The Best And The Worst Teams In The Eastern Conference For The 2022-23 NBA Season

Ladies and gentlemen, we are just a few days away from the start of the 2022-23 season. This past week, we told you our thoughts and gave our predictions on the teams in the loaded Western Conference. Today, we will discuss the Eastern Conference which is shaping up to be where the competition will be most fierce. The Eastern Conference has 4 or 5 teams at the top who can legitimately compete for a championship which will be among the topics of the discussion below. The rest of the Eastern Conference is rounded out with teams who are on the rise and on the cusp of building something special.

Last season, the Boston Celtics were the team that remained to represent the East in the NBA Finals. They were anchored by the NBA’s No. 1 defense and stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The consensus best player in the world resides in the East in Giannis Antetokounmpo and he is sure to have the Bucks competing for the top spot. The team that finished with the best record in the East in 2021-22 was the Miami Heat who seem to be low fans’ radar headed into the new season. There is a lot to break down and get to when it comes to the 2022-23 Eastern Conference so let’s dive in.

These are the best and the worst teams in the Eastern Conference for the 2022-23 NBA season.

15. Indiana Pacers

Best Players: Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner, Buddy Hield, Chris Duarte

The 2021-22 season for the Indiana Pacers was one that was marred with disappointment yet filled with a bit of hope for the future. The team decided midway through the season that they were going to part ways with Domantas Sabonis and in return acquired young stars Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield. The trade was clearly one to start the process of rebuilding in Indiana as the team went on to win just 28 games and finish 13th in the East in 2021-22.

The Pacers were encouraged by the play of their new young duo as Hield and Haliburton played some of the best all-around basketball of their career. They head into the 2022-23 season as the 2 main offensive options for Indiana rounded out by second-year guard Chris Duarte and impressive rookie Ben Mathurin. Rumors are still swirling of a potential Turner/Hield deal to be made, but we need to see it before we believe it. This young team will struggle to find its identity in 2022-23, leading to a finish at the bottom of the standings.

14. Orlando Magic

Best Players: Franz Wagner, Cole Anthony, Paolo Banchero, Wendell Carter Jr., Jalen Suggs

The Orlando Magic continue to go in the direction of building their future with younger players. Those players like Franz Wagner, Wendell Carter Jr., and Cole Anthony are already beginning to produce for the team at a high level. What this leaves is a lot of youth and a lot of inexperience that leads us to believe they are a few years away from serious playoff contention. They believe they took a massive step forward towards that goal when they drafted Paolo Banchero out of Duke University with the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft and the way things look, they could be right.

Wagner, Anthony, and Carter Jr were all 15.0 PPG scorers or better for them last season and along with Banchero, will be their core headed into 2022-23. Wendell Carter Jr. was a surprising and refreshing breakout player last season and added 10.5 RPG to his 15.0 PPG. He will be crucial to Orlando’s success this season. Mo Bamba is another piece outside their core group of guys who will be seeing regular playing time along with Johnathan Issac, Markelle Fultz, and Gary Harris. In 3 or 4 years, the Magic will be a tough opponent for any and all challengers. In 2022-23, they will still be towards the bottom of the East.

13. Detroit Pistons

Best Players: Cade Cunningham, Saddiq Bey, Jaden Ivey, Bojan Bogdanovic, Marvin Bagley III

The Detroit Pistons continue to set its foundation for the future as well and rebuild from the ground up. The team took minimal steps forward last season, with its brightest spot being the emergence of rookie Cade Cunningham as a future star in this league. Detroit finished with 23 wins in 2021-22, their most since 2018 as a team. Youth is in abundance for Detroit with Cunningham at 21 years old, Saddiq Bey at 23 years old, and 2 lottery picks in 20-year-old Jaden Ivey and 18-year-old Jalen Duren. 2022-23 is the year they start to push for playoff contention.

