It is hard to imagine that in less than a month the NBA playoffs will have begun, isn’t it? April 16th is the last day of the NBA regular season, which means we have three weeks to prepare for the playoffs.
As we all know, the Western Conference is stronger as a whole in the NBA, but the Eastern Conference has won the last two titles (Miami Heat). But, who are the top contenders for a title in the Eastern Conference ? This is not the Eastern Conference of the 2000’s anymore, so the list may be a bit different that you think.
Here are the top five contenders in the NBA’s Eastern Conference for this year’s Finals. Will the East continue to bring home the hardware? Can the Heat make it to their fourth straight?
5) Toronto Raptors – The Raptors stand at 39-30, and not many people see them as a title contender. The Raptors have one of the better backcourts in the NBA in Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan.
The frontcourt is nothing to write home about in Amir Johnson and Jonas Valanciunas, but each of them do their job combining to rebound the basketball over 15 times per game. Add in Terrence Ross, Greivis Vazquez and Patrick Patterson off the bench, the Raptors could surprise in the postseason.
4) Brooklyn Nets – When this team was constructed, a deep run in the NBA playoffs was expected. But with Brook Lopez being injured and likely out for the season (unless the Nets can go deep into the playoffs) this team could see an early exit.
But, keep in mind the star power that the Nets possess. Deron Williams is still one of the better point guards in the NBA and with the veteran leadership of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Joe Johnson and Andrei Kirilenko, this team knows how to win.
The Nets will be relying heavily on some worn bodies down the stretch, but if they can turn it on the Nets could possibly go deep enough to have Brook Lopez return.
3) Chicago Bulls – The Chicago Bulls are the second best team in the NBA in terms of points allowed at just over 92 points a game. Unfortunately, the Bulls are dead last in scoring points. Tom Thibodeau’s conservative pace has led the Bulls to a 39-31 record without superstar Derrick Rose, which severely limits the chances of the Bulls reaching the finals.
But, since Rose has gone down, Joakim Noah has sprouted as the next star in the Windy City. Noah has been producing at an outstanding rate, averaging near a double-double as a center.
If the frontcourt can maintain their dominance on defense, and someone can step up for the Bulls on offense since Luol Deng was traded to Cleveland, the Bulls could be primed for a big summer.
2) Indiana Pacers – The Indiana Pacers currently carry the best record in the Eastern Conference at 51-19. 51 wins in 70 games is impressive in itself, but it’s not even the most intriguing thing about the Pacers. They are a mystifying 32-4 at home, best in the NBA.
How does that translate to the Pacers being Eastern Conference contenders? Seeing as they will likely be the top seed in the East, home-court advantage will certainly be a big boost for the team. The Pacers are the most dominant team in the NBA defensively, only giving up an average of 91.9 points this season.
Paul George and Lance Stephenson lead the Pacers this season, and are two of the best young stars in the NBA. These two are enough to win a few games on their own, but adding them to a great group of role players like Roy Hibbert, George Hill, David West and newly acquired Evan Turner, the Pacers will be a tough team to beat this summer. But, why are they not number one?
1) Miami Heat – How can one pick against the team with the best record in the conference? The team right behind them is the two-time reigning NBA Champion. The Miami Heat are the number one contender in the Eastern Conference, simply because they have won the conference in each the last three seasons and still possess the same core of players.
While Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh are not the players they once were, the “Big Three” is still the premier trio in the NBA. LeBron James leads the Heat in points, rebounds and assists and is still one of the best players in the NBA. The only thing preventing the Heat from winning the East again is themselves.
Photo: David Banks, USA Today
In addition to writing here at Sportsnaut, Josh covers fantasy sports, NFL Draft, and daily fantasy sports at sites across the internet. His work has been seen on Pro Football Focus, eDraft, XNSports, Project Roto, The Chicago Tribune, Philly.com and others.