2019-20 NBA Season: Predicting the Eastern Conference standings
With reigning NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard deciding to depart the Toronto Raptors for his hometown team LA Clippers, the difference between the best teams in the West compared to the best teams in the East has only increased.
One may argue that with Kevin Durant deciding to take his talents to the Brooklyn Nets that the East can still compete with the West, but at least not next season as we won't see him in action due to an Achilles injury.
Therefore, the East may be more open due to the uncertainty around teams who have lost major players, but have also gained players. Let's have a go at predicting how the Eastern Conference standings will look like after the 2019-20 NBA Regular Season.
#15 Charlotte Hornets
By losing Kemba Walker to the Boston Celtics, Jeremy Lamb to the Indiana Pacers and Frank Kaminsky to the Phoenix Suns, the Charlotte Hornets are officially the worst team in the league and will undergo a full rebuild with Terry Rozier III, Miles Bridges, Malik Monk and PJ Washington Jr. forming a young core.
With the players listed above as their best, it's very hard to imagine the team finishing above last next season. Their main focus will be the development of their young players and ensuring the 2020 NBA Draft No 1 pick.
#14 Cleveland Cavaliers
While Collin Sexton and Darius Garland have potential to be a fantastic young backcourt, the Cavs don't have enough pieces to build around them, which is why their priority should be trading Kevin Love for more talent -- be it rookies, sophomores or future picks.
Only after they complete that deal can the team begin to build with a young core. Cedi Osman, Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. are good players, but none of them have star potential.
#13 Washington Wizards
The Wizards are stuck in a dilemma as they would like to rebuild a team around All-Star shooting guard Bradley Beal. However they can't acquire the pieces to rebuild due to John Wall's injury and the massive contract obligation that comes with it. Therefore, the only option seems to be to trade Beal away as he's the only player who holds significant value on the team right now.
Then, when John Wall returns and proves that he is still an All-Star caliber player, Washington can trade him too for more assets. But, as simple as it sounds, it's hard to execute because there are too many things that can go wrong, including Wall returning as a player in which teams are no longer interested.
#12 New York Knicks
While the Knicks may have missed out on superstar free agents, they still managed to have a decent summer considering the potential of draft pick RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson and Kevin Knox being combined with the signings of Julius Randle, Marcus Morris, Bobby Portis, Taj Gibson and Reggie Bullock.
Furthermore, guards Dennis Smith Jr. and Frank Ntilikina are expected to make significant strides in their all-around game. Thus, overall, the Knicks actually have a very talented playoff-potential team moving forward.
#11 Chicago Bulls
Chicago are another team that has a solid young core with Zach LaVine, Lauri Markkanen, Wendell Carter Jr., Coby White and Daniel Gafford. If a few of these players turn out to be All-Stars, then the Bulls could have a very bright future.
They also have some experienced role players who can start for many NBA teams in Otto Porter Jr. and Thaddeus Young, and so their team is quite deep as well. This is why they could be in the race for the playoffs in the East next season.