This isn’t to say there won’t be some adaptation issues in 2022-23. The Pistons picked up Bojan Bogdanovic from Utah right before training camp and he is sure to bring a veteran presence and leadership to a team that will need it. Cunningham will run the offense once again, one year after recording a year only a few rookies have done in the past. Ivey will crack the starting five with his unique athletic and scoring ability while Marvin Bagley will look to continue his improved play after 18 great games in 2021-22 for Detroit. The rebuild starts to take shape in 2022-23 but the Pistons are still a year or two from playoff contention.

12. Charlotte Hornets

Best Players: LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier, Gordon Hayward, James Bouknight, Cody Martin

After finishing 43-39 in 2021-22, the Charlotte Hornets seemed to be turning a new leaf toward success. Another play-in loss and an uneventful offseason may have dashed those aspirations. The team fired coach James Borrego in a surprising move and their coaching search went more awkward than expected. The team hired Kenny Takinson from the Warriors who then backed out of the deal to stay with Golden State. They decided to hire former coach Steve Clifford who coached the team from 2013 through 2018. Then, big man Miles Bridges went into free agency before being arrested on a felony and is awaiting the outcome there before moving forward.

The team will also be without LaMelo Ball to begin the season after he suffered an ankle injury last week in a preseason game. Ball’s injury is nothing serious and he should continue to produce and play at an All-Star level. Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward are still capable of scoring in bunches and providing the team with playmaking to alleviate the pressure off of Ball. Younger players Cody Martin and James Bouknight will have to elevate their game to shoulder some of the load on both sides of the ball which is a big question mark heading into 2022-23. The Hornets fall out of the play-in and possibly reset next off-season.

11. Washington Wizards

Best Players: Bradley Beal, Kristaps Porzingis, Kyle Kuzma

The Washington Wizards got off to a hot start in 2021-22 that had many people thinking they were headed for the playoffs. New additions Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell made their presence known along with mainstay Bradley Beal. Injuries and chemistry issues derailed those hopes but made a few changes like acquiring Kristaps Porzingis from the Mavs that give them hope headed into 2022-23. They also acquired Will Barton and Monte Morris this offseason from Denver and they should too be inserted into a big role right away.

The main concern for the 2022-23 Washington Wizards will be health. Bradley Beal missed 42 games last season and Porzingis only played 17 games as a Wizard. The team is full of savvy veterans who wish to do nothing more than compete and win which can always be a recipe for success if constructed properly. Where the Wizards will struggle is on the defensive side of the ball but hopefully, they have a solid and steady presence with Porzingis. I still believe they fall out of the play-in tournament and continue to reconstruct next season.

10. Chicago Bulls

Best Players: DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, Patrick Williams, Ayo Dosunmu

After getting off to a red-hot start in 2021-22, injuries and lack of defensive pressure derailed the Bulls’ chances at contending for an NBA championship. DeMar DeRozan had an MVP-like season that propelled them to their first playoff berth since start Zach LaVine arrived in Chi-Town. LaVine did his part tremendously as well, averaging 24.4 PPG but missed 15 critical games down the stretch. The season appeared to be lost when Chicago lost Lonzo Ball to injuries partway through the season and from there things deteriorated.

The Bulls have tremendous talent on their roster which will make them competitive once again in 2022-23. This season, I believe they are down to a play-in team due to the stagnant off-season they had. They did not address their interior defensive issues with Nikola Vucevic struggling on that end of the floor and Ball is still dealing with an injury that has him limited to almost no physical activity. The Bulls have no defensive identity yet all the firepower on offense that they need to sneak into a play-in spot.

9. Toronto Raptors

Best Players: Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, OG Anunoby, Gary Trent Jr.

The Toronto Raptors shocked NBA fans everywhere last season when they made a push for the 2021-22 playoffs with a 48-34 record and 5th place in the East. The team was led by All-NBA Third Team Selection Pascal Siakam, All-Star Fred Van Vleet, and Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes. The Raptors swarmed teams with their electrifying team defense and finished with the 10th-best defensive rating in the NBA. Gary Trent Jr. added a solid 18.3 PPG while OG Anunoby also contributed with 17.1 PPG.

