2. New York Knicks. It’s been 51 years since the Knicks won a championship and they’ve been to the Finals only twice in that span, but this may be their best chance to return. OG Anunoby was re-signed with the express purpose of defending Tatum and Brown. Mikal Bridges was acquired from the Nets to defend elite shooting guards and small forwards. Jalen Brunson is coming off a brilliant second season in New York and Julius Randle is healthy and should be a major factor. The only issue is center, where Isaiah Hartenstein signed with the Thunder, leaving oft-injured Mitchell Robinson to man the middle.
3. Philadelphia 76ers. President of basketball operations Daryl Morey used his cap space to add key pieces, including nabbing 34-year-old Paul George from the Clippers. The 76ers also brought back Kelly Oubre, signed Celtics nemesis Caleb Martin, and added Eric Gordon and former Boston College standout Reggie Jackson. As usual, Philadelphia is banking on the health of former MVP Joel Embiid, who played for the United States in the Olympics and may report to camp in the best shape in years. Tyrese Maxey is coming off a breakout season and is setting his sights on being the best shooting guard in the East. The 76ers are loaded but also aging.
4. Indiana Pacers. Indiana brought in former second overall pick James Wiseman and re-signed Andrew Nembhard (who sparkled in the Eastern Conference finals against the Celtics), Pascal Siakam, and Obi Toppin. Indiana is not a free agent destination, so its best plan was to retain the core of its roster. The Pacers are young and athletic and Tyrese Haliburton, coming off an Olympic gold medal, is ready for perennial All-Star status. Again, the issue with the Pacers is defense and whether they can make a deep playoff run with their run-and-gun style. But they’ll be fun to watch and tough to play.
5. Miami Heat. The primary issue in Miami is health. Perhaps the good thing for the Heat is Jimmy Butler is entering a contract year and he’ll be motivated to play in more games, put up big numbers, and lead the Heat back to prosperity as he seeks his final significant contract. A key addition is rookie center Kel’el Ware, who looked like an NBA starter in the Las Vegas Summer League and will move Bam Adebayo to power forward. Tyler Herro has battled health problems the past few years and needs to be on the floor for Miami to remain significant. Terry Rozier also dealt with injuries, but he’ll be back along with Josh Richardson.
6. Cleveland Cavaliers. New coach Kenny Atkinson inherits a quality team that needs more help from the bench to become a true contender. But they accomplished a lot this summer in re-signing Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. But the question remains whether Mitchell can play with the creative but diminutive Darius Garland. That was an issue last season, but the Cavaliers decided to keep Garland. President of basketball operations Koby Altman did not address the bench and Isaac Okoro remains a restricted free agent. Atkinson gets a second chance to lead a club, and the Cavaliers have one of the better interior defenses in the NBA.
7. Milwaukee Bucks. Why have the Bucks fallen this far? Well, they didn’t do much to address their needs besides nabbing the inconsistent Gary Trent Jr. from the Raptors on a minimum deal. Malik Beasley and Patrick Beverley are gone and the Bucks will have to rely heavily on Giannis Antetokounmpo, almost 30, to lead the charge along with aging veterans Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez. They’re going to have to rely on players such as Bobby Portis, Taurean Prince, and Delon Wright to have strong seasons, and they’ll need Andre Jackson and MarJon Beauchamp to revitalize the roster with youth and athleticism. Doc Rivers will have a difficult time leading this roster back to serious contention.
8. Orlando Magic. The Magic are an elite defensive team, but they really didn’t address their offensive issues in the offseason. They signed 3-and-D specialist Kentavious Caldwell-Pope but still don’t have a proven point guard. Markelle Fultz remains a free agent and Cole Anthony is a combo guard. Coach Jamahl Mosley will have to depend on second-year guard Anthony Black for floor leadership. Orlando will win its share of games with its size and athleticism, but besides Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, who is going to score consistently? The Magic have the same problems as last season when they wasted a chance to reach the second round.

