Sky Sports becomes the new home of the NBA in the UK after four-year partnership announced on eve of the 2018-19 season
Wednesday 17 October 2018 00:30, UK
Everything you need to know about the NBA Eastern Conference before the new season.
Coach - Lloyd Pierce
Record - 15th (24-58)
Incomings - The Hawks will be hoping for big things from guard Trae Young after giving up Luka Doncic and a 2019 protected first-round pick in a trade with the Dallas Mavericks. They have also added the experience of Vince Carter, who is the league's oldest active player at 41, and Jeremy Lin, who will be hoping to bring some Linsanity to Atlanta.
Outgoings - The key outgoing is Dennis Schroder, who has been a fixture at the point for Atlanta in recent years.
Prospects - With the Hawks clearly rebuilding, and placing their faith in 20-year-old Young and 41-year-old Carter, this will certainly be another tough year in the ATL.
Coach - Brad Stevens
Record - 2nd (55-27)
Incomings - Having broken his leg within a few minutes of tip-off on his Celtics debut last year, the return of All-Star forward Gordon Hayward will be a massive bonus to this talented young roster.
Outgoings - Greg Monroe. Boston made an experimental move to bring in the veteran last year, but he has left to join Eastern Conference rivals Toronto Raptors.
Prospects - Given their strong performance last year, and with a young and hugely-talented roster boosted by the return of Hayward, all playing under the guidance one of the best coaches in the league, the Celtics will fancy their chances of making the NBA finals.
Coach - Kenny Atkinson
Record - 12th (28-54)
Incomings - The Nets have brought in forwards Jared Dudley and Kenneth Faried, adding some experience and proven talent to the roster.
Outgoings - With another poor year behind them, the Nets have said goodbye to Jeremy Lin and former No 3 draft pick Jahlil Okafor, who is yet to find his feet in the league.
Prospects - This looks like another year of rebuilding for the Nets, who will be hoping that the latest additions can help them to improve on last year's showing.
Coach - James Borrego
Record - 10th (36-46)
Incomings - The Hornets moved to add the veteran presence of Tony Parker at point. He will likely provide capable back-up for Kemba Walker, while adding some experience and guidance in the locker room. They also added Bismack Biyombo, a solid player at the five.
Outgoings - Charlotte moved Dwight Howard on to Washington, losing a large contract from their salary in the process, as well as Michael Carter-Williams, who is yet to make his mark on an NBA franchise.
Prospects - Despite adding veteran presence, it is hard to see that Charlotte have improved markedly, and so this season will likely be much of the same for owner Michael Jordan's side.
Coach - Fred Hoiberg
Record - 13th (27-55)
Incomings - Jabari Parker. Touted as a great talent coming into the NBA , Parker failed to deliver in Milwaukee after being selected with the No 2 overall pick in the 2014 draft. However, Chicago are hoping that Parker will be a good fit on their roster and fulfill his talents.
Outgoings - Chicago lost the experienced presence of Quincy Pondexter, but have managed to avoid losing any key pieces.
Prospects - Chicago bet big on Zach Lavine, who will be returning from a lengthy layout following a serious knee injury, as they matched a huge offer from Sacramento in order to keep him. Despite this, and the addition of Parker, Chicago look unlikely to light the league up this season.
Coach - Tyronn Lue
Record - 4th (50-32)
Incomings - Cleveland acquired Sam Dekker, a talented power forward, from Los Angeles Clippers, but the best news for the Cavs this off-season was All-Star Kevin Love re-signing with the team. After signing a four-year, $120m extension, the Cavs will be hoping he is back to his dominant best on a team where he will be the central figure.
Outgoings - LeBron James. One of the all-time greats has again left his hometown team, although this time under better circumstances, having won an NBA Championship and reached four consecutive finals.
Prospects - With the franchise moving on without their all-time leading scorer and hometown hero, the Cavs will hope that Love can rediscover his role as franchise player, one which he played so well in Minnesota. However, this could be a tough year for the team, and it would be a major surprise if they make the NBA finals for the fifth year in a row.
Coach - Dwane Casey
Record - 9th (39-43)
Incomings - Detroit opted to side with experience in the off-season, picking up veteran guard Jose Calderon and forward Zaza Pachulia, both coming off NBA finals appearances last season.
