The Miami Heat made a ton of moves this summer, and the offseason isn’t even over yet. That being said, a bunch of other teams also made moves.
Where do the Miami Heat stack up against all of the other Eastern Conference teams as of now? What do the power rankings look like a few days into free agency when all of the big names have been snatched up?
Eastern Conference power rankings: Where do the Miami Heat stand?
15. Orlando Magic
The Magic drafted Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner, but other than that it’s been a fairly uneventful offseason for them. Signing Robin Lopez is certainly not going to get them over the hump.
14. Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers have not traded Collin Sexon yet, and even if they don’t, they’ll still be 14th in the power rankings. They have a very similar roster to last season and won’t be near the playoffs next year.
13. Detroit Pistons
The Pistons are a sleeper team in the East (in terms of fighting for the play-in). Cade Cunningham is super great, and according to all the free agency rumors about who they were targeting, they might try to make a push sooner rather than later.
12. Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets made the play-in last year, but the other teams around them made improvements. They will likely make a push for the postseason, but it will be a tight race this year.
11. Indiana Pacers
Rick Carlisle is going to do everything he can to push the Pacers forward, but there’s just too much talent in the East right now. Indiana has a solid roster, but it’s a borderline playoff team at best.
Eastern Conference power rankings: Where do the Miami Heat stand?
10. Washington Wizards
They may have traded away Russell Westbrook, but the Wizards added some solid depth. Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Montrezl Harrell are three quality NBA players.
They even managed to snag Aaron Holiday from the Pacers. Spencer Dinwiddie, Bradley Beal, and the rest of the rotation could easily lead them to the play-in.
9. Chicago Bulls
The Bulls were big-time buyers in free agency this offseason. When they traded for Nikola Vucevic last year, most expected them to be a playoff team, but they fell short.
The additions of Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan, and Alex Caruso will certainly put them in contention for the playoffs. That’s the ultimate goal in Chicago.
8. Toronto Raptors
The Raptors had a tough year last season, but expect them to bounce back. Fred VanVleet was a borderline All-Star last year, and Pascal Siakam is due to have a comeback year this season.
They have a super talented roster, and even without Kyle Lowry, they should be fighting for the playoffs. It’s just a matter of whether or not they make any big trades.
7. New York Knicks
The Knicks were super active in free agency, signing Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker. They were big overachievers last year, so let’s see if they can replicate that same success.
They brought back a large majority of their players and even added new ones. It should be interesting to see how it all pans out for New York.
6. Boston Celtics
The Celtics had a very disappointing season last year, but they still have two All-Stars. Their ranking is very interchangeable with the Knicks, but those two teams should be in a very similar spot next season.
Jayson Tatum is still one of the best players in the NBA, so they should be a playoff team with him alone. Their success will greatly depend upon how well their young players develop.
Eastern Conference power rankings: Where do the Miami Heat stand?
5. Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks put everyone on notice when they made their Eastern Conference Finals run last year. Trae Young is a menace and will be looking for more this season.
They extended John Collins and drafted two young studs in Jalen Johnson and Sharife Cooper. Atlanta is young, hungry, and looking to make another deep run.
4. Philadelphia 76ers
The reigning one-seed was in shambles after they lost in Round 2 last year. Ben Simmons has yet to be traded and they were even reportedly looking to trade Tobias Harris.
This roster is a top-five team in the East due to Joel Embiid alone, but they have some serious work to do. Signing Andre Drummond is not the solution they needed this summer.
3. Miami Heat
The Miami Heat are ready to rumble next year. They signed Kyle Lowry, PJ Tucker, and Markieff Morris in an apparent quest to form the most terrifying roster in the NBA.
No one is going to mess with the Miami Heat next season, and they will win a ton of games. The top two teams just happen to be even more stacked than the Miami Heat are.
2. Brooklyn Nets
The Nets re-signed Blake Griffin and Bruce Brown and added Patty Mills to their already stacked roster. However, losing Jeff Green will hurt them next year.
However, they obviously still have the best big three in the history of the NBA. If all three of them can stay healthy, this team will make a run for the title.
1. Milwaukee Bucks
It would be absolutely disrespectful to put the reigning champs anywhere other than first in the Eastern Conference power rankings. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to glory last year and is hungry for more.
They brought back Bobby Portis and signed George Hill, but they lost PJ Tucker to the Miami Heat and Bryne Forbes went back to San Antonio. Regardless, they will be the team to beat in the East this year.
The Miami Heat have some stiff competition in the Eastern Conference this season. Will they be able to conquer the super teams and reach the NBA Finals?