The All-Star break is winding down, which means the 2023-24 NBA regular season will resume with the final third of the campaign left. Things in the Eastern Conference seem fairly straightforward at the top but the play-in picture looks a lot less clear coming out of the break.
Below we take a look at the Eastern Conference standings and predict how we think the bracket ends up looking.
Eastern Conference Standings and Playoff Picture
1. Boston Celtics (43-12)
2. Cleveland Cavaliers (36-17), 6.0 GB
3. Milwaukee Bucks (35-21), 8.5 GB
4. New York Knicks (33-22), 10 GB
5. Philadelphia 76ers (32-22), 10.5 GB
6. Indiana Pacers (31-25), 12.5 GB
Play-in tournament
7. Miami Heat (30-25), 13 GB
8. Orlando Magic (30-25), 13 GB
9. Chicago Bulls (26-29), 17 GB
10. Atlanta Hawks (24-31), 19 GB
11. Brooklyn Nets (21-33)
12. Toronto Raptors (19-36)
13. Charlotte Hornets (13-41)
14. Washington Wizards (9-45)
15. Detroit Pistons (8-46)
Playoff Predictions
The Celtics are going to be in the playoffs and they’re highly likely to get the top seed. The Cavaliers and Bucks seem to be in the clear as well, but things get a lot less clear after that.
The 76ers and Knicks are both dealing with injury issues and it’s unclear when those contributors will return. New York seems poised to stay out of the play-in tournament but Philadelphia could be in a bit more precarious position given Joel Embiid’s situation. I still think the Sixers avoid the play-in altogether.
The Heat are dealing with a lot of injury issues outside of Jimmy Butler’s personal absence. The question is whether they can beat Indiana for the automatic playoff spot. The Magic are also coming in under the radar and should be in the mix too. The Pacers do have games against the Heat and Magic left, and those contests likely will determine who avoids the play-in tournament. The Bulls and Hawks are destined for the play-in tournament once again.