5 Eastern Conference Teams That Could Make a Surprise Run This 2024-25 Season
by Lou Aguila | by Tyler Doty
5 Teams to Watch Out in The Eastern Conference
The Boston Celtics' near flawless title-clinching run last season has triggered an arms race among contending teams in the Eastern Conference.
to match up with the defending champs fire-by-fire, deep-pocket teams like the Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks pulled off blockbuster deals in the free agency market and on the trading floor to boost up their firepower.
But it's not only the Celtics, Knicks, Sixers or even the Bucks, who are expected to improve in year 2 of the Giannis Antetokounmpo-Damian Lillard partnership, NBA fans and bettors should pay close attention to in the East. Now and then, a surprise team comes out of nowhere to ruin the balance of power and snatch the Eastern Conference title like a thief in the night.
Here are the top-5 sleeper teams to watch in the Eastern Conference for the 2024-25 season.
The Miami Heat
Just over a year removed from their scintillating postseason run that catapulted them to their second finals appearance in four years, the Heat are out to improve their standings in the Eastern Conference after finishing 8th in two consecutive regular seasons.
Reasons to be optimistic: the Heat will have a healthy and more focused Jimmy Butler, who is entering the final year of his current deal. The mercurial All-Star swingman dropped his yearly media day bruhaha to send a message to everyone that he means business this coming season after seeing his numbers (20.8 points, 5.3 assists, and 5.0 rebounds) dipped last season. Miami lost their primary contributor off the bench in Caleb Martin, but they are pinning their hopes on the development of their young players like Nikola Jovic, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and rookie Kel'el Ware to fill the gaps on their roster. As long as they have head coach Erik Spoelstra, the Heat will continue to be a threat to anybody in the East because of his ability to maximize his players' productions and draw plays to capitalize on the weaknesses of their opponents.
The Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks gave back to Trae Young the key to the city after an unproductive two-year experiment with two high-usage backcourts. Now that Dejounte Murray is in New Orleans, Young reassumed his role as the undisputed focal point of the Hawks offense.
Reasons to be optimistic: Young is surrounded by long, athletic players who can knock down threes. This includes Frenchman Zaccharie Risacher, the No.1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. After an underwhelming Summer League stint, Risacher has shown some promise in the preseason games, putting up solid numbers in limited minutes off the bench. The Hawks can surely score the ball with the weapons they have. The key to returning to playoffs for this team is to shore up their defense that sputtered terribly last season.
The Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets enter the 2024-25 NBA season aiming to end their 8-year playoff drought. Apart from getting back their All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball, the Hornets have finally replaced Steve Ballmer with a younger and more accomplished substitute after plucking Charles Lee from the Celtics' title-winning coaching staff.
Reasons to be optimistic: When healthy, LaMelo Ball is one of the best all-around players in the league. Ball averaged 23.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 8.0 assists despite playing through with an ankle injury. Looking for ways to stay on the court much longer, the Hornets star is expected to weak an ankle brace throughout the season, hoping it will keep him injury-free. LaMelo will have his running-mate Miles Bridges back after signing to a three-year, $75 million deal this offseason and emerging talent Tre Mann, who is lighting up the NBA in the preseason with his flamboyant playing style.
The Indiana Pacers
Last season's biggest surprise remains underrated in the eyes of NBA experts because they don't have the star power like their big market rivals possess. But the truth is the Pacers have significantly improved their makeup by adding frontcourt depth with the acquisition of former No.2 overall pick James Wiseman.
Reasons to be optimistic: the Pacers made it to the Eastern Conference finals despite losing Bennedict Mathurin, who was the team's third-leading scorer (14.5 points on 44.6 FG%) by the time he got injured (torn labrum right shoulder). All-Star playmaker Tyrese Halliburton will only improve after his stint with Team USA at the Olympics while postseason breakout star Andrew Nembhard is expected to a major role whether coming off the bench or playing next to Halliburton in the Pacers' backcourt.
The Orlando Magic
The Magic is the team many anticipate to make a big jump this season after their young core got their first taste of postseason play last season. Orlando brought in some veteran help by signing two-time NBA champion Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to a three-year, $66 million deal while locking up cornerstones Franz Wagner and Jonathan Isaac to fresh deals.
Reasons to be optimistic: Orlando pushed the Cleveland Cavaliers to Game 7 of their first-round series while shooting a dismal 30.9 percent shooting from the three-point line. Caldwell-Pope, a career 36.9 percent three-point shooter, is going to help the Magic become a more dangerous threat from beyond the arc. Also, Paolo Banchero is expected to contend for one of the 15 All-NBA spots this year, knowing that an All-NBA selection will significantly increase the value of his next contract.
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