NBA Eastern Conference

The first place Cleveland Cavaliers traveled to the Palace of Auburn Hills Thanksgiving Eve in attempt to pad their two game lead over the Milwaukee Bucks in the Central division.

The Detroit Pistons just haven't seemed like the Pistons of old lately, they currently own the last spot in the division, winning just five of 14 games played, feeling the effects of the absence of Tayshaun Prince and Richard "Rip" Hamilton.

The Pistons have beefed up their roster, signing Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva, and former Motown favorite Ben Wallace, aspiring to regain elite status in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons have enjoyed the tag of "elite" for the majority of the decade, but are in a rebuilding phase; new coach, new faces, same attitude (hopefully).

Piston fans are used to the hardest working team in the NBA being successful. Last year was considered a "down" year for the Pistons, although they made the playoffs. With more Eastern Conference Finals appearances (six) than any other team this decade, fans have come to expect excellence, not mediocrity.

The Cavs were able to jump out to an early lead thanks to Mo Williams and Lebron James (NBA's 3rd leading scorer @ 29.4 ppg), who both tallied double digit point totals in the first half (what's new?). Lebron's 15 points and four assists are a normal occurrence in first halves, and if the Pistons hoped to emerge with a "W", and end their five game slide, they'd better find a way to hinder the "Chosen One".

One aspect of Detroit's game that has been a looming nuisance is the lack of the ability to string together runs. Basketball is a game of runs. The Pistons just can't seem to get their offense clicking for some reason.

Will Bynum and company were able to hang tough with Lebron's Cavs, they cut the lead to just 10 in the early goings of the fourth quarter. If anything can be said about professional teams from Detroit, it's this: they're tough. The Pistons refused to let Lebron demonstrate a scoring clinic at their expense, he'll get his 30, we're used to it.

Rodney Stuckey led the charge late in the fourth quarter, cutting and driving his way for 12 points in just over eight minutes. 

"Pro-Lebron" calls by the officiating crew halted Detroit's efforts at completing their spirited comeback, as Lebron and his Cavaliers were able to pull away in the final minute and a half to edge out the Pistons, 98-88, handing Detroit their sixth straight loss.  

There should be no question in the minds of NBA enthusiasts when it comes to King James' scoring abilities. Lebron James is one of the most prolific scorers in the games illustrious history, and he continues to wow crowds one arena at a time.

Detroit's player(s) of the game: Charlie Villanueva, 19 points/Rodney Stuckey, 25 points

Cleveland's player of the game: Lebron James, 34 points

This is an official NBA Core article, please visit www.nbacore.com for more and to join our NBA community!

Welcome to the Core's edition of power rankings. Throughout the months, our Core members have voted on team rankings, and through popular vote we finally have the results.

In this specific article I will try to expound on each rank, which was ultimately the site's general opinion. Please be considerate enough to at least leave one comment in reaction to the rankings. These articles do take lots of time, so make me feel like this wasn't a waste. If you are a guest, our website welcomes you with all our appreciation, so please join us.

For each team I will display the depth charts (going strictly off ESPN.com) and will give a summary for each team. I will go from bottom-up. Hope you enjoy, and remember this is the Core's consensus.

At 15th, we have the...Milwaukee Bucks

PG: Brandon Jennings, Luke Ridnour, Roko Ukic 
SG: Michael Redd, Charlie Bell, Jodie Meeks 
SF: Carlos Delfino, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Ersan Ilyasova 
PF: Kurt Thomas, Hakim Warrick, Joe Alexander 
C: Andrew Bogut, Dan Gadzuric, Francisco Elson 

Summary: This team is in a pretty tough situation as they might be the worst team in the NBA. The front office seems to be changing directions every moment, not knowing whether to contend (acquiring RJ) or rebuild (trading RJ), and as a result they have no other option but to rebuild.

The best scorer on this team is Michael Redd, which is not bad, but he obviously needs some help, especially after coming from an injury. Bogut seems like a center that can almost average a double-double, but that's about it.

The Bucks' defense is also pretty bad, but who knows, that can change if they are motivated. I suggest the Bucks trade Redd for some young talent, expirings, and picks. This would help them big time. You have to love Brandon Jennings though, this guy is looking amazing on the floor. The Bucks have a nice sign of the future because of him, and with Griffin out for weeks, this guy could get a head start to getting the ROY.

The highest I see this team going is 14th in the East, passing the Nets, but that could be unlikely. They need help at SF and PF. 

At 14th, we have the...New Jersey Nets

PG: Devin Harris, Rafer Alston, Keyon Dooling 
SG: Courtney Lee, Terrence Williams, Jarvis Hayes 
SF: Chris Douglas-Roberts, Bobby Simmons, Trenton Hassell 
PF: Yi Jianlian, Eduardo Najera, Sean Williams 
C: Brook Lopez, Josh Boone, Tony Battie 

Summary: This is the team I root for but man, this season is looking pretty ugly. Then again, who knows what can happen.

The Nets have the youngest team in the NBA, and I heard the other day that the starters' average age is 23. Hopefully Devin Harris can do even better than he did last year. After him, Brook Lopez is the man and he seems like Tim Duncan with a jump shot.

After Lopez, everyone else is pretty much a project, and while we're waiting, this team will end up around 14th in their conference by the end of the season. The highest I can see them going is probably 13th although it seems unlikely. The Bucks could have a slight chance of passing this team. Five-sixths of this team defends well though, so who knows what can happen.

At 13th, we have the...New York Knicks

PG: Chris Duhon, Nate Robinson 
SG: Wilson Chandler, Toney Douglas, Larry Hughes, Cuttino Mobley 
SF: Jared Jeffries, Danilo Gallinari 
PF: Al Harrington, Marcus Landry 
C: David Lee, Darko Milicic, Jordan Hill, Eddy Curry 

Summary: The Knicks will continue to run, especially now that they have Robinson and Lee secured. Add to that an improved Wilson Chandler and a win-thirsty Harrington, things are looking better for the Knicks.

