NBA Power Rankings, EAST.

[BobboFitos]

I'm ranking teams based on how I perceive their chances of winning an NBA championship. How I see it...

*As a quick note, I believe the East is deeper then the West. The best teams are in the West (top 6 teams in the NBA are arguably all in the West...) but in the East it seems almost every team would be a fringe Western playoff team. To me it seems the East will be more interesting regular season wise, West more interesting playoff time.

Playoffs? Playoffs? (No chance at all, lottery bound after day 1)
15th. Pacers - Larry Bird claims this team is a contender. What - the - [censored]? Jermaine O'neal should be traded, and based on the Sjaxx/Dunleavy trade, they'll probably settle for Quentin Richardson, a 2nd round pick, and a porno collection. (Of those, the porno collection is likely the most value, of course) Any case, looking through the east, it's hard to say what is the weakest team, but beyond JON, there just isn't a quality starter on this team. Danny Granger is a nice player, seems to me like a poor man's Michael Redd, and will either blossom to a true SG or revert to just a 10ppg/decent %s/never adding anything else of value. Troy Murphy, Dunleavy, and Tinsley are below average starters. *Small note is I had to witness 2 GSW games with the tall white stiffs, and wow, they suck. Sorry Indiana fans, you guys somehow won 35 games last year, that will fall closer to 25 this year.
14th. Hawks - There are an abnormally high number of Hawks fans on the board, and I contemplated putting them higher. But the fact is, what has changed since last year? They didn't solve their PG woes (maybe Acie Law in the future, but this year?) Are projecting to start Horford (who, as a rookie atleast, is below avg) and have little in the ways of depth. (Josh Childress is a great 6th man, he could start on a few teams, but then... Salim Stoudamire for the win? GO ZONA) Anycase, they weren't in the playoff hunt last year, and with a tougher East, should finish with a similar record of last year. (Plateauing at 30 wins) Joe Johnson should be an all star, though, and Josh Smith will make great strides.
13th. Bucks - Again, this is an interesting team. On one hand, it has a plethora of holes - will Bogut step up? Will Yi be a bust? Is Villanueva healthy? Will Desmond Mason continue to be an awful starter who somehow is overhyped? (*Quick note, I think he's one of the most overhyped players, he SUCKS and should NOT be starting). That said, this team has potential, and I somewhat cringe at the thought that they are a definitive lotto team - they have arguably the best Eastern backcourt, with Mo Williams (new contract though, hopefully he builds on last season) and Michael Redd (all star this year) as well as a good 6th man in Bobby Simmons. Since this team is not in tank mode, I project 34 or so wins, making them not a shoe-in to be a lotto team, but will not be in the race the final week of the regular season.

Contending for those #7 and #8 playoff spots!
12th. 76ers - This is such an underrated team. In fact, I'm pulling for them to make the playoffs; the new AI (Andre Iguodala) is better then the old AI. Andre Miller is an under appreciated positive EV starting PG. Kyle Korver is an efficient shooter. Samuel Dalembert is a decent big man in a division without many decent center options. This team won 35 games last year and had a team (after the AI trade) which was "supposed" to fall apart, but instead they got better. (2nd half of the season) Anyway though they will likely miss the post season, but certainly are a sleeper team.
11th. Knicks - For the life of me I just can't rate them higher. See GKA's recent comments about them; he should apply to be their GM. Lee needs more PT, give less food to Z-bo and Curry, fire Isiah, etc. This team will actually be exciting because they will be able to score inside, rather then the typical "score alot because we have a fast pace and just shoot alot of 3s". But they will not be .500.
10th. Bobcats - I want to rank them higher, seriously! I am in love with their team. I just don't think it's fair though. Sean May missing the season will likely hurt, as it means more playing time for ADAM MORRISON YAY. But the back court is very good - Felton is a very under appreciated point, Jrich is one of the better eastern SGs (behind Joe Johnson, Michael Redd, Ray Allen, Gilbert, and Vince) Gerald is a BEAST (in fact, they have the 2nd best 1-2-3, the best being the Celtics trio of course). Hopefully people vote Emeka in over Shaq this year for the ASG, as well. I think this team will finish even at .500, which should be a step up for their organization.
9th. Magic - Is this the MOST overhyped team or what? In my eyes they got worse, not better. I just realized though Carlos Arroyo is their backup PG, which is niiice. They were 2 games under 500 last year, and this year I expect nearly the same; Yes, Dwight Howard is insanely good. But... Rashard Lewis is not. He's good. But that's it. Trevor Ariza is their starting 2, for what it's worth. JJ Redick (LOL) is 2nd on the depth chart. I think they'll take a step back and miss the post season in what looks like a fairly deep Eastern Conference.
8th. Raptors - Sorry Toronto fans, a ton of you here. This team over achieved last year, and did have a nice run. They're one of those teams (Mavs, Bulls being the other notables along this path) that are a better seasonal team then post season. They are deep too. Anycase, Bosh will have a great season (whoa ha, what a bold prediction!) whereas Bargnani will regress. (Call is sophomore slump, whatever) I love Anthony Parker, GO TEL AVIV! Raptors will obviously have a winning season, but will fall off from their 47 win season.
7th. Heat - Oh, how the mighty have fallen. This is not the champion of 2 years ago. Shaq is a mere shadow of his former self; if he misses a ton of games, the Heat may even miss the post season. Dwayne Wade is a stud though (3rd best overall player in the east, behind LBJ and KG) and he alone assures this team will be there. This team got worse over the offseason, as well - Smush Parker is a negative EV acquisition. I dont think this team is a title contender anymore though.

