After another shortened season and a summer filled with TMZ-level basketball drama, the NBA basketball season is back with a full 82 game schedule for its 75th season which began on Tuesday October 19. Let’s get reacquainted with some of the Eastern Conference teams that are expected to contend for the Larry O’Brien Trophy come April 2022.
Brooklyn Nets
On paper, this is the most volatile team in the NBA, boasting an All-Star team of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving (maybe). The Nets are a dangerous team with all three on the court, as the Nets averaged 128.7 points per 100 possessions and outscored the opposition by 98 points in just 332 total regular and postseason minutes in the 2020-2021 seasons. In addition to these three All-Stars, they are joined by Joe Harris, who is one of the most accurate 3-point shooters in the NBA for the past three seasons, as well as veterans Patty Mills and LaMarcus Aldridge to form a talented and versatile frontcourt. Brooklyn went 48-24 last season even without Harden for half the season and came close to outlasting the Milwaukee Bucks during the playoffs last year. This year’s team is back and healthier than ever with more talented players to contribute towards Brooklyn’s deadly offence during the regular season.
However, there’s always a catch with this team and this time it’s in the form of Kyrie Irving. Irving’s refusal to receive the COVID-19 vaccine would make him ineligible to suit up for Brooklyn’s home games as a result of an executive order issued in August by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio requiring athletes who play in indoor arenas to show proof that they have received at least one vaccine shot. The team without Kyrie Irving still performs spectacularly against its opposition but they would not be able to perform at its best against other teams that boast All-Star level players. The most important thing that this team needs to focus on is health; we have not seen the Nets perform with all three of its superstars for an extended period of time. A Nets team with all three of its superstars and a strong supporting cast would be a very strong candidate for a championship, but further injuries and drama may put everything up for grabs.
Milwaukee Bucks
The defending champions are back with their Finals MVP winner Giannis Antetokounmpo still leading the team and not opting to leave the team for a Los Angeles based team (like a certain Finals MVP player back in 2019). Aside from Giannis, the Bucks brought back the majority of their top players from last year’s playoffs, and while the Bucks lost P.J. Tucker over the off-season, the team overall could still boast a starting five that outscored opponents by 10.7 points last season.
There are always factors that could go against the Bucks – would the Bucks be able to defeat the Nets if all of the Nets were healthy during the playoff series? The Bucks were barely able to get past an injured Nets team during the Eastern Conference Semifinals. With a healthy Nets team and the addition of strong players in other Eastern Conference teams, this team would have difficulties trying to defend their championship. Giannis can’t do everything—it’s up to the rest of the team to pick up the slack to have a strong chance to defend their championship.
Miami Heat
This team has always been strong under the leadership of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, but the addition of Raptor GOAT Kyle Lowry and P.J. Tucker can help transform the Heat to one of the best defensive teams in the league. The addition of Kyle Lowry in particular raised the Heat’s profile as a genuine Finals contender as Lowry’s stellar plays as a point guard, proven playoff experience, and strong defensive presence can assist the Heat by providing another top playmaker and scorer at the point guard position. With Adebayo and Herro still developing at only 24 and 21 years old respectively, this team could make noises during the playoffs.
Despite these additions, the Heat didn’t do much to improve their middling offence during the off-season and their offence ranked 18th in points scored per 100 possessions last season. This could be a concern if their top contributors like Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro go cold from the 3-point line once again. In addition to their offensive struggles, the Heat lack depth outside of the core as many of the backup players have limited experience as reliable NBA players, such as KZ Okpala and Max Strus. Without a strong supporting cast, the Heat risk playoff disappointment once again if the team underperforms.
Philadelphia 76ers
This team is the equivalent of the Toronto Maple Leafs: they have amazing talent with Joel Embiid building on his skills to become a stronger scorer and playing at the MVP level with a strong supporting cast consisting of Matisse Thybulle, Tyrese Maxey, and Shake Milton, but are always hindered by playoff losses every year. If Embiid is as good as he was last season, Doc Rivers could still have enough in his back pocket to formulate strategies to win games while figuring out how to deal with the giant elephant in the room: Ben Simmons.
The ongoing Simmons debacle isn’t going to help the team with trading him for a solid return as this TMV special continues to demoralize a team that is already frustrated with its playoff failures. It doesn’t help the Sixers’ chances if Simmons’ act of getting thrown out of practice and getting suspended overshadows the team’s efforts to replicate its regular season success, much less even make the playoffs. If the Sixers don’t deal with Simmons quickly as well as get quality players who can contribute to the team, the Sixers are not nearly as likely to contend for the Championship. Similarly, if Embiid doesn’t play at an All-Star level, there are very few options for Doc Rivers to turn to prevent the Sixers from slumping offensively during the playoffs.
And your team: the Toronto Raptors!
Yes, I know this team is unlikely to raise the trophy this year, but I would like to talk about my favourite team even for just a paragraph. I am optimistic about the Raptors performance this year even though we lost Kyle Lowry over the season, not just because they’re finally playing at home but also due to the Raptors’ acquisitions and performance throughout the pre-season. The arrival of Scottie Barnes is bringing a new kind of energy to the Raptors as the number 4 pick is already dazzling fans with his energetic performances as he leads rookies in assists per game and posted a 3 to 1 assist to turnover ratio so far in the pre-season. Not to mention that OG Anunoby has vastly improved his game with playmaking echoing that of Kawhi Leonard during this pre-season. Finally, the arrival of Precious Achiuwa and Goran Dragic bring additional depth to this team that could position itself to make a strong push towards the playoffs. While they don’t have the traditional star firepower that would be considered necessary to make a strong playoff push, I’m confident that these Raptors will keep fighting towards the playoffs. Who knows, they may surprise you!