The 2023-24 NBA Season is two months away and with the NBA unveiling an in-season tournament for the first time, this will create some intriguing must-see games, along with some storylines to follow throughout the season. The In-Season Tournament has three groups of five teams for both Eastern and Western Conferences, playing against each other, with the first place teams from each group advancing to the knockout round, while the second place teams will vie for a spot based on total points scored and point differential throughout the group stage, along with regular season record, head to head record, and random drawing. The semifinals and grand finals of the In-Season Tournament will take place in Las Vegas from December 7-9. Here’s a look at each Eastern Conference group in the In-Season Tournament.
Eastern Conference Group A: Philadelphia, Cleveland, Atlanta, Indiana, and Detroit
To say that Philadelphia is the clear favorite to win out of Group A of the Eastern Conference would’ve been the right choice, but with James Harden looking to exit from the Sixers and Joel Embiid possibly following suit, that doesn’t appear to be the case. Aside from the Philly drama, there are some teams that could be the favorites for Group A. Cleveland appears to be that favorite. They have a young core of Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland, Max Strus, and Evan Mobley that looks like they can be the future of the Central Division.
Atlanta, on the other hand, may have their backcourt duo of Trae Young and DeJounte Murray, but their frontcourt leaves a lot to be desired after the departure of John Collins to the Utah Jazz. Though they may have Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu, the rest of the frontcourt still looks iffy at best.
Rounding out Group A are Indiana and Detroit. Indiana may have an all-star in Tyrese Haliburton and some reliable players like Benedict Mathurin, T.J. McConnell, Myles Turner, Isaiah Wong, and recent acquisition Bruce Brown Jr. from the Denver Nuggets, which makes them a formidable team for their group. Detroit, while still young, may have a lot to prove in this group, especially with Cade Cunningham expected to make the leap to all-star by this upcoming season.
Group A seems to be all over the place. You have a disjointed Philadelphia team trying to stave off losing their two best players, while at the same time, worrying about a rising Cleveland team, an Atlanta Hawks team that can still contend, and an Indiana Pacers team that can provide competition as a wildcard of sorts. Detroit may be the underdog, but that won’t stop them from playing spoiler.
Eastern Conference Group A Standings Prediction:
Cleveland 3-1
Atlanta 2-2
Indiana 2-2
Philadelphia 1-3
Detroit 1-3
Eastern Conference Group B: Milwaukee, New York, Miami, Washington, Charlotte
In my last article covering the Western Conference In-Season Tournament, I mentioned their Group C being “The Group of Death,” headlined by Golden State, Sacramento, and Minnesota. Here, Group B in the Eastern Conference In-Season Tournament is “The Group of Death,” with Milwaukee, New York, and the Eastern Conference Champion Miami Heat headlining this intense group.
Miami are no strangers to not only division rivals Washington and Charlotte, but also conference rivals Milwaukee and New York, both of whom the Heat defeated in the first two rounds of last season’s playoffs. This time around, the Bucks and the Knicks look to gain a measure of revenge on Miami for those upsets. While Miami are still trying to acquire Damian Lillard in the offseason, it remains unclear if they will get him before the In-Season Tournament, let alone the start of the upcoming season.
Milwaukee and New York have kept their core in tact, while Washington are going through rebuilding phase after the departure of Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns and Kristaps Porzingis to the Boston Celtics. The Wizards will now have to rely on Bilal Coulibaly to lead them throughout the season. Charlotte may or may not have LaMelo Ball and Cody Martin by the start of the season or the start of the In-Season Tournament, but they are certainly a team with a lot of questions that need to be addressed.
Group B is “The Group of Death” on the Eastern Conference side of things for the In-Season Tournament, and a lot of it has to do with Miami and their many rivalries. As of this article, the Heat are looking at a starting five consisting of Tyler Herro, Josh Richardson, Jimmy Butler, Kevin Love, and Bam Adebayo. The Heat are still looking to acquire Lillard, along with additional free agents. Should Miami acquire Lillard and other free agents, Miami could be the team to beat in Group B, but not if Milwaukee or New York have anything to say about it.
Eastern Conference Group B Standings Prediction:
Milwaukee 3-1
Miami 3-1
New York 2-2
Charlotte 1-3
Washington 0-4
Eastern Conference Group C: Boston, Brooklyn, Toronto, Chicago, Orlando
The Boston Celtics headline Group C, who made some offseason deals to improve their team. The Celtics lost Marcus Smart and Grant Williams to Memphis and Dallas respectively, but they would acquire Kristaps Porzingis from the Washington Wizards, along with Oshae Brissett from the Indiana Pacers. It would seem like Boston would be the clear favorite, but there are some teams that can play spoiler.
The Toronto Raptors have some decent talent led by Pascal Siakam and Scottie Barnes, but they are a long ways from their contending days. The same can be said for the Brooklyn Nets, despite making it to the postseason. This upcoming season will be very different for the Nets, with the only silver lining being the development of Mikal Bridges into a possible all-star.
The Chicago Bulls should be a team that to give Boston a run for their money, but given how last season went for them, along with the prolonged injury of Lonzo Ball, things aren’t looking so promising. However, if the Bulls can make some noise early in the upcoming season, that may all change. They have the talent with Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic, but the real question will be whether or not Colby White can take the next step.
The Orlando Magic have a young core consisting of Paolo Banchero, Mo and Franz Wagner, Markelle Fultz, Wendell Carter Jr., Cole Anthony, and Jalen Suggs. They have potential, and should use the In-Season Tournament as seasoning for what it will be like if they go into the postseason in the future.
Group C is basically who can try to beat the Boston Celtics. Out of the other four teams, Toronto and Chicago seem like they can provide some competition for Boston. Brooklyn and Orlando, however, will only find themselves playing for respect.
Eastern Conference Group C Standings Prediction:
Boston 4-0
Chicago 2-2
Toronto 2-2
Orlando 1-3
Brooklyn 1-3
Those are my predictions for the Eastern Conference side of the In-Season tournament. Could we see some surprise upsets? Will these predictions hold up? The NBA In-Season Tournament starts November 3 and plays through December 9, with In-Season tournament games playing every Tuesday and Friday between November 3 through November 28.
The Heat Check Magazine 