Final Standings

Corpuel: 

East

1. Bucks
2. Nets
3. Hawks 
4. Sixers
5. Knicks  
6. Heat 
7. Celtics 
8. Bulls 
9. Hornets 
10. Pacers

The Eastern Conference, at least on paper, has a wider chasm between playoff and non-playoff teams than the Western Conference. Everyone on the defending champion Bucks returns except for PJ Tucker, and they should run the East led by somehow-only-26-years-old-yet-fresh-off-of-one-of-the-most-incredible-Finals-performances-ever Giannis Antetokounmpo. The sole reason I put the Nets as the second seed and not the first is because there’s a slim chance they make it to the playoffs in one piece; other than that, their Death Star should reign supreme over the entire league. I have high hopes for a Hawks squad returning almost everyone from last year’s ECF team. Sans the Ben Simmons drama, the Sixers have enough talent to win a lot of games. However, should the Simmons drama leak into the season — which it already has — I wouldn’t love the effect it would have on both team morale and performance. The Knicks swapped a little bit of defense for a little more offense this offseason, and I think it’s going to pay off in a substantial way en route to another exciting season in the Big Apple. Miami got a searing infusion of Heat culture with the additions of Kyle Lowry and PJ Tucker, and the rest of the returning core has me excited about the prospects of the Heat. I might have put the Celtics a little too low, especially with widely-respected Ime Udoka as coach. While they return Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and many other promising young players, I firmly believe the six teams I have ahead of Boston are better than them. The Bulls and Hornets are going to be extremely fun to watch, and while Indiana isn’t exactly the most entertaining team, they should at least make the play-in tournament, especially with universally disliked head coach Nate Bjorkgren out of the mix. 

Conference Finals: Nets over Bucks 

I’m not sure if you all have heard, but the Nets have three of the five most gifted scorers in the league on their roster, and when at least two of them were healthy last season, they were one of the most unstoppable offensive teams in NBA history. Plus, they were obliterating the Bucks in the Eastern Semis last postseason before Irving went down with an ankle injury. Even with Durant as the lone scorer, the Nets were only half a shoe size away from the Eastern Finals. Even if Kyrie Irving doesn’t play half of Brooklyn’s regular season games, this team is loaded. With an improved bench and almost everyone from last year’s squad returning, health should be the only barricade stopping the Nets from their first NBA Finals appearance since 2003. 

West 

1. Jazz 
2. Lakers
3. Suns
4. Nuggets
5. Warriors
6. Mavericks
7. Clippers 
8. Grizzlies 
9. Blazers 
10. Timberwolves  

The Jazz return their core of Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert and other solid supporting cast members that have led them to great regular season success over the past few seasons, and I don’t expect their success from October to April to stop. The Lakers, as old as they are, have the experience and talent to keep up with any team in the league. If DeAndre Ayton can continue improving and Devin Booker continues to ascend, I’m loving the outlook for the Suns to snare a top three seed in the West. Denver would’ve been my Western Conference champion prediction last May had Jamal Murray not gotten injured, and they return a squad that I wouldn’t be shocked to see in the West Finals. The Warriors should be rejuvenated with the return of Klay Thompson and potential pops from other young guns, and if everything clicks, I think they can make some serious noise in the playoffs. As long as Luka Doncic is the only guy on the Mavericks that consistently contributes to winning, they’ll be considered semi-contenders, but will remain in the lower half playoff team tier in the West. With no Kawhi Leonard, I still think the Clippers will be fine, but they definitely won’t play as well as last season. Despite a few questionable moves this offseason, the Grizzlies should still be squarely in the play-in mix with a continually ascending Ja Morant leading the way. Frankly, I have no idea what to do with the Blazers considering potential Lillard/McCollum trades, but they’re good enough with those two to at least make the play-in tournament. In a toss-up between the Pelicans and Timberwolves for the final play-in spot, I went with Minnesota. I’m liking their firepower more than New Orleans, who may not have Zion Williamson until the winter. 

Conference Finals: Warriors over Lakers 

Boom! Non-chalk prediction number one has been made. After all, the four of us will most likely be wrong about these predictions anyways, so why not spice it up a bit? We saw last season how the Warriors still made the play-in despite being ravaged by injuries riding the back of Stephen Curry. I also can’t stress enough how huge Klay Thompson’s return will be, even if it isn’t until the winter. I also love how Golden State’s offense looked in the preseason; I try not to buy too much stock into preseason, but their movement and chemistry on offense looked unbelievably crisp in their few preseason contests. Coupled with a potential sophomore surge from James Wiseman, a potential explosion from Jordan Poole and potential pops from rookies Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, this Warriors squad is promising enough for me to at least semi-confidently put them back in the NBA Finals. 

