The 2018-2019 season marks a new era for the Eastern Conference: the Post-Lebron Era. He represented the East in the Finals from 2011-2018, but now that spot is up for grabs. It’s also a new era because the East seems to be getting better for the first time in years, even with Lebron’s move. The Celtics are the consensus favorite with the Sixers and Raptors right behind them in most people’s eyes. Then we get to other competitive teams like the Bucks & Pacers and the East is as top heavy as it has been in quite some time. Since the East is so tough now I’m going to rank the East teams from Most Dangerous to Least Dangerous. This isn’t a playoff seeding preview (if I nail them then it might be), it is more of a power ranking. So if you disagree with my rankings that’s ok, it’s all very subjective, just tweet at me what you think so we can talk about it. I write these to let people know my opinion on these topics and also so I can find out what others think. So without further ado let’s get to the most dangerous team.

Tier 1

1. Boston Celtics

This isn’t surprising to anyone, after all I am a Celtics fan. However, this has nothing to do with my Celtics fandom. They are clearly the most dangerous team in the East right now and it isn’t really close. Last year they took the 2nd best player of all time to 7 games in the Eastern Conference Finals and they did it without their two best players/scorers (Kyrie, Hayward). Now they add those 2 back to the squad which forms arguably the best/most well rounded starting lineup in the NBA. I don’t believe that’s just me being biased either. They have 4 starters that are versatile and pluses defensively,  they have 4 starters that are talented passers, and all 5 of the starters hover around 50/40 shooting splits while being able to create their own shot at any time. No other team can say those things. All of that is impressive enough before we even get to the “Bench With Attitude” that’s led by Super Sixth Men Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier. If the Celtics don’t make the Finals this year it is a disappointment.

Tier 2

2. Toronto Raptors

To begin the second tier we have the Raptors and their newly acquired star Kawhi Leonard. Sixers fans will be mad at this but when aren’t they? The Raptors finished first in the East last year and then traded in DeRozan and Poeltl for Kawhi and Danny Green. To me that trade is a MASSIVE upgrade for the Raptors and I actually like DeRozan and Poeltl. It’s just that Kawhi, if he is back to himself, is a much better player than DeRozan and based off of preseason he does seem to be back to himself. He won a Finals MVP playing against Lebron James, he went supernova in the 2017 playoffs, and he has continually stepped up in big moment after big moment (unless Zaza Pachulia is there). DeRozan has never proved it in important games and it’s what has doomed the Raptors these past few years. Now they have a guy that can hopefully fix those problems, and they still have the deep rotation they had last year. With promising young prospects in Siakam, Anunoby, and Van Fleet the Raptors have a lot of depth and potential within that depth. Then in their starting lineup they have solid producers in Lowry, Ibaka, and Valuncunias and now they added Danny Green to that group. From top to bottom they are very skilled defensively and should rank top 5 in that area. They will need that to be the case because aside from Kawhi they don’t have too many shot creators.

3. Milwaukee Bucks

Now this is where Sixers fans really start to get mad. I completely understand how this may seem like a bold pick, after all the Bucks haven’t been higher than a 6 seed since 2001. HOWEVAH, the Bucks have also never had Giannis and Mike Budenholzer. In case you haven’t really watched the Bucks the last few years just know that their coaching was fucking horrendous. Jason Kidd kept doing remarkably stupid things that would cost them games, but now his reign of terror is finally over. Giannis and the rest of the squad can finally flourish under Bud. Bud was the coach of that Hawks team that got 60 wins and the 1 seed over Lebron with Paul Millsap and Al Horford as their best players. Those guys are good, but now Bud has Giannis and Middleton to work with which I would say is an upgrade. Bud is an offensive specialist that loves to space the floor and play up-tempo, that should fit in perfect with the personnel he has now. Giannis is really coming into his own as a drive and kick facilitator and Bud should find a way to enhance those skills while improving spacing along the perimeter with Middleton, Brogdon, Lopez, and others. Then when we get to the defensive side of the ball this team is filled with athletic defenders that should cause problems for opposing teams. Losing Jabari Parker is going to be a major “addition by subtraction” on the defensive end. My one concern for the Bucks is their depth. If they suffer some injuries then their depth will really start to hurt, but for now I think it is serviceable. Look for Giannis to win MVP or at least finish top 3 this year.

