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    • Where do they rank in the Eastern Conference?
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    Where do they rank in the Eastern Conference?

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    INDIANAPOLIS — The Pacers entered the last day of the regular season last season unsure if they’d have to start the postseason in the play-in round. They finished the day in a three-way tie for fifth place in the East at 47-35 with the Magic and 76ers, and the No. 6 seed they earned through tiebreakers ended up providing the best possible path for them to reach the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2014 as they steered clear of both the play-in round and the No. 1 seed and eventual NBA champion Celtics’ half of the bracket.

    That fact spoke to the nip-and-tuck nature of the Eastern Conference in 2023-24 and how all 82 games mattered in shaping the playoff paths for each team (except the Celtics).

    Boston finished first in the East by 14 games, but just four games separated the No. 2 seed Knicks at 50-32 and the No. 8 seed Heat who had to play in the play-in round at 46-36. Each team seeded No. 3 to No. 8 was within one game of the team above it and one game of the team below it in the standings with Nos. 5, 6 and 7 all equal. Had any team, including the Pacers, been one game better or one game worse, their playoff path would have changed significantly.

    So as the Pacers try to repeat and build on that playoff run, they know they still have to deal with a very even and unforgiving conference. Here’s a look at our projections for the Eastern Conference as curtain rises on the 2024-25 season.

    1. Boston Celtics

    2023-24 record: 64-18

    Postseason finish: NBA champions

    Outlook: After claiming title No. 18, the Celtics spent the offseason shelling out new contracts and extensions to keep their championship group together, comfortable enough with what they had to blow past the second apron threshold. They gave Jayson Tatum the biggest contract in NBA history, worth $314 million and Derrick White got a long-term deal as well with Jaylen Brown having already been locked up through 2028-29 and veteran guard Jrue Holiday signed through 2026-27 with a player option for ’27-’28. Center Kristaps Porzingis has two years left on his deal but still, that’s two more years with the best starting five in the NBA.

    Depth beyond those five remain an issue, but the Celtics have established shooting off the bench with Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser, whose contract was extended. Center Al Horford showed he still has some gas in his tank, and rookie Baylor Scheierman might be able to make an immediate impact.

    2. New York Knicks

    2023-24 record: 50-32

    Postseason finish: Lost to Pacers in Eastern Conference semifinals

    Outlook: After falling to the Pacers in seven games in the Eastern Conference semifinals with injuries and the wear-and-tear of heavy minutes taking their toll on their short rotation, the Knicks made some of the most significant moves of the NBA’s offseason. Their acquisition of talented two-way wing Mikal Bridges — bringing him together with several of his former Villanova teammates — was one of the first major salvos and the deal that sent guard Donte DiVincenzo and forward Julius Randle to the Timberwolves for Karl Anthony Towns was the last before the preseason started. In between, they signed forward and former IU star O.G. Anunoby to a five-year deal worth $212.5 million and All-NBA guard Jalen Brunson to relatively team-friendly four-year deal worth $156.5 million to lock up two of the most important piece of their roster long term.

    DiVincenzo and Randle were significant losses, but the Knicks clearly have at least the second best starting five in the East with two All-NBA caliber players in Brunson and Towns and wings in Anunoby, Bridges and Hart who can hang with Tatum and Brown. They have to form chemistry quickly, especially with Towns, but they are clearly the second-most talented team in the East and might be conference’s best squad on given nights.

    3. Philadelphia 76ers

    2023-24 record: 47-35

    Postseason finish: Lost to Knicks in first round

    Outlook: The 76ers entered the offseason with a number of expiring contracts and therefore a lot of available cap space. They used most of it on a supermax deal for Paul George and a max contract extension for Tyrese Maxey, creating a legit Big Three along with 2022-23 MVP Joel Embiid that instantly makes them a force. However, they also used their remaining space and exemptions to put together a solid supporting cast, keeping athletic wing Kelly Oubre, adding forwards Caleb Martin and K.J. Martin and signing veteran guards Eric Gordon, Reggie Jackson and Kyle Lowry. After the Olympics, they added French star Guerschon Yabusele to the mix.

    George has had health issues in the past and he hyperextended his knee in the preseason. However he escaped that with all of his tendons intact. He’s coming off a season in which he played 74 games, his highest figure since 2018-19, and he’s still one of the league’s best two-way wings. Embiid has been battling health issues, but if he and George are close to peak form and the All-Star Maxey takes another step, the Sixers can challenge the Knicks for the No. 2 seed and they might have enough firepower to go after Boston.

    2023-24 record: 47-35

    Postseason result: Lost to Celtics in Eastern Conference finals.

