2021-2022 Eastern Conference Season Preview

[The Athletic]

15. Detroit Pistons 

GM: Detroit Pistons (Irwin)

Projected Record: 5-24

Notable Off-Season Move: Drafting Cade Cunningham and Moses Moody 

Roster: 
PG- Deanthony Melton 
SG- Jordan Poole 
SF- Cade Cunningham 
PF- Drew Eubanks 
C- Tony Bradley 
Util- Mikal Bridges
Util- Kelly Oubre 


Bench 
Malachi Flynn 
Jalen Mcdaniels 
Mifondu Kabengele
Moses Moody 

The Good: It's been clear for the past two years what Irwin's goal has been tank, load up on picks and eventually his time will come.  It's a path that requires a ton of patience (way more than I have) but if executed properly the reward can be huge.  We've already seen the Heat land a couple blue chip prospects and is now in contention.  Pistons is still in the earlier stages but things seem to be going well, and their most recent tank landed them prized possession Cade Cunningham.  Cade has every tool to be an absolute real life and fantasy star.  The only question is does he get to that ceiling quick enough to ever make a run with Kawhi.  This team is at 15th right now largely because their best player Kawhi Leonard will miss good portion of the year.  I also want to mention I love Mikal Bridges and Jordan Poole as prospects and expect big years for both relative to expectations.  

The Bad:  Everyone knows what Irwin is doing.  It's not a good team, but nobody expects it to be.  In fact you can almost make the argument that being this bad is almost a good thing in the long run.  The Kawhi Leonard injury gives the Pistons another shot at the #1 pick, and should he land that the league should be on notice.  

The Future:  Like I said the Pistons have a very good shot at grabbing the #1 pick again.  This means that Pistons could very well pair up Cade with either Emoni or Chet, a healthy Kawhi Leonard and then Jordan Poole, Moses Moody, Mikal Bridges, and Kelly Oubre.  Not bad at all.  We've seen teams with plenty of draft capital not be able to translate it to a winning team, but the Pistons are in a really good spot moving forward.  

[The Athletic]

14. Toronto Raptors 

GM: Toronto Raptors (Perk)

Projected Record: 6-23

Notable Off-Season Move: Trading Nik Vucevic for a package of Cole Anthony, Naz Reid, and the pick that became James Bouknight 

Roster:
PG- Cole Anthony 
SG- Marcus Smart 
SF- Lonnie Walker 
PF- Daniel Theis 
C- Naz Reid 
Util- Kelly Olynnk 
Util- Davis Bertans 


Bench
Jared Butler 
Kenrich Williams 
James Bouknight 
Hamidou Diallo 
Terrence Davis 

The Good: It wasn't long ago Perk had his team in the thick of a championship race.. COVID hit and things just haven't quite been the same.  Nonetheless there are reasons to be optimistic for the future of the Toronto Raptors.  The Raptors own 14 picks in the next 2 years, granted a lot of them are seconds, but that type of captial can't be a bad thing.  I honestly thought getting off Vooch was a sharp move, Demar and Lonzo are in town now and there just isn't anyway that his usage holds up to the level it did in Orlando.  Some didn't like the package but Bouknight is dripping with tools and Cole showed a lot of what you look for in a young player in this league.  I also think Naz can be a low end starter/ or high end role player for a lot of teams in this league and that his game matches up perfectly with the way our scoring is constructed.  Hamidou Diallo had a really solid year in Detroit last year and still has some untapped potential in his bag.  Lastly I have this weird feeling that Lonnie Walker is gonna have a really solid year in San Antonio with Demar Derozan gone. It's far from a playoff team, but there is still plenty of young talent apparent for this Raptors team.    


The Bad: I don't like the Bertans contract at all, I think Perk has a couple guys on his squad who are much better in real life but that just don't have their games translate in here too well.  Smart, Bertans, Theis, Olynk all don't really fit this team's timeline and I will be looking to see how Perk is able to garner return for these guys as the season goes.  Also while I didn't hate the Bouknight fit and it's really hard to make firm judgments this early into a rookies career, I do think there were other players with higher upside in this format than Bouknight.  Bouknight is a score first guard who I'm not sure will be able to produce the peripherals to ever be a tier 1 stud in here.  Regardless this isn't a playoff team and the development of their young core will determine just how far out this team is.  

The Future: Like I mentioned earlier I think a huge part of how quickly the Raptors are able to get back into even semi contention is Perk's ability to garner assets for Bertans, Smart, Theis, and Kelly.  All of those guys are player who can 100% help contenders and don't have ridiculous contracts.  Outside of that the obvious thing to look towards is the development of Cole and Bouknight.  Both are undersized score first guards, so I'd be lying if I said I think this Raptors team will be back any time soon, but there are for sure pathways for Perk to do.  Excited to see what Perk can do in this next chapter of his GM career.  