 4. Philadelphia 76ers

Ok so if you’re a Sixers fan you probably are holding broken glass and your hand is bleeding but please calm down because this isn’t as bad as it seems. Like I said in the beginning this is the most dangerous teams list, not the best regular season team list. If I had to guess they will probably be a top 3 seed barring injuries, but I just don’t find them that dangerous. I don’t care what anyone says, Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers got exposed against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The 76ers came into the series as overwhelming favorites facing a team that was missing their two best players. Not only that but they also had a very banged up Jaylen Brown. Then that same Celtics team delivered the Sixers a 4-1 series L because Ben Simmons can’t shoot a 3 pointer. The Celtics sagged off of him when he was on the perimeter and instead closed down on passing lanes. It made Simmons a major non-factor and forced them to rely on Embiid chucking up inefficient low-post shots. I would love to give the Sixers the benefit of the doubt when it comes to this issue but as you can see from the picture above it isn’t changing anytime soon. Ben Simmons is a coward that refuses to shoot 3 pointers, he won’t even practice them. That means the fatal flaw that plagued them in the playoffs will only continue to plague them. So Sixers fans enjoy your possible top 3 seed in the regular season because when it comes to the playoffs you scare me as much as Ben Simmons behind the 3 point line.

5. Indiana Pacers

I really had to restrain myself from putting the Pacers above the Sixers but I needed to maintain some veil of objectivity. The Pacers are the last team in the first 2 tiers and it’s because I think they are one of the 5 truly dangerous teams in the East. Tier 2 overall is a giant toss-up that depends on injuries and who lives up to potential, so the Pacers have just as good of a chance at the 3 seed as they do the 5 seed. This Pacers team showed a lot of promise last year being led by breakout 2-way stud Victor Oladipo. They had some good pieces around him too such as Myles Turner, Bogdanovic, Sabonis, Thad Young, and Darren Collison, and they also have a competent coach in Nate McMillan. For this year they had some big free agent additions in Tyreke Evans and Doug McDermott. Now some think they may have overpaid for these guys but nevertheless they are valuable additions that will help bolster the Pacers’ depth. Depth is the one thing the Pacers struggled with at times last year and now that should be fixed. I also expect Oladipo to improve once again offensively and remain an All-NBA caliber player.

Tier 3

6. Miami Heat

To start off the 3rd tier we have the Miami Heat led by Coach Spoelstra. Now I might have the Heat here anyways, but I am doing this assuming that they trade for Jimmy Butler. So far all indications point to that so I’m just going to run with it. You could argue that based off that they should be in the 2nd tier but I am going to have to wait and see them earn it first. Presuming they trade Josh Richardson for Jimmy the Heat are left with prospsects Bam Adebayo and Josh Winslow and veterans Goran Dragic, James Johnson, Dwyane Wade, Kelly Olynyk, Dion Waiters, and (sigh) Hassan Whiteside. When you add in Jimmy Butler to that group of names it is actually a pretty decent 8 man rotation and then they have some other role players after that. The reason I have them ahead of teams like the Wizards and Pistons is coaching. Coach Spo is one of the best coaches in the league and he always gets the best out of his talent. This year he might have the best talent he’s had since Lebron so I expect him to do well with it. If there is anyone who can manage Jimmy Butler’s ego it is Pat Riley and Coach Spo so I expect them to be the best of Tier 3 and probably even jump up into Tier 2.

