2024-25 Eastern Conference Preview Haikus

The season is approaching! Let's kick things off the way any sane basketball fan would: with some poetry.

If you’re new to these parts (and subscriber data suggests many of you are!), you may have wondered about the name Basketball Poetry. Well, there really is a little poetry, as this will be my tenth(!) year of season-preview haikus.

I regret to inform you that practice and time have not improved my skills, but it’s tradition! I have Eastern teams listed (with a Key Question) in order of my expected regular season standings. Western teams coming soon.

Boston Celtics

Fidgety, throne-sore
Attacking, not defending
Inevitable

The Celtics are a fair bet to repeat as champions this season, although the financial realities of the team will almost certainly necessitate a reshaping next offseason.

Key Question: Can they maintain without Kristaps Porzingis?

Maybe this is silly, given that the Celtics just won a championship without Porzingis’ services for nearly all of the playoffs, but there’s a trickle-down effect to his absence. If Porzingis takes a long time to return, or if he can’t recover his pre-injury form, there will be a far heavier burden on the 39-year-old Al Horford and the team’s less-proven centers (Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman, and Neemias Queta). Being down one scorer means the team has less margin for error if any other starters get injured, too.

Boston doesn’t have many weaknesses, but they’re already starting this season off in a worse place from an injury perspective, even before you consider the wear and tear of a long playoff run and the Olympics.

New York Knicks

That sweet new-star smell
Breathe it in, exhale, and smile
The bing-bongs abound

This will be a potent offensive team that should be good enough defensively to make a lot of noise. I’m nervous about having the Knicks second, as they combine some injury-prone starters with minute totals that look like speed limits and weak depth, but we know they will be gunning for every win they can get.

Key Question: How flexible is coach Tom Thibodeau?

I praised Thibodeau a few months ago for surprising me with his creativity in the playoffs, but injuries necessitated much of that. This year, we’ll see how far Thibs will stretch his principles. Will he have Karl-Anthony Towns defend picks closer to the level of the screen, where he’s more effective? Will he put Towns in more short-roll actions, like he finally did with Isaiah Hartenstein toward the end of last year? Will he roll with some small-ball lineups with OG Anunoby at center and three guards on the floor? Will he let Mikal Bridges sit a single minute?

As the months roll on, the Knicks’ evolving tactics will be one of my most closely followed storylines.

Milwaukee Bucks

Slumbering giant
feels arrows of disrespect
Giannis MVP?

Doesn’t it feel like Giannis Antetokounmpo is sort of a forgotten man? Getting injured in the playoffs and losing in the first round will do that, I suppose, but it’s tough to count out anyone who can do this:

Damian Lillard will be better, the depth has improved, and I’m feeling a revenge tour coming. There’s a lot to like.

Key Question: Can the defense recover?

Milwaukee had the 19th-best defense in the NBA last year after being fourth the year prior. Gary Trent Jr. and Delon Wright are massive upgrades over Malik Beasley on that end, which will help the starting unit. But Brook Lopez slipped a bit last year from his DPOY-caliber heights, Giannis is getting older, and Lillard is straight-up bad. If Middleton, coming off dual ankle surgeries, can’t be at least mediocre, there might be a ceiling on how many stops this team gets.

Philadelphia 76ers

Three-body problem
When Embiid and George fall down
Can physics suspend?

Maxey, George, and Embiid are an unbelievably snug offensive fit. Even Embiid and George’s one relative weakness, turnovers, is counterbalanced by Maxey’s extreme penuriousness.

Philly’s ceiling is much higher than the three-seed. Still, factor in substantial missed time for Joel Embiid and Paul George and a teamwide focus on escaping the second round, and it’s hard to see them tripping over themselves to secure an extra win or two.

Key Question: Can the team get a defensive rebound?

The 76ers were the league’s fifth-worst defensive rebounding team last year, and that was with the since-departed Tobias Harris. Now, the undersized Caleb Martin will likely start at power forward, and new guards like Eric Gordon, rookie Jared McCain, and Reggie Jackson will all be below-average rebounders at best.

