Post#22 » by King Roosk » Wed Jul 9, 2008 10:42 pm
It's too early to accurately predict this. Let's run through the East.
Boston- They're the defending champions; I see no way for them to miss the playoffs.
Detroit- Probably a lock to make the top 8, but is Dumars trying to blow their current roster up? I suppose we'll find out soon enough.
Orlando- They'll be good, but Pietrus is very overrated. He'll help, but he doesn't by any means catapult them into a category with the elite.
Cleveland- King James won't miss the playoffs, but he needs more help if they want to advance deeper.
Washington- The Wizards success depends on their health. They have good role players in Blatche, Haywood, Mason, Songaila, and Daniels, but will their remain healthy?
Toronto- The Raptors have a lot of talent, but they're simply too soft. If Bosh and JO both remain healthy then their frontline will cause havoc, but Anthony Parker is NOT the answer at SG. I think Calderon starting will make them a lot better though.
Philadelphia- If they can find a shooter then I think they'll be very good. They stormed out of nowhere to make the playoffs and took Detroit to 6 games with no shooters and post-scoring ability. With Andre Miller's playmaking ability, Iguodala's scoring ability, Dalembert's rebounding/shotblocking, their overall youth/athleticism, and now Elton Brand's post-scoring presence, if they find a way to spread the floor then they'll be an exciting team to watch.
Atlanta- They're a young, athletic team, decent team, but for some reason they don't fast break. Will they keep Josh Smith? Will Mike Bibby play to expectations? They still have a ways to go before being a force to reckon with.
Miami- This is my pick for surprise team. We have to wait and see how the offseason plays out though, because a number of things could happen to Miami. They could keep Marion along with Beasley and Wade and build around that. They could trade Marion for more pieces. Who knows? I, for one, believe that Pat Riley will have the Miami Heat looking pretty darn good next year.
New York- ....
New Jersey- They'll be pretty good within several years, but right now they're simply too young. And I'm not on the Brook Lopez bandwagon, but maybe he'll prove me wrong.
Indiana- They aren't ready to compete yet; I don't think many would people would argue with that.
Milwaukee- Once again they seem pretty nice on paper, but I don't think that will translate to a playoff contender on the court.
Charlotte- The Bobcats will be good soon enough, but they haven't added anything significant to their roster, and we still have to see how long it takes before Larry Brown packs up and heads out of town.
Chicago- Who knows what could happen with Chicago? Deng, Gordon, Hinrich, Hughes, Gooden, Rose, Noah, Nocioni...they have a lot of talent. Will they be able to make the playoffs with it? I think they'll either be really good, or really bad. I don't have a crystal ball though so I couldn't tell ya.