Kotelanski:

East 

1. Nets
2. Bucks
3. Celtics
4. Heat
5. 76ers
6. Knicks
7. Hawks
8. Bulls
9. Hornets
10.  Wizards

If the Nets can keep it together — and that’s a big if — they should be a lock for the NBA Championship. The Nets “Big 3” have been talking their talk this summer, but considering all the injuries, missed games and controversy from last season, it’s unpredictable where they’ll land. The Bucks should stay consistent with Giannis Antekotounmpo hungry for another championship. My biggest surprise comes with the Celtics at the three seed. They’ve been stuck at the bottom of the high-tier Eastern Conference teams for years now, but I think Jayson Tatum can surge his team to the top this season. Big offseason acquisitions from the Heat, Bulls and Hornets should win them spots in the playoffs this season as well.

Conference Finals: Nets over Bucks

The Nets have Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving. Thank you very much, have a nice day. 

West

1. Lakers
2. Warriors
3. Jazz
4. Nuggets
5. Suns
6. Mavericks
7. Clippers
8. Pelicans
9. Trail Blazers
10. Grizzlies 

Here we go with the newest big three of the NBA, and once again, Lebron is a part of it. Russell Westbrook, Lebron James and Anthony Davis could be an unstoppable force in the Western Conference despite their veteran status. The Warriors, although it seems they are years out of their legendary prime, are coming out this year with still MVP-caliber player Steph Curry and seemingly healthy Klay Thompson. With all this being said, I think the duo could make a run for it late in the season and secure the #2 spot in the West. The young talent of the Nuggets, Suns and Jazz franchises makes them  competitors in the West, but not enough to break through the veteran-loaded Warriors and Lakers. The Clippers and Trail Blazers will slowly remain on a decline, since their star-power simply won’t be enough to win in the West. This could also be the year that Zion and the Pelicans crack a spot in the playoffs.

Conference Finals: Lakers over Warriors

Yes, this Lakers squad is old. Yes, the fit of Westbrook with LeBron and Anthony Davis doesn’t seem fully cohesive on paper. But look at the Lakers roster and tell me that’s not, at the very least, a conference finals team. Last year, the Lakers were on their way to defeating the Suns in the first round of the playoffs before injuries sunk their season. With a new supporting cast and every player healthy, I expect a rebound season from Los Angeles en route to their second Finals appearance in three seasons. 

Weinstein: 

East

1. Nets
2. Bucks
3. 76ers
4. Hawks
5. Heat
6. Celtics
7. Bulls
8. Knicks
9. Hornets
10. Pacers

You’ve got the star-studded Nets, complete with an unbelievable supporting cast. You’ve got the reigning 2021 champs, the Bucks, led by walking trophy case Giannis Antetokounmpo. It’s safe to say that he hasn’t nearly reached the top of his prime yet; the preseason gave us glimpses of a more polished jump shot from him, and Giannis with a consistent jumper is a terrifying thought for the rest of the league. The third seed is my beloved Philadelphia 76ers. They have a loaded roster behind arguably the best center in the league, Joel Embiid, in addition to the enigma that is Ben Simmons. Anything can happen with Simmons — chances are he won’t even be on the team come the season. If the 76ers do end up trading Ben Simmons for someone like CJ McCollum, D’Angelo Russell or De’Aaron Fox, it will definitely give Philly a boost. However, behind Embiid and Simmons is Tobias Harris, one of the most underrated scorers in the league. They have Seth Curry, one of the best spot up shooters in the league. They have a young lockdown defender in Matisse Thybulle and rising star point guard Tyrese Maxey. Let’s not forget their new addition, Andre Drummond, who’s going to provide needed depth down low. Then, there’s great roleplayers like Danny Green and Shake Milton. I can’t wait to see what the 76ers have in store for their season; even so, the previously mentioned Bucks and Nets are simply better. My 4th seed Hawks are a solid team who can hold their own with any team in either conference, and their playoff performance last season was extremely impressive. They have a ton of young talent and will only improve with time, but besides Trae Young, they aren’t quite talented enough to outcompete the more elite teams in the East. After the Hawks, the competition falls off. Miami, Chicago, Boston, and New York all are decent, but wouldn’t be higher than the seventh seed at best in the West. 

Conference Finals: Nets over Bucks 

I’m aware that this prediction is chalkier than a sidewalk next to an elementary school, but the Nets and Bucks are clearly the best two teams in the Eastern Conference. After those two, it’s tough to make an argument for the Sixers, Hawks, Heat, Knicks, Celtics and others as one of the two best teams in the East. In this re-match of the 2021 East Semis, I have the Nets edging the Bucks with Kevin Durant nailing a few clutch shots in Game 7. 

