21 replies to this topic

[KB21]

Using the way the teams finished last season:

1.  Detroit Pistons - They look stronger with the addition of Darko Milicic and Larry Brown.  They should be the odds on favorite to win the Eastern Conference next season.

2.  New Jersey Nets - Will they keep Jason Kidd?  If he bolts, how much does that hurt this team?  IMO, if Kidd bolts, it will be a big blow to the Nets.  They aren't a good half court team, and without Kidd, they will struggle with the fast break.  If they keep Kidd, then they should challenge the Pistons.  If not, how far do they fall?

3.  Indiana Pacers - Reggie Miller is a free agent.  Brad Miller is a free agent.  Jermaine O'Neal is a free agent, and he doesn't seem to want to play with Ron Artest any longer.  This is probably the most talented team from top to bottom in the East if everyone stays, but they are underachievers.  Will this be Isaih's last season as the Pacers' head coach?

4.  Philadelphia 76ers - The team will be pretty much intact.  Will this season show how much Larry Brown meant to this team?  Can Randy Ayers continue getting this team to play above its head?

5.  New Orleans Hornets - This is a team that overachieved last season with Paul Silas as the head coach.  He's gone, and Tim Floyd has replaced him.  They will lose PJ Brown and lack depth overall.  Can Tim Floyd get the most out of his players?

6.  Boston Celtics - Will Walker be traded before the season?  They added the point guard they needed in Marcus Banks.  They seem like a team that will more than likely stay the same, but they may move up some in the standings.

7.  Milwaukee Bucks - Will Gary Payton resign?  What does that mean for TJ Ford, their first round pick?  This team is still weak in the post though.  Now that the big 3 are all gone, I think the Bucks are in a full blown rebuilding mode.

8.  Orlando Magic - They have the best player in the east in McGrady, but he doesn't have much help.  Reece Gaines will help, but it looks like Hill will miss yet another season.  They still don't have a center, but they have a budding young player at the power forward spot in Drew Gooden.

9.  Washington Wizards - No more Jordan.  New coach.  Still a very young team that has no point guard.  How much did Jordan keep them in games, and how much did Jordan hold the young guys back?

10.  New York Knicks - This was a limited team that overachieved some last season.  McDyesse's health?  Will their rookies contribute?

11.  Atlanta Hawks - They have the top scoring trio in the East, but were a turnover machine and didn't start playing any defense until Stotts took over.  Will they gain the chemistry they need to cut out the turnovers and play better team defense?  Who will be the GM?  Who will be the coach?

12.  Chicago Bulls - Will Kirk Hinrich make an impact and replace Jay Williams?  Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry should continue to get better.  Will Rose be traded?  What is Jamal Crawford's future?  They should improve some.

13.  Miami Heat - The Heat went into a full blown rebuilding mode last year and have two nice young players to build around now in Butler and Wade.  They lack a post presence.

14.  Toronto Raptors - Chris Bosh was a very good pick, but he's not going to help them much this year.  All of their players seem to be on the decline, and they have some horrible contracts.  This could be a very long season for Kevin O'Neill.

15.  Cleveland Cavaliers - Paul Silas is a great head coach and will get the most out of this team.  LeBron James is the star they need.  Can Ricky Davis, Dajaun Wagner, and Darius Miles play alongside James?  Can Zydrunas stay healthy?  I think this is a team with a lot of young talent that doesn't fit well together.  They will have to sort that out this season. They will improve, but it will be a tough year for Silas.

That's how the teams finished and a brief synopsis of where they stand right now.  The big questions regarding the east are, IMO:

1.  How far will the Nets fall if they lose Kidd?
2.  How far will the 76ers fall after losing Larry Brown?
3.  How far will the Hornets fall after hiring Tim Floyd?
4.  Can the Knicks and Hawks improve enough to make a playoff run?

I will make a pre preseason prediction here with a caveat.  Kidd stays in New Jersey, and Jermaine O'Neal signs with San Antonio:

1.  Detroit Pistons

2.  New Jersey Nets

3.  Boston Celtics

4.  Indiana Pacers

5.  Orlando Magic

6.  Philadelphia 76ers

7.  Atlanta Hawks

8.  New York Knicks

9.  Milwaukee Bucks

10.  Chicago Bulls

11.  Miami Heat

12.  New Orleans Hornets

13.  Washington Wizards

14.  Cleveland Cavaliers

15.  Toronto Raptors

[DJ_Money]

Boston: Had a good draft with Banks and Perkins. Still need to find somebody, anybody to take 'Toine off their hands.

Miami Heat: Wade/Jones/Butler is not going to work. Riley will realize his error, but won't admit his failure, further digging this team into a hole.

New Jersey Nets: I believe Kidd will stay, and this team will be right back at the top. If Kidd bolts, uh-oh...

New York Knicks: Great, another undersized PF. I don't think Dice will be able to save this team when he returns. Spree is a year older, and they still have no PG...

Orlando Magic: I believe this may be the year they get over the hump. McGrady will win MVP, Gooden will turn into a monster, and Gaines will be the steal of the draft.

Philadelphia 76ers: Ayers has to keep Iverson happy. To do that, they have to win.

Washington Wizards: This team could be really, really bad.

Chicago Bulls: Ready to return to the playoffs. Should try to move Hinrich for a SF. These kids look hungry.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Too young, can't be any worse than last year, though.

Detroit Pistons: I'm still kind of skeptical if LB can get this team to play as well as Carlisle did. They'll still be at the top, though.

Indiana Pacers: Sinking...even if JO returns. If he leaves for SA, they're out of it.

Milwaukee Bucks: Payton is over the hill. They've got a glut of guards, still need a big man.

New Orleans Hornets: This team will miss Silas, badly. They deserve to lose.

Toronto Raptors: I don't see them doing anything special. I can't see Vince returning to All-Star form. Without him, this team is lost.

Atlanta Hawks: Might as well be optimistic...maybe we can pull out the #8. Doubt it though...

1. New Jersey Nets
2. Orlando Magic
3. Detroit Pistons
4. Boston Celtics
5. Philadelphia 76ers
6. Indiana Pacers
7. Chicago Bulls
8. New Orleans Hornets
9. Milwaukee Bucks
10. Atlanta Hawks
11. New York Knicks
12. Miami Heat
13. Toronto Raptors
14. Cleveland Cavaliers
15. Washington Wizards

[KB21]

They have a better PG?  Who?

I think you are sleeping on the talent the Hawks have and what little chemistry they had last season.  This Hawks team is talented enough to be one of the top 4 teams in the Eastern Conference.  Whether they get there will be determined by the coach.

If they hire Rick Carlisle, then Atlanta will have a 15 game improvement over last season.  Mark it down.

[jezmund]

We need to make a serious push for him and shell out some serious cash. I don't care about his ego or whatever, he wins with average talent. The players know their roles and go with it producing results. I would really like to move Glenn Robinson for a player like Matt Harpring or Al Harrington but it doesn't seem like that's going to happen. If we are going to stick with the team we have, we need a hardass coach. Ok, we don't have the most talented team in the East but I really don't see why the Larry Brown-less 76ers can be a 5th seed and us not even make the playoffs?

JT/Dickau
Diaw/Hansen
Robinson/DJ?
SAR/Hendu
Ratliff/Nazr

With the right attitude and effort, that team can produce.

[JaHawk10]

"7. Chicago Bulls
8. New Orleans Hornets
9. Milwaukee Bucks
10. Atlanta Hawks"

I think you're highly overrating the Chicago Bulls and underrating the Atlanta Hawks. The Bulls are improving, but they're not quite playoff material this year. I think they made a huge mistake drafting Hinrich over Ford. Atlanta still has 3 good scorers, along with a good defensive presence around the basket in Theo. We did hugely underachieve last year, but there was a lot of turnover (literally and figuratively). We had a solid draft. All that needs to be done is adding a couple of pieces off the bench. Hire a coach like Carlise or my guy Fratello...boom..your team takes off. That being said, here's my East outlook (assuming JKidd re-signs with NJ).

