Atlantic Division (Last year's record)
This divison should be pretty straight forward
1. Boston Celtics (50-32)
The defending Eastern Conference Champions return everyone from last year's roster, with one very large addition...Shaquille O'Neal (or the Big Shamrock, if that's the nickname he ends up going with). I really don't think Shaq will be a big help to this team, and he'll likely miss a large chunk of the season with some kind of injury or maybe just to rest up for the playoffs. Boston better hope this acquisition works out better for them than it did for the Cavaliers last year, because playing O'Neal over J.J. Hickson might have cost Cleveland a spot in the finals. In my opinion, O'Neal is good for the first 5-8 minutes of a basketball game, and then he's done. Shaq is very entertaining and extremely effective in spurts, but his time as a great NBA basketball player is over. This Celtics team is getting pretty old, but they are still a threat and are one of the deepest teams in the NBA. Rondo, Pierce, and Allen are gearing up for one more run at a title, and with the big names traveling down south to Miami, their reign as the best team in the East might be up. However, this is one of the weaker divisions in the league, and Boston should have no problem finishing 1st and guaranteeing home court in the first round of the playoffs. 2. New York Knicks (29-53)
It was a very eventful off-season for the Knicks, as they acquired Amar'e Stoudamire and my favorite player, Raymond Felton. New York fans are a little disappointed they haven't added another marquee superstar yet as well, but this team has the potential to be really good once they work out the kinks. It's been a slow start for the Knicks this preseason, but with the talent they have, making the playoffs is a reasonable expectation after only winning 29 games last year. That said, I think they might need to make the trade for Carmelo Anthony happen if they want to think about getting homecourt advantage in the first round. The Knicks will need solid contributions from Anthony Randolph, Timofey Mosgov, and Ronny Turiaf inside to take some of the pressure off Stoudamire, and everyone will have to make a commitment to the defensive end of the floor. Hopefully Felton can talk all his teammates, including head coach Mike D'Antoni, into having some pride when the other team has the ball. I'm just hoping Felton holds on to his starting spot with a very talented Toney Douglas lurking behind him. I saw him rip up the ACC while at Florida State, and he should definitely get his share of time on the court. My suggestion would be to play Felton at the point with Douglas seeing the majority of his action alongside in the shooting guard role, but I'm sure they won't do that since they both are ONLY around 6'1" or 6'2". As of now they are going with a starting lineup that doesn't include a shooting guard, instead opting to go with 3 forwards. They might find it will help to have another good outside shooter on the floor, and newly acquired Kelenna Azubuike could be an option as well.
3. New Jersey Nets (12-70)
I expect the Nets to be much improved from a team that flirted with the worst record of all time last year before stringing a few wins together late in the season. Center Brook Lopez (who should be a Bobcat if it wasn't for very suspect management decisions) is poised to have a big year, and I actually look for him to make his first All-Star team. The front court of Lopez and newly acquired Troy Murphy should prove to be one of the best in the league, and if the Nets can get some consistency from Anthony Morrow, Terrence Williams, and Devin Harris, this team could be pretty good. Rookie Derrick Favors is going to be a player in this league one day, but it may take him a year to get acclimated to the pro game. He's still very young and had a college coach who never really knew how to use him effectively, so I'm thinking his contributions may be limited this year. This team is not very deep, and really can't afford any major injuries if it plans on having any chance of competing for one of the last playoff spots.
4. Philadelphia 76ers (27-55)
The 76ers are a very young and talented team, but they are wildly inconsistent. Star Andre Iguodala was impressive on Team USA this summer, but he is definitely capable of pulling a disappearing act just like everyone else on this roster. Jrue Holiday, Thaddeus Young, Lou Williams, and rookie Evan Turner are all great athletes with undeniable skills, but they have to learn to play under control and make better decisions if they expect to compete for a playoff spot. Elton Brand is nearing the end of his career, but he did play more games last year (76) then the previous 2 combined. The Sixers will be hoping for another full season from Brand, and expecting a good amount of help from Darius Songalia and Spencer Hawes underneath. Philly also has sharpshooters Jason Kapono and Andres Nocioni for added depth on the outside, so this team definitely has some proven players in this league.
5. Toronto Raptors (40-42)With the departure of Chris Bosh to Miami, Toronto fans don't have much to look forward to. Try to find a star out the likes of Linas Kleiza, Andrea Bargnani, Leandro Barbosa, DeMar DeRosan and Jarrett Jack. They are all solid players, but not one of them has ever been a go-to guy on an NBA team, and those are the likely starters. Not only is their starting lineup less than intimidating, they don't have much else on the bench to back it up. It's going to be a long year for the Raptors.