West

1. Lakers
2. Suns
3. Nuggets
4. Warriors
5. Clippers
6. Jazz
7. Trail Blazers
8. Mavericks
9. Grizzlies
10. Pelicans

The West is absolutely stacked. All of the top eight seeds are loaded with some combination of talent and depth — some extremely deep, others not so deep (Dallas, for example). However, Dallas has a golden boy in Luka Doncic, and his efforts will almost certainly get them into the playoffs. The Suns and Nuggets are both tough teams with multiple stars, but as I see it, the Nuggets suffer from a lack of depth, and the Suns’ Finals run last year was due to a lucky break. They remained mostly healthy during the playoffs, while key players on opposing teams, namely Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis and Jamal Murray, did not. The Warriors with a healthy Klay Thompson will be a conference finals team with a real shot at the Finals. I also have faith in the Clippers as long as Paul George can play well.

Conference Finals: Lakers over Warriors

I’m not making particularly bold claims on these. The best teams in each conference will meet in the conference finals, and the teams with the most scorers will win. The Warriors will undoubtedly prove to be an extremely competitive playoff team behind Curry, Thompson, Draymond and Wiseman as long as they stay healthy. I would love to see them win it all, but unfortunately there’s no way they’ll get past the Lakers, who I see as the Nets of the West and easily the second most talented team this season. Led by the massive three of LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis, the Lakers feature a phenomenal supporting cast, including Carmelo Anthony, Trevor Ariza, Dwight Howard, DeAndre Jordan, Rajon Rondo, Malik Monk and Avery Bradley. This veteran-loaded team is seasoned, talented and ready for anything the West throws their way.

Rice:

East

1. Bucks
2. Sixers
3. Nets
4. Heat
5. Hawks
6. Celtics
7. Bulls
8. Knicks
9. Pacers
10. Hornets

The defending champion Bucks are my top seed in the East, since the Nets will likely take the regular season easy to resting players. The 26-year-old superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is already the best player in basketball, and he keeps on improving. The Bucks found a great fit with Jrue Holiday, who helped them break through and win a championship last year, along with shooter Khris Middelton, who has thrived alongside Giannis his whole career. Obviously, the Nets will be a top seed if KD and Harden can stay healthy. I really like the Kyle Lowry addition for the Heat, but they’re still no match for a full-strength Nets team. I don’t know exactly how I feel about the Sixers, but if they have the same roster as last year, including Ben Simmons, they remain in the contender conversation. However, I don’t think they can truly contend for a chip unless Simmons can spread the floor unlike we’ve ever seen. The other six teams in the East need too many things to happen this year to get to the Finals. 

Conference Finals: Nets over Bucks

The flawed yet overpowered Nets team, possibly the most talented NBA team ever assembled, should steamroll through the NBA pending health. At full strength, the only team that can possibly compete with them, at least on paper, are the Lakers. However, problems have already arisen for Brooklyn, and the season hasn’t even started yet. Kyrie Irving won’t get vaccinated, which could cause him to miss all of Brooklyn’s home regular season games. That would be half the season. Throw in KD and Harden’s injury history, and it isn’t impossible that the Nets might fall short again this year. I love this Bucks team and Giannis, who I think will put up another MVP caliber season that we have grown so accustomed to. Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton are in perfect condition to thrive again this year; however, the Nets vs. Bucks went to seven last year with the Bucks at full strength. The Nets were without Kyrie half of the series — which will likely be the case again this year — and with Harden for only the last three games, during which he was nowhere near his typical self.

West

1. Jazz
2. Suns
3. Lakers
4. Warriors
5. Nuggets
6. Clippers
7. Mavericks
8. Grizzlies
9. Blazers
10. Timberwolves

The talent in the West, as usual, is exponentially higher than the talent in the East. There are six teams that can truly contend — seven if Luka can finally get some help. The top six seeds in this conference are true competitors, though. The Lakers, who suffered injuries throughout last season, are at full health, and they added Russell Westbrook to run the point, along with several more exceptional role players to round out the squad. There’s no doubt they’re the team to beat, and at full strength, they may be unstoppable. The Warriors, who I have losing in the WCF with Klay, become an elite team, and if Wisemen improves, they will be the second scariest team to face when the playoffs come around. On top of Curry, Green and Wiggins, I love Jordan Poole and the two lottery pick rookies, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody. The Jazz and Suns are both coming off of incredible seasons; the Jazz had the best record in the league and the Suns were two games from a championship. Both of these teams have the talent, coaching and depth to contend for their first finals victory. The Nuggets will be without Jamal Murray, but by the end of the year, the tandem of him, Jokic and a rapidly improving Michael Porter Jr. can contend for a chip. They’re definitely a sleeper team. You also, of course, can’t forget about a healthy Clippers team. Kawhi and Paul George are the two best two-way players in the league and will have as much as ever to prove this season after disappointing fans over the past several years. The stacked West could go so many different ways, especially since all of the superstars besides Jokic seem injury-prone. Who knows who’s healthy come playoff time?

Conference Finals: Lakers over Warriors 

I really, really believe that LA’s new big three is going to work out. I think Russell Westbrook brings the energy and skill needed to take the Lakers over the top. I’m confident that LeBron, Anthony Davis and Co. can lead the Lakers back to the NBA Finals.