NBA 2024-25 Season East Tier Rankings
So, it’s that time of year when we’re only a couple of weeks from the NBA season starting, and that always means one thing: predictions.
This is always so fun to do because of the potential to look back on some of the wild takes that you made. It’s fun to see the thought process that came to that conclusion and figure out where it went wrong.
Here were my East predictions last year. I was way too low on the Orlando Magic and the Indiana Pacers. I had them in the play-in range that could also end up missing it completely. On the other hand, I was way too optimistic about the Atlanta Hawks and the Chicago Bulls. I also thought the former wouldn’t be good enough to separate themselves from a team like the Brooklyn Nets.
With my rankings, there are the standing rankings and the overall(championship) rankings.
The standing rankings aren’t there to decide who’s the better team. It also doesn’t consider their playoff chances either. Picking a team to finish ahead in the standings doesn’t mean I’d have them over in a playoff series. The regular season is a grind. There are so many things that can go wrong. Health, depth, age, goals, and how likely they are to prioritize going all out are considered. Older teams and ones that have my playoff aspirations may rank lower than a young team looking to take a jump.
Whereas the overall rankings are looked at through the lens of competing for a championship(or winning the lottery) in 2025. How likely is it that this team can end up winning a ring this year?
There are five tiers: clear-cut favourites, top-tier contenders, deep run if things fall right, 1st round or 2 if we’re lucky, and what’s a championship?
Standings Rankings
Boston Celtics(1-3 range)
Philadelphia 76ers(1-6)
Indiana Pacers(2-6)
Cleveland Cavaliers(2-6)
New York Knicks(2-6)
Milwaukee Bucks(2-6)
Orlando Magic(3-8)
Miami Heat(4-8)
Atlanta Hawks(9-10)
Detroit Pistons(10-12)
Charlotte Hornets(10-12)
Toronto Raptors(10-12)
Chicago Bulls(13-15)
Washington Wizards(13-15)
Brooklyn Nets(13-15)
This all might be a cop-out with some of the ranges, but I don’t see why this year would be any different to what it was last year. There was no separation. The Bucks with the third seed won 49 games — they were two games ahead of the 76ers at seventh seed.
Why would this year be any different?
You can make a case that every one of the teams got better, but neither got better to put themselves in a different tier. Every team got somewhat better to make the race still as competitive as ever.
But let’s start at the bottom. We do have the three teams that there’s no argument that they can be higher. None of those teams have any incentive to get better, as opposed to going for Cooper Flagg. The Nets made moves specifically to tank by getting the picks back. The Bulls have to be bad to keep their pick. The Wizards would be bad even if they tried.
The ninth to 12th spot is another clustered group that will be all around the same, with some choosing to tank the season for a better pick, like the Raptors.
Once we get to the eighth seed up to around the fourth seed, that’s again where we going to have teams be separated by 1-3 games. It makes these predictions so tough to make. There is a world where both the Magic and Heat are in the play-in or host a playoff series, as that could’ve easily happened this year.
There will be a lot of luck involved, how hard teams go through the season, and health. This is where some of that is considered.
A team like the Cavaliers who have a high floor on both ends of the floor get that boost in the regular season. A young team like the Pacers who can have the best offense is likely going to win a lot of games. A team with top-end talent like the Bucks will also have the boost.
The 76ers have a very high floor and a lower ceiling only because of Joel Embiid. If we can get around a 60-game season from him, they’re my number one seed. If we see less, they’ll be in the mix at the lower end.
The Knicks are in a similar spot for me with how volatile their position is but for different reasons. They made multiple big-time moves that will mean a lot of questions and figuring things out. It might work, but it might not work. The season will be trying to see what direction they’ll go in and that can take some time.
The only team that I’m confident in through 82 games is the Celtics. I don’t necessarily see them as a lock for the one seed, but that’s mainly because I don’t see them separating themselves in the same way as they did this year.
I still have them above everyone else by a good margin, but teams that won a championship after being a dominant team the year before usually drop off. The motivation might not be the same or have different priorities like health and load management. They are still comfortably a top-three team regardless, some teams may try harder.
Overall Rankings
Clear Cut Favourites: Celtics
These teams are the elite of the elite. They are mostly proven championship calibre teams and have made or have a legitimate case that they separated themselves. They have the top end talent, they fit well, they have the elite role players, they have answered questions and have the fewest left to answer, and have the biggest margin of error.
There’s only one team in this tier and it’s the Celtics. They are the defending champions, so they do get the boost from that. They also get that boost because they brought back every single key player back. They are running it back to the max.
