While I’m usually hesitant to share Fansided articles which can be speculative at best and fluff at worst, I think this is an interesting view which merits discussion.
Seems like the East only just rebounded from the label “Least” conference, and as such should be headed to a period of extended competitiveness. But let’s take a closer look. The Nets superteam has imploded, sending two of the EC’s best players to the West while isolating Simmons in basketball purgatory. The 76ers while still dangerous look like they may have plateud following the long exodus of Simmons, which not leaves them with a core that’s probably already reached its peak (how quickly all the potential generated by the Process turned into a very limited future), and similarly the Bucks now pretty firmly are at the peak of their ascendency, with some aging parts that may not be easily replaced.
Of all the East teams current cores, I see Boston and Cleveland still ruling the roost in five years. Bucks’ and Sixers’ future depends on the fortunes of an eventual retool. Beyond these teams, the Pacers and Magic are the only East clubs who, as of this writing, appear to have real untapped growth & upward momentum over the next five years.
I’ll put Toronto as a “?” as their entire hopes for growth rest with Barnes, the rest of their roster has pretty well peaked.
The success of this next draft is probably even more important than we realize, with the ability to catapult us to the top in a conference that looks to be once again rather thin within just a few years.
Thoughts? Can we hang a “EC Brightest Future” banner?
cm_fanelli
The Eastern Conference as a whole may be regressing, and it lines up favorably with our rebuild, it’s still going to take a few more key pieces to even put us in the upper echelon of the regressing East. We still need a starting caliber SF and PF. We definitely are headed in the right direction, and we should be able to address these needs in the off-season, but until I see who we get I’m not getting my hopes up.
URfresh
East overall might be regressing with the midseason trades, but Tatum and Brown are hitting their prime in Boston. They will be to us what Chicago was in the 90’s and what Miami was in the 2010’s.
StanceLephenson
Celtics and Bucks will continue to be the teams to beat for at least the next 5 years but I think the Pacers will be back in the playoffs next year for sure. A lot of draft picks and cap space to improve the roster this summer.
EddieMunsterSr
Wild wild wild prediction: If the Celtics don’t make it to the Eastern Conference Championship this year, they will look to break up the Tatum/Brown/Smart combo to see if there’s another combo that might work. I have nothing to base it on beyond the fact that teams just don’t stay the same for very long unless there’s marked improvement or a clear path to whatever end goal they have in mind.
Secondarily, I think Brown is the one they trade if they look to shake things up.
5 Comments
While I’m usually hesitant to share Fansided articles which can be speculative at best and fluff at worst, I think this is an interesting view which merits discussion.
Seems like the East only just rebounded from the label “Least” conference, and as such should be headed to a period of extended competitiveness. But let’s take a closer look. The Nets superteam has imploded, sending two of the EC’s best players to the West while isolating Simmons in basketball purgatory. The 76ers while still dangerous look like they may have plateud following the long exodus of Simmons, which not leaves them with a core that’s probably already reached its peak (how quickly all the potential generated by the Process turned into a very limited future), and similarly the Bucks now pretty firmly are at the peak of their ascendency, with some aging parts that may not be easily replaced.
Of all the East teams current cores, I see Boston and Cleveland still ruling the roost in five years. Bucks’ and Sixers’ future depends on the fortunes of an eventual retool. Beyond these teams, the Pacers and Magic are the only East clubs who, as of this writing, appear to have real untapped growth & upward momentum over the next five years.
I’ll put Toronto as a “?” as their entire hopes for growth rest with Barnes, the rest of their roster has pretty well peaked.
The success of this next draft is probably even more important than we realize, with the ability to catapult us to the top in a conference that looks to be once again rather thin within just a few years.
Thoughts? Can we hang a “EC Brightest Future” banner?
The Eastern Conference as a whole may be regressing, and it lines up favorably with our rebuild, it’s still going to take a few more key pieces to even put us in the upper echelon of the regressing East. We still need a starting caliber SF and PF. We definitely are headed in the right direction, and we should be able to address these needs in the off-season, but until I see who we get I’m not getting my hopes up.
East overall might be regressing with the midseason trades, but Tatum and Brown are hitting their prime in Boston. They will be to us what Chicago was in the 90’s and what Miami was in the 2010’s.
Celtics and Bucks will continue to be the teams to beat for at least the next 5 years but I think the Pacers will be back in the playoffs next year for sure. A lot of draft picks and cap space to improve the roster this summer.
Wild wild wild prediction: If the Celtics don’t make it to the Eastern Conference Championship this year, they will look to break up the Tatum/Brown/Smart combo to see if there’s another combo that might work. I have nothing to base it on beyond the fact that teams just don’t stay the same for very long unless there’s marked improvement or a clear path to whatever end goal they have in mind.
Secondarily, I think Brown is the one they trade if they look to shake things up.