So ESPN Predicts YOUR Atlanta Hawks To Finish 2nd In The Eastern Conference :whew:

[FreshFromATL]

It's gonna be a good season brehs

Miami Heat, Denver Nuggets top magazine team predictions - ESPN The Magazine - ESPN

1. Miami Heat | Southeast: 1st

Conventional wisdom That banner in the rafters will announce that the King has shed his can't-win-the-big-one rep. His Big Three mates? Still plenty young enough. Yep, it's all going to plan -- and there's nothing any other team can do about it.

Actual wisdom Don't save a spot on the Biscayne Boulevard parade route just yet. The Heat might look stronger with the signings of D-stretching sharpshooters Ray Allen (career 40 percent from three) and Rashard Lewis (39 percent), but health and durability issues lurk. Dwyane Wade, Bosh, Mike Miller and Allen all had surgery or some significant rehab this offseason. And managing minutes, egos and title-or-bust expectations won't get easier for coach Erik Spoelstra. -- Michael Wallace

Basketball Prospectus predictions
Projected record: 60.7-21.3
If LBJ has a PER of 31: 61-21 (1-seed)
If LBJ has a PER of 27: 55-27 (1-seed)

2. Atlanta Hawks | Southeast: 2nd

Conventional Wisdom Sure, by trading six-time All-Star Joe Johnson, new GM Danny Ferry tidied up the cap and readied the Hawks for a down-the-road free agent spree. Short term, though, the team has taken a big step back.

Actual wisdom Salary dump? What salary dump? Atlanta inked a cheaper high-scoring playmaker in Lou Williams. He and Jeff Teague will stay busy finding new hires Kyle Korver and Anthony Morrow on the perimeter and Smith and a fully healed Al Horford (career 18.1 PER) in transition. All of those producers mean more points for the Hawks than their opponents -- and what some folks might consider a surprisingly high seed in the postseason. -- John Hollinger

Basketball Prospectus predictions
Projected record: 50.5-31.5
If Horford plays 82 games: 52-30 (2-seed)
If Horford plays 11 games: 43-39 (8-seed)

3. New York Knicks | Atlantic: 1st

Conventional wisdom The Knicks have added a fantasy team of useful vets, making them as deep as anyone in the East -- and a lock to win their first playoff series since 2000.

Actual wisdom Like a recurring nightmare, New York has imported a few more shopworn names and crossed its fingers. Maybe the geezers help grab a couple of extra wins; more likely, they take turns propping each other up right before their hearts give out. Still, this dream actually will end differently if Carmelo and Amar'e figure out how to share the ball (the Knicks were outscored by almost four points per 100 possessions when the duo were on the court together last season). -- Bradford Doolittle

Basketball Prospectus predictions
Projected record: 49.4-32.6
If Anthony shoots 49 percent: 53-29 (2-seed)
If Anthony shoots 43 percent: 48-34 (4-seed)

4. Boston Celtics | Atlantic: 2nd

Conventional wisdom Only a crazy person would pick a team that was old four years ago, then replaced Ray Allen with a sprinkle of has-beens and never-will-bes.

Actual wisdom Only a slightly less crazy person would bet against them. One of those replacements is seasoned gunner Jason Terry (career 38 percent 3-point shooter), and he'll likely jump-start that 25th-ranked offense. Also, last we checked, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce were still elite defenders -- tying career lows in defensive rating last season (94 and 99, respectively). Don't be fooled: A Big Three lives on in Beantown; now it just features a locked-in Rondo (career AST percent of 40). And it still matches up with any team. -- Henry Abbott

Basketball Prospectus predictions
Projected record: 48.9-33.1
If Rondo has a TS percent of 54: 51-31 (2-seed)
If Rondo has a TS percent of 47: 47-35 (6-seed)

5. Philadelphia 76ers | Atlantic: 3rd

Conventional wisdom Andrew Bynum adds an interior presence (career ORtg: 116) to a team that barely can recall what it's like to have one. Last season's playoff run was surprising; this season's won't be.