7. Washington Wizards

(The only known photograph of John Wall and Bradley Beal getting along)

The Wizards are going to be a delight to watch this season and for all the wrong reasons. There is constant strife between John Wall and Bradley Beal and now they have added the least likable player in the world, Dwight Howard, to that mix. The Wizards are already the most dysfunctional locker-room in the league and they have now added the man that tore apart every single locker-room he has been in. Not only did they add that asshole Dwight but they also added AustinRiversFromNepotism, who guys around the league also hate. Honestly if everyone stays alive on the Wizards then the season will be a success. But as far as basketball goes the Wizards aren’t that bad. Dwight may be an asshole but he is actually still a very productive player and Austin Rivers is also an asshole but he is still the best bench player the Wiz have had in quite some time. If they aren’t as dysfunctional as I think then they probably could finish higher, but I just don’t see how they aren’t the NBA version of the Bluth family this year.

8. Charlotte Hornets

Now I may just be getting a case of preseason fever but the Hornets really impressed from what I saw of them against my Celtics. Under new coach James Borrego they seem to be clicking offensively and practicing great ball movement. He is a Popovich disciple and should help bring a little bit of that Spurs flare to Charlotte. To aid him in the beginning of his head coaching career the Hornets have added veteran Tony Parker to hold the bench down. That should be a very good addition so long as he keeps his dick to himself. They also had two of my favorite steals of the 2018 draft in Miles Bridges and Devonte Graham. Bridges is a stud two way player that should help the Hornets immediately and Graham was a stud 4-year college player that should be a good depth guard for the Hornets. Along with those moves they also added Bismack Byombo to improve the second unit as well as being an insurance option for the oft-injured Cody Zeller. Then obviously the Hornets still have their star Kemba and their 2nd option Batum. I expect those 2, and the team as a whole, to flourish under Borrego in his first season.

9. Cleveland Cavaliers

I have the Cavs right there with the Hornets in Tier 3. Now obviously they did lose Lebron, some would argue that’s kind of a big deal, but I really don’t think it knocks them out of relevance in the East. They still have Kevin Love who should see usage that compares more to his Minnesota days and less to his days as Lebron’s hostage. I know people like to make fun of Kevin Love but with the right usage he is one of the best players in the conference and should put up numbers that match that statement. Then the Cavs added high-motor rookie Collin Sexton who has come into this league and life with an ambitious attitude. I really like his game and my one concern for him (shooting) seems to be better than I had expected. Now the rest of the Cavs roster isn’t that great in my opinion but they do have guys with potential. Most NBA fans, including myself, have written off Jordan Clarkson and Rodney Hood but they are still young, offensive-minded players with some potential to be better. If the Cavs were in the West they’d easily be one of the bottom teams in the conference but they are in the East where they should compete.

10. Detroit Pistons

I just am not high on the Pistons this year, they don’t excite me whatsoever. That’s kind of what happens when your team is headlined by Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin and also coached by Stan Van Gundy in the year 2018. I just looked at their roster on NBA.com and wanted to puke. I really don’t have much to say on them. I guess they can make the playoffs since they have Blake and Drummond but they won’t do much when they get there.

Tier “They Won’t Be Terrible”

Orlando Magic, Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls

This tier is pretty self-explanatory. I think these teams aren’t going to be terrible but they also won’t be all that good. The Magic are filled with young, athletic, two-way players but they will struggle to score. The Bulls are the opposite because they will score but potentially stink on defense. The Nets are filled with good to average talent and should be able to compete with a lot of teams. There is no way any of these teams make the playoffs but they should be exciting to watch on League Pass.

Tier “Cold McDonalds”

New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks

The only way to describe these last 2 teams is “Cold McDonalds” like my close personal friend Ice T would. These teams are wack, plain and simple. They are both extremely young squads without a true star (that’s right Knicks fans Porzingis isn’t a star). Also both teams just got new head coaches which means it will take some time for culture to be established and rapports to be formed. I actually like the prospects on each of these teams but the problem is that all they have are prospects. If you want to be good in the NBA you need some solid vets and these teams just do not have that.