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The Celtics are the favorites to repeat at this time for good reason. They are clearly the best team and still the only team with 3 legitimate superstars. However, there are 4 teams in their way and 3 of them are in the East. In addition, all 4 can claim to have the best player on the court when they play the Celtics.

1. Cleveland. Lebron is the best player in the NBA right now and possibly the best defender too. He is MVP, defensive player of the year and has finally (at a mere 23 yo) lived up to the incredible hype. He really has become the MIchael Jordan of this era with the ability to dominate all aspects of the game. The way Cleveland is playing offensively and the surprising fact that their defense actually got better should send shockwaves through the NBA. Lets hope that Orlando or Atlanta knocks them off before the ECF.

2. Orlando. Howard may be the second best player in the game and the only guy in the league that can single handedly dominate KG and the Celtics interior defense. This team is starting to emerge and with the return of Jameer Nelson could be scary.

3. Los Angeles. Kobe is clearly the best player in the West. The team definitely improved in offseason. They still look soft and the schedule is killing them right now. But come playoff time, I expect them to roll to the finals and be rested and hungry. They probably beat every other team in East including the Cavs due to Kobe and experience.

4. Atlanta. Is Joe Johnson better than KG or Pierce? In the last game, he looked like the guy who was best able to create shots and was getting to the rim past Pierce and over KG and Perk. Despite the big free throw miss.... he really has come a long way. Atlanta took the C's to 7 for a reason last year and Joe Johnson is that reason.

There are 4 other teams out West that could make it interesting. New Orleans with Chris Paul could upset the Lakers. San Antonio is still dangerous but I think time has finally caught up with them. Phoenix is intriguing if only because their starting 5 has 5 current or former superstars in Shaq, Amare, Nash, Hill and Richardson. With Barbosa and Barnes on the bench they have an amazing top 7. Unfortunately, Nash, Hill and Shaq are really old.

sam_I_am wrote:
4. Atlanta. Is Joe Johnson better than KG or Pierce? In the last game, he looked like the guy who was best able to create shots and was getting to the rim past Pierce and over KG and Perk. Despite the big free throw miss.... he really has come a long way. Atlanta took the C's to 7 for a reason last year and Joe Johnson is that reason.

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You do know he was 6 of 16 from the floor and 1 of 7 from 3 correct? In the game earlier in the year he was 9 for 23 from the floor. I'm not sure that is really getting past Pierce and over KG and Perk.

And the reason the C's had to go 7 with the Hawks? Really he shot 40% for the series. He did have one big game in a win and one in a loss. That Hawks team is just very good at home.

So to answer your question no JJ is not even in the same class as KG or Pierce.

I will give you Lebron and Kobe but that is about it. There is no way JJ is better than KG or Pierce. Same with Howard. Dwight simply can not carry a team offensively. He can`t shoot free throws and has no offensive moves. Is he a great player, of course, but he will never be a dominant offensive player.

There is only one team in the east that can challenge the C`s and that is CLE. ORL and ATL have good teams but they are not on the same level, especially ATL.

I do have to admit that Orlando team is a team I'd like to stay away from come playoff time. I do think Howard is a tough matchup for the Celtics. The guy is just a monster down low. But you can't really sag down to help out Howard that much. The Magic have some great outside shooters and if they get it going they are very tough to beat.

LeBron is the DPOY? He's a good defender but he's not even close to being on the level of a defender like Artest or even KG. But I would like to stay away from Orlando, they are amazing against us and D12 never leaves the paint.

This is why home court advantage in the East is so important. Top seed, the Celts will play only one of Cleveland or Orlando. Second seed, they'd have to beat them both to get to the finals.

I'd rather have the Celtics' "Dilemma" of having to go through those teams....Than have the dilemma of having to go through the Celtics--like those teams do (if this makes any sense).

MaxwellSmart wrote:I'd rather have the Celtics' "Dilemma" of having to go through those teams....Than have the dilemma of having to go through the Celtics--like those teams do (if this makes any sense).

+1.

