Forsberg: Power ranking the new-look East

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Brooklyn landed James Harden in a blockbuster Wednesday that gives the Nets maybe the most imposing Big Three in the league by pairing him with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Are the Nets surefire title contenders now? On paper they certainly have about as much talent as any team in the league.As we digest the earth-rattling, four-team swap involving three East squads, here’s how we would rank the top 10 teams in the conference while waiting for more on-court answers to how this changes the outlook.

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1/10

Not quite the regular-season buzzsaw it was a year ago but Milwaukee is a plus-11.1 in net rating and leads the NBA in offensive rating by more than 2 points per 100 possessions. Sleep on this team at your own peril.

The question, of course, is whether Giannis Antetokounmpo can save his most inspired play for the postseason but Milwaukee is going to be in the conversation as long as he’s healthy.
 

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2/10

So if this crazy chemistry experiment works, Brooklyn will be No. 1 on this list real fast because they have an absurdly talented trio now in Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving. Christmas Day against the Celtics showed just how much of a wrecking ball that Brooklyn can be with just two of those guys playing at a high level.

But the combustibility factor of this thing just got ratcheted up, too. The Nets need to keep Irving happy, Durant healthy, and Harden from sulking if he doesn’t get his typical quantity of shots. Godspeed, Steve Nash.
 

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3/10

The No. 1 factor in Boston’s ability to compete for a title this year was Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown continuing their ascents. Early returns suggest that won’t be an issue. A healthy Kemba Walker will take some pressure off the young duo once he’s back on the court. From there, the Celtics simply have to figure out how everything looks around their own All-Star trio.

Danny Ainge could fill any glaring gaps with the Gordon Hayward traded player exception and there’s going to be good competition for backup minutes, especially once Romeo Langford is on the court. The East keeps beefing up and the Celtics might still need a decent swing before the trade deadline to keep up with their chief rivals.
 

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4/10

We’re convinced Miami simply has a bit of a Finals hangover. There’s too much talent for the Heat to linger at the bottom of the playoff picture. After all, it's hard to get motivated after a surge to the championship stage, especially coming off a super short offseason. Once Jimmy Butler kicks into high gear, the Heat will do the same.

5/10

It’s hard to get a full read on Philly. The Sixers feasted on an easy schedule early, got ravaged by health and safety protocols, and were leery enough about their spot in the East to at least ponder a move for Harden. The Joel Embiid/Ben Simmons experiment trudges on. We need more of a sample to determine if the Sixers are finally maximizing their talent with a better supporting cast and new management around them, or if the early success is just distracting from lingering issues.

6/10

The Pacers, rebuffed in their efforts to land Hayward this offseason which left them bringing back a largely intact roster, swooped in on the Houston-Brooklyn blockbuster and turned an uncertain future with Victor Oladipo into three guaranteed years of Caris LeVert. We love the deal, especially because it further positions Domantas Sabonis as the focal point of this team and allows LeVert to take on a bigger role than he would have ever had in Brooklyn.

We’re not sure if that translates to finally getting out of the first round given the state of the East, but they’re not going to be an easy out.

7/10

Ok, we’ll admit it. We really enjoy watching the Hornets right now. We might even have to break out our 90s Starter jacket at this rate. Hayward is thriving in a bigger role, Terry Rozier is dunking on Kevin Durant, and rookie LaMelo Ball is already putting up triple-doubles while whizzing a bunch of one-handed passes around the gym.

The Hornets might not make it out of the East play-in tournament but they’re way more fun than we expected.

8/10

They’ve beaten a full-strength Nets squad (pre-Harden, and on New Year’s Day, it should be noted) and a shorthanded Philly team, but the loss of Bogdan Bogdanovic (fractured knee cap) is brutal. How far Atlanta goes hinges on the development of the young players around Trae Young. They might be at least another year away from really putting themselves in the conversation for being more than an early out in the postseason.

9/10

It’s still incredibly jarring to see the Raptors at the bottom of the East standings. We expected some slippage after losing Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol and with Kyle Lowry another year older. But as Pascal Siakam struggles to find his All-NBA form — missing now since Bubble entry — the Raptors are slowly motoring towards some tough decisions about whether to punt on this season and put eyes on the future.

10/10

Three straight losses after a fast start suggests that Orlando is coming back to Earth. That could be good news for a Celtics team that might be intrigued by some of their talent if the Magic become sellers before the deadline.

Playing without Jonathan Isaac and losing Markelle Fultz to an ACL tear, the Magic have to think hard about the future. Orlando ought to let the Wizards or Knicks knock themselves out trying to get into the play-in tournament while the Magic focus on who exactly they’re building around moving forward.

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