Hawks:
The Hawks are 9-12 and the 10th seed in the East. Although they’re a top 3 offense, they’re also a bottom 3 defense. Trae Young has been putting up points, but he’s doing so inefficiently. The Hawks don’t really have much room to get better either. I don’t think they have their 1st round picks for some years, and the Murray and Young pairing hasn’t lived up to what was expected from them.
Hornets:
The Hornets are 7-13 and the 13th seed in the East. They have a decent offense, but aren’t performing well defensively. Once Lamelo comes back they may have a chance of competing for a play-in spot, but Lamelo’s missed a lot of time so far in his career so we’ll have to see if he can stay healthy. Brandon Miller has shown flashes, and it will be good to see him continue to improve.
Heat:
The Heat are 12-10 and the 9th seed in the East. They have a top 10 defense, but a bottom 10 offense. Their offense should improve once Tyler Herro returns, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. Has been great for them so far. They should make the playoffs, and I wouldn’t write them off as contenders because they always find themselves in the mix somehow.
Magic:
The Magic are 15-7 and the 2nd seed in the East. This has been surprising to see, but they are playing well on both ends. This team full of youngsters has managed to play good defense, and make a lot of hustle plays. I don’t see them as contenders right now because although they’re playing well, most of them have no playoff experience so it will be interesting to see how they perform should they make it, and I believe that they will
Wizards:
The Wizards are 3-18, and that is due to a lot of undisciplined basketball. They make a lot of careless mistakes, and they need a better veteran presence. Jordan Poole also hasn’t taken the leap that many, including myself, thought that he would take.