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NBA: Ranking teams by tiers for 2019-20 season

By Josh Cornelissen

(Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images /

Tier 5: Eastern Conference Playoff Teams

Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Toronto Raptors

If the Western Conference has nine playoff locks, the Eastern Conference has just six — and if you truly break it down, only three. Barring the unexpected, however, this trio of hard-defending squads will be in the playoff mix come April.

The Toronto Raptors are the defending champions and deserve the respect of a couple of tiers higher. This team has Kyle Lowry, Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka and Fred VanVleet surrounding rising star Pascal Siakam and should be really good this year even without Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green. Yet locking them into a high seed is ignoring the value of both Leonard and Green.

If this team doesn’t make any major trades at the deadline this will be a team with home-court advantage in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Further south, the Miami Heat look like a strong playoff contender after adding Jimmy Butler. Yet to do so they gave up Josh Richardson, a player who gave his all for the Heat every night and maximized his impact. After missing the postseason a year ago this team wants to be back in the playoffs, but it’s not a lock.

If Bam Adebayo takes a step forward and Justice Winslow polishes his shot this team will be a tough out in the playoffs. This team needs to truly prove it first.

What to do with the Orlando Magic is a difficult question for all NBA prognosticators. Teams that make an unexpected leap one year often fall back to earth the next. That being said this Magic team did not grossly overperform, their defense seems legitimate and Aaron Gordon looks like a player ready to take another step.

If Markelle Fultz can be a competent guard once more, this team’s floor raises significantly and protects this team from falling back too hard.

What likely secures these teams as playoff locks is the weakness of the rest of the Eastern Conference challengers. With five teams all but out of the playoff race as the season begins due to talent or motivation, that leaves five slots for seven teams. The Magic, Heat and Raptors just need to be better than two of those.