Their chemistry due to stability helps this team, but their defense is a huge problem. They can probably run their way into the playoffs if their offense excels all season, but you can't win without defense.

This team is for sure exciting though. The problem of fast break offense is that it's hard to defend. I'm sensing a big season for Nate by the way, he seems to be a pretty good leader. This team won't go lower than 13th, and could possibly go as high as eighth if they keep scoring.

At 12th, we have the...Indiana Pacers

PG: T.J. Ford, Earl Watson, Travis Diener, A.J. Price 
SG: Brandon Rush, Luther Head 
SF: Danny Granger, Dahntay Jones, Mike Dunleavy 
PF: Troy Murphy, Josh McRoberts, Tyler Hansbrough 
C: Roy Hibbert, Solomon Jones, Jeff Foster 

Summary: The Pacers have a lot to look forward to, if they stay healthy. Granger is coming is coming off a MIP award, and he's going to be looking for more success this time around. The guy has become an absolute stud. Not to mention, he does it all. He's a great offense threat (from anywhere on the floor) and loves to get his blocks and steals as well.

Add to that Murphy, who came from a career season, No. 2 in double-doubles last season, and you have something special. Then you have Dunleavy who was out for most of last year. Dunleavy can average 20 PPG and he's proven it before. Only reason why he's last in this depth chart is because he's currently out, but he'll be back soon.

Hibbert, at 7'2'', will look to use his size to maximize his potential, especially on the defensive side. What are the negatives that have them at 12th? Well, the East is very deep, that's number one, and number two, the bench is really poor. They really need to step it up if they want success.

The team really needs to be more aggressive, however, I see the positives outweighing the negatives. Look for this team to make a push to the playoffs (again, if healthy). I don't see them going lower than 13th, if the Knicks pass them.

At 11th, we have the...Charlotte Bobcats

PG: Raymond Felton, DJ. Augustin 
SG: Stephen Graham, Gerald Henderson, Ronald Murray, Raja Bell 
SF: Gerald Wallace, Vladimir Radmanovic 
PF: Boris Diaw, Derrick Brown, Alexis Ajinca 
C: Tyson Chandler, DeSagana Diop, Nazr Mohammed 

Summary: Many people bashed this team for trading Okafor, but in my opinion the trade (Oak for Ty) can go either way.

The first thing that comes to my mind when I look at this depth chart is that the Bobcats can run. Taking that a step further, they have a couple of good defenders, so they can run, and defend, which is a rare combination we are not used to seeing. If the Bobcats don't run, who is going to score? Where is the No. 1 scoring option?

They don't have one, and Gerald Wallace won't cut it. If they can pull off a run and defend system, they will surprise many people. However, unlike the Pacers and Knicks, I don't see them competing for a playoff spot. They are like one of those in-betweener teams that land right where expected (11th in this case). They just lack firepower. The lowest I can see them going is 14th. They won't go higher than 11th. 

At 10th, we have the...Philadelphia 76ers

PG: Lou Williams, Royal Ivey, Jrue Holiday 
SG: Andre Iguodala, Willie Green 
SF: Thaddeus Young, Jason Kapono, Rodney Carney 
PF: Elton Brand, Jason Smith 
C: Samuel Dalembert, Marreese Speights, Primoz Brezec 

Summary: I'm sensing some decline from the 76ers. They didn't resign 'Dre Miller, and the Elton Brand signing made a couple of years ago is looking worse every game.

They did finally acquire a three-point shooter [Kapono] but, that's not really going to do much. Last year they had a better team and ended up with a .500 record. This year I see things going down south for them, unless if Lou and Thad come up with something brilliant.

Dalembert seems less reliable as time passes by, and Iguodala doesn't seem like if he can handle being a No. 1 scoring option. Those are a whole lot of negatives. However, if Brand can return to his old form, and this team manages to play in his type of offense, you never know what can happen.

Iguodala seems like a good slasher who can play half-court style. This is a big if though, and I don't see if happening. The defense is really solid though. They lowest they can go is 13th, the highest, maybe, they'll stay at 10th.

At ninth, we have the...Detroit Pistons

PG: Rodney Stuckey, Will Bynum, Chucky Atkins 
SG: Richard Hamilton, Ben Gordon 
SF: Tayshaun Prince, Jonas Jerebko, Austin Daye, DaJuan Summers 
PF: Charlie Villanueva, Chris Wilcox, Jason Maxiell 
C: Ben Wallace, Kwame Brown 

Summary: Busy off-season for this team, and hopefully it pays off. I see some pretty good potential in this team.

This team now has CV and Ben Gordon, who are both good scorers at their respected positions. I see room for improvement in both of them.

The Pistons should trade Hamilton for a center though. Wallace has his respect in Detroit and all, but he just shouldn't be starting any more. Other than that, this team is solid.

Stuckey came off a pretty good year and I see him improving to a 18 and eight type of guy, which is great. This team isn't higher simply because the other teams would outplay them, but if they trade Hamilton for a center as I mentioned earlier, they can be battling the Bulls. I don't see them going lower or higher than ninth, I think they are exactly right at this rank.

At eighth, we have the.......Chicago Bulls

PG: Derrick Rose, Kirk Hinrich, Lindsey Hunter 
SG: John Salmons, Jannero Pargo 
SF: Luol Deng, Derrick Byars 
PF: Tyrus Thomas, Taj Gibson, James Johnson 
C: Joakim Noah, Brad Miller, Aaron Gray, Jerome James 

Summary: Big things are happening for the Bulls. Rose is now a sophomore, so he will begin exploding. Salmons is a great scorer and will continue to do what he does. Deng will be looking to make a huge comeback after his problems, I can see him going for 15 PPG in this offensively-populated team.

