With all the free agency moves this offseason, it certainly makes for quite a ride. As for the eastern conference, expect great changes as some teams jumped from average to top contenders and vice versa.
Lowry Makes Miami Heat Contenders
Kyle Lowry moving to Miami is the biggest one in my personal opinion. If Jimmy Butler is healthy and able to play at a high level he’s been at for the last couple of years then watch out. Lowry is a veteran point guard who’s not only a leader but a winner. Lowry has championship experience and knows what it takes to win. Now it’s up to the young guys like Bam, Herro, and Robinson to elevate their game. If we see that, I don’t expect a clean sweep in the playoffs against any team like what happened this year. Kudos to Miami.
New York City Is Finally Back In The Spotlight
Although I don’t expect the Knicks to be in the conference finals, I still can’t underestimate this squad. The most improved player Julius Randle is still getting better and now they added Kemba Walker. These young group of players now have some playoff experience under their belt. Now with a added scorer on the team who can shake n’ bake the Knicks may average well over 100 points this season per game. Which to me was their only weakness.
Bulls Look Scary
DeMar DeRozan, Zach Lavine, and Lonzo Ball are now the core members of this Chicago team. We can’t forget Nikola being added to the roster to from Boston. But now Chicago has the mix of passing, scoring, and veteran play that is crucial in the eastern conference that’s filled with young star players. If they play their cards right and stay healthy, this may be Lavine’s breakout season into stardom. And if we’re not careful Lonzo may finally show people why he was the #2 pick in the draft.
The Top Teams Still Will Be The Top
Although there were a lot of moves that’s catching eyes of fans and critics, let’s not get too carried away. The Brooklyn Nets are still filled with bonafide superstars! And the reigning NBA Champions Milwaukee Bucks deserve their respect as the top dogs in the league. The Hawks are iffy to me and will have to show their run wasn’t a fluke. And of course, the Sixers need to figure out what their doing with Ben Simmons. But as long as they got Embiid, they will always have a great force on the team.
The Charlotte Hornets are my personal favorite in the east. Their my sleeper pick to land a good spot in the seeding if healthy. With the Rookie of the Year LaMelo Ball on the squad with their fantastic backcourt, their ceiling is high. I’m excited for this conference to see what may happen.
The SSN Blog 