[The Athletic]

13. Indiana Pacers 

GM: Indiana Pacers (Jon)

Projected Record: 10-19

Notable Off-Season Move: Alperen Sengun! + Trading away Claxton in a deal that brought back Matisse 

Roster:
PG- Tre Mann
SG- Cam Thomas 
SF- Will Barton 
PF- Zion Williamson 
C- Andre Drummond 
Util- Jonathan Isaac 
Util- Jaden McDaniels 


Bench
Dante Exum 
Josh Green
Matisse Thybulle 
Alperen Sengun 
Omer Yurtseven 

The Good: Originally when thinking about Jon's squad I was like oh shit Isaac is coming back, Zion is there like this squad could sneak in, and then I dug deeper and realized that ultimately the East is just too stacked and it's probably gonna be one more rebuild year for Jon.  The talent is absolutely overflowing it's just gonna require some patience.  Let's start with the obvious, Jon owns a no doubt top 5 piece in the league in Zion Williamson.  The Pelicans whole goal this off-season was to create a team better suited around Zion.  I really don't think 40 a game is out of the question.  Next up we have one of my favorite pieces in the league in Jonathan Isaac.  The Magic will be cautious with him and he is now coming off of two straight really tough injuries, but if he puts it all together he is such a special player and could easily average 2 blocks and 2 steals a game in a league that really rewards defensive stats.  Jaden McDaniels was an absolute steal of a pick last year and the Twolves clearly view him as apart of their long term core.  Lastly Alperen Sengun's game was MADE for this league.  I'm not sure how much run he gets like right away but when it all clicks he will be one of the more productive players from this class.  I'm not gonna pretend to have a crystal ball and know what's in store for Cam and Tre but at the very least both are really talented.  The future is very very VERY bright out in Indiana.      


The Bad: Let's start with the monkey in the room... Andre Drummond.  Drummond quickly went from one of the most productive fantasy bigs in the league to now being a clear back up.  And really, regardless of his role he is a complete negative because of his albatross contract.  I will say backing up oft injured Joel Embiid is not a bad spot for him, as when he does fill in he will put up his fair share of 40 pointers.  The roster balance is also completely out of whack.  There isn't a true point guard on the roster, but that really doesn't matter much with this being another rebuild year for Indiana.  I really don't have much bad to say in terms of this franchise, I don't think I would have dealt Claxton but other than that Jon's done a really good job during this rebuild, and another year of grabbing a lotto should do this rebuild even more good.    

The Future: I think out of all the non playoff teams this team has a top 3 future locked in.  Zion, JI, Sengun, Jaden is a really fun core, and then he really just needs one of Tre or Cam to pan out decently.  Add another lotto come this off-season and maybe finding someway to get off the Drummond contract and I wouldn't be shocked if the Pacers are in the thick of it as soon as maybe even next year.  Good shit Jon.  

[The Athletic]

12. Charlotte Hornets 

GM:Kennan

Projected Record: 13-16 

Notable Off-Season Move: Drafting Corey Kispert 

Roster:
PG- TJ McConnell 
SG- Donte Divencenzo 
SF- Brandon Ingram 
PF- John Collins 
C- James Wiseman 
Util- Jordan Clarkson 
Util- Blake Griffin 


Bench
John Wall 
Corey Kispert 
Dwight Howard 
Timothe Luwawu Cabbarrot 
Luka Samanic 

The Good: Let me start by saying this is not your everyday "projected 12th seed" team.  This Hornets team is A LOT better than that, and is honestly probably a playoff team if in the West.  Shit this team could still easily be a playoff team in the East.  We'll get to the bad later, but there is a lot of good.  Kennan is probably the most patient owner we have, and that has manifested itself in a lot of different positive ways.  The first being Brandon Ingram.  There were many times Kennan could have sold off on BI but he held steady and now seems to have a stud on his hands.  TJ McConnell while not sexy is very very productive in this league and I don't see that changing.  John Collins had a huge year and I expect him to be that much better in fantasy next year.  My favorite hold though is James Wiseman.  Wiseman had a tough rookie year, both on the court and health wise but I think he comes back with a pretty good year this year.  The game just starts to slow down after year one a training camp under his belt.  He is playing in a system that should allow him to roll to the rim open frequently and benefit from a lot of good looks.  I really don't think 30 is out of the question.  Blake had a renaissance year, and should most likely be a starter or atleast a high leverage player again this year for the Nets.    


The Bad: The obvious bad here is the John Wall situation.  He will not be suiting up for the Rockets this year, but because his contract is so hefty it's gonna be really hard to find a trade partner.  I know John Wall wants to play but passing up on the money he is going to be given is going to be a really tough ask, so I think there is a decent chance he misses a good chunk of the season, that's obviously a huge factor in me ranking Kennan here.  While Blake had a really nice end of the year in Brooklyn, Millsap and LMA have joined Brooklyn while Nic Claxton has also emerged.  There's a good chance the Nets want Blake as fresh as possible for the playoffs, so I don't think we see Blake is a super high usage role for very much of the regular season.  Other than that I think the only real issue with this team is the end of the bench.  For a team that wants to compete TLC, Samanic, and I think even Kispert will be non factors fantasy wise this year pair that with the John Wall absence and I think you have the makings of a fringe playoff team in what is a loaded conference.  

The Future: There are a lot of really fun pieces here in Charlotte.  Collins, Wiseman, Ingram, even Donte are all guys that hold a ton of value in this league.  Unfortunately I think Kennan finds himself in a little bit of no man's land where he isn't good enough to truly compete at the top, but isn't bad enough to tank for a top pick.  Ultimately it's still a team with a ton of talent and if Wall finds a home and Wiseman takes a size-able leap who really knows?  I just think Kennan is best suited to take a clear stance one way or another.  Regardless it's a very fun team that will be fun to monitor as another year passes in good ol Bball dynasty 26.  

[The Athletic]

11. Brooklyn Nets 

GM: Josh

Projected Record: 13-16

Notable Off-Season Move: Moving every asset he had in store to get Jonathan Kuminga 

Roster:
PG- Luka Doncic 
SG- Derrick White 
SF- Jonathan Kuminga 
PF- Kevin Durant 
C- Kevon Looney 
Util- Caris Levert 
Util- TJ Warren

Bench
Dwight Powell 
Alen Smailigic 
Romeo Langford 
Anfernee Simmons 

The Good:
The Nets have the best duo in the league for my money in Luka Doncic and Kevin Durant.  KD came back 100% himself if not better and that is great news for this Net team.  I also think Dwhite is in for a really solid year as Derozan leaving should open up a lot of usage for him to step into, he's always been very talented but if he can stay healthy there is more opportunity this year than there ever has been.  While I think the price itself was ridiculous I think Kuminga at where he got him in the draft is an absolute steal.  Kuminga would probably be a top 3 guy in most draft classes.  I've also heard a lot of really good things out of camp with Simmons and it sounds like Billups trusts him in a high usage off the bench role.  


The Bad: 
I gotta be real there is a whole lot of bad here.  I mean for starters we're talking about a team with Kevin Durant and Luka Doncic as the 11th best team in the conference, and sure part of it is that the conference is loaded but Josh quite simply hasn't been a good GM.  But let's start with the stuff out of his control.  Caris Levert and TJ Warren will be out for the foreseeable future and that's a HUGE blow for a team that is already rail thin depth wise.  Now you would think Josh would be looking for ways to address that depth.. But he has made one trade this off-season.  What was the trade you ask? Oh, it was trading his whole cupboard of picks and a paid Harrison Barnes to move up 2 spots.  He is currently rostering Alen Smailigic who may not see an NBA floor again, and on top of that has a roster spot open with 6 million in cap space.  If there were a GM on the hot seat it's Josh.  Look we get it things happen, real life is important but there just doesn't seem to be a plan or any sense of direction with the Nets. It's a bummer given the ceiling that having both Luka and KD on the same team provide.  These two will keep Josh afloat early, but the depth is just so rail thin after them I really struggle to see Josh making the playoffs in this loaded conference.  He'd need KD and Luka to play every game this year, which i think is a big ask.    

The Future:
All of Josh's pick are gone so the time is now.  Despite everything i've said Josh still has a shot he just needs to take action.  There are players worth rostering at the ends of benches for the min that I think he could sign, and maybe he looks into dealing White or even one of his big 2 for multiple assets back.  Regardless as silly as it may sound this franchise is in a really pivotal year and action needs to be taken before things get ugly.  Luka and KD can only mask so much.  

[The Athletic]

10. Philadelphia 76ers 

GM: Philadelphia 76ers GM (Kyle)

Projected Record: 16-13

Notable Off-Season Move: Sending Ant, Bagley, and a first for Trae Young 

Roster:
PG- Trae Young 
SG- Seth Curry 
SF- Reggie Bullock 
PF- Domantas Sabonis 
C- Enes Kanter 
Util- Josh Giddey 
Util- Maxi Kleber 

Bench
Leandro Bolmero 
Markieff Morris 
Willy Hernangomez 
Luke Kennard 
Austin Rivers 

The Good:
Fuck man.  This is where things start to get really hairy.  I thought for sure coming into this Peltz's squad would be a playoff team, and on paper it absolutely is... He just happens to be apart of possibly the toughest conference we've had in league history.  Regardless let's start with the good.  This team is lead by a filthy duo of Trae Young and Domantas Sabonis.  Both should flirt with 40 a game with Sabonis possibly pushing 45.  That right there gives this team a fighting shot every single week.  Reggie Bullock and Seth Curry were nice pick ups who both carry high floors with their 30 min a night roles.  At the end of the day you don't need a ton of depth to win every week if you've got two studs you can rely on night in and night out.  Giddey and Bolmero are the swing pieces.  I like Giddey a lot and I think his game is made for our league and he'll be given every opportunity to play in OKC this year.  The water is a little murkier with Bolmero but hey the talent is definitely there.    


The Bad:
Here are my concerns.. The depth.  This team is rostering Austin Rivers, Markieff, Luke Kennard.  Even guys like Kanter and Hernangomez aren't sure fire guys every week.  Yes both can produce when they are on the court but Kanter is stuck in a front court that still has Horford, Timelord, and Moses Brown.  Hernangomez is firmly stuck behind JV and the Pelicans have preached the importance of spacing around Zion.  Look I hope for Peltz sake Sabonis and Trae stay healthy all year but in an 82 game season it's highly probable that one of them go down for at-least a somewhat extended stretch.  Do they have enough meat on the bone to survive an extended stretch? I'm honestly not sure.  Peltz is headed in the right direction don't get me wrong, but I still think he needs to find ways to acquire high quality depth to surround his two super stars.      

The Future:
The trade for Trae in my eyes signaled that Peltz is all in on at-least a playoff run.  Can he get there?  Absolutely.  A lot of it comes down to the health of his superstars and at what point in the season he plays some of the deeper teams in the East.  I personally love the mindset, because I think in fantasy basketball a title is truly up for grabs to 5-7 teams if the cards are played right.  I think as the season wears on Kyle should look to find ways to acquire more reliable depth and if he is able to do that the playoffs are well within reach. However, at this point I think there are teams with a. way more depth that make up for the lack of starpower (Heat, Wizards, Bulls) b. teams with straight up more star power (Cavs, Hawks) or c. both (Bucks, Magic, Knicks).  Regardless I view this off-season as a step in the right direction for Peltz as he looks to snag his first playoff appearance in his young GM career.  Rooting for the kid.   

[The Athletic]

9. Washington Wizards 

GM: Washington Wizards (octstuff)

Projected Record: 17-12

Notable Off-Season Move: Trading a first for Tim Hardaway Jr. 

Roster:
PG- Reggie Jackson 
SG- Terry Rozier 
SF- RJ Barrett 
PF- Al Horford 
C- Jonas Valanciunas 
Util- Norm Powell 
Util- Tim Hardaway Jr. 

Bench
Jae Crowder 
Eric Bledsoe 
Tristan Thompson 
Pat Connaughton
Daniel Gafford 

The Good:
Really teams 12-6 in the East could be interchanged and have a shot at the playoffs.  I have the Wiz lined up at 9 just outside of the big dance.  Don't get me wrong though I really think this is a slept on team.  Octstuff came in 29th in the "dynasty power rankings" and 18 in Chuck's post FA power rankings and I think i'm a good bit higher on this team than both of them.  There isn't anything flashy but this is just about as deep a team as their is in the league.  There's not a single question mark in terms of production.  Let's start with the guys I like the most.  Reggie Jackson was an absolute steal from Raptors last year.  He resurrected himself last year and now finds himself in a pretty solid high usage role in LA on sub 2 million dollar deal.  Oct also owns Bledsoe so there is some insurance there if Reggie ever does go down.  Terry completely revamped his game last year and while there are still a ton of mouths to feed in Charlotte there will be plenty of big nights from him.  The JV move to New Orleans is really interesting, but honestly JV just needs to see 25 minutes a night to absolutely feast, Zion or not.  Thomas Bryant won't be back till at-least December giving Gafford more opportunity to expand on how he finished last year.  Norm Powell and THJ both have safe 30 minute a night roles.  And why do I have a weird feeling Tristan is going to have a solid fantasy year in Sac?  He's a Richaun Holmes injury away from being run 38 minutes a night from Walton.  (Sorry Chuck)  . But like I said, I think this team has a case at being the deepest in the league every single player has a no doubt role on their team IRL.  He'll obviously needs some firepower at the top, but I think JV, Terry, RJ, and even Reggie and Al can have random ceiling nights.        


The Bad:
Like I mentioned earlier really the only issue I have with this team is the lack of star power at the top.  And yes, this team is really deep but go ahead and look around the rest of the East.  Knicks- FVV,PG, Clint.  Cavs- LBJ, Jok, Midds.  Bucks- Giannis, Lamelo, Dejountae.  Heat- Ja, Ayton. Philly Trae, and Sabo. BKN- Luka, KD.  Wizards will be a perfect example of just how much depth matters in this league.  

The Future:
Octy has a similar approach that Chuck and Dave have taken in past years.  Focus on this year and everything else will take care of itself.   I like the thought to an extent, but I do think as this league gets sharper and sharper that can catch up to you.  Regardless this is not the year and Octy's squad should be fully in the thick of the playoff race.  It feels a little dirty having a EC finalist from the year before and proven GM at 9, but that's the state of the East right now.  Go prove it to me again Octy.  

[The Athletic]

8. Chicago Bulls 

GM: Chicago Bulls (Charlie)

Projected Record: 18-11

Notable Off-Season Move: Moving Nance and Sexton away in a 3 way that netted him Zinger and Kira Lewis 

Roster:
PG- Kira Lewis 
SG- Jrue Holiday 
SF- Bojan Bogdanovic 
PF- Kristaps Porzingis 
C- Richaun Holmes 
Util- Nerlens Noel
Util- Montrezl Harrell 

Bench
Jaden Springer 
Nic Batum 
Wayne Ellington
Hassan Whiteside 
Cam Payne 

The Good:
Look I saw a lot of talk about Chuck not making the playoffs this year and I'm just gonna put an end to that right now.  Chuck has NEVER missed the playoffs in any of the 8 years he has been here.  It's like cmon we know how this will go.  And like shit I don't even think the roster is all that bad!  Let's start with the goods.  I love a good ol revenge/comeback narrative and that is Zinger to a T.  We saw it with Paul George last year, when you become the scapegoat of a franchise and get bashed all over twitter that player usually comes back with a whole new level of fire.  And like we've seen it from Zinger, he is fully capable of being close to 40 fantasy points a night.  I like the Jkidd pairing I think he can be dangerous this year.  Jrue is as steady as they get, Richaun Holmes is one of the most slept on centers especially in a league like this.  Nerlens Noel got paid in the off-season and Mitch still isn't right so I expect Noel to be pretty solid for Chuck all year long.  The swing piece is Kira.  Between Kira, NAW, Sato and Graham there will be some competition for minutes.  I like Kira a lot long term but i'm not sure if this is the year.  Cam Payne is insanely productive in his minutes and there's reason to believe Chris Paul could sit more this year off a back of a long title run season.  Bojan and Batum were sneaky pick ups too.  Solid squad in Chi Town.    

The Bad:
Didn't love the Ellington signing, look maybe theres a chance he starts at the two, but he'd have to rail every 3 to be worth rostering IMO.  I think more likely he isn't even in the rotation later on the year but we'll see.  It's a decently deep team, but I think the real question is will Zinger and Jrue do enough at the top to keep this team really in the hunt and I don't know if they are.  On top of that we never even know if Zinger can stay healthy.  

The Future:
Props to chuck as he's realized he's had to somewhat pivot in a new age league.  This was the first year I think we're really seeing this slight tweak in approach.  And while he is focused a little more on the future it's not dramatic enough for me to predict him missing the playoffs.  At the end of the day Chuck is a competitor and I don't think he would know what to do with himself if his squad ended up missing the big dance.  I will say it's a really tough conference and I don't think he has as much leeway as he's had in the past, but if I got to put my money down, Chuck wills a way to get in.  Excited to see what's up with the new era of the Bulls and if Jrue makes it to the end of the year wearing a Bulls' uniform. My guess? No. 

[The Athletic]

7. Atlanta Hawks 

GM: Atlanta Hawks (Trey)

Projected Record: 18-11

Notable Off-Season Move: Trading Royce Oneale and Robert Covington in a package for veteran Chris Paul 

Roster:
PG- Damian Lillard 
SG- James Harden
SF- David Nwaba 
PF- Carmelo Anthony 
C- Javale McGee
Util- Chris Paul
Util- Ricky Rubio 

Bench
Damian Lee 
Corey Joseph 
Trevor Ariza 
Marc Gasol
Lou Williams 

The Good:
First things first I wanna give Trey his due props.  He has come such a long way since his early 25 days.  Fast forward to reality and he has 3 division titles as the GM of the Hawks and is coming off a year where he finished as a 3 seed in a very competitive east.  It all starts at the top with Harden and Lillard and both are primed for HUGE years.  Harden is fully healthy and ready to be the head of the snake of the best offense in the league.  Jok and Luka are probably the only two that can somewhat replicate what he does in terms of volume counting stats.  Dame, after a tumultuous off-season seems to be settled down and ready to run it back in Portland.  As long as he stays healthy he is going to put up gaudy numbers.  The big piece we need to discuss is CP3.  I'll talk more about the downside later, but it's not debatable that if CP3 stays healthy he'll be a big producer.  If all 3 of Harden, CP3, and Lillard are cooking this team can beat any team in the league on any given week.  Ultimately what more could you ask for?  I liken this team to a vet team in real life that you know is more dangerous once they get in to the playoffs.  The big 3 might miss games here and there in the regular season but if all 3 are ready to rock come playoff time I wouldn't wanna play the Hawks.      

The Bad:
Okay so it's clear the issue with the Hawks is the depth.  Marc Gasol probably won't play this year, Lou Williams is in a really crowded backcourt, and  Ariza is already hurt.  I get it that Harden, Dame, and CP3 will be enough most weeks but if Trey truly wants to push into that upper echelon he has to find a way to acquire depth before the playoffs.  I think there is a case that could be made for Covington and Royce maybe helping more this year, but if CP3 stays healthy i'll take the upside of CP.  The last thing i'd nitpick here is there isn't a lot of positional balance here.  There may be some nights where he misses out on my points because he has too many guards.   


The Future:
Trey has gone with the star heavy middling depth mold the past 3 years and has seen success.  Harden and Dame are locked up so I don't see this changing anytime soon.  If Trey finds the depth required big things are coming, but if he can't you gotta wonder if Trey considers blowing it up and Harden and Dame alone could land him some ridiculous rebuild pieces. 

[The Athletic]

6. Miami Heat 

GM: Heat GM (Bryan)

Projected Record: 18-11

Notable Off-Season Move: Honestly I think drafting Duarte will be huge for this team 

Roster:
PG- Ja Morant 
SG- Tyler Herro
SF- Deandre Hunter 
PF- Laurri Markkanen
C- Deandre Ayton
Util- Evan Fournier
Util- Chris Duarte 

Bench
Kendrick Nunn
Dennis Schroeder 
Obi Toppin
Khem Birch 
Duncan Robinson 

The Good:
There is a TON to love in the Miami Heat this year.  I'm expecting pretty huge years for the young building blocks of this team in Deandre Ayton and Ja Morant.  Ja got hurt for a large important stretch of last year and never fully regained his fantasy rhythm in the regular season.  He's shown who he is and off the backs of his second league off-season im expecting consistent fantasy nights from the jump this year.  It took DA a little bit of time to get going last year, but he came on strong the second half of the year and the playoffs.  Same kinda thing with Ja, these young studs eventually have their, "Okay like i'm here for real" year and I think Sanjul is about to get two of them at one time.  Sanjul gets shit for the Fox trade, but I think that trade is going to look a lot different after this year. Tyler Herro had one of the quickest turnarounds you could have after the bubble as a 20 year old.  I think he's healthier and fresher this year and puts up a huge third year.  I'm not sure if it's off the bench or as a starter but Herro will be a factor this year.  Then we've got Deandre Hunter.  People don't remember but Hunter had a reallyyyyy good stretch at the start of last year.  If his knee is right he's going to be extremely effective this year. Sanjul's also surrounded these guys with a really solid depth.  Fournier will have a high usage role in new York, Schroeder and Nunn will get back up guard run on their respective teams.  Duarte will play from the start.  Boucher will be out for awhile at the start leaving a window that I just don't think Birch will relinquish.  There isn't a weak link on this roster.    

The Bad:
The one "weak spot" you can point to in a team like this is lack a third true superstar at the top.  Celtics have KAT, Bam, and SGA.  Cavs have Middleton, Jok, Bron.  Magic have Butler, Tatum, Wood, and Knicks have PG, FVV, and Capela.  The Heat are as good as you can be without three + studs but there is some concern there when you face the upper echelon teams.  There is a tad bit of injury concern with Ja, but other than that there really is very little fault from a team building perspective.     

The Future:
Beautifully built team.  Will be very competitive this year but also has room to improve long term because of the age of most this team.  They may not be the favorite this year, but if you told me they made a push into the top 3 in the East I wouldn't be surprised at all.  When you have this many teams with quality talent a lot of it comes down to injuries.  I'm interested to see if Sanjul chooses an all in approach to some degree if his team is closer than he thinks, but either way this franchise is going to be in the thick of things for the foreseeable future.  

[The Athletic]

5. Boston Celtics 

GM: Boston Celtics (Brandon)

Projected Record: 19-10

Notable Off-Season Move: Getting LMA on the low was such a good move

Roster:
PG- Ben Simmons
SG- Shai Gilgeous Alexander 
SF- Naji Marshall
PF- Precious Achiuwa 
C- Karl Anthony Towns 
Util- Bam Adebayo
Util- Patrick Beverley 

Bench
Elfrid Payton 
Isaiah Hartenstein
Ish Smith 
Raul Neto 
Lamarcus Aldridge 

The Good:
Same build as a last year with different vets sprinkled in and a little bit of Precious.  Look if all of Bman's big 4 is playing in the same week they are the best team in the league.  Karl Anthony Towns just seems to finally be ready to go and i'm expecting 45 a night minimum.  SGA was unreal good when he was healthy last year and I expect him to get right back to it this year.  Bam Adebayo is really really good and I wouldn't be surprised if another jump from him puts him over the 40 point plateau.  The key is obviously Ben Simmons.  We'll get to it more in the bad but if Ben Simmons gets traded to a team that presumedly hands him the keys.  He could be the ultimate playoff Xfactor.  Overall i don't hate the depth that Bman has built.  LMA was an absolute steal.  I think all of his dudes have a chance at a decent enough role to remain fantasy relevant as bench guys.  A sneaky thing that I think will have a big factor is Precious.  He is going to play good minutes, especially early with Boucher out.  There's a pretty damn good chance he runs away with the starting center role in Toronto.  If he does, that will make this already super scary team that much better.  Ultimately though it all comes down to the studs, I think 3 of them are primed for huge years and Ben's situation will decide the ceiling of this group.   

The Bad:
The monkey in the room is Ben.  I think the most likely scenario is he eventually gets traded mid-season to a team that really wants him.  That will cost Bman early in the season and seeding but if Ben comes back for the playoffs that's all bman will car about.  The only other concern here is the depth. I honestly like the scrappy group bman has put together but it's not gonna be enough depth if another star goes down for an extended period of time.  

The Future:
Bman's future is easily one of the more interesting storylines for me to follow here.  This is likely the last year of the big 4 and everyone is OTB besides KAT.  My guess is Bam gets moved eventually but I'm not sure if it's this year or next.  If Ben suits up somewhere this team rockets up as a potential finals winner, but without him they're sitting on the edge.  Regardless the Celtics should be in the thick of things for the foreseeable future as they hold the greatest collection of star power in the league.    

[The Athletic]

4. Cleveland Cavaliers 

GM: Cleveland Cavaliers (Jon)

Projected Record: 20-9

Notable Off-Season Move: Cleveland laid low and grabbed some vets on the FA market

Roster:
PG- Aaron Holiday
SG- Khris Middleton
SF- Lebron James
PF- Rudy Gay
C- Nikola Jokic 
Util- Jalen Brunson
Util- Kent Bazemore

Bench
Mo Harkless
Gorgui Dieng 
Josh Okogie 
Isaiah Roby 
Andre Igoudola 

The Good:
It's very clear that this team runs on its big three of Lebron, Jokic, and Middleton.  But I wanted to use some of this time to highlight just how good Nikola Jokic is.  He averaged 50 last year.  40 is considered elite! Nikola Jokic gives this team a shot every single week and he is a tick above even superstars in this league.  Lebron s almost a lock for 40 and Middleton will be a consistent 33-35 ish and boom even more on the weeks Giannis is out.  If all three guys are playing this team is incredibly tough to beat.  I also liked the bang for buck value on every FA they signed this year.  Rudy Gay will have a role in Utah,  Mo Harkless has a role secured in Sac, and Bazemore should be able to fit in a role in LA as well.  Okogie and Igoudola don't have great fantasy games but Okogie should start, and Igoudola will get plenty of vet minutes that I think you can do worst with end of bench pieces.  Aaron Holiday is in a new situation as well so know he could have an uptick from the lack of playing time he has faced in Indiana for the past couple season.  Regardless this team starts and stops with its big three and if they are all healthy this is a force to be reckoned with.  

The Bad:
Depth is clearly the issue here, but the team is so far built in on its identity that really the only way you can go about this is hoping that an FA signing mid season booms.  Last year the Cavs were running shit with Jok at the helm and then the Lebron injury came and really killed off any chances.  People don't remember but the Cavs almost upset the eventual champs in Milwaukee and might have if they held onto Thad and Kelly.  If these three stay healthy this team will roll, but if one of the 3 goes down for a large stretch the depth won't be enough in the playoffs.    

The Future:
Another team I am watching really closely as all signs point to this being the last go around before Jon blows it up.  Jok and Bron sweepstakes are about to be crazy next year.  Regardless I know this year will be all about wins and I expect Jon to make a move like he has in the past if he feels it gives him a better shot this year.  Jok alone makes this team a weekly nightmare but if LeBron and Kris are clicking next to him this team has a good a shot as any to make a serious run.    

[The Athletic]

3. New York Knicks 

GM: New York Knicks (jsood)

Projected Record: 23-6

Notable Off-Season Move: Soody made more moves than Kevin Cash in an elimination game   s/o baseball lovers, but I'm gonna go with trading a package of Tate, Conley, and picks for Clint

Roster:
PG- Fred Van Vleet 
SG- Paul George 
SF- Joe Ingles 
PF- Dorian Finney-Smith 
C- Clint Capela 
Util- Danilo Gallinari 
Util- Derrick Favors 

Bench
Facundo Campazzo
George Hill
Sterling Brown
Tomas Satoransky 
Jok Landale 

The Good:
Good ol Soodey navigated his first off-season about as well as you could expect.  Filling out the roster with cost effective free agent additions as a title contender can be a tough task but Sood did well.  I mean shit he knabbed two former Warriors so that's already a good start.  But seriously, I love Dorian Finney Smith.  He may not go for crazy numbers but almost every single night he will play large minutes and produce more than enough as a depth piece.  Joe Ingles was so sneaky good last year, and anytime Conley or Mitchell go out he is a legit 30 point threat every single night.  Chances are one of Conley or Spida will get hurt eventually and Sood will reap the benefits.  I also think Sato stands to play a decent amount of minutes as a glue guy in New Orleans.  Let's talk about the studs now as that's where Sood really is going to make his money.  I loved the move of getting off of Beal and I think FVV damn near is an upgrade.  FVV flirted with 35 a night and should get all the usage he could ever dream of with Lowry gone and Siakam being injured at the start of the year.  It wouldn't shock me if FVV is close to 40 a night here altho the efficiency is still something I worry about.  Paul Mfing George is one of my favorite players in this league and I couldn't stand all the shit that was talked about him last year deserved or not.  He obviously shut everyone up last year but boy is he going to have a monster year if he can stay healthy.  He was around 35 last year but again I think high 30's is very well within range this year.  Lastly we got Clint who does all the dirty work out in Atlanta and is built beautifully for this league.  Nothing really changes and if anything there is more stability and continuity in Atlanta than there ever has been.  Clint should continue to feast.  I love this team, 3 studs with solid depth surrounding it should be another really good year in New York as Sood looks to avenge his first round exit of last year. 
    
The Bad:
Again it's kinda pointless having a bad section for these top end teams, but i'll nitpick here.  FVV, PG, Clint all have some sort of injury history.  It's a great big 3 but i also think it comes with more injury risk than a lot of other big threes.  I'm not sure if George Hill is rosterable honestly, and I could look stupid but I just am pretty doubtful Landale lives up to the price of his contract.  You could also make an argument that Sood needs to add one more quality depth piece to really put him over the top, but again just nitpicking here. 

The Future:
One of the brighter young GMs in the league, Sood has done a masterful job turning around this franchise.  Obviously he'll be in the mix this year, but his big three's health and Sood's ability to add depth as the season progresses will determine his fate.  We know Sood is one of the more active owners here, so if there's someone out there Sood will make a run at him.  Last year ended in heart breaking fashion and fully expect Sood to make a deep run this year.  I just can't see this Knicks team being bad anytime soon as Sood is as diligent as it gets.  Good time to be a Knicks fan- this franchise is here to stay.  

