PLAYOFF-BOUND
Dan Woike looks at how the Eastern Conference teams stack up (with predicted order of finish):
1. MILWAUKEE 2018-19: 60-22 (1st; eliminated 4-2 in East finals by Toronto) HELLO: Wesley Matthews (FA), Robin Lopez (FA). GOODBYE: Malcolm Brogdon (trade), Nikola Mirotic (overseas).
■ Milwaukee lost a 50-40-90 shooter in Brogdon, a valuable stretch big in Mirotic and didn’t do anything too high profile this summer. So why are the Bucks going to win the East? Because Giannis Antetokounmpo, the NBA’s reigning most valuable player, hasn’t reached his full potential, and if he takes another step toward it this season, that’ll more than make up for any losses of personnel.
2. PHILADELPHIA 2018-19: 51-31 (3rd; eliminated 4-3 in semifinals by Toronto) HELLO: Al Horford (FA), Josh Richardson (trade). GOODBYE: Jimmy Butler (trade), JJ Redick (FA).
■ Philadelphia made the most out of losing Butler by dealing him for Richardson, and Horford is the kind of player who can make all the difference in a playoff series. No team has more size and there’s lots of talent, but people still have big questions. The biggest? Is there enough shooting here? Tobias Harris needs to improve on the 32.6% he shot after being dealt to the 76ers last season.
3. BOSTON 2018-19: 49-33 (4th; eliminated 4-1 in semifinals by Milwaukee) HELLO: Kemba Walker (trade), Enes Kanter (FA). GOODBYE: Kyrie Irving (FA), Terry Rozier (trade).
■ The Celtics’ 2019-20 season will, in a lot of ways, give us insight into exactly what went wrong with last season’s underachieving squad. Was it all Irving’s fault as some out of Boston would have you believe? We’ll see how Walker fills that void. Maybe it was young star Jayson Tatum’s attitude that derailed the team’s push for the NBA Finals? We’ll likely find out soon enough.
4. BROOKLYN 2019-19: 42-40 (6th; eliminated 4-1 in 1st round by Philadelphia) HELLO: Kyrie Irving (FA), Kevin Durant (trade), DeAndre Jordan (FA). GOODBYE: D’Angelo Russell (trade), DeMarre Carroll (FA).
■ The Brooklyn Nets were the biggest winners in the East in free agency, signing two of the top players available — and outgunning the New York Knicks to get them. But Durant is still coming off an Achilles tendon injury that will keep him out all season, and the Nets won’t be able to sneak up on anyone this year. They’ve got a lot of depth and will be a handful even without Durant.
5. INDIANA 2018-19: 48-34 (5th; eliminated 4-0 in 1st round by Boston) HELLO: Malcolm Brogdon (trade), T.J. Warren (trade), Jeremy Lamb (FA). GOODBYE: Thaddeus Young (FA), Darren Collison (retirement).
■ The Pacers are kind of like Portland East, a team that’s regularly underestimated and always performs in the regular season and proves doubters wrong. The big difference? The Pacers don’t have the same star power that propelled Portland to the Western Conference finals. The closest thing they have is All-Star Victor Oladipo, who likely will be out for at least a month as he recovers from a devastating leg injury that he sustained last season.
6. ORLANDO 2018-19: 42-40 (7th; eliminated 4-1 in first round by Toronto) HELLO: Al Farouq-Aminu (FA). NO GOODBYES.
■ Meet the new Orlando Magic, same as the old Orlando Magic. Last season, they made a second-half push to force their way into the postseason, taking a road game from the eventual champions before being ousted. Here’s what we know about them — they’ve got a lot of size and defensive versatility. And if Markelle Fultz, the former No. 1 pick they dealt for last season, contributes meaningfully, sixth might be too low.
7. TORONTO 2018-19: 58-24 (2nd; NBA champions) HELLO: Stanley Johnson (FA), Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (FA). GOODBYE: Kawhi Leonard (FA).
■ No team has a weirder offseason balance sheet than the Raptors. Going out? Maybe the best player ever to wear a Raptors uniform in Leonard, the reigning NBA Finals most valuable player. Coming in? There are a couple of young wings who have never found their niche in the NBA. Kyle Lowry’s extension would suggest a full-on rebuild isn’t imminent, as the Raptors want to see whether Pascal Siakam can be an All-Star-caliber player.
8. MIAMI 2018-19: 39-43 (10th) HELLO: Jimmy Butler (trade), Tyler Herro (draft). GOODBYE: Hassan Whiteside (trade), Josh Richardson (trade), Dwyane Wade (retirement).
■ The Heat looked stuck in salary cap hell, destined for more of the same until Butler forced his way to Miami via a sign-and-trade deal. Now, they have a clear star to play with some interesting young players (Justice Winslow, Bam Adebayo) and a healthy, free-agent-to-be Goran Dragic. The Heat could have another trade up their sleeves (maybe for Chris Paul) and could be a contender if they pull it off.