Their big-man problem persists though. Brad Miller wasn't enough to solve their inside problem. This team is obviously looking forward to next off-season to finally get that big, but in the mean time, they'll be a decent playoff team. Their great bench will really help them, but everyone in this team needs to remember to focus on defense. I see them perfect at eighth.

At seventh, we have the...Washington Wizards

PG: Gilbert Arenas, Randy Foye, Mike James, Javaris Crittenton 
SG: Mike Miller, DeShawn Stevenson, Nick Young 
SF: Caron Butler, Dominic McGuire 
PF: Antawn Jamison, Andray Blatche, Fabricio Oberto 
C: Brendan Haywood, JaVale McGee, Paul Davis 

Summary: Arenas is back, and nothing is slowing him down. It seems as if he's been playing these past two years (which he hasn't).

How about those starters? Obviously, no more than two of them will score more than 20 PPG, but this team is certainly loaded. Even though Miller seems like a scrub when you look at the rest of the starters, he is actually a good weapon. You can't double-team Agent Zero, Butler, or Jamison and leave Miller open, because he will hit that three.

The bench is looking pretty good as well, with Foye and Blatche as worthy mentions. The only negative of this team is the lack of toughness at the paint, and we all know no team without M.J. could win a title without a dominant big. The highest the Wizards can go is fourth, the lowest, probably no lower than seventh if they can finally stay healthy (big if).

At sixth, we have the...Miami Heat

PG: Mario Chalmers, Carlos Arroyo, Chris Quinn 
SG: Dwyane Wade, Daequan Cook 
SF: Quentin Richardson, James Jones, Yakhouba Diawara, Dorell Wright 
PF: Michael Beasley, Udonis Haslem, Joel Anthony, Shavlik Randolph 
C: Jermaine O'Neal, Jamaal Magloire 

Summary: The Wade and Beasley combination is looking pretty good after one year. Beasley is now entering is sophomore season, so he should be much improved and confident. Wade is going to put of another MVP-type season without a doubt if he stays healthy.

Chalmers is becoming a respectable PG and the bench is okay, but it can be better. Wade is still the reason this team makes the playoffs. If this team wants to go farther than the first round, J.O. really needs to step it up. He's never been the same since his huge injury, but he still has some game (and a $23 miliion expiring contract). Like I said for the Wizards, you need inside toughness for easy points, and points lead to wins. The Heat can go as high as fifth, and as low as seventh.

At fifth, we have the...Toronto Raptors

PG: Jose Calderon, Jarrett Jack, Marcus Banks 
SG: DeMar DeRozan, Marco Belinelli, Quincy Douby, Sonny Weems 
SF: Hedo Turkoglu, Antoine Wright 
PF: Chris Bosh, Amir Johnson, Reggie Evans 
C: Andrea Bargnani, Rasho Nesterovic, Patrick O'Bryant 

Summary: This team seems pretty unpredicatable since they changed their wings and bench. Hedo can be a great asset to this team, and he'll be motivated to get deep into the playoffs again.

Bargnani came from having a huge second half of the season in '09, and we all expect him to continue. Bosh bulked up during the summer, so he will be in the post with more frequency, which could help him focus more on defense.

DeRozan is a rookie who will look to be the team's slasher. Good move getting Evans, because this team needed some toughness down low, which is what I was going to bring up next. The reason why this team isn't higher is because of their overall defense, specifically down low. If they defend, they will do well, if not, they will be a low seed team, around No. 8. They won't go higher than fifth though.

At fourth, we have the...Atlanta Hawks

PG: Mike Bibby, Jeff Teague 
SG: Joe Johnson, Jamal Crawford 
SF: Marvin Williams, Maurice Evans 
PF: Josh Smith, Joe Smith, Othello Hunter 
C: Al Horford, Zaza Pachulia, Jason Collins, Randolph Morris 

Summary: This team has it all. They have a great mix of offense and defense. From one-to-six, all of these players are capable of dropping 20 per game, including Crawford. The only teams you hear about in the East are the Magic, Cavs, and Celtics, but this team can very well reach the finals.

They may not have the stars the other teams have, but they have exactly what is takes, which leads me to my following point. The only reason this team isn't ranked higher is because they don't have KG, Lebron, or Dwight. Will this hurt them? Probably. It depends mostly on how Horford handles his position and just simply the outcome of all of these players.

At third, we have the...Orlando Magic

PG: Jameer Nelson, Jason Williams, Anthony Johnson 
SG: Vince Carter, J.J. Redick 
SF: Mickael Pietrus, Matt Barnes 
PF: Rashard Lewis, Ryan Anderson, Brandon Bass 
C: Dwight Howard, Marcin Gortat, Adonal Foyle 

Summary: This team has a great shot at making the finals. They have four stars as starters and a respectable player in Pietrus. They now have V.C. who is a great inside/outside scorer.

Nelson will be looking to continue to put up star numbers, and Lewis will hit those threes. How much better can Dwight get? 20-plus-14-plus is just amazing. The Magic aren't ranked higher because nobody has heard of Carter lately (who is still amazing) and Nelson doesn't get much hype since he's coming off an injury. They can't go lower than No. 4 though and can go as high as No. 1.

At 2nd, we have the...Cleveland Cavaliers

PG: Mo Williams, Daniel Gibson 
SG: Anthony Parker, Delonte West, Coby Karl 
SF: LeBron James, Jamario Moon, Daniel Green 
PF: Anderson Varejao, J.J. Hickson, Darnell Jackson, Jawad Williams, Leon Powe 
C: Shaquille O'Neal, Zydrunas Ilgauskas 

Summary: The league's best defensive team in '08-'09 now has a 7'2'' 320-plus lbs monster in the paint. I like to refer them as the No. 0.4 defensive team rather than the No. 1 defensive team.

