to get the bad tastes out of their mouths from last year’s playoffs collapse.

8. Indiana Pacers – The Pacers will be back this season with a healthy Paul George and a revitalized roster. The team is going to shift their focus from a ground-and-pound defensive team, to a run-and-gun offensive team. With the addition of Monta Ellis, “stagnant offense” are two words we shouldn’t hear this season from Indiana. What’s more, the Pacers still possess a few defensive weapons, ones who can run the floor like a deer to keep up with the new up-tempo style.

9. Boston Celtics – As good and shocking as the Celtics were last year, there may not be any room for them to slip into the postseason this year. However, don’t be too surprised if they continue to shock the world and earn a high playoff seed because Brad Stevens is no slouch. The young coach took mediocre talent and turned it into gold last season, and he can undoubtedly do the same this season. Though, at the end of the day, this team may still need a superstar to elevate them to new heights.

10. Charlotte Hornets – Buzz City has certainly gained some talent this summer with the additions of Nicolas Batum, Spencer Hawes, Frank Kaminsky, and Jeremy Lin. Batum could change the dynamic of this team, as he gives them flexibility and versatility at the three spot. He is going to be a major component to their success and perhaps can take away some pressure off Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson. Meanwhile, Lin, Hawes, and Kaminsky will become key pieces off Steve Clifford’s bench. As long as the defensive mentality continues, Charlotte could potentially challenge for a playoff spot.

11. Orlando Magic – The excitement surrounding this team is at an all-time high. Victor Oladipo continues to improve, Tobias Harris and Nikola Vucevic are maintaining their consistent play, and Elfrid Payton is bound to have an enormous sophomore year. Insert Mario Hezonja, who already has Magic fans buzzing with his incredible Summer League performance, and we have ourselves a wonderfully young and talented team. Soon enough, they will accomplish their goal of making it to the playoffs for the first time since “Superman’s” departure, but most likely not this year.

12. Detroit Pistons – This team can either be solid or a disaster. What we mean is that the backcourt duo of Reggie Jackson and Brandon Jennings will either learn to play together or egos will collide and the team will collapse. Hopefully, Stan Van Gundy can keep the pieces together by managing the minutes to satisfy each of his talented players. But since Jackson was complaining about his reduced role in OKC behind Russell Westbrook, who’s to say he doesn’t do the same if Jennings eats up his minutes and diminishes his role? The Pistons hope that the lucrative deal the point guard inked this summer can maybe change his attitude.

13. Brooklyn Nets – Oh, how quickly things have changed for this Nets team. Once upon a time, they thought they had a super team. Now, those days are long gone, and those pieces are slowly being taken apart. The Nets are now moving into rebuilding mode after their failed attempt to buy a championship caliber team. Their rich owner was once uncaringly tossing money at his players but is now looking to shed salary, and he succeeded when the organization bought out the regressing Deron Williams. Iso-Joe still remains on the roster, but he is surrounded by younger pieces who may soon be the future of this team.

14. New York Knicks – The Knicks have definitely improved, like they could have gotten any worse than a 17-win team. All jokes aside, they have signed some quality players this off-season to help Carmelo Anthony. But either way, this team’s success goes as far as Anthony can take them, which means he needs to stay healthy. In fact, the entire team needs to remain healthy since last year they were absolutely dismantled by injuries, forcing the front office to bring in plenty of D-League players.

15. Philadelphia 76ersSam Hinkie may not be turning heads at this point of the team’s rebuilding process, but the selection of Jahlil Okafor was smart. The Sixers took the next best player left on the draft board and ignored team needs, which is absolutely okay. In a few years, Okafor can perhaps be something special, alongside Nerlens Noel. Now if only Joel Embiid is able to stay healthy to finally play in an NBA game and show fans his talent. In the meantime, the team will continue to “tank” while establishing its youngsters.    

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About the author
Vahan Shakhpazyan
Vahan Shakhpazyan loves the NBA with a passion and has been an avid follower for 18 years. He is a UCR graduate with a BA degree in Creative Writing. The man behind the Facebook page NBA updates.