Of course, George is a solid boardman, and new/old backup center Andre Drummond is a historically great one. Lineups without Joel Embiid were in the 11th percentile for defensive rebounding; it’s safe to say that Drummond’s presence alone might turn that into a strength for the reserves, no matter who is at guard.

Regardless, a healthy 76ers team should be good at scoring points and preventing makes; if they can clean up the glass, there won’t be a lot of thermal exhaust ports to attack.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Riding down from high
Four horsemen, apoCavslypse
Felling enemies

I have a sneaking feeling the Cavaliers will make it into a top-four seed, but I can’t quite figure out which of the teams above will falter (Philly and New York seem the likeliest candidates simply because of injury probabilities). So I’ll put them fifth for now, but I wouldn’t bet against them earning home-court advantage.

Key Question: Sigh. You know what it is.

Can Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley play offense together?

This is well-trod territory by me and many, many others, as it’s been the defining question of the Cavaliers for years now. With new coach Kenny Atkinson in town, perhaps Evan Mobley will finally heed the staff’s pleas and start taking a few shots from deeper.

Lineups with the two bigs scored at a below-average rate last season, and the offense has consistently tanked harder than Joker: Part Deux (or whatever they’re calling it) in the playoffs. There’s no room in the paint when defenses lock in on these two.

There are ways to generate good offense even with two non-shooting bigs on the floor, but the path to success narrows that way. We know Darius Garland (due for a bounce-back campaign) and Donovan Mitchell are set in the lineup, so we need to see Mobley shoot some threes to unlock this quartet’s ceiling; otherwise, we might be saying bye-bye to Allen before the trade deadline.

Indiana Pacers

Run and gun, baby
Dust in the air, motors rev
Gone before flag waves

Last year’s Eastern Conference finalists may feel disrespected by this ranking, and they should! But I need to see if last season’s turbo-button offense can survive a new season in which they aren’t catching anybody by surprise, and the defense will need to improve to keep up in a stronger-than-usual Eastern Conference.

Key Question: How not-terrible can the defense be?

The Pacers spent the first part of last season with an exaggerated defensive scheme that limited help to prevent three-pointers at all costs — even if it meant giving up wide-open layups:

That was a 180-degree turn from the previous season, and you know what? Neither scheme worked. The Pacers were 24th in defense last year after being 26th the year prior.

But a full offseason with Pascal Siakam, a year of seasoning for Jarace Walker, Ben Sheppard, and Bennedict Mathurin, and a presumably saner defensive scheme could help this group go from execrable to passably bad on defense — which could allow the explosive offense to drive even more winning.

Orlando Magic

Eyes gleam, knuckles crack
Shadows looming, dark alley
Blood stains on parquet

The Magic are mean, aggressive, and physical. They’re a blast to watch, and I love them. However, there are several reasons to be hesitant about Orlando pulling another trick this season.

Key Question: Can they make a three-pointer?

The basketball gods know I spend a lot of time thinking, talking, and writing about the finer points of the NBA, but let’s not smart this up. For the Magic, success is entirely predicated on their ability to make jump shots.

Adding Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for Gary Harris will help, but he’s not a volume shooter. Jett Howard is, but might not be playable defensively, and Tristan da Silva is a (very promising!) rookie.

Can Paolo Banchero improve upon his 34% three-point shooting (32% on pull-ups)? Even more importantly, can Franz Wagner re-discover his three-ball? Last year’s 28% campaign was worrisome, and his subsequent inability to make a three-pointer in the playoffs, the Olympics, or in the preseason so far deepens concern.

If Wagner can return to making the ~36% he was nailing in his first two seasons, the Magic will be a riveting watch. But they might asphyxiate if this is the new Franz.

Miami Heat

Unselfish. Toughest.
Meanest. Nastiest — hold on,
Can you play some games?