This team has the best player in the NBA, a great star shooter in Mo and a monster in Shaq. Everyone else for the most part is good at defense, which is a big plus. The question is if Lebron and Shaq can work.

Maybe it may not work in the beginning, but they'll figure something out eventually. Lebron can't plan on driving for the rest of his career. The Cavs could go as low as No. 3 and as high as No. 1. They aren't ranked higher here they don't have a crazy starting five like the next team does. 

At first, we have the...Boston Celtics

PG: Rajon Rondo, Eddie House 
SG: Ray Allen, Marquis Daniels, Tony Allen, J.R. Giddens 
SF: Paul Pierce, Bill Walker 
PF: Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace, Glen Davis, Brian Scalabrine 
C: Kendrick Perkins, Shelden Williams

Summary: The Celtics have the Core's vote as champions. They just have too good of a mixture on defense and offense. Rondo is coming off an amazing playoff performance. Allen can shoot for the rest of his life, Pierce is still dominant and so is KG. Now they they have defensive pest 'Sheed Wallace. There is just so much defense everywhere in this team. All they need to do is make sure they stay healthy and make sure their ages aren't hurting them. If they can manage to do that, hello champions.

This was a very, very interesting second week of the NBA season. 

Boston obtained their first loss; the Nets failed to grab their first win. 

And, quite frankly, a win in the New York Metropolitan area might not occur again for quite some time. The Knicks allowed a 40-point first quarter, twice. Maybe they got lost in the LeBron James hoopla, because the certainty of Knicks fans that LeBron will be in the Big Apple next season is quite breathtaking. 

The Bulls beat Cleveland in a nail-biter, then turned around and actually lost by a nail in Denver on a called-off Brad Miller jumper that would have won the game. 

The wheels fell off for the Wizards. Sure, they didn't have Jamison...but now Mike Miller and Randy Foye are both banged up, and Gilbert Arenas nearly didn't start against Miami.

When you're forced to play DeShawn Stevenson for 40 minutes, bad things are happening. 

The 76ers continue their quest to play the easiest schedule in NBA history, and the the Pacers are looking ready to crawl out of the cellar. 

So, here we go. 

1. Boston , 8-1, previously No. 1 - the Celtics are the Celtics. One loss against the uprising Suns is no reason for concern. 

2. Orlando , 6-3, previously No. 2 - 6-3 without Rashard Lewis and with a banged-up Vince Carter is impressive. The loss against Cleveland hurts, but Orlando was also on the second night of a back-to-back. 

3. Cleveland , 5-3, previously No. 3 - Like above, Shaq looked fantastic against Howard, but it still wasn't the Magic at full strength. The Cavs are learning how to better utilize Shaq and Z's different skill sets, and Mo Williams is shooting lights-out. A back-to-back win against Miami tonight will be more impressive than their W against Orlando. 

4. Miami , 6-1 previously No. 6 - Like it's been stated before, if Jermaine O'Neal can stay healthy, that changes everything in Miami. They beat up on the Wizards twice, but also took down Denver. D-Wade and the fun-bunch are back. 

5. Atlanta , 6-2, previously No. 5 - Josh Smith has finally perfected the art of shot selection. That means gold in the ATL. 

6. Chicago , 4-4, previously No. 7 - Rose is coming around, and the Bulls are reeling after the defeat of Cleveland, but they are a better team than their 4-4 record shows. They are some strength in the post away from being even more dangerous. 

7. Toronto , 4-4, previously No. 8 - Raptors played four talented teams, and beat two of them. They go as Bargnani goes. Calderon is fantastic, Turkoglu is a great piece, Bosh is an all-star. But Bargnani playing well is their key. 

8. Detroit , 4-4, previously No. 9 - Ben Gordon and Ben Wallace are quietly having great seasons, and if you missed Will Bynum's dunks on Wednesday night—go watch them, right now. 

9. Milwaukee , 5-2, previously No. 11 - I'm sort of sick to my stomach as this means the Bucks would be the best Eastern team to miss the playoffs, but 4-2 with a banged up Michael Redd? Jennings is the real deal. 32 points, 14 in the fourth quarter against Denver? The East really beat up on the Nuggets this week. 

10. Philadelphia , 4-4, previously No. 10 - they're 4-4, but they have beaten the worst four teams in the league (or close to it). 

11. Indiana , 3-3, previously No. 14 - See, Philadelphia. 

12. Washington , 2-6, previously No. 4 - I was willing to give the Wizards leeway because of Jamison, but this team just cannot stay healthy, and lost four games in a week. Gilbert Arenas is the one healthy guard left on the team—how long will that last?

13. Charlotte , 3-5, previously No. 12 - Gerald Wallace is averaging 13 rebounds a game...oh, those wacky Bobcats. 

14. New York , 1-8, previously No. 13 - The Knicks lost a thousand games this past week, but they are only as high as 14 because they have one win. They simply do not play defense, my goodness. Here we go, No. 1 pick, here we go!

15. New Jersey , 0-8, previously No. 15 - They are putting up much more of a fight than the Knicks, but until they add at least one win, they can't move out of last. 

The one saving grace from the New York Knicks' 2009 opener last night in Miami is that they don't have to play D-Wade and the Heat again until...Christmas Day.

Happy holidays, Knicks fans.

It is not as if Mike D'Antoni's woeful Knicks were blindsided in their 115-93 loss in Florida last night—they knew what they were going to get; they were just powerless to stop it.

Dwyane Wade led all scorers with 26 points and Jermaine O'Neal added 22 points and 12 rebounds as part of a comprehensive victory which really could have been a lot more than the 22-point final margin suggests.

Michael Beasley netted himself 21 and Miami shot almost 57 percent from the field, with former Knick Quentin Richardson the only Heat starter not to finish with double-digit points.

