The Magic made the playoffs last season, to the surprise of many. They were, perhaps, a year ahead of schedule. Now that they have made it to the playoffs once with this core, the Magic do not want to leave again.
The Eastern Conference is stacked, however. While several teams are expected to tank, others should be some of the best teams in the league. Securing a playoff spot and maybe even homecourt advantage won't be easy for the Magic.
The NBA season is always full of surprises, however. It only takes one injury to take some teams out of contention and put others in their spot. Still, let's take a look at what the Eastern Conference might look like next season.
The non-playoff teams in the East
While the Eastern Conference will feature some of the better teams in the league, it will also have some of the worst. Last season, the Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards put together some of the worst seasons we have seen in a while. That likely won't change in 2024-25, as the two squads will compete for the worst record in the Eastern Conference as well as the league.
The Pistons and Wizards are not the only teams that are clearly out of playoff contention, though. The Brooklyn Nets still have some good players but officially kicked off their rebuild when they sent Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks. Likewise, the Chicago Bulls do not look good. They traded Alex Caruso to Oklahoma for Josh Giddey and DeMar DeRozan to the Sacramento Kings. 2024-25 should be the season the Bulls escape their constant mediocrity, but not the way they would have liked.
The final non-playoff team in the East should be the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets have some interesting young players but not nearly enough talent and experience to compete in a stacked Eastern Conference, especially if LaMelo Ball cannot stay healthy.
The Play-In Tournament teams
The Play-In Tournament is a chance for teams finishing somewhere between tenth and seventh place to secure a playoff spot. In 2024-25, three teams are almost definitely finishing the regular season in that area. The Atlanta Hawks were already a play-in team last season and should have little chance to change that next season.
Likewise, the Heat will probably find themselves back in the play-in tournament once again. For them, it is familiar territory as well and has not stopped Jimmy Butler and co. from making deep playoff runs.
The Raptors should be new to the play-in party next season. In 2023-24, they finished twelfth in the Eastern Conference with a 25-57 record. They are still retooling and figuring out what to do with their new-look roster, but they have enough young talent to beat out the worst teams in the league. They do not seem set up to secure a playoff spot outright, however.
The contenders and playoff hopefuls
The Eastern Conference has a very clear team to beat: the Boston Celtics. Boston should finish in first place again. After that, things get a little more complicated. The New York Knicks have the makings of a contender and should be able to secure second place in the East.
At least according to star power, the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers should be next in line. While the Bucks did not fulfill their potential last season, they were still a good team and should finish in the top four again this season. Meanwhile, the 76ers seem to be a contender if healthy. Depending on Paul George's and Joel Embiid's availability, they could finish anywhere between second and seventh place.
That then leaves the Indian Pacers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Orlando Magic. All three squads have their eyes set on a playoff spot, preferably with homecourt advantage. Unless one of the top teams suffers serious injuries, out of that group will have to earn a playoff spot in the Play-In Tournament, however.
At first glance, it looks like that might be the Magic. After all, the Pacers made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals last season, and the Cavaliers have been a good regular-season team. And yet, nothing is set in stone. The Cavaliers struggled when their big four was healthy last season, and the Pacers were not good defensively. Orlando certainly has a real shot at securing a playoff spot—especially if other teams cannot stay healthy and Paolo Banchero takes another leap—but also a small margin for error.
Predicting where the Magic will finish next season
The Magic will likely finish somewhere between fourth and seventh place in the East. If things go really well and other teams struggle with injuries, they should be able to improve their standing compared to last season. On the other hand, if the Magic’s offense turns out to not be enough and the competition is largely healthy, they could very well drop down to the Play-In Tournament.
Right now, if I had to put a number on it, I would say that they finish fifth in the East, securing a playoff spot. It is just difficult to believe that the Bucks and 76ers will be healthy all season long. The Magic still have some important things to figure out, though, and the competition in the East is just incredibly strong. Even if they fall to seventh, a playoff spot should still be almost guaranteed, though.