After that, fourth place looks to belong to the Atlantic Hawks. Finally, it will be the Washington Wizards in last place. Once again, both teams will put up losing records.
Last Season
It was the Miami Heat (44-29) taking first place in the Southeast Division and earning the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. Miami then had an amazing playoff run. In the initial round, the Heat took out the Indiana Pacers four games to none. In the Conference Semifinals, Miami defeated the top team in the Eastern Conference, the Milwaukee Bucks. They did so in five games. The Heat met the Boston Celtics in the conference finals, beating the Celtics four games to two. In the NBA Finals, the Heat lost to the Los Angeles Lakers four games to two.
Coming in second, it was the Orlando Magic (33-40). Despite the fact that the Magic ended the season with a losing record, they did play in the postseason. In the First Round, the Bucks beat the Magic in five games. Finally, in the division, the Charlotte Hornets (23-42), Washington Wizards (25-27), and Atlanta Hawks (20-47) were third, fourth, and fifth respectively. Thus, that trio of teams finished out of the running for the playoffs.
NBA Southeast Division Preview 2020 – 2021 – Teams
Atlanta Hawks – Head coach Lloyd Pierce has a group of young, talented players. Pierce is a solid player development guy and will be working hard to shape this group into a team. There is depth, but the Hawks must produce more points and play better defense.
Charlotte Hornets – This team possesses a good backcourt, and they have talent in the paint. However, the Hornets need to create better shooting opportunities, which means they also have to increase their number of assists per game. Malik Monk could be huge coming off the bench if he can walk the line.
Miami Heat – This team can shoot and hit from the field. Their starting five make up a fine unit. There’s top-notch ball movement too. Better shooting from downtown and the charity stripe is needed. The small forward position lacks depth.
Orlando Magic – Although the Magic have to win more battles in the paint, they do have a very fine backcourt. This team features great ball control and a tough D. However, can Orlando’s frontcourt meet the challenge? Improvement is needed around the rim.
Washington Wizards – Russell Westbrook arrives and could be an important addition. However, he is aging and is vulnerable to injury. This team features fine point production and young players who can hit from inside and out. More rebounding and better defense are desperately needed.
NBA Southeast Division Preview 2020 – 2021 – Projection
Our NBA Southeast Division preview 2020 – 2021 offers these projections.
- Miami Heat*
- Orlando Magic*
- Charlotte Hornets
- Atlanta Hawks
- Washington Wizards
*Playoff team
Southeast Division – Pluses and Minuses
- Hawks possess lots of young talent
- Atlanta needs mentoring
- Hornets can shoot and hit
- Charlotte requires more assists
- Heat can hit from anywhere
- Miami frontcourt could have depth issues
- Magic possess a fine D and backcourt
- Orlando needs more around the rim
- Wizards see Russell Westbrook arrive
- Washington lacks defense
NBA Southeast Division Preview 2020 – 2021 – Final Word
Once again, our NBA Southeast Division preview 2020 – 2021 anticipates two teams from this division making it to the playoffs. After the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic, there’s the up-and-coming Charlotte Hornets. They will be a pesky dark horse. Both the Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards will struggle. Look for both teams to grow and improve with experience.