    Outlook: The Pacers took a similar approach to the Celtics to the offseason, investing their money in retention. Forwards Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin got new four-year contracts and point guards Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell extensions. Center Myles Turner is in the second year of a two-year deal so the Pacers couldn’t extend him, but the rest of their starters are under contact for at least the next three years.

    The continuity should allow the Pacers to stay as potent as they were on offense last year when they led the NBA in scoring and finished second in offensive efficiency. Their defense was shaky at best for most of last season, but that continuity should make at least a marginal difference to pull them up from the bottom of the league’s major defensive categories. A healthy version of Bennedict Mathurin and a more mature version of Jarace Walker could also make a difference and get the Pacers back in the playoffs and give them an opportunity to make another run.

    5. Milwaukee Bucks

    2023-24 record: 49-33

    Postseason finish: Lost to Pacers in Eastern Conference first round

    Outlook: The Bucks entered the offseason already at the second apron, so they were effectively limited to veteran minimum deals. They added veterans Gary Trent Jr. and Taurean Prince and drafted a potential difference maker in A.J. Johnson but kept the roster mostly intact otherwise.

    Their hope, then, is that they’ll be a better team without having to make a coaching change at mid-season as they did last year and with Damian Lillard already integrated into the roster after he was added just before training camp last season. His chemistry with All-World power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo never seemed flawless, but if they do unlock all their potential in the pick-and-roll they could be one of the most dominant forces in the game.

    6. Orlando Magic

    2023-24 record: 47-35

    Postseason finish: Lost to Cleveland in Eastern Conference first round

    Outlook: The Magic are sort of like a photo negative of the Pacers, a team that’s just as young and talented but built around defense instead of offense. They finished fourth in the league in points allowed and third in defensive rating last season despite often starting a whole lineup of players 25 or younger and never starting anyone older than 29.

    The Magic had a little more cap room to work with this offseason so they made some additions while also locking up some of their key pieces for the long term. They added veteran guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a tough on-ball defender and strong outside shooter, on a three-yer $66 million deal. They signed wings Franz Wagner and Johnthan Issac and center Wendell Carter Jr. to multi-year extensions, brought back former Hamilton Southeastern star Gary Harris and brought in point guard Cory Joseph on a cheap veteran deal. The Magic have legit size, they can slow down just about any offense and in Wagner and Paolo Banchero they have two All-Star caliber players to carry them. It says here the Magic will finish two spots behind the Pacers but the distance won’t be that great and Orlando might easily leapfrog Indiana.

    7. Cleveland Cavaliers

    2023-24 record: 48-34

    Postseason finish: Lost to Celtics in Eastern Conference semifinals

    Outlook: The Cavs hold the No. 7 spot here not because we’re expecting a dramatic drop from them, but simply because teams 2-7 and particularly 4-7 are so close and someone has to take the last spot.

    The Cavs mostly bring back the same squad that finished fourth in the East last year. They just have a new coach in Kenny Atkinson and presumably they’ll play a little faster than they did under J.B. Bickerstaff when they were 24th in the NBA in pace, 20th in points per game and seventh in points allowed per game. They still have two big men in the starting lineup in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen and they gave huge extensions to both so that will govern some of their playing style, but they also have one of the most explosive guards in the Eastern Conference in Donovan Mitchell and they gave him a big extension as well. There’s enough talent on this team to challenge Boston and New York as well as everyone else above them on this list.

    8. Miami Heat

    2023-24 Record: 46-36

    Postseason result: Lost to Boston in the first round

    Outlook: The Heat are less than 18 months removed from a surprise run to the NBA Finals and they maintain a number of key pieces from that team so they are still dangerous but they haven’t necessarily kept up with other teams trying to make a push to unseat the Celtics.

    They still have Jimmy Butler, one of the league’s best crunch-time, late season and postseason competitors so there’s always a chance he can put them on his back late in the year. They also signed Bam Adebayo — one of the best all-around defensive centers on Earth — to a three-year max contract extension, so they have someone who can blow up opposing offenses in the league. They’ve also drafted well recently, as Jaime Jaquez Jr. made immediate contributions as a rookie and former IU center Kel’El Ware had an excellent Summer League and preseason, meaning he could be an immediate contributor. They should be a playoff team again, but they’ll probably be back in the play-in round and will have a hard time taking out the No. 1 seed whether that’s Boston or someone else.

    No. 9 Atlanta Hawks

    2023-24 record: 36-46

    Postseason result: Lost to Bulls in play-in round

    Outlook: There’s a dramatic drop-off after the top eight teams, but the Hawks get the nod as the best of the rest. In All-Star point guard Trae Young they have arguably the best player in the East who didn’t participate in a best-of-seven playoff series last year and his ability to create offense gives them a shot against any team.