The "2nd tier" of playoff teams
6th. Nets - Alot of Atlantic Division teams should do well. (Funny, because it was the weakest division last year) This team basically is a repeat of last year where it went 41-41 and was the 6th seed. Kidd is of course great, Rj is healthy, and Vince has a nice contract. Not much to say here, except any team with three legit players (their core) always has a shot, and they HAVE been there before. (Albeit a long time ago now)
5th. Pistons - This team is very strong, but the common cliche of "a year older" certainly applies. They were the 1 seed last year, and this year I am not sure they will even have homecourt for the playoffs! (Although, again, they tend to overachieve in the reg season only to falter in the post season) Billups should have a very strong year, and I expect big things from Maxiell. (Who will have more consistent playing time now)
4th. Cavs - How can I possibly rank the two teams that went to the ECF 4th and 5th? Well, because the other teams ahead of them either got better or got healthy. The Cavs were a surprise 50 win team and may match that. Afterall, they have the best player in the NBA in LBJ. This team will struggle in the 2nd tier until they find another all star to complement LBJ. (I love big Z, but he's past his prime and has been on a steady decline; he's still a solid option at center, but no longer a decent 2nd option) Also, Larry Hughes would be a decent 6th man, but again, as the 2nd best wing player for a "championship contender", I'd scratch my head too.
3rd. Wizards - Is this the Assanni in me? No, the Wizards are the 3rd best Eastern team. (Which is basically like saying they're the 9th best team overall, so it doesnt mean THAT much! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] ) With Gilbert in a contract year, Caron healthy and recovered, and Antawn ready to dominate, their big 3 is VERY VERY good. Would be nice if they picked up some depth, but at the minimum this team will advance to the 2nd round.
2nd. Bulls - The Bulls are a true 2nd tier because I can't in good faith project them on the level of the Spurs/etc. If they pulled the trigger somehow for Pau or Kobe perhaps they'd have legit title dreams, but right now, this team will likely win 55 games, have the #1 seed in the east, and end up losing in the ECF. For what it's worth, I'd be shocked if Luol Deng didn't make the all star game.

The Title Contenders
1st. Celtics - So much has been written about them, but they are the odds on favorite to represent the east in the finals. And yes, they are in the same league as the Mavs, Spurs, and Suns. Rather then focus on the big three, the interesting questions will be: How will Perk play? Who emerges as the best bench player, Eddie House or James Posey? Will the Celtics have 1, 2, or 3 all stars?

[kidcolin]

1. Cs (homer much? yeah so what f u haterz)
2. Bulls
3. Is it really the Wiz? Prolly. Or the Cavs. I think it's a push. (ps - Etan Thomas - owww my heart. haha ima dick)
4. Cavs - My biggest concern is I don't think Sasha or Varejao have reported yet.
5. Pistons. I really think 3-5 here is a push. Pistons are awesome. Sheed is declining, but he's still one of my favorites. He rules. f flip.
6. Nets. Kidd rules, although he reportedly grabbed some tubby's crotch and asked her "who would win a fight? me or you?"
7. Raptors.
8. Bobcats.
9. Magic.
10. Bucks.
11. Heat
12. 76ers
13. Knicks
14. Hawks (possibly better than knicks)
15. Pacers

[Arnold_O]

cavs are still a one man team. be interesting to see if daniel gibson continues his excellent play. he's the reason the cavs made it to the finals. he hit almost every 3 pointer he launched against detroit

should be fun watching the celtics this year

[kidcolin]

oh yeah that's part of my thoughts on the cavs too. I expect Gibson to come back down to earth.

[hmohnphd]

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And yes, they are in the same league as the Mavs, Spurs, and Suns.

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"lol"

[Billy Bibbit]

Sweet post. I'll give my own thoughts on most of the teams.

Pacers, Bucks - Hard to see these teams doing anything at all.

Hawks - Doesn't this team have a surplus of mediocre point guards and will have to release at least one of them? Between Speedy Claxton, Acie Law, Tyronn Lue, Anthony Johnson, and Salim Stoudamire, I'm wondering who's going to play and who's even going to be on the opening day roster. My guess is Claxton gets hurt by Christmas, and Law takes the starting job and never looks back. It's hilarious that last year's #5 pick in Shelden Williams is probably going to get DNP's even though he was supposedly NBA-ready. I think this team has a better chance of winning a title than the next few teams above them although their chances of becoming the 8th seed are probably worse. They have a lot of guys who could have breakout seasons.

76ers - Agreed with your comments.

Knicks - Is this team really planning on starting Quentin Richardson ahead of David Lee? I realize Lee is more of a PF but their starting lineup is so hilariously awful defensively that you'd think they'd try to find some way to fit Lee in there and bring guys like Richardson off the bench for some scoring punch. I can't imagine this team doing anything.

