The NBA All Star break is a great time to take stock, look at the standings, and think ahead to the playoffs. A lot of things could still change between now and the first round, but let’s take a quick look around.
The Celtics are currently in 2nd place, half a game ahead of the New York Knicks and 1.5 games ahead of the Cleveland Cavs. The Detroit Pistons have a healthy 5.5 game lead for 1st place, so the Celtics are probably looking at a seed in the 2-4 range.
On the opposite end of the potential playoff bracket are the usual suspects vying for a play-in berth. The Bulls, Hawks, and Heat are all looking at the Charlotte Hornets like “hey, who’s the new kid?”
The candidates for a tough 1st round matchup would likely come from the middle group of teams.
Toronto Raptors – The Raps have the look of a typical “tough-out” team. They have length at a number of positions, versatile defenders, and players that could get hot in a hurry (Ingram, Barrett). They don’t seem to have the pieces necessary for a long run, but they could make things interesting in a 1st round series.
Philadelphia 76ers – The future is now in Philly with Tyreese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe creating the “VJ Maxx” backcourt. Joel Embiid is starting to look like his old self, and while I have jokes for days about his playoff performances against the Celtics, we don’t have Al Horford around anymore. They should also have a very well rested Paul George for the playoffs (in theory).
Orlando Magic – On paper the Magic should be a better team than they’ve been on the court. Banchero, Wagner, and Bane is a pretty nice top 3. Suggs, Black, and Wendell Carter Jr. seems like a solid rotation as well. However, injuries and fit have limited the success of this team thus far. Still, that doesn’t mean they couldn’t find the right buttons to push in any given 1st round series. They’d be out for revenge after last year’s 1st round loss as well.
Personally, I don’t fear the play-in teams all that much, but it is worth noting that the Hornets have been one of the hottest teams in the league for a couple of months now. If they keep this up they’ll play themselves into a top-6 finish.
So what do you think? I’m sure most of us are pretty confident in the Celtics ability to win the first round, especially with a reasonably healthy Jayson Tatum. But which team would make you the most concerned if they land in our bracket?
