Toronto Raptors: The Playoff Picture in the East

Tonight, the Toronto Raptors will take on the Chicago Bulls in an apparent must-win. Currently, the Raptors are 41-27, placing them third in the Eastern Conference behind the Atlanta Hawks (53-15) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (44-26). The Bulls are only a half-game back of the Raptors, so the pressure will really be on for head coach Dwane Casey and his squad in Illinois. With just 16-games left in the 2014/15 season, let’s check out how the playoff race is shaping up in the East.

First things first, the Hawks will finish atop the Eastern Conference. In fact, the margin of superiority has been so intense that many are simply running with the assumption that the Hawks will be the East’s representative in the NBA Finals. While it might not be so wise to bank on the Hawks going all the way, it is fair to say that they will take on the eighth-seed in the first-round. Who will that be? Well, the race for mediocrity is on.

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It almost goes without saying at this point that the East is horrendous. Every year, a couple of teams with losing records make the playoffs, while Western Conference clubs often miss the big show with quite impressive records. For reference, the Phoenix Suns finished in ninth-place in the West after earning the same record the Raptors did last season (48-34).

This year, the race for eighth in the East will be a close one. Right now, the Boston Celtics and the Indiana Pacers are tied with a 30-37 record. Both teams have been coming on really strong recently, to the point where they both might get close to breaking even by the end of the season. The Celtics are 7-3 in their last 10 and the Pacers recently won seven games in a row. Between the two teams, the Celtics seem to be the better all-around club. Sure, the Pacers can be great defensively, but their offensive firepower is simply lacking.

Luckily for both teams, the Miami Heat are in seventh. Without Chris bosh, I have absolutely no faith that the Heat can closeout their season in a positive way. I think they will fall down the table, opening up the last two playoff spots for the Pacers and the Celtics. Of course, Dwyane Wade is a difference-maker, so he could easily turn the tides of logic and keep the Heat around. But, without much help, it looks like Miami will miss the playoffs in their first LeBronless season.

The Milwaukee Bucks are a lock for sixth, with a good amount of room between them and the teams in fifth and seventh. Next comes the hardest part to predict. The Washington Wizards are a half-game back of the Bulls, but with the Bulls missing Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose, it’s hard to say whether Pau Gasol and company will be able to hold it together. My guess is they will, but probably not quite well enough to sustain their current spot. So, with the Bulls dropping to fifth-place, the Wizards will likely finish fourth.

While the Raptors could conceivably pull off a comeback and catch the Cavs, it just doesn’t seem like they have enough left in the tank. Kyle Lowry is suffering from a sore back, and the rest of the roster has been slumping. The team is 4-6 in their last 10, and unless they experience a massive turnaround, I predict that they will end up in third once again.

We will take another look at the state of the Eastern Conference in a week.

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