Crazy Pacers Lead the East

It’s no longer the “Leasts of the East.” The East is back on the rise in the NBA with talent shifting via free agency, trades and draft picks to create a few powerhouse teams. Of course most of the worst teams are in the East too so, while there is a rarely a soft schedule in the West, East teams will be able to toy with a few of the weaker franchises.

The Atlantic Division may not have a team finishing above .500 and Atlanta, bless their hearts, may not win 15 games this year and New Jersey, reeling from the loss of Brian Scalabrine to free agency, just looks awful.

Still, Miami, Detroit, Indiana, and up and coming teams in Chicago, Cleveland and Washington should make for an interesting season. A key injury here and there – or more suspensions in Indiana – will make the difference.

Most people think Miami has all the guns they need this year. While it’s true that any team with Shaq in the middle has a chance, the Heat still seem to be missing a few pieces. They also made a lot of strange off-season moves to a team that took Detroit to seven games in the Conference Championship. I’m not sure I would have tinkered with the team that was really playing its first season together. The Heat added Antoine Walker who needs 25 shots per game at the same time Shaq is demanding the ball more, and they traded steady Eddie Jones for James Posey and Jason Williams. Williams and Dwayne Wade will make a decent backcourt but both will want to push the ball at every opportunity; meaning they will be at one basket while Shaq is at the other. In other words, every move the Heat made gives Shaq the ball less. We’ll see a lot of two on four fast breaks, three-point shots by Walker and Williams before Shaq gets set, and very little half-court offense because, with the exception of Shaq, this isn’t a half-court team. They should win the Southeast quite easily, though, and get a high playoff seed.

The Pistons have essentially the same team that has been in the NBA Championship the past two years. They only have one key missing component and that is coach Larry Brown. They players said quietly they hated Brown and wanted him to leave. Now that they have gotten their way, I suspect they will realize two things: Flip Saunders can’t coach, and Larry Brown can. Still look for good years from Tayshaun Prince and Richard Hamilton, but age may start to get to Chauncey Billups, Rasheed Wallace, and Antonio McDyess. I think we’ll see more of Darko this year as he crawls out of the Brown Doghouse and I like the athleticism of Maurice Evans but not sure he’ll see much playing time.

The only other team that has a chance is Indiana. After the injuries and suspensions last year, the Pacers are back in full and have a simmering anger over the events of last year that may give them purpose behind their talent; something they have never had. Ron Artest has come back with a vengeance during pre-season and the Pacers have a strong starting five to go with him in Jermaine O’Neal (assuming he stays healthy), Stephen Jackson, Jamaal Tinsley, and a couple of stiffs to play center in Jeff Foster or Scot Pollard. Depth will be a bit of problem if injuries strike again as only Fred Jones and Jonathan Bender are any good. Lithuanian Sarunas Jasikevicius may surprise a few people and is someone to watch.

Of the remaining teams, Washington looks pretty strong despite losing Larry Hughes (who will be aptly replaced by Caron Butler giving the Wizards the tallest backcourt in the League). Cleveland could also surprise this year just because it has LeBron James. But the Cavs have also added the aforementioned Hughes and three-point specialist Damon Jones and have one of the most underrated players in the League in 7-3 center Zydrunas Ilgauskas. They also have a bit of depth they didn’t have last year.

I also have to mention the 76ers or Emily will hate me. I think they will win a very weak division but AI has to give the ball up more and trust his teammates -- as long as he doesn't give it up to C-Webb who just doesn't flow well in an offense in which he is not the central figure. He also broke up with Tyra Banks and that has to hurt his self-esteem.

A lot of pundits think the Chicago Bulls are back near the top this year. Essentially, they’re three best players are point guards, Tyson Chandler is looking more like Michael Olowokandi than Yao Ming, and they traded away their only power players in Eddie Curry and Antonio Davis for a loaf of day old bread. Figure the Bulls to finish behind Indiana, Detroit and Cleveland in their own division making them a low playoff team at best.

Predictions:
Atlantic
Philadelphia*
Boston*
New York
Toronto
New Jersey

Central
Indiana*
Detroit*
Cleveland*
Chicago*
Milwaukee

Southeast
Miami*
Washington*
Orlando
Charlotte
Atlanta

* Playoff team

Round 1
Indiana vs. Boston
Miami vs. Chicago
Detroit vs. Cleveland
Philadelphia vs. Washington

Round 2
Indiana vs. Detroit
Miami vs. Philly

Championship:
Indiana vs. Miami

Winner
Indiana