The Heat appear to be locked into the East’s middle. It’s hard to see them being better than sixth or worse than ninth, but this team has undergone some changes for the first time in a few seasons, and they’re at an interesting crossroads between a youth movement and a win-now mentality. Pat Riley and Jimmy Butler have expressed their determination to have core guys playing more games and treating the regular season like more than a tune-up, which is nice. I’ll believe it when I see it.

Key Question: What is Miami’s best five-man lineup?

Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are the only surefire fixtures in Miami’s closing lineup. After that, things get messier. Terry Rozier didn’t have much opportunity to show his three-level scoring last year. Tyler Herro has the shooting but can’t get to the rim and struggles on defense; he may end up being a Sixth Man again.

Nikola Jovic will likely start, and if he can hold his own defensively, his shooting, underrated playmaking, and pell-mell pace might open up the Heat’s offense. Rookie Kel’el Ware has shown promise, but unless Bam Adebayo really does start launching from deep, the two-big lineup might be a year or two away from clicking. Haywood Highsmith, sneakily, might be the best two-way role player on the team, but his limited creation could hold him back. Jaime Jaquez is the most aesthetically pleasing, but his offensive skills overlap with Butler’s, and his defense needs fine-tuning. Sniper Duncan Robinson had an excellent bounce-back season but is addicted to fouling.

The Heat have so many useful but flawed players (and I didn’t even mention Kevin Love, feisty second-round draft pick Pelle Larsson, or Alec Burks, who may end up playing a more critical role for this team than some people expect) that it’s difficult to predict a static closing lineup. Coach Erik Spoelstra has certainly never hesitated to play rotation roulette, and I don’t expect him to stop this year.

Atlanta Hawks

Caw! Will be the cry
As Jalen and Trae pass by
Will Hawks soar once more?

The Hawks are firmly in Trae Young’s hands once again with an interesting but shooting-poor collection of talent around him. Will the offense get back to its top-five ways?

Key Question: Can Dyson Daniels be a positive offensive player?

Daniels is an incredible and versatile defender, combining a pterodactyl wingspan with a fly trap’s stickiness. He’ll be the perfect defensive complement to Trae Young — if he can find a way to impact the game without the ball in his hands.

Daniels’ best attribute is passing, but he’s worked hard on his cutting and float game (50% from the short midrange is an excellent number). Unfortunately, he forgot how to finish at the rim last season, and his three-pointer has never approached acceptable volume or accuracy. If Daniels can’t find a way to stay on the court, the Hawks’ ceiling shortens considerably.

Chicago Bulls

Body still, flatline
Giddey oops Matas: SLAM!…beep
beep; dunking defib?

The Bulls are in a state of flux, with a surprisingly fun young-ish core (Coby White, Matas Buzelis, Josh Giddey, Patrick Williams, and Ayo Dosunmu) hopefully shocking some life back into a despondent fanbase.

They’ll look to develop the youths as they test the trade market for Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic. Plus, Lonzo Ball should come back! Regardless of his efficacy on the court, it’ll be good to see him play basketball again.

I might be the only person on Earth excited to watch the Bulls play (will Julian Phillips become something?), so sorry if this doesn’t appeal to you; I can’t help who I am.

Key Question: What can this team get for its veteran players?

This is a developmental season for the Bulls, and Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic don’t fit into their future plans. Is there a market for either player? Not right now, apparently, or they’d be gone. A strong start for LaVine, in particular, could boost trade value enough to return something of note.

If no attractive offer is incoming, though, the team may as well hold onto these guys rather than paying to get off of them. LaVine’s shooting will always be helpful. (Despite his superficial counting stats, I’m not sure what Vucevic is bringing to the table at this point. I’d rather just feed Jalen Smith big minutes and see what happens to the offense with a center who can shoot a little bit.)

Charlotte Hornets

Rainbows and puppies
MJ is gone; Miller soars;
LaMelo is back!

If nothing else, a healthy Ball ensures that the Hornets are one of the league’s most enjoyable teams to watch. There’s a surprising amount of young talent on this team, and they might surprise people if they can play, like, five games together without someone getting hurt.