They were already the most dominant team in the regular season, the playoffs, and in the finals. Not only that, they were one of the most dominant teams in recent memory, especially when it comes to being a balanced team.
It’s that fact that they were dominant on both ends. They have little to no issues on either end. The Celtics were 7.5 points better than average offensively and 3.8 points better on defense. The only team since 2001 that has been that elite offensively but also great defensively was the 2017 Golden State Warriors. That’s certainly something
They have the top-end talent. They have a reliable second option. They have plenty of elite role players. They have plenty of flexibility.
They have the fewest questions on either end. I obviously wouldn’t say that they’re unstoppable or that no team has a shot against them, but right now, against any opponent, they have the most answers to whatever someone throws at them.
Top Tier Contenders: 76ers, Bucks(should be higher)
These teams have as good of a chance as anyone but they’re just not fully there yet to reach the elite of the elite tier. This could be a new core or a young team that hasn’t had the chance to prove themselves. Or it could be existing consistent contenders that still have many questions left to answer. For the most part, to reach the upper tier, it’s a case of go and prove it more than anything else.
Two teams here. One has already proved that they can with that core(minus Jrue Holiday) in 2021. That does give a team a boost. The other has a lot of proving to do, but still has a higher ceiling than the rest of the team.
Maybe I’m fooling myself. Maybe Joel Embiid, Paul George, and the 76ers will do what they always do and somehow lose early on in the playoffs or one of them will be injured(or both). But I like this core this year more than any other recent 76ers team.
For as many playoff failures that Embiid has had, I don’t think he’s a player that you can’t win with. He is a championship caliber player that you can build around. The only thing is the health that is the biggest red flag, rightfully so. A lot of the time, it was quite unfortunate. What if this year is finally the year? Because with just about basketball, they do check almost everything that they need to have.
Right now, there will be questions on how this will all fit(though that can easily be answered). It’s seeing how George will look like as a player period but also within their system alongside those stars. Similar to Embiid, he hasn’t had the best playoff stretch recently, either because of health or how he played.
But the 76ers were already a very dominant team with Embiid on. Embiid, himself, was having a career year and he looked good in the playoffs. There’s still Tyrese Maxey and still has to be accounted for where he could take another potential leap.
They could have one of the best trios in basketball if everything falls into place. In every series outside of the Bucks, they will have the best player in the East. This could be the best fit when it comes to the top-end talent alongside Embiid. This is the year for them to go for it and prove it.
I do have more concerns with the Bucks, more so than with the 76ers, but that’s more through 82 games. This team is older. This team has dealt with some injury issues. I’m not sure if they can go through the grind of a full year at that age from guys like Brook Lopez, Khris Middleton, and Damian Lillard, and then go out in the playoffs.
There’s also the defense red flag. Their defense fell off without Lopez! The Bucks with Giannis Antetokounmpo and no Lopez had a 121 defensive rating. That will have to change somehow because right now it’s my biggest worry, especially in the playoffs — Giannis at the five in the playoffs has worked much better, though.
But they still have Giannis at the end of the day. That means through the whole East, they will have the best player. That alone raises a lot for them and eases some doubt.
And when everyone is playing, they are as dominant as anyone else. Their core four put up numbers that can compete with any other lineup on both ends of the floor. Their ceiling is still a championship. This is banking on Giannis being the best player and it’s banking on their top-end talent. They have the experience, they have the best player, and they have two key players that could swing things easily if they’re healthy and playing well.
With this team, though, I just want to get to the playoffs fully healthy. I don’t care what happens in the regular season. Fast forward to April because I need to see Giannis and Lillard in a playoff setting going all out.
Deep Run: Knicks, Heat, Pacers, Cavaliers
These teams can go on a deep run, but I have some concerns for whether they can compete for a championship. I wouldn’t be shocked if they beat any of the upper teams, but can they win four times against likely better competition? This can be a case of the perfect bracket, perfect matchups, and luck that has them going on a deep run. But they may have too many questions or things needing to go right for them to even have a chance — they need things to be perfect.
Four teams that are just as likely to go on a deep run in very different ways. These four very different teams, too. They are different in age, how they win, their experience, and their best players. Though with all of those teams, I’m not sure how likely is a championship.
They can certainly go on deep runs. We have seen the Pacers this year already make the conference finals(though they did hit well with matchups and injuries). We have seen the Heat last year go on a deep run to the finals. This could’ve easily been the case for the Knicks last year if they were healthy. But then out of all of the potential teams to go for a title, they have the most questions to figure out.