    They did trade away Young’s running mate, Dejounte Murray, and it’s hard to imagine anyone will be able to replace his 22.5 points and 6.4 assists per game. They Hawks have some talented wings in De’Andre Hunter, Bogdon Bogdanovic and Jalen Johnson and No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher will be able to make an impact but none of them are on Murray’s level. Still, they should have enough firepower to get back in the play-in round.

    No. 10 Chicago Bulls

    2023-24 record: 39-43

    Postseason result: Lost to Heat in play-in game

    Outlook: The Bulls have been mostly resistant to commit to a rebuild, but they took a big step by trading DeMar DeRozan to the Kings in a three-way deal that netted them former Pacer Chris Duarte and two second-round picks. DeRozan has averaged 24.0 points per game or better each of the last three seasons so moving on from him suggests they might be ready to blow the roster up further.

    That being said, the starting five they’ll be able to run out on opening day is enough to get them to the play-in round. Coby White finally won the starting point guard job last year and averaged more than 19 points per game. Josh Giddey has winning experienced with the Thunder at the 2. Zach LaVine spent most of last season injured, but he’s still explosive when available. Patrick Williams brings size and athleticism at the 4 and Nikola Vucevic is a walking double-double at the 5. There’s a chance the Bulls decide to blow the roster up at the deadline if they’re not in the top eight and the bottom could fall out of their season, but if they stick with this group they should have at least one game worth of a postseason.

    No. 11 Toronto Raptors

    2023-24 record: 25-57

    Postseason result: None

    Outlook: The Raptors fully embraced a rebuild and a tank last season, trading away O.G. Anunoby to the Knicks and Pascal Siakam to the Pacers and dropping 21 of their last 24 games. The trades netted some talented young players, however, including R.J. Barrett and Immanuel Quickley to build around Scottie Barnes, who has become the centerpiece. They have some talented perimeter defenders in Bruce Brown and Davion Mitchell and experienced bigs in Kelly Olynyk and Jakob Poetl. There’s still some more rebuilding to be done and it might be best for the Raptors not to push for real success in 2024-25 and instead see what the draft brings, but they could grab the 10 seed by virtual default, especially if the Bulls enter full rebuild mode.

    No. 12 Charlotte Hornets

    2023-24 record: 21-61

    Postseason result: None

    Outlook: The young core the Hornets have in place is the most promising they’ve had in years. Deals last season allowed them to move on from several veterans who were useful but not part of their long-term plans, including Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward. They enter this season with LaMelo Ball, their franchise point guard, healthy. Brandon Miller is quickly growing into a go-to scorer. They snagged talented guard Josh Green in the six-way deal that sent Klay Thompson to Dallas, and he could be a helpful piece. The Hornets will likely start five players 27 and under so they might be a year away from a major leap, but of the teams who missed the postseason entirely they might be set up the best for the long term.

    No. 13 Washington Wizards

    2023-24 record: 15-67

    Postseason result: None

    Outlook: The Wizards have every reason to keep stockpiling lottery picks. They took promising young French players with their last two lottery choices in Bilal Coulibaly in 2023 and Alex Sarr in 2024, but there’s more talent in the 2025 class and Washington could use another standout to build around. They have enough veteran placeholders right now to create a functional team — Malcolm Brogdon, Jordan Poole, Kyle Kuzma and Jonas Valanciunas among them. They are paying Poole and Kuzma particularly handsomely between now and 2027 but they still need a franchise cornerstone.

    No. 14 Detroit Pistons

    2023-24 record: 14-68

    Postseason result: None

    Outlook: The Pistons have won 23 games or fewer in each of the last five years, which has allowed them to stack top-five picks but not to show any meaningful progress toward competitiveness. They addressed that in the offseason by bringing in a new coach in J.B. Bickerstaff and adding veterans Tobias Harris and Tim Hardaway Jr. to try to help their 23-and-under core of Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson, Jalen Duren and Ron Holland Jr. Cunningham is locked up with a long-term contract so they have some time to jell and they might be helped by one more top 10 pick, but they have decisions to make on their other young players soon.

    No. 15 Brooklyn Nets

    2023-24 record: 32-50

    Postseason result: None

    Outlook: The Nets are just 19 months removed from the trades of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving which officially marked their franchise re-set. Their offseason trade of Mikal Bridges, the best player they acquired in the Durant deal, was a sign that they’re entering this season looking to take part in the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes. They have some veterans including Dennis Schroeder, Dorian Finney-Smith, Bojan Bogdonovic and Cameron Johnson who can make it look respectable and Cam Thomas who can produce some scoring explosions. Nic Claxton and Noah Clowney could be a frontcourt of the future. However, they have four first-round picks for 2025, most notably their own, and they could use those to build a new foundation.

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