Welcome to the official HoopsHabit NBA season preview panel, where 32 of our writers got together to put their proverbial pens to paper, voting on the winners in each division, the conference winners, the NBA champs and each of the six major individual awards. We’ll be rolling out a new column each day throughout October to show the results of our voting and how we see the 2014-15 NBA season shaking out.
This panel covers the Eastern Conference, which is weaker than the West, but they’ve had some movement, including arguably the best power forward in the league coming over from the West. The Cavs weren’t a playoff team last season, but with LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, they have to be considered favorites. Last year’s favorites, the Miami Heat, lost James but still have a strong core with Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Luol Deng.
The health of the Chicago Bulls will likely make the final decision in the conference, as a healthy Derrick Rose, Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah can carry that team to a championship. The upstart Washington Wizards will be back and although they aren’t deep, their top five of John Wall, Bradley Beal, Paul Pierce, Nene and Marcin Gortat can stand up to anyone.
The last contender has to be the Toronto Raptors, who return Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan and Jonas Valanciunas as their core. They’ve got a lot of the key parts needed to win the conference and just have to hope Dwane Casey can put all the parts together for a whole season.
Other teams like the Brooklyn Nets and Charlotte Hornets will be back in the playoffs but won’t likely be a factor
Our official winner, based on 32 votes:
Also receiving votes: Washington Wizards (1)
Mark Bruty voted for the Cavs and has good reason to believe they’ll win the East:
"On paper, the Cleveland Cavaliers are now one of the most talented and dangerous young teams in the league. Not only have the got the best player in the league, but they have paired him with a rebounding machine and a talented young point guard – and they kept some depth. More often than not, the team with the best player wins a series – and the Cavs are going to have that edge. They will need to mesh / gel in time for the playoffs but the other best side in the East (the Chicago Bulls) have the same issue (and health concerns)."
James Tillman III went with the new-look Bulls to take down the conference:
"Many fans and media pundits have complained about the way Thibodeau has used his players during the regular season the past two years and rightfully so. However, what should not be overlooked is that Thibodeau pushes his players in such a way that he gets their best effort each game whether it’s a victory or loss. And his defense-first approach has led to Chicago being the top team in points allowed in two of the four seasons he’s been the head coach. With a coach that demands excellence, who holds everyone accountable, including himself, the Bulls have all the right pieces in place to be legitimate title contenders."
Kevin Sanchez went bold with his prediction, taking the Wizards:
"It’s simple: they kept the core of their team intact. They lost 3-and-D swing man Trevor Ariza, but they signed Paul Pierce as a replacement. Pierce had lower totals last year, but his percentages and advanced numbers indicate that he still has a lot left in the tank. They massively upgraded their biggest weakness last year by adding some much needed depth on the bench. The team has gotten better every year under coach Randy Wittman and they demolished the Bulls in the playoffs last season. John Wall continues to make his claim as a top 5 point guard and Bradley Beal is ready to step into super stardom. I think this team wins over 50 games next year and makes a surprise Finals appearance, but ultimately loses to the well oiled machine that is San Antonio."