The Knicks had a very busy off-season. They lost Isaiah Hartenstein. They traded a bunch of assets for Mikal Bridges. Then, out of nowhere, they took a massive swing at Karl Anthony Towns. All of that brings question marks everywhere on both sides of the court.
Will they be a good enough defense? How will they fill the holes left by Donte DiVincenzo and Hartenstein? Will Jalen Brunson have to carry too much in the playoffs? Are both OG Anunoby, Bridges, and Josh Hart enough to cover everything defensively? Health issues!? Can Towns work effectively as the 5 in the playoffs?
There are answers to a lot of those questions that they have on the team. They are not in a dead-end situation. There are realistic ways of putting themselves in the next tier of contenders. But there’s something on each end of the floor, their top player, and their health to three important players.
There’s a lot of unpredictability with them and if that’s the case, I can’t put them ahead with teams that have more things figured out or there’s more evidence of it working.
On the other hand, they did almost make the conference finals without Randle and other injury concerns. There is definitely an argument that they got better all around and should be so much better offensively. That’s why it’s also very possible that things do fall into pieces, questions are answered(or at least somewhat covered up), and they have a deep run.
I do like the Pacers here, especially after another season with Pascal Siakam and a healthy Tyrese Haliburton. These two things alone can change a lot for their chances. But they are also still a young team that hasn’t gone up against the toughest opponent that was actually healthy. This isn’t to discredit their run, it’s tough to make a conference run period. That does make me a bit more cautious when it comes to projecting their success forward, though. They did catch a few breaks that might not happen again.
There’s still the question of Haliburton being the potential best player in a series. I think if you’re looking to contend, you need to have a player that is capable of having a series where he can easily be the best player or at least on par. He’s still a case of isn’t until he is. He’s young, it’s not a shot at him.
But a lot of their questions come on defense. I have little concerns offensively. They did look to improve their defense as the year went on but they need to better or have more answers on that end to have a better chance at a title.
This may be a year of potentially going on another run if things fall right, but they might still be a year too early.
The Cavaliers are a weird case because I don’t know how to feel about them. They haven’t had the best playoffs so far in the Donovan Mitchell era. They did deal with injuries, which should be considered. But even fully healthy, I’m not sure they’re there.
They have too many questions when it comes to their fit period. There is the whole backcourt with Mitchell and Darius Garland and there are the frontcourt issues with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Those four together have shown they can be dominant in their first season but didn’t have the best luck last year.
They are bringing in a new coach, Kenny Atkinson that could have a significant impact on the team. Some of the fit issues or how to go about maximizing each player in the right way could be fixed with a new approach from a different coach. When there is talent on both ends of the floor, that’s when a coach with a new philosophy could be a difference maker.
But again, because they do have those questions in mind before even getting to the point where they could be a legitimate threat to anyone, that’s where they end up in this tier.
Ah, the Heat. However they did it, they have shown that they can’t be counted out. Five years, two finals appearances, and one game seven in the Eastern Conference Finals. The only other team at least match that is the Celtics.
The only thing about the Heat is that they always have done this being the underdog and pulling something that you may have not expected. A fifth seed in 2020 wasn’t meant to be doing that. An eighth seed definitely wasn’t meant to be doing that.
Because that’s the frustrating part. Everything that they do in the regular season will tell you that this isn’t a team that can compete. What team can compete being a bottom 10 offense? What team can compete with their best player being third in touches? What team can consistently compete crawling from behind? Logic and valid reasons will tell you that they don’t belong in this tier.
But I’m sure that’s what everyone thought in 2023. I’m sure the Bucks weren’t threatened by the bottom five offense who also had defensive issues that were almost eliminated in the play-in. This year, it was more unfortunate that they dealt with a lot more injuries, especially towards the end.
Then again, this is a team that has the best coach in basketball, Butler who has shown how he can step up in the playoffs, and the best defender in basketball. On top of that, they do have solid pieces this year that have been improving. They will definitely need luck on their side, the right matchups, and everything clicking to the max. They don’t have any margin of error, so it does make things less likely to happen, but even if it’s 3%, it’s going to be tough to count them out.
1st Round Exit, 2nd If We’re Lucky: Hornets, Pistons, Hawks, Magic, Raptors(should be lower)
These teams may be a young team still looking to make those jumps, it could be a team that is one or two piece being away, their best player needs more help but are on the right track, or they’re just mediocre. But with the play-in being a thing, it could be a young team that is already on track to take the next step in their rebuild that could be looking for playoff experience and be happy with it.
This tier can mean a couple of different things for each team. That’s why there are a couple that are significantly better than another. That’s why it might feel like a certain may not belong here and it stands out like a polar bear in Texas.
