East
1 -
Detroit - The Pistons will win this race, there is no doubt about it. Not only are they defending champions, but they have the offensive firepower to outscore any team in the league. Not to mention their defensive walls in Ben and Rasheed Wallace. This team will go places, and fast.
2 -
Miami - The Heat have Shaq, Dwyane Wade, and the other essential components needed to gel in late-game situations. I see Miami being a solid team this year, but not enough so to win the East. What we must understand is, no squad is undefeatable, so the well-being of the Heat relies on the overall ability to sense the "big plays" down the stretch.
3 -
Philadelphia - Ah, my boys. I still am unsure whether the change in team outlook this offseason has HELPED or HURT the 76ers. Nonetheless, this is a solid ball team that will be neck-and-neck with many other teams, and frankly, I believe they have the talent needed to prevail. Allen Iverson, Glenn Robinson, and Marc Jackson are
presumably healthy, so I see a major improvement in the Sixers ability to compete with the best of the best. We have a deep bench, and not to mention Jim O'Brien, so this season should prove to be an exciting year from a fan's viewpoint.
4 -
Boston - Now this is a team that will do things, very surprising things. A lineup of Mark Blount, Raef Lafrentz, Paul Pierce, Ricky Davis, and Gary Payton will do some major damage to many under-developed squads, such as Charlotte, Seattle, and heck, even the Los Angeles Clippers. What we will see is an offense that is a far cry from the shoot-first style of JOB, and that in essence should carry Boston over the hump.
5 -
Indiana - Eh, this isn't such a great unit in terms of overall expectations. IMHO, Al Harrington was a HUGE beacon of hope in Indy last season, and with him gone, the Pacers may be without hope. Sure, Jermaine O'Neal and Ron Artest are two of the greatest players in the East, but to look at them from an unbiased standpoint, they are not superstars. Look for the Pacers to give some teams difficulty in scoring, but don't expect a huge season with wins in the excess of 60+ again.
6 -
Cleveland - The Cavs should be a good, but not great team this year. LeBron James is more focused than ever before with the birth of his son, Eric Snow is ready to call signals, and oh yeah, Big Z is posting up inside. I'm not going to estimate a win/loss total, but Cleveland should be a solid team with decent effort. Look for them to compete late in the season.
7 -
New Jersey - No team can lose that much talent in the process of slighty maintaining their reputation as a "powerhouse". Period.
8 -
New York - This is not a well-guided unit under the leadership of Lenny Wilkins. Expect him to be fired by mid-December, because I can guarantee you that his rotations will be f'ed up my the constant whining of this plethora of rich role players.
Why the others did not make the cut: You see, it all depends on sharing the ball. Chicago is going to be a young squad, so I feel emotions will get in the way here. Same goes with Milwaukee, Orlando, Atlanta, and Washington. Charlotte will just flat out suck, so they don't count.
Playoffs
1st Round - (1) Detroit over (8) New York in 4 games. (2) Miami over (7) New Jersey in 5 games. (3) Philadelphia over (6) Cleveland in 6 games. (5) Indiana over (4) Boston in 7 games. NOTE: That last one is VERY close, mark my words.
2nd Round - (1) Detroit over (5) Indiana in 6 games. (2) Miami over (3) Philadelphia in 7 games
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3rd Round - (1) Detroit over (2) Miami in 7 games. Yes, again, very close.
I'll have WEST done tomorrow. Me = exhausted.
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