Outgoings - The most notable loss for the Pistons was journeyman Anthony Tolliver, who provided good minutes on the floor when called upon.
Prospects - With the addition of new head coach Dwane Casey, who had a successful reign in Toronto without ever being able to get past LeBron James, the Pistons are hopeful of a successful year. Detroit will be hoping that former All-Star forward Blake Griffin can rediscover his best form and lead them to the playoffs.
Coach - Nate McMillan
Record - 5th (48-34)
Incomings - Indiana welcome the versatile and experienced Tyreke Evans to their roster, alongside small forward Doug McDermott. Both players bring NBA experience to the table, albeit not with a history of success.
Outgoings - The biggest loss for the Pacers could be enigmatic guard Lance Stephenson. Known for his in-game antics and ability to anger his opponents, especially his new Laker team-mate LeBron James, Stephenson does leave a void at both ends of the court.
Prospects - Following a strong season, helped by a breakout year from Victor Oladipo, Indiana will be hoping that their star man can guide them to another play-off appearance.
Head coach: Erik Spoelstra
Last season - 6th
Key incomings - Aside from franchise icon Dwyane Wade re-signing for one last season before retirement, the Heat are short of star power. That could be addressed with the acquisition of shooting guard Jimmy Butler, who has requested to be traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves. Reports of a Miami move for Butler have circulated for several weeks but a deal is yet to be agreed.
Key outgoings - None yet, but to acquire Butler, the Heat will likely have to part with one or more of their three young stars Josh Richardson, Justise Winslow or Bam Adebayo.
Prospects - So much depends on whether the Heat can seal a deal for Butler. With him, they have the potential to be a top-four team in the East. Without him, the Heat, led by guard Goran Dragic and reliant on their young stars continuing to improve, are a .500 team likely to finish on the fringes of the playoff picture.
Head coach - Mike Budenholzer
Last season - 7th (44-38)
Key incomings - The Bucks' biggest acquisition was the hiring of coach Mike Budenholzer. His appointment signals the team's intention to shoot more threes and space the floor, something that will create more one-on-one opportunities inside for their star Giannis Antetokounmpo. On the playing side, the signings of Brook Lopez and Ersan Ilyasova, big men with perimeter shooting range, back up Budenholzer's offensive philosophy.
Key outgoings - Jabari Parker, whose tenure with the Bucks initially promised much but was ultimately wrecked by injury, has moved on to the Chicago Bulls.
Prospects - A move into a new arena, a new coach with proven NBA success and a franchise star poised to make another leap forward. Expectations continue to rise for the Bucks. Having made the playoffs three times in the last four years, the next challenge is to secure a top-four finish in the East and make a deep post-season run. They have the tools to make that dream a reality.
Head coach - David Fizdale
Last season - 11th (29-53)
Key incomings - The Knicks took Kevin Knox in the first round of the draft and the 19-year-old forward starred in the NBA Summer League, announcing himself with dunks and threes, including a 29-point burst in a loss to the Lakers. In free agency, the Knicks picked up forward Mario Hezonja on a risk-free one-year deal. Hezonja, like 2017/18 season acquisitions Emmanuel Mudiay and Trey Burke, is a former first-round Draft pick who did not realise his potential with his first NBA team. The Knicks will hope he benefits from a fresh start.
Key outgoings - Veteran big man and fan favourite Kyle O'Quinn moved to the Indiana Pacers in free agency.
Prospects - After more than a decade of failed short-term fixes, the Knicks finally appear to have committed to long-term rebuilding, prioritising the Draft over making big free-agency splashes. With franchise star Kristaps Porzingis continuing his recovery from an ACL injury and unlikely to take the court until February 2019, they are expected to lose a lot of games. Their season is about blooding young stars, hoping Hezonja shines in his new home, being patient with Porzingis' rehab and - most importantly - getting to next summer in position to move for big-name free agents.
Head coach - Steve Clifford
Last season - 14th (25-57)
Key incomings - Since Dwight Howard left in 2012, Orlando have topped 30 wins just once in the ensuing six seasons. Now the Magic have pinned their hopes on another seven-foot center, Mohamed Bamba, who they selected sixth overall in the draft. With a 7ft 10in wingspan, Bamba has the potential to be a force on both ends of the floor.
