Better-Late-Than-Never NBA Preview- Part I
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by Ea34
As we kick off the 2007-08 NBA season, I bring you my official “Better-Late-Than-Never” season preview, starting here with the Eastern Conference. Where will they finish? Who will surpass expectations? Who will disappoint? Who will be an All-Star?
Just read on.
Part I- Eastern Conference
ATLANTIC DIVISION
Toronto Raptors- Their names may not be as familiar, but Toronto has more good players than Boston. Also, Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani will establish themselves as the most dominant frontcourt in the East.
Boston Celtics- There’s not much concern around the Big Three, but the lack of depth and any reliable point guard play will cost the C’s a few games over the course of the season.
New Jersey Nets- Unfortunately for the Nets’, with the talent on their roster, this team should be contending for a division title. Unfortunately for them, the extremely talented Toronto Raptors are a year more experienced and the Boston Celtics are the most improved team in the NBA. This suggests that the Nets should be happy just making the playoffs.
New York Knicks- Why all the optimism? Sure, Zach Randolph is a fantastic player, but his game is exactly the same as Eddy Curry ’s- and Curry is still there. Otherwise, not much has changed from last year. Hey, at least it was a quiet off-season!
Philadelphia 76ers- If Andre Iguodala averaged 28 points per game, and no one cared… oh, never mind! Here’s all you need to know: The Sixers will be terrible, Iguodala will score a ton and Thaddeus Young will be one of the league’s top rookies.
CENTRAL DIVISION
Detroit Pistons- A ton of championship experience, the Eastern Conference’s top starting lineup and younger, deeper bench. Forget the division, these guys should win the conference!
Chicago Bulls- Yeah, yeah, there’s no question that the Bulls’ are loaded with young talent. The problem is that they have NOT shown the ability to 1) get off to a strong start to a season or 2) make big plays when it counts. Time to prove something.
Cleveland Cavaliers- Not only did the Cavaliers’ front office fail to add any new supporting pieces for LeBron James, they managed to (so far) subtract Anderson Varejao and delay the start of Sasha Pavlovic ’s season. I’d have them lower, but they did make the NBA Finals last season.
Milwaukee Bucks- I can’t tell if the Bucks are going to be a dark horse or a disappointment. This is a team with a lot of talented pieces, but no real identity. This team will be fun to watch, will probably score a bunch of points and could win anywhere from 30 to 50 games.
Indiana Pacers- Along with Philly, the Pacers will be in the running for the worst record in the Eastern Conference. Last season’s acquisition of “Trike Dunmurphy” was an absolute disaster, as was the deal to trade the team’s 2007 first-round pick (which ended up being #11 overall) for Al Harrington, who was then sent to the Warriors. How long before we can start calling Larry Bird the GM “The Hack from French Lick”? I see Jermaine O’Neal demanding a trade before the All-Star break.
SOUTHEAST DIVISION
Orlando Magic- Now in his fourth season, with the support of a solid point guard and a reliable #2 scorer, Dwight Howard will mature into an absolute monster- expect 25-13 from him. Beyond that, Orlando has the good fortune of being the best team in one of the league’s weakest divisions.
Atlanta Hawks- Yeah, THOSE Atlanta Haws! This team added two top-tier rookies in Al Horford and Acie Law (A point guard! YAY!) to a core that already features one of the NBA’s best offensive players ( Joe Johnson) and one of the league top young all-around players ( Josh Smith) IN A CONTRACT YEAR! Toss in the aforementioned weak division and this team will exceed all expectations.
Charlotte Bobcats- This is a much-improved team that should enter the new season with a lot more confidence than in years past- the team FINALLY spent some money by re-signing Gerald Wallace and acquiring Jason Richardson and Emeka Okafor is coming into the new season healthy! Despite losing Sean May for the season, if the Bobs can keep Richardson, Okafor and Wallace healthy, this will be THE best of the franchise’s first four seasons.
Miami Heat- If Dwayne Wade is not playing out his mind, The Miami Heat have NO chance of competing for a division title. When acquiring Ricky Davis and Mark Blount significantly improves your roster, it’s best not to get your hopes up.
Washington Wizards- If you though Gilbert Arenas looked for his own shot before, just wait until you see him in a contract year! In addition to this being Agent Zero’s season-long audition for a max deal and the team’s ongoing need for a paint presence, offensive-minded Antawn Jamison is also playing for new contract, which does not bode well for ball movement (or cohesive play) among the Wiz.
PLAYOFF SEEDINGS
- DETROIT PISTONS
- ORLANDO MAGIC
- TORONTO RAPTORS
- BOSTON CELTICS
- CHICAGO BULLS
- CLEVLAND CAVALIERS
- NEW JERSEY NETS
- ATLANTA HAWKS
CONFERENCE FINALS
Detroit Pistons over Toronto Raptors in 5.
ALL-STAR TEAM
G- Joe Johnson
G- Jason Kidd *
G- Dwayne Wade*
G- Gilbert Arenas
F- Chris Bosh
F- Kevin Garnett *
F- LeBron James*
C- Dwight Howard*
C- Jermaine O’Neal
*- Starter
BREAKOUT SEASON
Tyrus Thomas (Chicago Bulls)- Thomas is one of the NBA’s great athletes and a fantastic basketball player capable of doing absolutely anything on the court. Not only will he fill a need for a Bulls team that is desperately searching for a scoring threat in the paint, Tyrus Thomas will emerge as one of the Eastern Conference’s top two-way players by season’s end.
TOP ROOKIE
Al Horford (Atlanta Hawks)- Not only is Horford an experienced winner at the collegiate level, he has the ideal size and strength to make an impact as a power forward in the NBA. Also, he will be surrounded by talented players at every position, easing the pressure on him to dominate, ironically, making it easier for him to do so.
BEST OFF-SEASON MOVE
The Detroit Pistons re-signing Chauncey Billups to a 5 year, $60 million (the last year is a team option at $14 million). It’s tempting to go with the Kevin Garnett trade here but, seriously, can you imagine the Pistons without Chauncey Billups? With the possible exception of LeBron and the Cavs, no player has a bigger impact on his team’s ultimate success than Billups does on the Pistons. He is the unselfish playmaker, a clutch shooter, and the emotional leader of the Eastern Conference’s best team.
WORST OFF-SEASON MOVE
The Orlando Magic signing Rashard Lewis to a 6 year, $118 million contract. Rashard Lewis is a very good player. However, he is not one of the top five or ten players in the NBA, which his contract suggests he is. Orlando’s decision to give Lewis about $20 million per year reeks of desperation- desperation to prove to both Dwight Howard, as well as to the Orlando fans, that the demons of Shaquille O’Neal and Tracy McGrady have been exorcised.
That does it for the Eastern Conference edition of the “Better-Late-Than-Never” NBA Preview. That’s how I see it. I sincerely hope you enjoy watching reality perforate my predictions.
For my takes on how the Western Conference will play out in 2007-08, please check out the “Better-Late-Than-Never” Western Conference preview.