9. Charlotte Hornets. The reason the Hornets are here is the presence of new coach Charles Lee and a roster that is young and actually decent when healthy. There will be a lot of teams tanking in the East, looking to draft Cooper Flagg, but the Hornets need to take a step forward. Brandon Miller had a strong rookie year, while Mark Williams is a difference maker on defense when healthy. The key is LaMelo Ball, who is gaining the reputation as a gifted player who doesn’t love the game as much as he should. He has to stay healthy. Former Celtic Grant Williams will add bulk and effort, while Miles Bridges has to put his personal issues aside and become a leader in that locker room.
10. Toronto Raptors. Toronto is rebuilding but still has enough talent to compete for a play-in spot in a top-heavy East. Scottie Barnes is an emerging star who should take the next step, and RJ Barrett should be more comfortable in his home country after a difficult season with the Knicks and Raptors. The Raptors made a sneaky-good move in acquiring former first-round pick Davion Mitchell, while Immanuel Quickley should assume duties as the starting point guard. Bruce Brown and Gradey Dick should give the Raptors a lift off the bench.
11. Atlanta Hawks. Hard to tell what the Hawks are up to. They won the lottery and selected Frenchman Zaccharie Risacher, who should help immediately. Trae Young is still the franchise’s central figure, but that run to the Eastern Conference finals was three years ago and the Hawks haven’t been successful since. Jalen Johnson is an emerging standout who needs to stay healthy and the Hawks are going to need standout seasons from Clint Capel and De’Andre Hunter to make a play-in run.
12. Chicago Bulls. The Bulls sent DeMar DeRozan to the Kings in a sign-and-trade deal and added flawed but promising guard Josh Giddey from the Thunder in exchange for Alex Caruso. The issue is the status of Zach LaVine. The Bulls have tried to move him for years but he’s untradeable because of his contract. Is LaVine motivated to return to All-Star status after being floated? The Bulls aren’t a bad team, but they have yet to play up to their potential despite loading their roster with lottery picks. Coby White is coming off the best year of his career, but it meant nothing in team wins. Patrick Williams needs to stay healthy. Lonzo Ball has missed the last two seasons and there’s no timetable on his return.
13. Detroit Pistons. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff is coming over after upgrading the Cavaliers into playoff contenders. But an uneven relationship with Mitchell cost him his job. The Pistons have been a train wreck and fired coach Monty Williams one year into a six-year, $78 million deal. Cade Cunningham has improved but needs to stay on the floor. Jalen Duren is a beast in the paint but needs to improve his offense. Jaden Ivey has to be more consistent. Detroit brought back Tobias Harris for leadership and added Tim Hardaway Jr. for shooting. There’s too much young talent not to take a step forward, but it’s not likely to be this year.
14. Washington Wizards. The Wizards are in the middle of their multiyear tankathon and they’ll be scouting Flagg heavily during his freshman year at Duke. But until then, coach Brian Keefe will see what the franchise has in players such as second overall pick Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Carlton Carrington, and Bilal Coulibaly. Jordan Poole returns for the second year of that mammoth four-year, $120 million deal he signed with the Warriors. Kyle Kuzma is also back but could be traded because of his rather economical contract.
15. Brooklyn Nets. New coach Jordi Fernandez is one of the league’s rising leaders, but he will be hard pressed to get the Nets to 30 wins in this rebuilding season. Brooklyn’s best player is former Suns swingman Cameron Johnson and he’s not close to All-Star caliber. Ben Simmons is still on the roster and we’ve all seen his summer workout videos, but it’s unlikely he’ll make much of an impact. Fernandez will tutor the team’s young core, such as Noah Clowney, Dariq Whitehead, Jalen Wilson, and Keon Johnson. Nic Claxton re-signed to remain a cornerstone in the middle, but the Nets will spend this season figuring out who goes and who stays after botching opportunities to become a conference power.
ETC.
Antetokounmpo loved Olympic experience
Giannis Antetokounmpo led Greece to the Olympic quarterfinals in his first opportunity to play on the biggest international stage and that experience in Paris was not lost on one of the game’s all-time greats. Antetokounmpo waited until age 29 to participate in the Olympics and was the flag bearer for Greece during the Opening Ceremony.