The Knicks were at least respectable in the first half, trailing by just four after the opening quarter and by nine at the end of the half.

Then the flood gates opened, and every one of New York's problems came crashing down on them at once.

Miami exploded on a 32-8 run, nailing 26 of 31 from the field to build an insurmountable lead which grew to as many as 31 points in the third period.

We all knew the problems the Knicks would face this season, and each and every one of them materialized.

The defense transitioned from being patchy to non-existent, while on offense nobody could make a shot.

A missed 23-footer, a missed 26-footer, a missed dunk.

The Knicks shot just 5-of-23 in the third quarter, scraping together a mere 15 points. By the time they showed some life in the final quarter, the game had already been long-decided.

There were bright spots for the Knicks, however. Like I said, they won't come up against this type of barrage every day.

David Lee—who led the league in double-doubles last season—was one rebound short last night, finishing with 22 points and nine boards, and Wilson Chandler chipped in with 21 points in a team-high 37 minutes of action.

Danilio Gallinari came off the bench to score 22 points, making 7-of-13 three-pointers in 28 minutes on court, and the Knicks didn't look completely out of place running the break or working the inside game.

Unfortunately, that was as good as it got.

Starting point guard Chris Duhon went 1-of-7 from the field for just three points, while Jared Jeffries scored just two.

Nate Robinson failed to make a field goal in eight attempts, rookies Toney Douglas and Jordan Hill combined for three points, one rebound, and one turnover in eight minutes, and Larry Hughes did not play.

If it wasn't for Gallinari, the Knicks would have shot an awful 3-for-26 from beyond the arc. As it was, they shot a total 38 percent from the field.

There is a lot for the Knicks to work on, obviously. But really their problems come down to D'Antoni's fast-paced Euroball offense.

The Knicks will score a lot of points and they will concede a lot of points. They will generally need to average in the low 100s if they are to remain competitive and they need a Plan B for when their outside shooters are cold.

Teams can live and die by the longball.

The Knicks know this formula will fail more often than succeed, and as long as they continue with this mindset, there's no reason to have any more optimism for 2010 than there was at the end of last season.

This year is off to a rough start, but there's 81 more games to go.

Let's hope that doesn't equate to 81 more games of heartache and a 10th consecutive losing season.

Enjoy.

Atlantic Division (projected order of finish and final record)

Boston Celtics (62-20) – The champions once removed return with a vengeance and a rejuvenated ‘Big Three.’ A healthy Garnett, Pierce, and Allen still combine to form the best trio in the league, and after a season where Rondo emerged as one of the league’s best young point guards and an offseason where they definitely upgraded their bench, they’re not just re-loaded, they’re overloaded. What will probably be the best defensive team in the league never got a fair chance to defend their crown last season, but they are sure to be right back in the picture this year.

Philadelphia 76ers (47-35) – The rest of the Atlantic is a somewhat organized toss-up, but the return of Elton Brand should allow Philadelphia to play runner-up to Boston. Early indications are that new coach Eddie Jordan has found a way for his squad not to miss a beat without Andre Miller, and with a faster-paced offense. Iguodala and Young have both become tremendous scoring options, and even though both health and depth could creep back as problems for the Sixers, I like their roster enough to compete in the division and conference.

Toronto Raptors (38-44) – A team that took a proverbial year off did their best in trying to re-work their look in what may be their final year with Chris Bosh. The acquisition of Turkoglu will definitely help, but the young players that they have given ample opportunity too have not seized it by the throat. A team with this many European players scares me because they aren’t known to be the best rebounders or defenders, and even though they’ll be able to score with the best of them, they could hang around in the playoff picture, but even that’s no certainty.

New Jersey Nets (32-50) – They have gutted the core completely and tried to go young. It didn’t work last year, and it won’t work again. Many think this will be the worst team in the East, and though I won’t go that far, the Nets won’t be far from a cellar lock. They actually have some young talent, headed by Harris and Lopez, but looking at the bigger picture, New Jersey will have trouble selling tickets and the franchise could be on the move shortly. They exceeded their expectations last year, but with little veteran presence, the Nets won’t win much.

New York Knicks (31-51) – It’s sad that not many care about this Knicks season, but that thought is becoming more true going into the campaign. Their hopes clearly ride on the mammoth free-agent class of 2010, and with seven players on the roster who have expiring contracts, a ninth-consecutive losing season is a foregone conclusion. The NBA wants, and to a degree needs a good team in New York. They won’t get their wish this year with a Knick team that will attempt to run and gun with a roster half-full of small forwards. Push fast forward to 2010, please.

Central Division (projected order of finish and record)

Cleveland Cavaliers (66-16) – The team that was the best throughout the regular season in 2008-09, but flopped in the playoffs made a number of acquisitions in order to get them over the hump. Obviously, they are led by their superstar LeBron James, and by acquiring Shaq, they are clearly out to win a championship before James’ possible departure. They are built to roll through the regular season, and with a superstar, post presence, and guards who can shoot, they will rack up the wins and take their division easily. The Cavs have yet to prove themselves in the playoffs though.

Detroit Pistons (46-36) – I don’t expect the Pistons to take as much of a hit as everyone does this year. They rid themselves of Iverson and Wallace, which may be addition by subtraction, do well in the free-agent market by signing Gordon and Villanueva, keep two of their core players in Hamilton and Prince, and finally give Stuckey a chance to flourish at the point. I expect new head coach John Kuester to try to push the ball since there is a true lack of big men. This lack of size and toughness will hurt, but not enough to keep the Pistons out of the playoffs.

Indiana Pacers (43-39) – The best team that no one’s talking about is the Indiana Pacers. They were riddled with injuries throughout the year, and still almost made the playoffs. They can score with the best of them, led by their star, Danny Granger. The supporting cast is good if it’s healthy, specifically Dunleavy and Ford, who played well when not sidelined. They didn’t add much star power, but improved through the draft, and should be a lot better defensively. A franchise like this won’t be held down for too long; look for a return to the postseason.

