Who improves in the Mild Mild East?

T-Spot · Post #1 » by **T-Spot** » Fri Feb 15, 2008 11:04 pm

I'm tired of seeing all of these threads about "WHO WILZ MAEK IT OUT OF TEH DEATH CHAMBER THAT IZ TEH WEST?" Time for something new.

Who do you think will improve the most next season in the East?

Bulls (Will Ben and Deng play better once they get their contracts and is Hinrich breaking out of his slump? What happens to Big Ben and can Thomas or Noah improve to be a inside scoring threat?)

Heat (Lost of moves might be made. Lots of speculation. Will they clog the leak in the ship? Can the Heat surge without Diesel and can Marion and Wade play with each other?)

Knicks (No comment)

Pacers (Can JO heal up and lead the team to the playoffs next year, or is JO on the way out for reinforcements. How good will Granger be? Will they ever stop jacking three's?)

Bobcats (Okafor, Wallace, Felton, J-Rich is a fairly young nucleus, but can they start gelling together and meet those high expectations in this years pre-season next year? Is someone going out?)

Bucks (Its not working. Is Redd staying or will there be a new franchise man in town? Can Yi become that franchise man? What will happen to Charlie V?)

Hawks (One of the youngest teams in the NBA are looking to make the playoffs this year. Can they cement themselves as playoff regulars next year? What (if anything) will need to be done for them to make that extra leap?)

76ers (Occupying 8th in the east and looking for a return to the playoffs post- Allen Iverson. Can this team with their young guns of Igoudala, Dalembert, Carney, Young make it past the inevitable resurgence of the Bulls, and Heat next year to become playoff regulars? Andre Miller still be the main man running the point or will they swing a trade for a legit star?)

MagicFan3 · Post #2 » by **MagicFan3** » Fri Feb 15, 2008 11:10 pm

My top two candidates:

Heat - They'll have the cap space and the high pick needed to improve instantly, plus Wade should be 100% next year.

Sixers - They'll have a huge amount of cap space, and could make a run at Arenas.

hermes · Post #3 » by **hermes** » Fri Feb 15, 2008 11:24 pm

hawks- gut feeling

and the choices in the poll is the reason for so many west threads

jab · Post #4 » by **jab** » Fri Feb 15, 2008 11:33 pm

Hawks Lots of talent on their roster

T-Spot · Post #5 » by **T-Spot** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 12:53 am

No one like the Bulls on improving next year?

Cigamodnalro · Post #6 » by **Cigamodnalro** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 1:14 am

Hawks will be 5 or 6 seed next year

pwayknicks · Post #7 » by **pwayknicks** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 1:15 am

hawks, bulls, heat...

Dtown84 · Post #8 » by **Dtown84** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 1:27 am

Heat draft pick will help, and I expect them to make a move in the off season.

OzThunder · Post #9 » by **OzThunder** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 2:24 pm

MagicFan3 wrote:My top two candidates:

Heat - They'll have the cap space and the high pick needed to improve instantly, plus Wade should be 100% next year.

Sixers - They'll have a huge amount of cap space, and could make a run at Arenas.

Philly might be one of the only good fits for arenas. Philly really need some more scoring power. I think Gil needs to revamp his game slightly though. Move to the two perhaps. let someone else handle the ball and let him just score. In Washington his good play just doesn't seem to translate like it should.

Post #10 » by **Rooster** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 4:35 pm

I said Hawks but they're not the only ones, just the ones with the most obvious development curve.

I think more people aren't saying the Bulls because this was supposed to be their big year of improvement and they've taken a step back instead. All of their critics are suddenly looking pretty good. This offseason will be huge for them.

I think the Heat'll improve too but it has little to do with integrating Marion, the MLE, the draft, etc. I just don't think that team can be this terrible two years in a row. This isn't the late-'90s/early-'00s Nuggets here.

I think Philly might take a while to improve. Top-level FAs just don't change teams that often. Maybe a lopsided-salary trade is their future.