Central Division
1. Chicago Bulls (41-41)
I'm putting the Bulls atop this division, but I'm not entirely sold on it by any means. They made a big off-season acquisition in Carlos Boozer, but he is yet to play a game with his new teammates due to a broken hand. Derrick Rose is going to be a great player in this league for the next 10 years, and Joakim Noah has become a much better player than I ever thought he'd be. His intensity and all-out effort have earned him a starting spot in the NBA and a nice contract, and I have to admit I never thought he would be anymore near this good. Sharpshooter Kyle Korver adds a much needed threat on the outside, and Luol Deng is a great all-around player. This team has potential to get home court in the first round of the playoffs, but the longer Boozer takes to get on the court, the more worried Bulls fans should get.2. Milwaukee Bucks (46-36)
This team was extremely surprising last year, as they were winning games even with Andrew Bogut sidelined with an injury. Bogut is an all-star caliber center, and together with Ersan Ilyasova and Carlos Delfino, this trio forms the most underrated frontcourt in the NBA. No one really mentions any of these guys, but they quietly earned the #6 seed last year and nearly snuck in the #5 slot. The Bucks also sport a formidable backcourt with Brandon Jennings, John Salmons, and Chris Douglas-Roberts. With the help of Drew Gooden and rookies Larry Sanders and Darington Hobson up front, this team could improve on last year's finish.
3. Indiana Pacers (32-50)
This is one of my sleeper team's for the 2010-2011 season. The Pacers had a tough go of it last year as they were riddled with injuries, but the additions of Darren Collison and James Posey from New Orleans immediately make this team much better. Collison had a great 2nd half of the season filling in for an injured Chris Paul, and Posey plays great defense and is known for hitting crucial 3-pointers at the most timely moments (the new Robert Horry). Star SF Danny Granger and Tyler Hansbrough both missed significant time last year, and the Pacers will need them to stay healthy if they want to compete for one of the last playoff spots. That isn't off to a good start, as Granger had to leave his last preseason game due to a sprained ankle. Roy Hibbert has looked great in the preseason, and I expect him to have a breakout season. I also look for Indiana to get a solid contribution from rookie Paul George out of Fresno State.
4. Detroit Pistons (27-55)
This team is a bit of a wildcard. PG Rodney Stuckey has called this "on paper the most talented team in the league." I'm not sure what he's been smoking, but they do have some nice pieces. If the Pistons can manage to keep Richard Hamilton healthy, and talk Charlie Villanueva into giving full effort every game, they might have a chance to be decent. Ben Wallace is old and isn't anywhere near what he used to be, and Tayshaun Prince is coming off the first significant injury of his career. Detroit will be looking to the perimeter (Stuckey, Hamilton, Ben Gordon, Will Bynum, and Austin Daye) to carry most of the scoring load, and will need consistent contributions from Jason Maxiell and rookie SF Greg Monroe to stay competitive. I'm not really sure what to expect out of Tracy McGrady, but I'm guessing he will play a few games before disappearing with an injury for the rest of the season. McGrady was a star in this league and is a great scorer when healthy, so I guess he's worth taking a chance on.
5. Cleveland Cavaliers (61-21)
The Cavs have a real chance to go from first to worst. When you lose a player like LeBron James, who may be one of the greatest players of all time when his career is over, you have to expect a bit of a dropoff. This might be a free-fall. It's hard to imagine this team winning many games, as they always looked lost when James left the court. Mo Williams won't be getting anywhere near the quality looks he did and definitely won't be an all-star without LeBron, and Anderson Verejao is going to have a tough time producing without all the wide open dunks he got courtesy of James. Antawn Jamison was extremely disappointing with this team last year, and he will have to play much better for this team to have any hope. I do like J.J. Hickson, Leon Powe, and Ramon Sessions, but that won't be nearly enough for this team to even sniff the playoffs.
Southeast Divison
This division is absolutely brutal, and I think all the teams will be worthy of a playoff spot at year's end
1. Miami Heat (47-35)Everyone knows what the Heat brought in this year. Whether you love them or you hate them, the Miami Heat are going to be great. Never in the history of the NBA have 3 players this good played on the same team in their primes, and if they stay healthy I fully expect them to win the championship in their first year together. Some people are wondering if LeBron James and Dwayne Wade can co-exist together, but I'm not sure why. James is more in the mold of Magic Johnson in that he seems to think pass-first, but it's so easy for him to score that he just can't help it a lot of times. These two had great chemistry when they played on Team USA together, as they spent the majority of the tournament throwing alley oops to each other. I look for much of the same all season, to go along with lots of open baseline jumpers and dunks for Chris Bosh. Pat Riley did a great job of bringing in the right pieces to surround these guys with. Eddie House and Mike Miller should see plenty of wide open 3 pointers this year, and they can knock them down. Udonis Haslem has mastered the mid-range game, and he should be all by himself most of the time as well. I just don't know how anyone is going to stop this team.
