Matthes Manifesto II: Where do the Indiana Pacers stack up in the East?

The Chicago Bulls

There will be moments this season where the Chicago Bulls will look like they have found the right puzzle and put all the pieces together. Those moments will come on offense.

There will be entire swaths of games were Zach LaVine and Jabari Parker, Kris Dunn and Lauri Markkanen, Wendell Carter Jr. and Chandler Hutchison can’t miss. Opponents will shake their heads. The Bulls bench will hop joyously around. High fives will be exchanged.

But most of the time, the Bulls will get run out of the gym, their defense will be atrocious. Parker’s lateral quickness has been sapped from multiple major injuries to his lower extremities. LaVine has rarely feigned even indifference in defense. Few other current Bulls have executed much better.

Occasionally Chicago’s offense will click and their point total will rocket past the droves they give up. It won’t happen much.

The New York Knicks

Whatever the New York Knicks become they will only become with Kristaps Porzingis on the floor, which won’t be happening for a quite a while. In his absence, the Knicks lack an identity and resemble a toddler’s attempt at drawing the Mona Lisa more than da Vinci’s version.

New York has Tim Hardaway Jr., a guard who plays exclusively offense and another guard, Frank Ntilikina who eschews offense in favor of the defense. They trot out two castoffs at point guard, Trey Burke and Emmanuel Mudiay, both who showed promise last year but need to prove they are both more than good stats-bad team players, ditto for Center Enes Kanter.

Much hype surrounds Kevin Knox and Mitchell Robinson as rookies, but they are still rookies and need to prove it when the lights are brightest.

New York needs to exceed expectations just to have a respectable season. Maybe that’s not the goal? Maybe they don’t want to win too many games. If so, then they are going to succeed.

Knick fans with have to wait, for another summer of free agent wooing and Porzingis’ return to the court before they can have much success to cheer about.

The Orlando Magic

In the entire Eastern Conference, 14 teams have at least one dynamic ballhandler that causes opposing defenses to be constantly vigilant. Then there are the Orlando Magic whose point guard is D.J. Augustin.

The Magic frontcourt seems to have taken shape: Aaron Gordon, Jonathan Isaac, Mohamed Bamba, and Nikola Vucevic are all capable. Gordon might even put up all-star numbers. On the wings, the Magic aren’t in bad shape either. Few move as well off the ball as Evan Fournier does. Jonathon Simmons would be a useful bench guard for any team. Terence Ross can guard most positions.

But besides that? Yikes. Augustin should not be a starting point guard. He should be battling Jerian Grant for the backup role. It feels like they are short a legitimate starting two-guard as well. Add all of that up and it sets up another losing season in Orlando.

The Atlanta Hawks

There is a real, honest to goodness chance that the 2018-19 Atlanta Hawks will repeat as the worst team in the Eastern Conference. They might not stop there, Atlanta might even threaten for the worst record in the entire league. They lack a star player, although they do have two tantalizing youngsters in Trae Young and John Collins.

This starless Atlanta team surrounds it’s two promising youngsters will role players, some good and some less than thrilling. If you squint and turn the kaleidoscope in just the right way you begin to see the foundation for a team that could make the playoffs three years from now.

Unless rookie head coach, Lloyd Pierce, is actually a wizard and/or the greatest coach of all time, that potentially promising future will remain just that, distant and unobtainable for Atlanta this season. Until then, Taurean Prince will remain a promising small forward. Dewayne Dedmon will remain a promising center and complement for Collins. Kent Bazemore will still hit plenty of shots from the perimeter.

And the Hawks will once again be in the lottery next season with excellent odds at selecting first in 2019.