Eastern Conference Power Rankings: Where do the Wizards Land
By Matt Levin
Top Dogs
4. Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers looked like one of the best teams in the East midway through last season. However, their star, Victor Oladipo suffered a gruesome knee injury and the Pacers season was lost.
This season, the Pacers look to compete with the best teams in the East once again. Oladipo will be healthy and Myles Turner is set to have one of his best seasons of his career.
While the Pacers lost a key player, Bojan Bogdanovic, they replaced him with Malcolm Brogdon. The Pacers are a sleeper to come out of the East next season.
3. Philadelphia 76ers
The Sixers goal for next season is to become Eastern Conference champions. The Sixers lost key players from last season, Jimmy Butler and J.J. Redick. However they replaced them with Josh Richardson and Al Horford.
Richardson and Horford will join Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Tobias Harris to create one of the leagues best starting fives. Injuries have been an issue for the Sixers in the past, but as of right now, everyone is healthy and ready to go.
If the Sixers can stay healthy, they have a great chance to come out of the East. However, they are going to have to beat out the two teams above them in the power rankings in order to do so.
2. Milwaukee Bucks
Many view the Bucks as the best team in the East. They were the one seed in the East last season and have the league’s best player, Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, they lost in the Eastern Conference Finals last season and are going to have to prove once again that they should be number one in the East.
The Bucks lost two key players from last season, Malcolm Brogdon and Nikola Mirotic, but replaced them with Kyle Korver and Robin Lopez.
The Bucks will be among the best in the East next season, but they are going to have to beat out the Sixers and the team that is number one in the power rankings in order to do so.