1. New Jersey Nets -still the most talented and experienced team, despite Detroit's addition of Darko.
2. Detroit Pistons -I like what they're doing, but they did my boy Carlise wrong, IMO.
3. Philadelphia 76ers -It all depends on how Ayers and Allen get along. They gotta get AI more scoring help tho.
4. Orlando Magic -I like the addition of Gaines, but TMac still needs more offensive threats around him. Gooden will have to step up even more.
5. Indiana Pacers -They hugely underachieved again. This may be Isiah's last go round with them.
6. Boston Celtics -Yes they got their PG, but they still don't have a 3rd scorer. Hindsight is 20/20. They should've kept Kenny Anderson.
7. Atlanta Hawks -a lotta questions about the coach/GM/owner, but still a solid squad. The addition of Diaw will allow JT and others to focus on doing what they do. A proven coach will carry this team into the playoffs.
8. Milwaukee Bucks -too many questions here. Will GP come back? Will Ford be the man? Who will be their go to guy? They only make the playoffs because of the team below.
9. New Orleans Hornets -George Shinn has really f*cked this franchise up. They let go of Silas for the losingest coach in NBA history? Smart move, idiot. I feel sorry for their fans.
10. Chicago Bulls -One more year before they are playoff bound. They need to decide what will happen with JRose and Jamal Crawford. They could've had Ford but picked Hinrich. We'll see how that pans out.
11. New York Knicks -Solid draft in Sweetney and Lampe. If Lamps is cleared to play, he'll be a star in 2 years. But until then they are lotto bound.
12. Miami Heat -They have lost their identity, but they have stolen the draft 2 years in a row.
13. Toronto Raptors -Bosh will take time to develop. They could've had Ford, but even then they still will not even sniff the playoffs.
14. Washington Wizards -This franchise is a joke. I hope Hayes does well here.
15. LeBron will fill the seats, but after this year Cavs fans want wins, not just entertainment.

J

[KB21]

A couple of points.

1.  Allen Iverson won't allow another scorer to be on that team.  I've got a feeling the 76ers could implode this year.  Randy Ayers won't be nearly as strict on AI as Larry Brown was, and AI will get himself into lots of trouble again.  Remember though, AI can't coexist with another scorer.  He had Stackhouse at one point, but AI forced Philly to deal him.  Philly will eventually pay for hiring a failed college coach just to satisfy Iverson.

2.  I think Hinrich is better for the Bulls than Ford.  Ford can't shoot nor defend.  Hinrich will be better in the triangle offense because he will be able to stretch the defense like Paxson used to.  I still don't know why they can't commit to Crawford at point guard though.

[thescout10]

Remember Ratliff is healthy and makes a big difference in the lineup.The bench still stinks though and will be a constant problem.Lets say the Hawks make the playoffs at No 6 position do they continue to rebuild when contracts are up? If the goal is to win a championship which it should be for every tema then yes rebuild.If the goal is just ot make the playoffs then guess will settle for a short term fix like the 80's and 90's hawks.

    The Hakws frontline can score points but they can't play defense except Ratliff.Also adding Terry and one more year of exrperinece from Dickau and now Diaw I think they can make the playoffs but I am so tired of settling for that has the main goal.Yes you have to make the playoffs to win a championship but there as I and others have stated we are kidding ourselves if we think this team can win a championship.

[jezmund]

Philly #3? Why is everyone putting them so high up. What were they this season, #5/#6? Losing Larry Brown will hurt them tremendously IMO and they still have the lack of talent they had this year. How do you get better by keeping the same players and losing a Hall of Fame coach? I really don't see Philly being better than Indiana, Boston or Orlando. To tell you the truth, I don't see why we couldn't be up with or higher than them. Although we don't have a franchise player like Iverson, we are definitely more talented just about every where else down the board and them losing Brown puts them in a similar situation to us.

[jezmund]

I think we should definitely look at what's available in trade for SAR and Robinson. I don't see us being able to confidently resign SAR for 15+M in 2 years. And although Robinson doesn't have a long contract and is capable of lighting it up, just doesn't fit into our future plans. We talk about our lack of depth, I think we can move those 2 and some more depth to our club. If we could do a Grob/CC for Spree deal, I wouldn't really worry about a SAR trade for now. I'd like to see what JT/Spree/Diaw/SAR/Theo could do.

[KB21]

Starting over completely is a terrible idea, and it is one I do not think Billy Knight will go with.  I think Knight will add to this team via the draft and prepare for the eventual departures of Robinson, Ratliff, and possibly Abdur-Rahim.  If DerMarr regains his health and picks up where he left off, then the Hawks have their back court completed, IMO with Johnson, Terry, and Diaw.

[KB21]

JT is better than Crawford.  You just can't give the guy any credit.  He's statistically one of the top 5 point guards in the game.  He's one of only 5 that averages 17+ points and 7+ assists per game, and that was on a team that lacks chemistry.

Diaw's measurables are better than Hassell's, but he's inexperienced.  Hassell is a good defender, but that's about it.

Rose is more multi-dimensional than Big Dog, but he has become just as much of a ball hog, and he doesn't play a lick of defense.  He will likely be traded before the season starts.

Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry are still young, and they still have a lot to learn.