A.J. · Post #11 » by **A.J.** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 4:39 pm

bulls and hawks

Wade2k6 · Post #12 » by **Wade2k6** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 4:42 pm

Rooster wrote:I said Hawks but they're not the only ones, just the ones with the most obvious development curve.

I think more people aren't saying the Bulls because this was supposed to be their big year of improvement and they've taken a step back instead. All of their critics are suddenly looking pretty good. This offseason will be huge for them.

I think the Heat'll improve too but it has little to do with integrating Marion, the MLE, the draft, etc. I just don't think that team can be this terrible two years in a row. This isn't the late-'90s/early-'00s Nuggets here.

I think Philly might take a while to improve. Top-level FAs just don't change teams that often. Maybe a lopsided-salary trade is their future.

The Heat will have a top 5 draft pick, if they're lucky possibly a top 2 pick. Add a player like Beasley or Rose to this team and IMO they're a playoff team again. Then throw in the MLE they have plus the way Riley always pulls trades off and I think this will be a very quick rebuilding process for the Heat.

LyMinh · Post #13 » by **LyMinh** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 4:51 pm

I have to give it up to the East this year, they actually have two teams that are relevant.

Jemini80 · Post #14 » by **Jemini80** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 4:58 pm

Knicks or Miami have to be the answer, they can't possibly get worse.

it is hilarious that Isiah Thomas is trying to win and he ends up winning the same amount of games by the all-star break as Larry Brown did when he was TANKING.

when Colangelo comes here after the Olympics we will improve with players that actually know how to play basketball and not a bunch of streetball players.

I mean we are the freaking And 1 team that has no idea how to play basketball.

Just look at the first similarity and I doubt i need to name more.

Eddy Curry = Escalade.

Icefire10304 · Post #15 » by **Icefire10304** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 5:38 pm

Jemini80 wrote:Knicks or Miami have to be the answer, they can't possibly get worse.

it is hilarious that Isiah Thomas is trying to win and he ends up winning the same amount of games by the all-star break as Larry Brown did when he was TANKING.

when Colangelo comes here after the Olympics we will improve with players that actually know how to play basketball and not a bunch of streetball players.

I mean we are the freaking And 1 team that has no idea how to play basketball.

Just look at the first similarity and I doubt i need to name more.

Eddy Curry = Escalade.

ilikecb4 · Post #16 » by **ilikecb4** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 7:45 pm

when are the hawks gonna get a damn point guard...

look..if they had Chris Paul they would be #1 team in the East hands down...

that running team is nuts...their run n' gun potential is unlimited..

Josh Smith, Joe Johnson, the big Rook...

they're gonna be dangerous

KB20 · Post #17 » by **KB20** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 8:14 pm

ilikecb4 wrote:when are the hawks gonna get a damn point guard...

look..if they had Chris Paul they would be #1 team in the East hands down...

that running team is nuts...their run n' gun potential is unlimited..

Josh Smith, Joe Johnson, the big Rook...

they're gonna be dangerous

They reached an agreement for Mike Bibby, I think this cements them as a playoff team though nothing past that just yet.

ilikecb4 · Post #18 » by **ilikecb4** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 8:41 pm

I think Philly with a big man who can score would be a playoff team...

Dalembert,Evans,Jason Smith...whoever u put down on the block can't get you enough points night in and night out to win games...

Philly is pretty close to being a playoff team in the East...

_BBIB_ · Post #19 » by **_BBIB_** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 9:25 pm

ilikecb4 wrote:when are the hawks gonna get a damn point guard...

look..if they had Chris Paul they would be #1 team in the East hands down...

that running team is nuts...their run n' gun potential is unlimited..

Josh Smith, Joe Johnson, the big Rook...

they're gonna be dangerous

Yeah but if we had Chris Paul we would never have stunk enough to get Al Horford or could we have lured in Joe Johnson to play the PG.

cdubbz · Post #20 » by **cdubbz** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 11:58 pm

WHO WILL MAEK IT OUT OF THE DEATH TRAP THAT THEY CALL THE WEST?!?!?! i believe in the mighty mighty phoenix suns