Chicago Bulls (40-42) – Chicago definitely could crack the top eight, in what is an improving, yet still uncertain conference. I don’t expect them to be any better, and even though they get Deng back from injury, they lose Ben Gordon, who was most of their offense in the playoffs. They still lack a true scoring presence in the low post, and though Derrick Rose has quickly become a great star in just one year, the loss of Gordon leaves a hole, and a lot of mismatches will be had up front with Noah and Thomas. The Bulls will be on the outside looking in come spring.

Milwaukee Bucks (28-54) – If NBA teams were rappers, they’d be Hurricane Chris. It has just all fallen apart in Milwaukee, and really hasn’t been good in a while. They still have Michael Redd, who is never healthy, Andrew Bogut, who is looking more and more bust-like each year, and lost Jefferson, Villanueva, and Sessions this offseason. The Bucks finished 34-48 with that group, so things will probably much uglier in 2009-10. They put a lot of stock of rookie point guard Brandon Jennings, but wins will be hard to come by for lame-duck Scott Skiles this year.

Southeast Division (projected order of finish and record)

Orlando Magic (59-23) – The defending conference champs come back with a bit of different look this year. It will be very interesting to see how Vince Carter does on a winning team with some actual talent around him. Stan Van Gundy’s team is led by its own superstar, Dwight Howard, along with Rashard Lewis, and Jameer Nelson. In my opinion, it is a three-horse race in the Eastern Conference, with the Magic being the weakest, but in no way is that a knock on their squad. Their division is not bad, and has the potential to send four teams in the playoffs.

Miami Heat (51-31) – The Heat kind of collapsed in the playoffs last season, but they actually should be better than projected by many this season. They know what they’re getting from Wade: 30 a night. They know what they’re getting from Jermaine O’Neal in a contract year, and they have a solid young nucleus in Beasley, Cook, and Chalmers. Spoelstra did a tremendous job last season in his first year, and with a much more well-rounded team this year, they should sail back to the playoffs even if winning the division is asking too much.

Atlanta Hawks (50-32) – Depth and young players are not hard to find on Atlanta’s team, but with a bunch of shoot-first players, spreading the wealth might be a problem for point guard Mike Bibby, who didn’t look like he had much left in the tank last season. Joe Johnson in a contract year could put some big numbers, and Horford and Smith make up a young, athletic frontcourt. They’re young, fun, and versatile, and I like them a lot, but they fall into the category of second-tier teams in the East, and will be watching the second round, not in it.

Washington Wizards (38-44) – The Wizards would have had the team they wanted last season, and brought in coach Flip Saunders to lead it, but have proven even before the season starts, they fail to stay healthy once again with an injury to Jamison. Arenas needs to have a rebirth to his career this season, or else it is pretty much over. With the depth that they have by adding Miller and Foye, they could certainly be a dark horse team in the East, but injuries are always a problem, and I’d be stunned if their core stays healthy for the duration of the 2009-10 season.

Charlotte Bobcats (34-48) – In a year where everyone expected Charlotte to finally do something and battle for a playoff spot, they fell flat on their faces, and made an impulsive, illogical trade of Okafor for Chandler, and now are left with not much of anything in terms of frontcourt scoring or veteran experience. Wallace and Felton will provide most of the offense for the Bobcats, but it looks like Larry Brown has tried to rebuild the Bobcats in his own image, but has just made a bunch of lateral moves. No dice for the Bobcats in their sixth season.

All-Eastern Conference First Team

C - Dwight Howard, Orlando
F - Kevin Garnett, Boston
F - LeBron James, Cleveland
G - Ray Allen, Boston
G - Dwyane Wade, Miami

All-Eastern Conference Second Team

C- Chris Bosh, Toronto
F - Danny Granger, Indiana
F - Paul Pierce, Boston
G - Joe Johnson, Atlanta
G - Derrick Rose, Chicago

All-Eastern Conference Third Team

C - Al Horford, Atlanta
F - Tayshaun Prince, Detroit
F - Hedo Turkoglu, Toronto
G - Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia
G - Gilbert Arenas, Washington

The NBA season tips off tonight and I am still working on my preview. It can’t hurt that it is the first week of the season, right? People need to read up on how the season will play out, right? Right?

During the last couple weeks, we covered the bottom feeders of the Eastern Conference:

Part I

Part II

8. Toronto Raptors

Key Additions

Hedo Turkoglu, G/F (trade, Orlando), Reggie Evans, F (trade, Philadelphia), Antoine Wright, F (trade, Dallas), Marco Belinelli, G (trade, Golden State), Rasho Nesterovic, C (Indiana), Jarrett Jack, G (Indiana), Amir Johnson, F (trade, Milwaukee), Sonny Weems, G/F (trade, Milwaukee), Demarr DeRozan (R).

Key Losses

Jason Kapono, G/F (trade, Philadelphia), Kris Humphris, F (trade, Dallas), Nathan Jawai, C (trade, Dallas), Shawn Marion, F (trade, Dallas), Anthony Parker, G/F (Cleveland), Carlos Delfino, G (trade, Milwaukee), Roko Ukic, G (trade, Milwaukee).

The Raptors received the most hype of the offseason with some blockbuster moves. Their star player, Chris Bosh, enters free agency this upcoming offseason, and I believe GM Bryan Colangelo felt the pressure to make this a do or die season.

First of all, I like the pickup of Hedo Turkoglu, though not at the dollar figure they gave him.

I believe he is a very solid player who can shoot the ball well and is a playmaker. He will make Bosh a better player, along with the others around them.

What he is not, though, is a shutdown defender and he does not possess a tenacity to him. Some people may ask what does being tenacious have to do with Turkoglu and picking him up in the summer?

