By almost any account, the Boston Celtics are at the top of the list of contenders for the 2023 NBA championship, but how will the rest of the league’s Eastern Conference standings sort out after all of the moves its teams have made to make their respective ball clubs better?
Who are the 1) contenders and 2) pretenders? Who are the 3) playoff ruffians who might make some noise but fall short of the conference finals? What teams are 4) play in tournament hopefuls at best, and which are 5) bricking their season for a shot at prized NBA draft prospects like Victor Wembanyama or Scoot Henderson?
On the most recent episode of the CLNS Media “Celtics Lab” podcast, the East was broken down into the five tiers referenced in the above questions; let’s take a look at what they came up with by the end of the pod.
5 - Bricking for Vic: Indiana Pacers
5 - Bricking for Vic: Washington Wizards
5 - Bricking for Vic: Charlotte Hornets
4 - Play in at best: Chicago Bulls
4 - Play in at best: New York Knicks
4 - Play in at best: Detroit Pistons
4 - Play in at best: Orlando Magic
3 - Playoff ruffian: Toronto Raptors
3 - Playoff ruffian: Miami Heat
2 - Pretenders: Cleveland Cavaliers
2 - Pretenders: Atlanta Hawks
2 - Pretenders: Brooklyn Nets
1 - Contenders: Philadelphia 76ers
1 - Contenders: Milwaukee Bucks
1 - Contenders: Boston Celtics
Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi
