Indiana was three quarters and a torn ACL away from the eastern conference’s second straight championship. Several teams, including the Pacers, lost star franchise players to season ending injuries. With numerous stars out for the whole regular season, this means only a few teams will be solidified playoff favorites. There will be a lot more competition from teams that missed out last year. New York could be the top team in the conference. Orlando and Cleveland desperately want a championship appearance. Boston, Milwaukee and Philadelphia view anything less than a conference finals appearance a failure. It will be a fun and competitive regular season.
Time to break down which eight teams in the east have the best chance of making the playoffs.
New York Knicks
Boston without Jayson Tatum and Indiana without Tyrese Haliburton means New York is the east’s most complete, veteran team to start the 2025-26 regular season. Unless injuries are a factor, the Knicks are the top choice to make the playoffs.
Orlando Magic
This is the season Orlando breaks out. Every veteran team outside New York has at least one star player out for almost the whole regular season. The young, poised Magic have a great starting five and bench depth returning from previous injuries. We will also have a full year of starting forward Paolo Banchero playing with last season’s acquisition Desmond Bane.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Point guard Darius Garland and Max Strus are out at least a few months due to serious injuries. Cleveland should have a good regular season, but don’t expect them to dominate the standings like they did 2024-25.
Milwaukee Bucks
The signings of point guard Cole Anthony, forward Taurean Prince and center Myles Turner should make Milwaukee a better, more complete team this season. While the three names above are favorites to show progress in the regular season, keep the Bucks in mind for a deep playoff run. Forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is still in his prime.
Detroit Pistons
Despite a first round exit against New York in round one, Detroit finally won two playoff games and pushed the Knicks to their limits. The Pistons have a young, talented roster that should continue growing and return to the playoffs this year.
Indiana Pacers
Both point guards Tyrese Haliburton and T.J. McConnell being out the whole regular season is a blow to Indiana’s chances at clinching a top four seed. Fortunately there is still enough depth and coach Rick Carlisle has dealt with short-handed rosters before. The Pacers must play better defense and maintain their high-octane offense. That will be a hard balance to work through.
Boston Celtics
Although Jayson Tatum is the only player on IR to start the season, Boston lost a lot of their scoring depth in the offseason. The Celtics still have a solid starting five without Tatum, but they won’t rest as much as they did last year.
Charlotte Hornets
I imagine every reader who nodded along with the seven picks above are shocked to see Charlotte, a bottom three team from last year, in this prediction. Let’s keep in mind that after the seven teams listed, most of the remaining eight are going to be in a race to try and at least make the play-in round.
Washington, Chicago, Brooklyn and Miami don’t have the stars to make a postseason push. Even if one of these four teams goes on a run, there’s little scoring depth that can make a veteran team play more cautious. Atlanta and Toronto have no scoring depth and will wear out their starters for sub .500 records. Philadelphia would be favored by many, but viewers know center Joel Embiid and point guard Paul George are injury prone and can’t push the 76ers far enough. Point guard Kyle Lowry is near retirement and depth point guard Jared McCann is on IR.
This leaves Charlotte as an underrated pick. Viewers know franchise star point guard LaMelo Ball will get hurt again and miss a chunk of the season. However, the Hornets have veteran depth to cushion the loss. Guards Collin Sexton, Spencer Dinwiddie and Antonio Reeves add a lot to Charlotte’s back court. Forward Pat Connaughton was a smart free agent signing and center Ibou Badji should have more time to develop this season.
Play-in losing teams: Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers
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