Wolves

Eastern Conference power rankings

October 27, 2015 at 8:54PM

1. Chicago

The Bulls will miss fired coach Tom Thibodeau's tenacious D come playoff time, but Fred Hoiberg's souped-up offense that favors the three-point shot will be a joy to watch for 82 games. Could also be the year Jimmy Butler grabs the star baton from Derrick Rose.

2. Cleveland

LeBron James needed a second try in the NBA Finals to win a title in Miami. The second time around this time will require fully integrating Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love in a season when James will save his high-mileage body for the playoffs.

3. Toronto

The Raptors upgraded significantly by adding Luis Scola, DeMarre Carroll and Cory Joseph to lean, mean Kyle Lowry after last year's late-season collapse.

4. Atlanta

The East's best regular-season team a season ago with 60 wins lost Carroll to Toronto but added Tiago Splitter up front. The Hawks' system is great, but don't count on a 19-game winning streak this time around.

5. Miami

GM Pat Riley calls his remade team a championship contender, but it all depends on the return to good health of 34-year-old Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, whose season ended last winter because of a blood clot in his lung.

6. Washington

John Wall-Bradley Beal duo is NBA's best young backcourt, but front line is question mark that the Wizards could address with a summer of 2016 run at free agent, and D.C.'s own, Kevin Durant.

7. Boston

The Celtics have a bunch of pieces — and a bunch of forthcoming draft picks — but no real star unless Marcus Smart surprises. They do have, however, bright Brad Stevens as coach and newcomers David Lee and Amir Johnson.

8. Milwaukee

A new arena is on its way and the Bucks are on the rise with a Jason Kidd-coached team that has free-agent signee Greg Monroe, blossoming star Giannis Antetokounmpo, and underrated Khris Middleton and will get Jabari Parker back from ACL surgery in early November. But the East is getting tougher, too.

9. Detroit

Stan Van Gundy is making his mark in Year 2, wearing his two hats with an improving team now built around Reggie Jackson and Andre Drummond.

10. Indiana

Larry Bird has remade the Pacers, trading away big Roy Hibbert and embracing small ball and a faster pace with a team that has added Monta Ellis and will play a healed Paul George at power forward.

11. Charlotte

The Hornets have added skill and shooting and went 7-1 in the preseason. But even with lovable big Al Jefferson, they don't have a definitive star.

12. Orlando

Scott Skiles' hiring means the Magic will be better defensively, but Victor Oladipo must lead it for a new, improved day offensively with a backcourt that might not shoot well enough yet to make a big leap.

13. New York

The Kristaps Porzingis pick was the correct one, but where are the Knicks going with both Phil Jackson and Carmelo Anthony? The question is: Who's gone first?

14. Brooklyn

Checking in at 14 sure isn't great, but it's probably not going to get much better anytime soon for the Nets, who mortgaged their future for a team that has already been split apart.

15. Philadelphia

Someday, all those pieces the 76ers have been collecting all these years are going to fit. Yeah, someday, someway. Maybe when Joel Embiid gets healthy.