Well, the Raptors' No. 1 problem for years has been their softness. Even their superstar power forward’s body looks like Lindsay Lohan’s on a coke binge.

Combine him with Bargnani and Nestrovic and the Raptors are not a force down low and not a great rebounding team.

Now, Reggie Evans did come over in a trade with Kapono and he will help with toughness and rebounding, but I do not believe it is enough to go deep in the playoffs.

I like the signing of Jarret Jack in the offseason as a backup and possible backcourt mate of Jose Calderon.

People have ranted and raved about Calderon these past two years, but I do not necessarily buy it. He is OK as a starter and it will be great for the Raptors to have such a solid backup PG coming off the bench, especially considering Jack’s defense on the ball.

The Raptors will have enough talent to make the playoffs, but I still believe they lack some key components to make a splash.

Their defense is still weak and their rebounding is questionable. If they are able to address these issues, either by trade or some miraculous coaching, then I see them going further into the playoffs.

7. Washington Wizards

Key Additions

Mike Miller, G (trade, Minnesota); Randy Foye, G (trade, Minnesota); Fabricio Oberto, C (Detroit).

Key Losses

Etan Thomas, C (trade, Minnesota); Darius Songaila, F (trade, Minnesota); Oleksiy Pecherov, C (trade, Minnesota).

The No. 1 ingredient for the Wizards this year is to stay healthy. If they are healthy, they will make it to the playoffs.

In his first year with the Wizards, new coach Flip Saunders will have plenty of talent to work with.

Over the offseason, I liked the moves Ernie Grunfield pulled off to make his team better. The Wizards did not need youth and Grunfield parlayed the fifth pick in a weak draft into Randy Foye and Mike Miller.

Granted, I have never been a huge Foye fan, but I do think he can fit in nicely alongside a healthy Gilbert Arenas.

Miller also gives the Wizards another shooter off the bench, which is so highly valuable in the NBA, particularly come playoff time.

To round out the wings, the Wizards still have former All-Star Caron Butler, sharp-shooter Nick Young, and solid defender and all-around player DeShawn Stevenson. Those are five solid players to fit into three positions.

The frontcourt is no slouch, either. Antawn Jamison will start at the four position, and if he can resemble his All-Star days, he will be a great compliment to Butler and Arenas like he was just a few years back.

The Wizards have Brendan Haywood returning from injury and he is one of the more underrated big men in the game. I am not saying he is All-Star caliber, but he does a good job defending other bigs (much needed against the likes of Howard and O’Neal) in the league and rebounding the ball.

Saunders doesn’t need much scoring from him, which is a good thing, and he will play his role.

Picking up Oberto from the Spurs via the Pistons will bolster the bench as well as he comes from a winning organization and does the little things well.

Andray Blatche (6'11") is back as well. He has shown flashes of greatness in the past and the Wizards hope to get more consistency from him.

I believe the Wizards have a chance to finish higher than seventh in the East, but I do think the injury bug will plague them at some point this season—hopefully for them, not too much.

If they land where I think they will and remain healthy going into the playoffs, the team that gets seeded in the No. 2 spot in the East should watch out come playoff time.

6. Miami Heat

Key Additions

Quentin Richardson, G/F (trade, Minnesota).

Key Losses

Jamario Moon, F (Cleveland), Mark Blount, C (trade, Minnesota).

This team is Dwayne Wade. Period. The ship will go on how well he goes, and more importantly, if he stays healthy.

The Heat kept their team in tact this offseason preparing for what could be an explosive 2010 free agency for them.

Last year, the talent surrounding Wade was good enough to get the fifth spot in the East. This year, they slip a spot in large part because of other teams getting better.

The Heat will be marginally improved with PG Chalmers entering his second season along with the second pick in the 2008 Draft, Michael Beasley.

Beasley’s turbulent offseason (checking himself into rehab) raises plenty of question marks. All signs out of Heat camp have been positive (on the court) and that he is back on track to have an improved second year.

The Heat will have C Jermaine O’Neil for a full season, but he needs to stay injury-free, which has been extremely difficult these past few seasons. Either way, he is not the Jermaine O’Neil of old.

The Heat do have others in the frontcourt to fill the void in Magloire, Haslem, and Anthony, but nothing that strikes fear into the opponents’ gameplan.

James Jones will be looking to return healthy after missing most of the year this past season. He will provide help to Wade with his outstanding outside shooting touch and I believe people forgot how good of a player he can be as a role player. Look for some good things out of him this season.

The bottom line is the team will only go so far as Wade can take them. Wade is a top five talent in the league and he is exceptional. If he stays healthy, they are in the playoffs. If not, they get a lottery pick and tons of free-agent cap space to go after the likes of LeBron or Chris Bosh to pair up with Wade.

Which one is Pat Riley hoping for?

5. Atlanta Hawks

Key Additions

Jamal Crawford, G (trade, Golden State), Joe Smith, F/C (Cleveland), Jason Collins, C (Minnesota), Jeff Teague (R).

Key Losses

Speedy Claxton, G (trade, Golden State), Acie Law, G (trade, Golden State), David Andersen, C (trade, Houston), Solomon Jones, F (Indiana), Ronald “Flip” Murray, G (Charlotte).

After two straight trips to the NBA playoffs, the Atlanta Hawks will try to make it three in a row behind All-Star Joe Johnson.

The Atlanta Hawks’ offseason was fairly quiet and the roster was basically kept in tact, leaving them to get one year older.

For some players, the extra year is added maturity to grow their game (Al Horford), while for others, it is the beginning of the end (Mike Bibby).

To combat Bibby’s aging and diminishing game, the Hawks went out and traded for Jamal Crawford of the Golden State Warriors.

The Hawks did not give up much in return for Crawford, and he will provide some much needed scoring off the bench. If there is one thing Crawford can do, it is his ability to put the ball in the basket. It will be interesting to see how he fits in with the other Hawks players, particularly Joe Johnson.