[The Athletic]

2. Orlando Magic 

GM: Orlando Magic GM (Sarge)

Projected Record: 24-5

Notable Off-Season Move: Trading Demar Derozan and two future firsts for Kevin Porter Jr 

Roster:
PG- Derrick Rose 
SG- Kevin Porter Jr. 
SF- Jimmy Butler 
PF- Jayson Tatum
C- Christian Wood 
Util- Gordon Hayward 
Util- Kentavious Caldwell Pope 

Bench
Frukan Korkmaz 
Doug McDermott 
Paul Millsap
Trey Lyles 
Torrey Craig 

IR- Markelle Fultz 

The Good:
Okay this team is just straight NASTY.  Sarge has built on the foundation from Perry and has one of the rare builds in here that has studs, depth, while also being young and geared for the future.  We all know the KPJ jokes and memes at this point but I do think there is some truth that this team's ultimate ceiling will be decided by just how good KPJ is this year.  There is definitely some efficiency concerns there but at the end of the day he is going to have the ball in his hands a ton and the counting stats volume will be very large.  30+ is nowhere near out of the question.  Cwood is one of the best contracts in the league and the question with him at this point is just staying healthy.  If he can stay healthy I wouldn't be surprised if he challenges Jimmy or Tatum for the scoring title on this team.  Speaking of health, Hayward's this year will be another huge determining factor is Sarge's title run and I also wonder just where his usage is on a pretty offensively loaded Charlotte team.  Tatum and Butler are the obvious studs here and I wouldn't be surprised to see both flirting with 40 a night here.  Outside of the studs Sarge did a really good job of gathering depth.  Furkan, Lyles, KCP, Millsap, and even Lyles should all have big enough roles to provide fantasy value in here on a nightly basis.  Rose is as solid of a back up guard as it gets and he still has sneaky Markelle as a secret weapon whenever he is ready to suit up.  Sarge has a built a team with a ton of workhorses at the front with decent depth around them and as a result this Magic team has as high a ceiling as any in this league. 
  
The Bad:
Honestly don't have much to say here.  If you have to point to anything its potential injuries maybe?  But really everyone deals with that at some point in the year.  This is as balanced a team as we've seen in this league.  

The Future:
Look if you didn't know already Sarge is going to be a problem for the foreseeable future.  KPJ, Tatum, Wood are all really young with really high ceilings.  I know this is Sarge's first year and he'll have a learning curve with some aspects, but he's already a seasoned vet in a lot of the areas you need to be to be an elite GM.  I will be interested to see how he handles the Wood contract situation in a couple years, but again we don't have to worry about that for quite some time.  Expect the Magic to make a deep run this year, and be in the thick of every title race for awhile.    

[The Athletic]

1. Milwaukee Bucks 

GM: Milwaukee Bucks (Jacob)

Projected Record: 25-4

Notable Off-Season Move: Trading Capela in a deal for Mike Conley, Jasean Tate, the pick that eventually became Trey Murphy, and Ty Jerome 

Roster:
PG- Dejountae Murray 
SG- Lamelo Ball 
SF- Miles Bridges
PF- Giannis Antetekoumnpo 
C- Brook Lopez 
Util- Jasean Tate 
Util- Mike Conley 

Bench
Ty Jerome 
Devin Vassell 
Otto Porter Jr. 
Trey Murphy 
Brandon Clarke 


The Good:
Jacob is the king of the sexy roster but still can compete, and he achieved the ultimate goal last year.  Have to give the man ultimate respect.  This is close to the same roster that won a title last year with a few tweaks.  It is full on Lamelo season.  He started the year off the bench and dealt with a gnarly wrist injury but showed once he fully blossoms he will be an absolute fantasy monster.  He should be good for 30+ minutes a night, just impressive shit that a defending champion can add another potential high 30's home grown guy.  Another sneaky part of why I like the Bucks a lot this year is Dejountae having full reigns of an offense without Demar Derozan.  That can only help in overall output.  Giannis is Giannis and will be in the running for highest point per game average in here.   I also am in love with Vassell and can't hide it anymore.  I think no Demar is huge for him and that Bucks adds another homegrown talent to the mix.  This team is also just really deep.  Tate, Conley, Murphy, Bridges, Otto, and Brook all have sizeable roles on their team.  This team is as sexy as it is productive and that my friends is not easy to do.  

The Bad:
Only thing to give Jacob shit on is Clarke and that's why you hear it 24/7 lmao.  This year is another shot for Clarke to get minutes, and at the end of the day if Clarke gets minutes he will produce.  We'll see if Ty is rosterable this year with what should be a slightly more competitive Thunder team, but again we're talking really minor shit.  


The Future:
Jacob played his cards perfectly last year and now has a chance to become the first repeat champion in basketball dynasty history.  He has the team to do it, but I doubt Jacob really offers up too much of his young talent for a slight present upgrade.  Led by Giannis, Lamelo, and Dejountae this team is going to be really good for a long time.