Actual wisdom The Sixers seem to have all the answers: 1) a solid trio of bigs -- Bynum, Spencer Hawes and Lavoy Allen -- who can score and protect the paint; 2) a ripening young backcourt in Jrue Holiday and Turner; and 3) a team D that ranked third in 2011-12. Well, most of the answers anyway: They still haven't figured out how to hang with Miami. -- Chris Broussard

Basketball Prospectus predictions
Projected record: 47.5-34.5
With new bigs (Bynum/Hawes/Turner): 48-34 (5-seed)
With old bigs (Hawes/Brand/Iguodala): 46-36 (6-seed)

6. Chicago Bulls | Central: 1st

Conventional wisdom The Bulls will struggle to stay afloat as they await the return of Derrick Rose, whose knee will keep him in street clothes for months.

Actual wisdom Hey, "they" got one right -- but for the wrong reasons. Rose is an A-lister for sure, but look it up: The Bulls were actually 18-9 last season without their MVP. The team was buoyed by the Bench Mob -- John Lucas III, Kyle Korver and Omer Asik, with Asik ranking in the 96th percentile in defensive points per possession. Problem is, all three were thrown overboard this summer. SOS. -- Tom Haberstroh

Basketball Prospectus predictions
Projected record: 47-35
If Rose plays 30 games: 49-33 (4-seed)
If Rose misses entire season: 42-40 (8-seed)

7. Brooklyn Nets | Atlantic: 4th

Conventional wisdom The Nets appeared to remake their team, bringing in All-Star swingman Johnson and his 18.8 ppg to form a prolific backcourt with the newly re-signed Deron Williams.

Actual wisdom Almost landing Dwight Howard is not actually landing Dwight Howard. You could do worse than Brook Lopez as your Plan B, but unless the seven-footer finds the religion of the boards (6 rpg in '10-11), the Nets won't look as strong on the court as they do on paper. And on paper, anything less than a 7-seed should be viewed as failure. -- C.B.

Basketball Prospectus predictions
Projected record: 44.4-37.6
If Lopez averages 9 rpg: 46-36 (7-seed)
If Lopez averages 4 rpg: 41-41 (8-seed)

8. Indiana Pacers | Central: 2nd

Conventional wisdom After locking up the key players from last season's spunky run, the Pacers are poised to fill the gap at the top of the Eastern Conference caused by Derrick Rose's injury.

Actual wisdom Last season's starting five was dominant. Know what else it was? Improbably healthy. Paul George, David West, Granger, Darren Collison and Roy Hibbert played 1,000 minutes together -- or 253 more than any other five NBA teammates spent as a unit. Hope they all took it easy this summer. Indiana did little to overhaul its weak bench, so the starters will have to work overtime again. Counting on a repeat of a statistical anomaly is no way to game-plan. -- Beckley Mason

Basketball Prospectus predictions
Projected record: 44.4-37.6
If Granger scores 25.8 ppg: 51-31 (2-seed)
If Granger scores 18.7 ppg: 46-36 (7-seed)

 

[Jplaya2023]

this has got to be the absolute worst list i've ever seen

 

[Malcolmxxx_23]

what a horrible list

more like

heat
celtics
knicks
nets
76ers
hawks
bulls
pacers
rapts

 

[Mandizi]

Atlanta Hawks #2 seed? Did they mean #12 ? Cause that's closer to reality.

 

[No Homo]

you don't really believe this do you? I know you want to but seriously?

 

[Mook]

you nikkas dont know ball, the hawks are ridiculously stacked and now that ball stopping fakkit joe is gone

harris teague pachulia korver coming off the bench

 

[FreshFromATL]

These nikkas mad

 

[Youhadasparkwhenustarted]

I respect the list for having bold choices and making bold predictions, but damn, Hawks as a 2 seed? I still thought they were a playoff caliber team, but predicting a 2 seed is really going out on a limb.

 

[DeVanteSwing]

"high-scoring playmaker in Lou Williams"

lol

 

[FreshFromATL]

"high-scoring playmaker in Lou Williams"

lol

Lou Williams put up Joe Johnson numbers with a 35% less usage rate.

 

[AAKing23]

 

[AAKing23]

Lou Williams put up Joe Johnson numbers with a 35% less usage rate.

Dude I watched Lou since his career started as a sixer fan



He's a high volume scorer that shoots alot that may get 2-3 asts a game at best

And he plays no defense

 

[kingofnyc]

dem nikkaz shytted on my nets

 

[kingofnyc]

but even more crazier their ranking of da west
these nikkaz actually picked DEN as da overall #1 seed

 

[Constellations]