2. Orlando Magic (59-23)
This is the one team in the East that has enough talent to consistently match up with the Heat, as the Magic roster is loaded with good players. Dwight Howard is a monster inside, and if he ever develops that jump shot we hear about every year he will be totally unstoppable on both sides of the floor. Orlando is deep at every position, with extremely skilled players both inside and outside (it better be with that enormous payroll!). The Magic's biggest problem may be finding enough minutes to keep everyone happy. When you look at the roster, every player deserves to see some time on the court, and I'm just not sure that can happen. Van Gundy has to find a way to play Brandon Bass and Marcin Gortat to give the Magic some added toughness, but they have been constantly overlooked in the past. J.J. Redick has had a great preseason, and Orlando should seriously consider playing him at least as much if not more than an aging Vince Carter at the shooting guard position. Vince has never been much for defense, and Redick has shown a competitive fire that Carter has never displayed. With other names like Jameer Nelson, Rashard Lewis, Ryan Anderson, and Mickael Pietrus, Orlando has all the talent to make a run at a championship.
3. Charlotte Bobcats (44-38)
When the Bobcats first came to Charlotte, I immediately became a fan of the only team in my home state. Ever since they arrived, the front office has been making baffling moves that irritated me time and time again. They have blown more draft picks than almost anyone in the NBA, but the one move I loved was the drafting of Raymond Felton. I went to college with Raymond, and after winning a championship at UNC he became my favorite player. Felton is now with the Knicks, and I have to admit I thought about deserting the Bobcats altogether and converting to a Knicks fan. I've decided to still cheer for Charlotte as well as the Knicks, since even though they still don't know how to draft players, they have made pretty good moves otherwise with the hiring of Larry Brown and the last few trades they pulled off. The Bobcats might even be better this year with D.J. Augustin at the point, but I definitely won't feel as connected to this year's version without Felton at the helm. Augustin is a better shooter, better finisher at the rim, and seems to get way more calls than Felton, but Raymond's heart and leadership can never be replaced. The Bobcats return all-star Gerald Wallace, Stephen Jackson, Tyrus Thomas, Nazr Mohammed, and the always inconsistent Boris "Doris" Diaw, who were all starters at some point last season. They welcome back sharpshooter Matt Caroll, who spent a year or so with Dallas before returning to Charlotte. 2nd year player Derrick Brown has played great in the preseason. I've always thought he should be playing much more, and I think he will finally get his chance this year. The Bobcats brought in four new players, Shaun Livingston, Kwame Brown, Eduardo Najera, and Darius Miles, who all should contribute in some way. It's gonna be interesting to see what Larry does with all these players, and I think the Bobcats will have a chance to make the playoffs for the 2nd year in a row.
4. Atlanta Hawks (53-29)
Atlanta had a great regular season last year, but then had a terrible showing in the 2nd round of the playoffs, getting crushed by Orlando in 4 straight beatdowns. It seems to have carried over into this year's preseason, as the Hawks have looked awful. It seems like they are fighting to see who can take and miss the most shots, and they are all winning (or losing). They return essentially the same team from last year (Joe Johnson, Al Horford, Marvin Williams, Mike Bibby, Jamal Crawford, Josh Smith, and Zaza Pachulia) but something seems different. Maybe they will snap out of it and return to last season's form once the regular season starts, but this division is the toughest in the NBA, and they can't afford a slow start. They did add what I thought was one of the steals of this year's draft in Jordan Crawford, who I expect will contribute right away. If these guys just play together they should be fine, but this team tends to play too much one on one. The Hawks can't afford to be selfish with the talent in this division.
5. Washington Wizards (26-56)
The Wizards are another one of my sleeper picks this year. Unfortunately for them they have to play in the division of death, but I think they have the talent to stay afloat. John Wall is incredibly fast, and I have no doubt he will be great right away. If he can keep his turnovers down, he might even be an all-star. Gilbert Arenas is getting a pretty raw deal from the media, but he is making some stupid decisions that keep putting the spotlight on him. He needs to play ball and make himself invisible to the media, but I'm not sure they will let him off that easily. Center JaVale McGee and SG Nick Young have looked great this preseason, and Washington got a steal when they got Yi Jianlian from the Nets. He was one of the best players in the FIBA World Championships this year, and he will have a great year playing alongside John Wall. The Wizards also have Andray Blatche, Kirk Hinrich, Al Thorton, and Josh Howard, who have all proven they can play in this league, as well as Cartier Martin, who looks poised for a breakout season entering his 3rd year in the NBA. Trevor Booker could make a solid impact as well in his rookie season. It would not surprise me at all to see the Washington Wizards sneak in the playoffs this year.
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