That team, is, of course, the Magic. This isn’t saying that they’re on the same level as the Pistons or the Hornets. They are nowhere near the same caliber of a team. But, with what this tier involves for the big picture goal and what the playoff aspirations could be, that’s where I see them.
They are still a young team led by two very young stars. The rest of the team is still also very young. They have made significant improvements over these last two seasons, particularly on the defensive end. At the same time, though, growth isn’t linear. A team doesn’t always continue to make such leaps, especially nearer the top.
I do have their ceiling as a potential third seed in the regular season, but their playoff chances and championship aspirations aren’t there yet. As elite as their defense is, their offense will likely hold them back a lot. They have a lot of questions, and that is what also holds them back from making deep runs. They don’t have a big margin of error. I’m not sure if either of the young stars could be the best player in multiple series just yet. Because of that, depending on the seed and the right matchup, it’s likely going to end in the same way as this year or sneaking into the second round.
Every other team on this list are either mediocre teams that are too good to be bad but are too bad to be good or young teams enjoying playoff experience because of the play-in.
The Hawks are that mediocre team. They have an All-NBA caliber player in Trae Young and then it’s a bunch of solid to meh players. It’s a good collection of role players on either end that is good enough to be a near .500 team but that’s about it. There’s only so much that a player like Young can do. Even if they get up in the standings a bit more to be the seventh seed, their playoff and championship chances remain the same. They will be lucky to make a single series competitive. These three years were filled with play-in appearances and a couple of easy first-round exits. I don’t see a reason why that won’t be the same.
Then we have the young teams that could make that 10th seed almost by default. Someone will have to! Out of all the likely candidates, one of the Raptors, Bulls, Hornets, Pistons will have to make that 10th spot.
I would have the Raptors as the top one based on talent alone, but with their pick situation considered, I don’t see them prioritizing a play-in appearance over keeping their pick in a loaded draft. I would be surprised if they didn’t make an effort to tank at the end.
That leaves the Hornets and Pistons. It’s a battle of mid here. I don’t see either team ready for that jump yet.
The Hornets will automatically be in contention by getting LaMelo Ball back, but are they that much better because of it? There is the potential Brandon Miller jump in his second year, too which could make a difference. But the rest of the team feels kind of weak.
The Pistons have made a considerable effort to bring in veterans to help raise the floor of this team by making it a better environment for Cade Cunningham. Tobias Harris, Tim Hardaway Jr, and Malik Beasley are proven NBA-level players. They don’t have to be starting-level players for it to be an upgrade to what the Pistons had last year.
Either of those teams will have a chance and I can see either team going for it too to get the playoff experience for their young players, even if it’s a sweep. Or I could also see either team just end up prioritizing the lottery.
What’s a Championship? Wizards, Bulls, Nets
These teams aren’t or should be thinking about a playoff spot. I would be SHOCKED if most of these teams could even make a play-in. If the goal at the end isn’t to win the lottery, they’re focusing on the wrong thing.
I don’t think there’s much to say about any of these teams. I would be very, very surprised if these three teams aren’t at the bottom of the East.
The Nets have done everything to be in the place where they can comfortably tank, knowing that they do own their pick. Their season is going to be Cam Thomas, a bit more of Cam Thomas, seeing if and when Ben Simmons can play, Nic Claxton’s defense, selling at the deadline, and back to more Cam Thomas. It’s the first year of a full-on rebuild and that’s not going to be fun for the most part — you’re not fooling anyone by saying it will be exciting or fun to watch Noah Clowney or Killian Hayes play.
The Wizards. Sigh. They have more guys to watch out for. There is the potential for Jordan Poole to bounce back this season. We have Bilal Coulibaly going into his second season bigger and taller. There’s still Kyle Kuzma taking almost 20 shots! But they also have a couple of rookies in Alex Sarr and Bub Carrington that could warrant a watch here and there. They already took the step last year of diving head-first into a rebuild. This will be continuing by seeing what their group of young players even are and still looking to be bad.
Finally, there are the Bulls. I’m not a Bulls fan, but I swear if they do end up looking to win, only to lose out on their picks because… reasons. Then that would make an innocent bystander just sigh in disappointment. Although they should’ve been in this position earlier, credit to them for finally getting here. But even then, there is still a bunch of questions revolving around both Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucecvic, can they even trade them? There’s the guard situation with Josh Giddey, Ayo Dosunmu, and Coby White. That’s going to be… fun(?). I don’t know the Bulls look like one of those weird directionless teams.
All of these three teams will likely be competing with one another for the best chance at the number one pick.