The Raptors are a complete unit that plays at a high level on both sides of the basketball. Coach Nick Nurse has done a great job of getting his entire roster to buy into his style of coaching and the results have been tremendous on the court. Where the Raptors see a fall in the standings is with the depth of the rest of the East catching up to or surpassing them. The Raptors will still earn a playoff spot but they will have to do it by way of the play-in tournament.

8. New York Knicks

Best Players: RJ Barrett, Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, Obi Toppin, Immanuel Quickley

The decision to put the Knicks as the 8th best team in the East did not come lightly. We understand they may be a bit high but can we remind you that this team is just 1 season removed from a 41-win season that saw them finish 4th in the East? The Knicks did all they could this summer to improve their 2022 team that missed the playoffs by re-signing Mitchell Robinson and bringing in Jalen Brunson in free agency. With RJ Barrett emerging as the clear best player on the team, the Knicks are in a position to shock many who doubt them.

The Knicks will trot out a much different lineup than in 2021-22 and it starts with the backcourt of Brunson and Barrett. The two will likely feed off of each other to establish a rhythm on offense with Brunson taking on a bigger scoring load than ever before. The good news for the Knicks is that he was an elite scorer when Luka Doncic was off the court last season. Randle needs to improve on his drop-off performance in 2021-22 but can turn it on at any point. Bench players like Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin making a leap in their production could prove to be the difference for New York in 2022-23 between making the playoffs or not.

7. Atlanta Hawks

Best Players: Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, John Collins, De’Andre Hunter, Clint Capela

The Atlanta Hawks 2021-22 season was a huge letdown after advancing to the Conference Finals in 2020-21. The team won 43 games in 2021-22 and battled injuries and inconsistency to a first-round exit courtesy of the Miami Heat. Trae Young was one of the league’s best scorers and playmakers last season, leading in total points and total assists by a slim margin. The Hawks also made key moves this offseason to improve their roster and work back toward the top of the East.

The Hawks bring in 2021-22 steals leader Dejounte Murray to form one of the more exciting backcourts in basketball with Young. The duo will be scoring and playmaking at a rapid rate with guys like John Collins and De’Andre Hunter benefiting the most. The Hawks need to improve more than just on the perimeter defensively and hope for major production from their bench in order to gain a higher seed. Right now, the Top 7 is a perfect place for the Hawks but a lot can happen in 6 months.

6. Miami Heat

Best Players: Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Max Strus, Victor Oladipo

The Miami Heat finished with a 53-29 record in 2021-22, good enough for the top seed in the conference. They were ultimately eliminated in 7 games by the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals but look to bounce back in 2022-23. The Heat boasted the 5th best defense in basketball behind the efforts of stars Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo while Tyler Herro was named Sixth Man of the Year as the league’s best bench player.

The Heat were clearly another star or scorer alongside Butler away from taking the extra step to becoming a legitimate title contender. They failed to land any big fish this offseason, remaining stagnant on many fronts. Offensively, the team lacks size on the interior to combat other top teams in the East. They have a solid perimeter shooting squad with the likes of Herro, Strus, and Butler creating for themselves in other ways. The Heat will surprise us if they can repeat the success they had in 2021-22 again this upcoming season. The top teams in the East all improved to surpass them.

5. Cleveland Cavaliers

Best Players: Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen

The Cleveland Cavaliers saw a massive improvement in 2021-22 but ultimately fizzled out due to injuries causing chemistry issues in the end. Overall, the Cavaliers looked much better with the emergence of Darius Garland as an elite scorer/playmaker and one of the best defensive front courts in the league with Mobley and Jarrett Allen. They went out and added Donovan Mitchell via trade in the offseason to hopefully help carry them to the next level of contending teams as well.

