NBA Preview: Eastern Conference

In the first of a two-part series, we preview the Eastern Conference. With the infusion of such players as Shaquille O’Neal, Rasheed Wallace and LeBron James over the last few seasons, the East is regaining the balance of power that it lost when Michael Jordan retired from Chicago. Although the San Antonio Spurs are the defending NBA champs, it is the three beasts of the East that have the best chance of dethroning them: the Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons. After that, it’s all mediocrity and in some cases, downright awful.

Southeast Division

The Miami Heat will dominate the rest of the division. That being said, they made too many changes to a team that was only one game from the NBA Finals last season. The Washington Wizards lost Larry Hughes, but still might creep into the playoffs. The Orlando Magic have a beast in Dwight Howard, but an odd mix of players that will excel in the art of losing. Charlotte Bobcats rookie point guard Raymond Felton guaranteed his team to make the playoffs, but they look more like the Bearcats than an NBA team. Joining them in the lottery will be the Atlanta Hawks, who gave Joe Johnson a $70 million max contract. This may be the biggest rip-off since the Union started selling that dreadful Chinese food.

Atlantic Division

The New Jersey Nets should win this division by at least eight games, which should please all four of their fans. The Knicks should finish second and beat out the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers and the hapless Toronto Raptors. If new head coach Larry Brown can somehow get Eddy Curry to resemble a rebounding center instead of Fat Albert with a post game, they’ll be much improved from last season. Look for guard Jamal Crawford to be traded, as he creates more turnovers than a pastry chef.

Central Division

This is the deepest division in the conference, and could place four teams in the playoffs. Indiana will probably edge out Detroit, with the Cleveland Cavaliers pursuing the whole way. As LeBron James enters his third season with a better supporting cast that includes Hughes and Donyell Marshall, the Cavs will be one of the more exciting teams in the league. The Milwaukee Bucks are on the rise, and the Chicago Bulls will take a step back after trading Curry.