Key Question: What does Brandon Miller look like?

Miller was an excellent rookie, but there were several areas for improvement. He struggled to get all the way to the basket, often settling for short jumpers, and his passing was an afterthought. Rookies always have room to improve, however, and Miller’s strengths as a shooter and on-ball defender were exactly what Charlotte hoped to see.

The Hornets won’t be good in 2024-25, but they could make a play-in charge if Miller makes a big jump in year two.

Toronto Raptors

Barnes blow-up needed
Jamal Shead for ROY
Is Barrett tricking?

The Raptors are also in a developmental season, but at least they have a tentpole player to build around in Scottie Barnes. That won’t be enough to build a winner, but that’s fine, as the Raptors will be better off looking for a solid draft slot in this loaded lottery class.

Key Question: Is RJ Barrett tricking us again?

RJ Barrett could play until he’s 40, and I’m still not sure I’d feel confident talking about him.

Barrett looked like a low-end All-Star candidate after being traded to Toronto, averaging a bushel of career-best marks: points, rebounds, assists, blocks, two-point percentage, three-point percentage, and more. He likely won’t shoot 55% from the field and 39% from deep again, but a slight step down is still an efficient scorer and decent-enough playmaker and defender to be a valuable player in the NBA.

Is any of that real? I’ll let you know in a decade or two.

Detroit Pistons

Dousing Monty’s flames
And picking through the wreckage
Who are survivors?

A strong coaching hire in JB Bickerstaff should provide more organization to the Pistons on both sides of the floor. They will be terrible again this year, but in a normal rebuilding team sort of way, as opposed to “oh god why is everything on fire” bad.

Key Question: Is Jaden Ivey a productive NBA player?

Jaden Ivey is up for rookie extension at the end of the summer, and he’ll need to make some significant strides to nab the big bucks he undoubtedly yearns for. Ivey has been a terrible defender and inefficient, confused-looking offensive player to this point. That’s not to say there haven’t been flashes: his passing ability (like the rest of him) was underutilized under fired coach Monty Williams (even if the decision-making leaves something to be desired), and he has one of the quickest first steps in the league:

Ivey has impressed in the preseason, but he must prove he’s made major strides over an 82-game sample to earn an early payday.

Brooklyn Nets

Books with no cover
Broken toys, ill-fitting clothes
Cam Johnson? Yard Sale!

*Blows long, sad raspberry* Okay, so the Nets are all-in on losing this year. Their starting group has enough capable veterans that they shouldn’t be a complete laughingstock at first, but the Nets will sell guys like Dorian Finney-Smith, Cam Johnson, and Dennis Schroder to the highest bidder. When that happens, the stock will be uproarious, indeed.

Key Question: What pick do the Nets get?

As much as I like to talk about guys like Day’Ron Sharpe and Noah Clowney, there isn’t much of a future foundation in Brooklyn yet (unless Cam Thomas turns out to be better than I expect). Let’s not sugarcoat it. The Nets hope to get a top draft pick to start their rebuild in earnest. The ping-pong balls are all that matter; the Pistons’ last two seasons, in which they had the worst record in the league but still ended up with just the fifth pick in the draft both times, is Brooklyn’s nightmare.

Washington Wizards

Not pulling rabbits
From threadbare hats; instead, turn
Wins into losses!

The Wizards are actually ahead of Brooklyn in the rebuild, but they’re constructed in a way that might win less. Putting the ball in the hands of compelling young players like Frenchmen Alex Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly and rookie Bub Carrington is a good way to lose games while fostering development; leaving it in Jordan Poole’s hands is a good way to lose games.

Key Question: What the heck is Alex Sarr?

There are so many questions that Sarr needs to answer, starting with what position he should even play. The Wiz seem likely to put him at power forward for now, but he’ll also get a look at center. The rim protection has popped, and the passing has been a pleasant surprise, but his ability to score is still very much in question.

The Wiz don’t need answers today, by any means, but they’d feel much better about their direction if Sarr shines early.