With the 2019-20 NBA season starting on October 22, these are my predictions for what the Eastern Conference standings will be. These are based on what teams I project to have the most wins, not necessarily which teams I think are the best or are most likely to win the championship. I will reference my post on free agency when discussing additions and subtractions, and all stats are from basketball reference unless otherwise noted. This part will be for seeds 11-15.

15. Charlotte Hornets

It should be said: Michael Jordan is the worst owner in the NBA. He refused to trade All-NBA point guard Kemba Walker for several seasons, so the assumption was that he’d give him an extension instead. This offseason Kemba was eligible for a supermax contract worth $221 million over 5 years; however, the Hornets only offered him $160 million instead, $60 million less than what he wanted. Of course, Kemba got a better offer from the Celtics and left for nothing, and the Hornet decided to instead throw money at Terry Rozier, giving him a 3 year, $58 million contract. The Hornets projected roster for next season is: Terry Rozier, Dewayne Bacon, Miles Bridges, PJ Washington, and Cody Zeller; off the bench: Devonte’ Graham, Malik Monk, Nicolas Batum, and Marvin Williams.

The Hornets won 39 games with Kemba, and not only did the Hornets lose him, they also lost Jeremy Lamb, Frank Kaminsky, and Tony Parker. The young Hornets’ players, PJ Washington, Malik Monk, and Miles Bridges, have not shown much promise in the preseason. Terry Rozier is nowhere near the player Kemba Walker is. The Hornets have never tanked so far, and if other teams decide to tank the Hornets might not finish last, but either way they’ll be at close to the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

14. Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers are an intriguing team. After losing LeBron James,they have selected two point guards with top-10 picks in the past two drafts: Colin Sexton and Darius Garland. Sexton had an impressive season last year, but his fit with Garland is still undetermined, and it is likely this won’t work out very well. Kevin Love missed 22 games last season, but even in those games it was clear he couldn’t carry this team. Their projected starting lineup for next season is Collin Sexton, Brandon Knight, Cedi Osman, Kevin Love, and Tristan Thompson; off the bench: Darius Garland, Matthew, Dellavedova, Jordan Clarkson, and Larry Nance Jr.

The Cavs won only 19 games last season, and it’s difficult to see the addition of Garland, and the increased playing of Kevin Love to win them that many more games. They might also look to trade Love and other veterans if they decide to go into a full rebuild. Overall, this will probably be one of the worst teams in the NBA, and it won’t be surprising to see them try to tank for the bottom seed.

13. New York Knicks

The New York Knicks completely struck out on all their top targets this free agency. After being rumored to have great chances to sign both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Knicks essentially salary dumped their best player, Kristaps Porzingis to make room, despite clearly never having confirmation from either player. When free agency rolled around, the Knicks fell short, wasting their cap space to sign 4 power forwards: Bobby Portis, Julius Randle, Taj Gibson, and Marcus Morris. The Knicks had the 9th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft and picked Kevin Knox, who, according to Carmelo Projections from 538, was the worst player in the NBA. This led to the Knicks tanking into the 3rd pick and acquiring R.J. Barrett. Their projected starting lineup for next season is; Dennis Smith Jr., RJ Barrett, Marcus Morris, Julius Randle, and Mitchell Robinson; off the bench: Elfrid Payton, Reggie Bullock, Kevin Knox, and Bobby Portis.

The Knicks have been a dysfunctional franchise, winning only 17 games last year. Players are already complaining about their roles this season. While they might improve, they’ll still be near the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

12. Washington Wizards

The Washington Wizards have their hands tied with John Wall and Bradley Beal locked into max contracts. Last season the Wizards were nothing but disappointing, going 32-52 and completely missing out of the playoffs. Even with John Wall, the Wizards went 11-21. Without John Wall their win percentage was 39%, however, with him it was 34%. Wall is unlikely to make a return this season, so it’s all up to Beal and most of the same players from last year. Beal’s supporting cast actually got worse, losing Trevor Ariza, Tomas Satoransky, and Dwight Howard in free agency.

The Wizards’ only significant acquisitions this offseason were: Rui Hachimura (9th pick in 2019 draft), Isaiah Thomas, Ish Smith, and CJ Miles. Rui Hachimura hasn’t shown anything to be excited for in the preseason and there is not much evidence that Isiah Thomas will return to All-Star production. Their projected starting lineup for this season is: Ish Smith, Bradley Beal, CJ Miles, Rui Hachimura, and Thomas Bryant. CJ Miles average 6.4 points per game last season and Ish Smith wasn’t special either, averaging 9 points per game. Bradley Beal couldn’t get this team into the playoffs last year despite averaging 25.6 points per game, so I don’t think there’s any chance that they make it this year either.

11. Atlanta Hawks

After drafting Trae Young with the 3rd pick in the 2018 NBA draft, the Atlanta Hawks had another lackluster season, winning just 29 games, and getting the 8th pick. With 2019 draft trades, the Hawks acquired the 4th pick, De’Andre Hunter, and the 10th pick, Cameron Reddish. Their projected starting lineup for next season is: Trae Young, Kevin Huerter, De’Andre Hunter, John Collins, and Alex Len; off the bench: Evan Turner, Cameron Reddish, and Jabari Parker. This is a very young team, with 5 of the aforementioned players under the age of 22. Along with their draft picks, the Hawks also acquired Evan Turner, Jabari Parker, and Allan Crabbe in the offseason. However, the Hawks also lost: Taurean Prince, Dewayne Dedmon, and Kent Bazemore. These losses will hurt, as those three players were three of the Hawks 6 leading scorers.

During the preseason, nothing special has been seen from De’Andre Hunter nor Cameron Reddish. Coming out of college, Reddish was seen as a 3 and D prospect. However, in his life he has never shot above 35% from three, and he’s struggle in the preseason. De’Andre Hunter also will likely have his main contributions be on defense. The Hawks have a promising rebuild, but I don’t think their ready to make the leap into the playoffs unless one of their young players has a breakout season.