The Cavs are poised for a big season and certainly their best since the departure of LeBron James in 2018. Garland and Mitchell are an explosive duo who will be able to lead this team on offense and create easier opportunities for their bigs down low. Mobley is still adjusting to the NBA level but adjusting well and rapidly. If and when he improves his offensive game, this team will be a top contender in the East. Jarrett Allen’s injury toward the end of the season put a damper on their chances in the playoffs but if healthy, Cleveland is in the driver’s seat for a big year.

4. Philadelphia 76ers

Best Players: Joel Embiid, James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris

The Philadelphia 76ers 2021-22 season got off to a tumultuous start amid the drama surrounding former point guard Ben Simmons. They rid of Simmons and netted James Harden in return, setting up what could be one of the most dangerous pick-and-roll duos in the league with Joel Embiid. The Sixers were defeated by the Miami Heat in the second round of the playoffs but seek to return to postseason play with the continued development of their roster headed into 2022-23.

Harden and Embiid are going to be the focal point of the offense from the 76ers. Aside from the pick-and-roll, Embiid will feast on the interior as always and Harden can create for himself from the perimeter. The key will be the continued improvement and emergence of Tyrese Maxey as a legitimate offensive threat as well as Tobias Harris who looked much better after Harden arrived last season. The Sixers are too loaded with talent to not be a Top 5 team in the East and we cannot wait to see them take the floor and prove it.

3. Boston Celtics

Best Players: Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Robert Williams II, Malcolm Brogdon

The Boston Celtics come off a season that saw them win the Eastern Conference and advance to the NBA Finals. They did this behind the best defense in basketball and the leadership of stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The issue for Boston is the tumultuous offseason they had that will surely have somewhat of an effect on them heading into next year. Their head coach Ime Udoka is suspended for an entire year while Robert Williams will miss extended time after undergoing knee surgery. Offseason signing Danilo Gallinari is also out for the season with a torn ACL.

Much like Philadelphia, Boston is too experienced and talented to fall off too hard in the East. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are both legitimate No. 1 options who will be the outright leaders for the Celtics. Their defense is also too good to just see a massive drop in production led by reigning Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart. The Celtics should and will be right back in the thick of things to compete for a championship in 2022-23.

2. Milwaukee Bucks

Best Players: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday

The Milwaukee Bucks defended their championship in 2021-22 to no avail as they fell in the second round to the Boston Celtics. The good news is they currently have the best player in the world leading the way for them to get back to the top of the proverbial mountain. Giannis Antetokoumpo enjoyed yet another MVP-caliber season in 2021-22 but fell short in the playoffs when unable to be aided by 2nd option Khris Middleton. The Bucks may have been depleted come playoff time but 100 percent healthy headed into 2022-23 spells bad news for the rest of the NBA.

The Bucks will of course turn to Giannis as their primary scorer, defender, and playmaker once again, and with good reason. Jrue Holiday will be the defensive leader he has always been while being a solid option on offense. The key for the Bucks will be Khris Middleton. He is clearly the No. 2 option and his injury that possibly prevented Milwaukee from defending their championship in the NBA Finals. If the Big 3 can stay healthy for most of the season and headed into the playoffs, they will once again be back in the NBA Finals.

1. Brooklyn Nets

Best Players: Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Ben Simmons

The Brooklyn Nets 2021-22 season went about as bad as it could get. James Harden unceremoniously forced his way out early in the season while star point guard Kyrie Irving missed well over half the season fighting vaccine mandates. The team acquired Ben Simmons in the James Harden deal but he didn’t see a minute of action due to back issues. This left Kevin Durant to shoulder the load for Brooklyn but the damage had already been done and the team was swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics.

Having them as the No. 1 team may seem a little crazy but all at their best, the Nets are the most talented team in basketball. Kevin Durant is about as elite of a scorer as there is in basketball while Kyrie Irving is efficient and one heck of a playmaker. Ben Simmons adds a defensive and playmaking presence that Brooklyn lacked last season that will hopefully take them to higher levels in 2022-23. If coach Steve Nash can gain the trust of the team and reel in these giant personalities, there is no reason they can’t be the best team in the Eastern Conference at season’s end.

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