Just over halfway through the NBA season, the Eastern Conference playoff picture is more or less set, with eight teams firmly holding on to playoff spots at the moment. Unlike the West, the rest of the Eastern playoff race will be mainly about improving positioning in the standings, rather than establishing a .500 record just to get into the playoffs. The current playoff picture features a blend of hungry, youthful teams and superstar-driven teams ready to make title runs. Here's how they stack up:
Chicago Bulls (Current standing: 1st Place)
Even though the Bulls earned the top seed in last year's playoffs and currently have reigning MVP Derrick Rose at the point, it's quite a surprise that the team currently holds the top seed. Rose, LuolDeng and Richard Hamilton have missed games due to injuries. Many of the issues that surrounded the team last year still remain: The Bulls still lack a quality two-guard and outside threat, and Boozer has had a slight dip in scoring output. Yet coach Tom Thibodeau has the team make up for its weaknesses by playing hard-nosed defense night in and night out, and that should allow them to hold onto the number one seed. Still, they need to relieve the scoring and creating loads currently placed on Rose. Though he carried the team to a top seed last year, he needs more help this year.
Prediction: No. 1 or 2 seed
Miami Heat (2nd)
Despite what many are calling the greatest single statistical season of LeBron James' career, the Heat are the second seed at the moment. Chalk that up to their incredibly streaky play — they can flat-out dominate a stretch of games (see nine straight wins by 12 or more points) but can also go cold for a few games. All in all, it hasn't quite been the season Miami was envisioning at the start. With Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh both missing some time, it's been the LeBron show from the start, and he has been thriving with a better supporting cast than he had in Cleveland. If they can hit their stride toward the end of the season, the Heat will have a good shot to surpass the Bulls in the East and to take home the O'Brien Championship Trophy.
Prediction: No. 1 or 2 seed
Indiana Pacers (3rd)
The Pacers are, surprisingly, in third place at the moment. Look closely at their roster, though, and it's not too hard to see why. They have a quality point guard in Darren Collison — a key piece in a point guard-driven league. The addition of David West in the offseason was huge, as now it gives the team a pair of low post threats when you throw All Star Roy Hibbert into the mix. Danny Granger provides lethal outside scoring for the team, and Paul George is an athletic monster. Indiana is also blessed with a deep, productive bench. Perhaps the only problem is that there really isn't a player on the roster who can be tagged with the leadership role. If the Pacers can buy into a team mentality, look for them to make an '04 Pistons-type run.
Prediction: No. 3 seed
Philadelphia 76ers (4th)
The 76ers are one of the most fun teams to watch in the NBA. They are a mostly young bunch that plays tough defense and loves to run the floor. Andre Iguodala, a veteran by the team's standards, has kept the young guns grounded. He is one of the primary playmakers on the team and was deservedly rewarded with an All-Star Game appearance. The team probably has the best bench in the NBA, led by Lou Williams and Thaddeus Young, who are first and third on the team in scoring. The 76ers are not great at executing in the half-court offense when they are without a low-post presence, but look for that to change when Spencer Hawes, who was having a breakout season, comes back from injury.
Prediction: No. 4 or 5 seed
Orlando Magic (5th)
In a shortened NBA season that has already been weird in many ways, no team is having a weirder season than the Orlando Magic. It is hard to predict where they will land, because it is impossible to know what will happen to them before the trade deadline. Much like the Denver Nuggets of last season, the Magic are continually fielding trade offers for the best center in the game, Dwight Howard. Through all the hoopla, the team has had good stretches and bad stretches — likely due to a lack of focus — and it has culminated in a fifth-place standing. Ryan Anderson is having a breakout season as a three-point shooter, which fuels the Magic's inside-out style of play. The rest of this season for the Magic will hinge on where Howard ends up, what they can get in return for him, and how motivated he will be if he stays.
Prediction with Howard: No. 3 or 4 seed; without Howard: No. 6, 7 or 8 seed
Atlanta Hawks (6th)
For the past few seasons, the Hawks have been an enigma in the Eastern conference. Their roster is oddly built, yet somehow they have found success in the regular season and had a breakthrough in the postseason last year. Former All-Star center Al Horford has been out for a significant portion of the season, and Joe Johnson has regressed statistically and has also missed time. The team is kept on life support by the high-flying Josh Smith, who is having an absolutely monster season, and Jeff Teague, who was a welcome revelation during last year's playoffs. While they continue to find ways to get by, the Hawks might be an easy out in the playoffs.
Prediction: No. 7 or 8 seed
Boston Celtics (7th)
The Celtics are currently in seventh and are in arguably the most volatile situation in the NBA. Virtually everyone is on the trading block, and don't be surprised if GM Danny Ainge blows up a championship-winning roster (see the Kendrick Perkins trade last season). Nonetheless, the Celtics seem to play their best basketball when the trade chatter is at its loudest. Their overtime win on Sunday against the Knicks, in which Rajon Rondo posted a ridiculous triple-double (18 points, 17 rebounds and 20 assists), demonstrated that this team is still able to win tough games. But until they make a commitment to a single direction to take the team, they will remain near the bottom of the playoff picture. And if they part ways with Rando, things won't get any easier.
Prediction with Rondo: No. 6 or 7 seed; without Rondo: No. 8 seed
New York Knicks (8th)
The Knicks have the talent to compete with the top teams in the league, but they have yet to reach their potential. The Jeremy Lin revelation proved to be the final piece of the puzzle in completing their roster. Now that their star players Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire have returned from injury and are now regularly in the starting lineup, the only thing they need is more time for the players to buy into coach Mike D'Antoni's run-and-gun system. Their defense has shown signs of improvement, but Melo's willingness to be a more efficient shooter and a more willing ball-mover will be the key to the team's success going forward.
Prediction: No. 5 or 6 seed
