Now that I’ve offered my early-bird look at the Atlantic, Central and Southeast Divisions, it’s time to jump off the fence. Of the fifteen teams in the Eastern Conference, which eight are playoff-bound? I’m not going to worry at this early stage about the latest tie-break rules and such.
There are a number of teams which I believe have no chance at post-season play. The New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, and Philadelphia 76ers won’t win 100 games among them. Even the chronic weakness of the Eastern teams (last season the OKC Thunder won 45 games and watched the post-season on TV, while the Nets slipped in with 38 victories) won’t be enough for those squads.