Cleveland is the team to beat in the East

[JIMBATT34]

boston is the best team this year. period. they have the best defense. they have the mvp(imo).they will have home court. ben wallace helps the cavs d but also makes them more easily gaurded themselves. last year the spurs shut lebron down ...somewhat. this year he will score early and often, yet, the rest of the cavs will get shut down.

[triplet1984]

it really depends on what "team to beat" means to the person saying it. Different arguments can be made for the Celtics, Pistons, and Cavs.

[NoDopeOnSundays]

boston is the best team this year. period. they have the best defense. they have the mvp(imo).they will have home court. ben wallace helps the cavs d but also makes them more easily gaurded themselves. last year the spurs shut lebron down ...somewhat. this year he will score early and often, yet, the rest of the cavs will get shut down.

If Delonte West can go back to how he was playing for the Celtics they wouldnt be that easy to guard, the simple fact is the Cavs were easy to defend because there was nobody else on the team capable of creating a shot for themselves or others. Delonte at the very least can get into the lane better than Hughes could. Unlike the Spurs, the Celtics dont have the defender to keep LeBron out of the lane, Bowen had help but his man to man defense on LeBron was top notch, and cant be replicated by Posey, Pierce or Tony Allen.

[Cammo101]

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You should take a look at our new roster and the depth it brings again...Once we are healthy, of course.

I'll buy into this depth when I see it. You are deeper than before no doubt, but Ben Wallace, Delonte West, and Wally were sucking on bad teams, so I see no reason to think they won't suck on a good one.

[TheOUTLAW]

You are aware that most Seattle fans speak well of how Szczerbiak has been playing right? Clearly, saying that he's sucked for Seattle would be hyperbole. The simple fact that he's shooting well better from 3 than the person he is replacing was from all over the court says something.

[cwas2882]

Some of you more mature folks will recall how when the Jordan Bulls first started making the Finals, the general consensus was that the Pistons and even the Cavs and Celtics were better overall teams, but that MJ was good enough that if he got anything from his supporting cast anything could happen. And it almost always did.

I think that's exactly the way the East is now--Cleveland might not have the best overall team, but if the supporting cast plays fairly well, Lebron is good enough to vanquish any opponent.

Quite frankly the only team I think gives the Cavs worries is Detroit, and vice-versa.

The years MJ got to the NBA Finals, most people agreed he had the best overall team. Plus he had Pippen, who is a much better number two than LeBron has. They had the best record in the east the years they went to the NBA Finals.
If you meant the years they lost in the Eastern Conference finals, then you're right and I apologize. Of course, they did lose in those eastern conference finals

[tnayrbrocks]

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The years MJ got to the NBA Finals, most people agreed he had the best overall team. Plus he had Pippen, who is a much better number two than LeBron has. They had the best record in the east the years they went to the NBA Finals.
If you meant the years they lost in the Eastern Conference finals, then you're right and I apologize. Of course, they did lose in those eastern conference finals

I don't know how you came to this conclusion. imo there were plenty of other teams that were arguably better on paper. Those Bulls teams were crafted very well and probably on par with the league's most talented team at the time but Mike got them over the top. The Magic, Rockets, Jazz were equally talented imo, maybe even the pacers and knicks.

[cwas2882]

Their first year in the NBA finals they were like 10 games better than the pistons and like 6 games over any other East opponent

[iamworthy]

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How can you say Pistons >>>>> Cavs after last year?

From watching basketball. Have you watched any Piston games this year?