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The Tufts Daily
Where you read it first | Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Fast Break: The Eastern Conference in 5 years

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A couple of weeks ago, I looked at what the NBA’s Western Conference could look like five years down the road. This week, I plan to do the same for the East, an admittedly far more difficult task. The talent distribution is more lopsided, and far more teams are in the uncertain phases of long-winded rebuilds. However, there are still plenty of franchises with bright, sustainable futures on the horizon. Let’s take a look at them now.

  1. Miami Heat

Not overthinking my first pick too much. Miami is a team built in equal parts for the present and the future. Current star Jimmy Butler will be 36 in five years, but it won’t matter because Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro will both be hitting their primes. Bam is on the cusp of perennial all-star production at 23, and Herro is one of the most exciting second-year players in recent memory. Throw in some serious organizational stability, a bevy of intriguing young pieces all over the roster and a big market that can pull in free agents galore, and you have a recipe for Eastern Conference dominance for years to come.

  1. Toronto Raptors

The Raptors boast an admirable core of young players in Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby. But I’m picking the Raptors more for their immensely savvy front office and top notch coach Nick Nurse. This team will keep making smart draft picks and signings, and I’m very confident Nurse will put it all together. Not even a patented Drake curse can stop this team’s bright future.

  1. Boston Celtics

I don’t care if they’ve underachieved this season. Jason Tatum is 23, Jaylen Brown is 24 and I’m confident Boston can retain them long term. I firmly believe both players have first team All-NBA caliber ceilings, and that they can pry open a brand-new championship window in a couple of years once they punt away some of their older, less effective veterans.   

  1. Charlotte Hornets

This team is the definition of up and coming, and they owe a lot of it to rookie phenom Lamelo Ball. He’s undeniably fun, and he could definitely push for an all-star appearance sooner rather than later. But this team is more than just a Twitter timeline filled with Lamelo Ball highlights. Malik Monk and PJ Washington are both intriguing young pieces who will be hitting their prime soon. If this young core grows well together, and Michael Jordan doesn’t screw up future drafts or free agency, I can see Charlotte becoming a perennial contender.

  1. New York Knicks

New York has always been a threat to sign or trade for big names, but in recent years that hasn’t materialized thanks to general organizational incompetence. Now, they boast a fantastic head coach in Tom Thibodeau and a front office that feels almost competent. They also have RJ Barrett, the often-forgotten sophomore player who’s quietly getting better by the month. As long as this team remains competent, it will always be a threat to make a splash that could immediately vault them into contention.

  1. Cleveland Cavaliers

I love the backcourt here, headed by Darius Garland and Collin Sexton, who are 21 and 22 years old respectively. The two will develop very nicely together, and I could see them becoming reminiscent of what we see now in Portland with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. The rest of the roster, save promising rookie Isaac Okoro, is pretty expendable, but that can change quickly in a league of such considerable turnover.

  1. Philadelphia 76ers

Philly’s championship window is definitely open, and they’ve exhausted a lot of their assets for the team they put on the floor right now. I expect them to use what they have left to trade for another starter and push for a ring in the next year or two. In five years Ben Simmons will be 29 and still in his prime, and he is talented enough to keep any team afloat. Joel Embiid will be 32 and has already dealt with countless injuries, but the value he presents as either a future trade asset or seasoned veteran big man is enough for me to keep Philly in the running.

  1. Atlanta Hawks

I really don’t like Atlanta’s roster or organization, but Trae Young is a brilliant offensive force who can will this team to a playoff seed once he hits his prime. Provided Atlanta can keep him happy, his presence will be enough to make this team competitive.