Eastern Conference standings are full of surprises to start the season 

Before the start of the season, the Eastern Conference seemed to be divided into five tiers. The Boston Celtics were in a tier of their own and the team to beat. Following them, were the Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, and New York Knicks as the teams with the best projected chance to beat the Celtics. The Orlando Magic, Indiana Pacers, and Cleveland Cavaliers were usually put in the third tier. 

Then, there were still the Play-In Tournament teams and the tanking teams. The Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors, and maybe the Chicago Bulls figured to fit into the first, while the Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn Nets, and Charlotte Hornets would find themselves at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. 

So far, the Eastern Conference standings have been somewhat of a surprise, though. 

The Eastern Conference standings are not shaking out as expected early in the season 

The one thing in the Eastern Conference that is no surprise is seeing the Celtics sitting in second place. They have only lost one game so far and continue to be a force on the basketball court. 

The only team in front of them in the standings is the Cleveland Cavaliers, one of two undefeated teams in the league. Other than that, the standings are not what most fans expected to see. 

The 76ers and Bucks, two teams with plenty of veteran star power, are the worst teams in the Eastern Conference right now. Meanwhile, the Bulls and Nets are in the top six, and the Pistons already won three games. 

Even the Pacers and Magic, two of the up-and-coming teams in the league, are struggling. Orlando got off to a solid start, but things began to crumble when Paolo Banchero got hurt. Without him, the Magic are not the same team. They lost all three games without him so far and didn’t even look like they stood a chance. 

Losing your star player is always a big adjustment, but the Magic must figure things out soon or risk falling even further in the standings. Depending on how long Banchero is out, the Magic cannot rely on him to come back and save the season. 

Fortunately, the Magic are not the only team struggling. The 76ers and Bucks both losing all but one game has given the Magic a safety net. They are still well ahead of two of the wannabe contenders in the Eastern Conference and not far behind the Pacers, Knicks, and Heat.

After three tough losses, it is easy to panic, but the season is still young, and the Magic have plenty of time to bounce back.