$100
Took this bet last year too before Oladipo went down. Oladipo is one of the best SGs in the NBA. He's been out for almost a year and I expect him to be back to 100% by playoff time. He'll be returning in 2 weeks.
The Bucks are good but they lost Brogdon who was able to make things happen with Giannis was off. Middleton only can score jumpers. Bledsoe chokes on the biggest stages. And the Lopez brothers are pussies, they can't score down low. I don't think the Wes Matthews addition is a big deal. I still favor the Bucks to win the East, becuse Giannis is the best player in the East right now with KD hurt.
Philly. I don't see how they got better by adding Horford and J Richardson. Both of those guys can't shoot well, they're both slow half court players giving Embiid even less room to operate. Reddick was perfect for this team because he creates constant chaos and is always moving. Philly still a great team and I expect them to be a very tough out in the East if Embiid and Simmons are both healthy.
Toronto. Not gonna get started on these guys. They won last year off injuries and a top 3 player in the world carrying Lowry's fat ass. That player is no longer in Toronto. I see the getting bounced in the 1st or second round.
Boston. Boston is a good team with Kemba walker. They share the ball. They're fast. They run. But Kemba is not a good defender. Jason Tatum sucks dick on defense. Jaylen Brown is inconsistent. They don't have a consistent PF or C. They're using Tatum as a PF. Think they're gonna get exposed physically when it matters most.
That leaves Indy. Sabonis is one of the best PF in the NBA. Miles Turner another year under his belt. Malcomb Brogdon, good all around player. Jeremy Lamb, has been putting up 15+ for years. TJ Warren. Been putting up 15-20 for several years. Oladipo. A top 5 SG in the league. They have 2 Holiday brothers, both of whom are very good players for coming off the bench. I might be forgetting some guys. This team is stacked. Nate McMillan is a good coach who's always been unlucky with injuries.
I see the Pacers causing a lot of problems for the teams I mentioned. Some of their players have been in the playoffs several times and just haven't gotten over that hump.
Worth a stab.