“I remember when I came [to Paris] the first day and I texted my wife and said, ‘I cannot stop smiling,’ ” Antetokounmpo said. “Just the atmosphere and the vibe is just different. It’s hard for me to be around every basketball player because people compete against one another and then you see them in the cafeteria, you see them in the elevator, you see them outside in the lounge area, just the energy is different.
“The moment we went to the ceremony with all the Greek athletes and my teammates and lifting up the flag and seeing people coming out to celebrate us and cheer for us. And going back and competing in the game and seeing how the crowd is into it, it’s incredible. I’m happy that I’m here. I won’t take it for granted. You never know if you’re going to ever have this opportunity in 16 years to be here. In 16 years, I will be 45, man.”

It was Greece’s first Olympic basketball appearance since 2008.
“I’m just happy that I see my kids out there,” Antetokounmpo said. “They are able to see me compete on this stage and I can tell them stories about how it was.”
Antetokounmpo, along with his brothers, sold watches and other trinkets on the streets of Athens to earn money during their childhood. He did not receive his Greek citizenship until 2013, just a few weeks before the NBA Draft. Carrying the Greek flag held special significance.
“The energy was extremely high, going from the Lille Olympic village to the Paris Olympic village and seeing all the athletes,” he said. “Seeing how everybody is carrying themselves and everyone has a little bit of pressure. You can see it in their eyes. Once we got in the boat and we lifted up the flag, everybody just relaxed and tried to enjoy the moment. For me, it was one of the biggest honors I could ever ask for. The day that they told me and asked me if I would be willing to represent the country and be the flag bearer, they said we want you to do it because you represent everything that sports represent, the way you carry yourself off the court and on the court, we’d love for you to do it. It was the biggest honor that I have ever done in my life and I know my father is watching from heaven and he’s dancing about this.
“I might win another championship. I might never carry the flag again. For those 45 minutes, going through the Eiffel Tower and it was raining, and it made it even more dramatic and seeing my mom with her phone videotaping me, it was a great experience that I’ll never forget.”
Layups
The Grizzlies won’t start a much-anticipated season healthy as second-year forward GG Jackson will miss the next three months after breaking his foot during an offseason workout. Jackson, one of the league’s younger players, played mostly in the G League the first two months of last season but joined the big club because of injuries, averaged 14.6 points in 48 games, and was named second-team All-Rookie. The Grizzlies are a sleeper playoff contender with Ja Morant, Marcus Smart, and Brandon Clarke coming back healthy to join former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson. The Grizzlies used a whopping 33 players last season because of injuries . . . The 76ers are dealing with stadium issues and are lobbying the city for help to build a downtown arena, but they have felt resistance. The lease for Wells Fargo Center expires in 2031 and there’s a growing possibility the club could move to New Jersey. The state has offered $400 million in tax credit to the 76ers with hopes of building a new arena in Camden. The 76ers play in one of the country’s few sports complexes that houses all four major professional sports teams, but they are seeking a state-of-the-art venue . . . There will be some number changes in the NBA, with Russell Westbrook wearing No. 4, as he did in Washington, with his new team, the Nuggets. He said he never approached third-year guard Christian Braun about wearing No. 0 and wants to start fresh. Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon will switch from 50 to 32 in honor of his brother, who died in a car accident this summer. Drew Gordon was a teammate of Jrue Holiday at UCLA and also played at New Mexico before having a solid career overseas. In San Antonio, Keldon Johnson will give his No. 3 to veteran Chris Paul and will wear No. 0. Paul, who signed a one-year deal, wore No. 3 for all six of his previous teams, including Golden State last season. The expectation is Paul’s leadership and floor skills will bring second-year center Victor Wembanyama to another level as the Spurs seek to be playoff competitors after several down years. Paul will be entering his 20th season.
Gary Washburn is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @GwashburnGlobe.