How OKC Thunder compare vs. adversaries- dissecting Sports Illustrated top 100 by conference, division, team
Eastern Conference:
It’s not a shock the east lands ten fewer players on the list given the numerous All-Stars in the west and extremely deep squads. That said, other than the top ten players there isn’t much variance in the individual tiers in terms of how many players land in each.
Seven teams have four or more players ranked while eight teams ranked three or fewer. Expect the former to comprise the playoff squads and the latter (minus one) to be watching ping pong balls come April.
Another key takeaway is these numbers should also suggest a similar competitive trend in the east to last season. More specifically, don’t be surprised if two to four teams separate themselves atop the conference early and remain at the top of the ladder throughout the campaign. Similarly, like last season two additional tiers should emerge with a group of three of four in the middle and another three or four vying for the bottom three rungs.
Watch for some early season success from youthful squads like the Bulls, Nets and Magic prior to a teetering off. This season will be the first in which teams can’t actively tank and be ensured of nabbing the top lottery pick, but it probably won’t deter the practice completely.
Breakdown by tier:
- 45 players of 100
- two players in top 10
- seven ranked 11 – 25
- 12 players in 26 to 50 range
- 10 players in 51 -75 range
- 14 players in 76-100 range
Next up I dive into each Eastern Conference division for specific highlights and takeaways.