Cleveland and Laker I can see. Orlando... um, maybe, but when's the last time that a team that relied so much on the 3 ball went anywhere? Atlanta... lol, sorry not worried about them at all. I'd be much more concerned with the Spurs if they manage to get by the Lakers.

lebron great defensive player, dpoy?!?!?!?

Well, Cleveland is currently the best team in the league going by scoring differential. They are, on average, outscoring their opponent by 13 points. Should that keep up, that +13 mark will be good for best in the NBA; our +9.31 mark last season was the best the NBA had seen in awhile (so far this season our differential is 10.29). Their FG% defense is right up there with ours, and they are allowing fewer points per game.

Now, they could still make a move or two to tweak their roster. And, with added garbage time Lebron will be as rested as ever come the playoffs (Lebron's 35.8 mpg is low compared to his 40.8 mpg career average). Big Z's 26.0 mpg is the lowest he's averaged since 2002. Ben Wallace is playing less minutes per game than he has since the previous decade. Daniel Gibson's been injured and he is a useful role player off the bench.

So they should certainly present a challenge.

MaxwellSmart wrote:I'd rather have the Celtics' "Dilemma" of having to go through those teams....Than have the dilemma of having to go through the Celtics--like those teams do (if this makes any sense).

I disagree. It's much much harder tryin to repeat the title for the celtics because theirs pressure on them to repeat again and theirs a huge target on them this year, yes even bigger than last year. The Celtics are CLEARLY the best team in the league right now and are the favorites to win the title...it's always easier to be the underdog (magic, cavs, lakers). Now i know the magic, cavs and lakers arent underdogs by much, but for the cavs and lakers theirs not as much pressure for them to win it all as the celtics IMO.

Cleveland, orlando and los angeles can all win the title this year. It seems like the Celtics want is more than anyone else with the way they are playing and their record. I can see it harder for the celtics losing than any other team simply because they dont have a "young superstar franchise" player like howard, lebron and the lakers are just stacked. The celtics window will be closing with the big 3 in a few years as they grow older so they need to win now now now.

The celtics do have it tough to get to the finals through cavs, magic and the hawks...theyre gona get beat up along the way.

Hmm...does anyone agree/disagree that LeBon James is the best defensive player in the NBA and defensive player of the year? I bring it up based still being quite fond of our very own #5, and plain curiosity on others' opinions.

SonicYouth34 wrote:LeBron is the DPOY? He's a good defender but he's not even close to being on the level of a defender like Artest or even KG. But I would like to stay away from Orlando, they are amazing against us and D12 never leaves the paint.

No kidding...this is one of the biggest myths proferred by the national media thus far. What next, that he's a deadly jumpshooter now, too?

dilemma -lmao

have you watched the celtics play this year ?

1st gpa - the heart, determination, will , and talent of these players make it near imp. to beat in a 7 game series - seriously

2nd rondo - if he drives and creates like he has been + his defense = forget about it

3rd perk - this kid is getting better daily and i mean daily!

4th house - damn when hes hot hes hot !

5th ta - defense defense defense

6th powe- did you see what he did in la last year!

7th cassel - sam-i-am

8th scal- a - brinie

9th ainge - will pick up the lock!

thank you boston - 2008/09 champs

Lebron is a serious candidate for dpoy award. Why? Because the best defender on the best defensive team in NBA usually wins. Bruce Bowen, Ben Wallace and yes our own KG all won the award the same way. Right now Cleveland has the lowest ppg against in NBA. The fact that they have acheived this with a more uptempo offense is very impressive.

Joe Johnson is not a better player than KG or PP but his ability to get off good shots in the clutch was superior in the last game to KG or PP and he had to do it against a better defense. That quality can be huge in the playoffs. Without Posey to defend him this year he is going to be a factor if we meet them again. JJ probably isn't this effective against every team in the NBA and not as tough on other teams as KG and PP. But if we meet them in the playoffs it is only the matchup that matters. Remember Dallas vs. Golden State?

LeBron's defense is vastly overrated...it's not like he's a lockdown defender now...now he actually puts a bit of effort into it, unlike past years, and does a passable job. I still think Kobe and yes, even Pierce, are better than him on D...