Key outgoings - Defensive big man Bismack Biyombo departed in a three-team trade. Point guard Shelvin Mack was waived. Forward Mario Hezonja left via free agency.
Prospects - Bamba joins franchise star Aaron Gordon and second-year forward Jonathan Isaac in a frontcourt that has the potential to become a force. But they won't realise that potential this season. To add to the Magic's problems, they lack a competitive backcourt. Jerian Grant, acquired in the Biyombo trade, and veteran DJ Augustin are not distributors and top out as good bench players. Like the Knicks, the Magic face losing a lot of games in the short term as they lay the foundations for long-term success.
Head coach - Brett Brown
Last season - 3rd (52-30)
Key incomings - The Sixers added veteran role players Wilson Chandler and Mike Muscala to plug the holes left on their bench.
Key outgoings - Sharp-shooting duo Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova departed via free agency. The pair made key contributions as the Sixers surged through the second half of the 2017/18 campaign to claim third seed in last season's Eastern Conference playoffs. Off the court, general manager Bryan Colangelo departed following a texting scandal and was replaced by former All-Star forward Elton Brand.
Prospects - With no major additions, responsibility for the Sixers making another step forward falls on the shoulders of young stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Center Embiid is a 7ft 2in defensive force who can also dribble, distribute and shoot threes. He has the potential to become a league MVP but his injury history, not to mention his apparent lack of conditioning in last season's playoffs, mean questions remain. Simmons' distribution and athleticism snared him rookie-of-the-year honours but he must improve his non-existent three-point shooting and sub-par free-throw percentage to become a superstar. If former No 1 pick Markelle Fultz can add to the mix after a year in the wilderness, the Sixers will be in the mix with the Celtics and Raptors at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
Head coach - Nick Nurse
Last season - 1st (59-23)
Key incomings - The Raptors eventually emerged as the winners of the Kawhi Leonard sweepstakes, acquiring the former Finals MVP from San Antonio Spurs in the summer's biggest trade. The only issue? Leonard has one year left on his current deal and could walk at the end of the season.
Key outgoings - Shooting guard Demar DeRozan, who had spent nine years as a Raptor and was so tied to the city, the team and the fans he once proudly claimed "I am Toronto", was left devastated after discovering he was being shipped to San Antonio as part of the Leonard deal.
Prospects - The Raptors have repeatedly shown they possess the roster depth to become a proven regular season powerhouse but they have regularly fallen short, usually against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, in the post-season. The addition of Leonard is general manager Masai Ujiri's antidote. A new head coach, Nick Nurse, and a bench full of more-than-serviceable role players (OG Anunoby, Sixth Man of the Year contender Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam) to back up All-Star guard Kyle Lowry and Leonard should see the Raptors finish with 55-60 wins. The true test of the Leonard trade will come in the playoffs.
Head coach - Scott Brooks
Last season - 8th (43-39)
Key incomings - The signing of veteran center Dwight Howard raised eyebrows around the league. Once the most dominant big man in the game, Howard's reputation since his 2012 departure from Orlando has been that of a team-chemistry killer after short, turbulent stints with the Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, Charlotte Hornets and Atlanta Hawks.
Key outgoings - Howard was signed to replace Marcin Gortat, who was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers for swingman Austin Rivers in the summer amid rumours of disagreements with Wizards' franchise point guard John Wall.
Prospects - In the form of Wall and sharp-shooting guard Bradley Beal, the Wizards have one of the best backcourt duos in the Eastern Conference. Forward Otto Porter Jr has made steady improvements over the past two seasons. A bench squad of Rivers, Kelly Oubre and Jeff Green gives them improved depth. The Wizards have been perennial playoff contenders for many years without ever making the leap into the NBA's upper echelons. It's easy to see them reaching the postseason once again. But it's harder to see how this revamped roster gets them beyond the first round of the playoffs.
Sky Sports is the new home of the NBA in the UK with live coverage throughout the week, including Saturday night's action free to all Sky subscribers via Sky Sports Mix
The action gets underway on Wednesday morning with a double header from 1am featuring Philadelphia 76ers @ Boston Celtics and defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors hosting Oklahoma City Thunder
And www.skysports.com/nba will be your home for news, reports, video and features throughout the season while you can follow us @SkySportsNBA