Bobcats - Honestly, when I look at their roster I see Adam Morrison getting DNP's. Jason Richardson and Gerald Wallace are starting and Matt Carroll will probably get all the backup minutes at both positions. They didn't give him nearly the full MLE so he could sit on the bench, and pretty clearly he's a better player than Morrison. I'm wondering when they're finally going to realize that Primoz Brezec is TERRIBLE and just move Okafor to C and start Walter Herrmann at PF. Okafor played like half his minutes at C anyway last year. I like this team too but I'm worried about their depth up front. Hopefully Jared Dudley can turn into a nice backup and this Ryan Hollins guy can give them enough that Brezec can go back to the end of the bench where he belongs.

Magic - I agree this team is overrated but if Dwight Howard keeps progressing at the rate he has been then it's tough to see them not even making the playoffs. BTW, I can't imagine them starting Trevor Ariza at SG, because teams with SG's who can't shoot usually suck and Ariza is a SF anyway. I'm guessing they'll start Hedo Turkoglu at SG and make Ariza their 6th man. Did you overlook Turkoglu in your analysis? He's definitely below average as a starter but he's a nice rotation player and way better than J.J. Redick.

Raptors - Agreed again. This team overachieved last year because they had no major injury problems and Sam Mitchell had them playing hard every night. Teams that overachieve with less talent by playing scrappy often times take a step back the next year, especially if they get hit by injuries (see Memphis last year for an extreme example). They also lost the mediocre but solid Morris Peterson and replaced him with one of the worst starters in the NBA in Jason Kapono or Carlos Delfino (take your pick) so it's hard to see them not taking a step back unless Bargnani breaks out and sends those scrubs back to the bench.

Heat - I'm even lower on these guys than you are. I realize that Dwyane Wade wasn't quite 100% when the Bulls swept them but I still think that series was a pretty good indication of how good they are. And if Wade misses 20 games like he's prone to do, they're a lottery team. LOL at their depth. Their best bench player other than Alonzo Mourning is who? Smush Parker? Dorell Wright? Wayne Simien? This isn't going to work, especially since Shaq is going to miss a ton of regular season games again and Jason Williams has injury concerns too. This team sucks.

Nets - This team always seems to look pretty mediocre in the regular season and better in the playoffs and I expect that to happen again this year. You didn't mention Nenad Krstic coming back but that'll help a lot. He was playing really well before he tore his ACL last year. Other than Jamaal Magloire, their bench is pretty awful, but they do have a few young guys in the backcourt who might be able to step up although IMHO they all suck. Like I said they'll get better in the playoffs when the starters get 40 minutes and these scrubs barely play.

Pistons - Not much to say about this team as we know what we're getting from them. I bet they'll make it to the second round but I agree with you putting them down here because I think all the teams above them have a better chance of going to the Finals.

Cavaliers - I assume this team finds a way to bring Anderson Varejao back because they really need him unless they want to give starter's minutes to Donyell Marshall and...Ira Newble? On the other hand, LOL at Sasha Pavlovic holding out. The team obviously said [censored] you to him when they signed Devin Brown (who is better than Pavlovic anyway) and he'll end up in Europe before he realizes he's obviously not worth the money he's asking for. Hughes isn't great but he's better than you're giving him credit for and if Daniel Gibson can do anything close to what he did in the playoffs last year, this team has one of the best 1-2-3 in the East with good depth too. They're right there with anyone else in the East if they bring back Varejao.

Wizards - Yes, this is the most underrated team in the league and they'll pick up right where they left off when their whole team got hurt last spring. This is another team that's pretty thin especially with Etan Thomas out indefinitely with his heart condition.

Bulls - I can't stand this team but I really think they're the best team in the East. They match up better with the Celtics than they did with the Pistons.

Celtics - Putting them alongside the best teams in the West gets a huge mehhhhhh from me. James Posey is a nice player but I don't think you realize how bad Eddie House is and after that they're a joke. Their best backup big man is Brian Scalabrine and they'll probably eventually replace him with this year's Chris Webber -- an aging ring whore who gets bought out by a bad team -- but I guess I'm just not ready to crown their asses yet.

[Billy Bibbit]

Oh, and my rankings.

1. Bulls
2. Celtics
3. Cavaliers
4. Wizards
5. Pistons
6. Nets
7. Magic
8. Bobcats
9. Raptors
10. Heat
11. Hawks
12. 76ers
13. Knicks
14. Bucks
15. Pacers

[kidcolin]

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Their best backup big man is Pollard

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Not as effective as he was in his younger days, but I think he's a pretty nice piece to ahve.

F the Heat, y'all. If they do anything it's because Shaq feels dissed and gets in shape and puts up 25/10s for more than 50 games.

[westhoff]

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And yes, they are in the same league as the Mavs, Spurs, and Suns.

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ROFL

[kidcolin]

west,

you're right. Suns clearly aren't in the same class as the Spurs [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

edit: ATTN artdogg: I'm being totally seriously here. This should totally offend you.