The rest of the crew is basically the same. Marvin Williams and Josh Smith will fill in the forward spots with Al Horford anchoring the middle.

Good offensive rebounder Zaza Pachulia will come off the bench to back up Horford, and veteran Joe Smith was signed to add beef to the bench, though don’t expect much out of him.

With the number of moves by other teams in the conference, the Hawks' improvement will rely heavily on how well some of their youngsters have grown.

Two of their shining frontcourt stars and cornerstones to the future of the franchise are Horford and Josh Smith, who are both only 23 years old and have room for improvement.

If their games have indeed gotten better, look for the Hawks to break through even further than they have.

Over the past four seasons, the Hawks have averaged an improvement of 8.5 games per year and if they continue on this pace, that will put them at 55 wins and give them home court advantage in the first round. However, I wouldn’t count on it.

At the Gate Five studio during the Raptors TV program for Thursday night’s preseason game against the Houston Rockets, TV Analyst Leo Rautins made the bold observation that with nine new faces the Raptors may not have put everything together by the start of the season.

Leo may not have been the first person to have made this observation, but if history teaches us anything, it is that big changes often lead to big questions.

And change will be the operative word for fans following the Raptors this season.  But for those who remember Bryan Colangelo’s first season with the Raptors, it’ll be nothing but deja vu.

The changes Bryan Colangelo made this offseason are eerily similar to the changes he made three years ago in 2006. And based on how the team has played during the previous season, a significant house cleaning was well justified in each case!

After a disappointing 2005-06 campaign ended with 27 wins, only six players were retained by the new general manager.  Significant acquisitions were made to shore up the guard, forward, and center positions.  And some of those acquisitions were of the unproven, but high potential variety.

Similarly, after missing the 2008-09 playoffs with a record well below expectations, the Raptors only have six players returning from last season. Once again, significant acquisitions were made at every position and some of these acquisitions are unproven.

Returning for 2006-07 were Chris Bosh, Jose Calderon, Morris Peterson, Derrick Martin, Joey Graham, and Pape Sow.  This year Chris Bosh and Jose Calderon return again, but with Andrea Bargnani, Marcus Banks, Quincy Douby, and Patrick O’Bryant.

So, we have two of the same players returning, a young veteran returned each time, Bargnani in 2009 and Peterson in 2006, and three players came back who may not see much court time.

Comparing the offseason acquisitions is equally interesting:

• Rasho Nesterovic was acquired in 2006 and re-acquired in 2009.
• Jarrett Jack instead of TJ Ford
• Amir Johnson instead of Kris Humphries
• Hedo Turkoglu instead of Jorge Garbajosa
• Marco Belinelli instead of Anthony Parker
• Sonny Weems instead of Fred Jones

DeMar DeRozan, who is a rookie,  is coming in with high expectations and in 2006 the Raptors were counting on rookie Andrea Bargnani.

The other 2009 big man acquisition, veteran Reggie Evans, is significantly ahead of the two rookie washouts, Uros Slokar and PJ Tucker, signed in 2006.

Antoine Wright, acquired in 2009, was originally drafted one spot ahead of former Raptor Joey Graham, who departed for Denver.  There are more similarities here than most fans would care to admit.

It looks easy to rate the 2009 re-make as superior to the 2006 version by assessing the additions of Turkoglu and Evans as vastly better players.  Plus, Bargnani three years later, looks to provide the Raptors much more than Morris Peterson could in 2006.

Also, the second year wing player Sonny Weems may provide athleticism the Raptors didn’t have in 2006, but place him on the unproven list for now.

The only edge going to the 2006 team additions would be for Anthony Parker, who in 2006 wasn’t considered a sure thing either.

However, the sheer volume of change suggests the 2009 Raptors will undergo similar growing pains.

In 2006, the Raptors started off slow with two wins and eight losses and followed that by going 5-5.  But after that slow start, the team gelled and finished the rest of the season strong with 40 wins and only 22 losses.  A franchise best record of 47 wins was achieved in 2006-07.

In 2009, expect more of the same.  This new Raptors squad faces a tough early schedule that they are unlikely to be ready for so early in the season.

Predicting the early headlines this season may read: “Raptors Go 2 and 8 Out of the Gate ” as the Raptors face Cleveland and Orlando at home and then New Orleans, Dallas, San Antonio, LA Clippers, and Phoenix on the road.

The next 10 games get a little easier, but with road games against Denver, Utah, Boston, and Atlanta, matching the 2006 record of 5-5 will be an accomplishment.

After this, the new Raptors team should have found their game and with the talent Bryan Colangelo has put together, fans should be expecting the NBA will be noticing just how good the Raptors are by the start of the new year.

Before the All-Star break, expect the 2009 Raptors to be challenging Atlanta for fourth in the East.

The other trend Bryan Colangelo likes to follow is that he doesn’t sit idly by if he believes one of his new acquisitions isn’t measuring up during the season.

In 2006, Colangelo traded newly acquired free agent guard Fred Jones for Juan Dixon and waived PJ Tucker in order to make room for tryout Luke Jackson’s 10-day contract.

No Toronto fan should be surprised if Colangelo moves or releases some of this season’s acquisitions if they aren’t performing.

The risks for any team with a makeover of this scale are high and it would be hard to imagine a much bigger makeover than what Bryan Colangelo achieved this off season.  But with the risks should come the rewards.

Prediction: I predict the Raptors to match their 2006-07 win total of 47 this season and secure a fourth or fifth place finish in their conference.

For those who prefer to play it safe, the betting line is 41.5 wins.  Take that to mean if the Raptors’ remake doesn’t work, the risk runs both ways from there!

Look here for more predictions about: Teams in the Atlantic Division

The NBA season tip off is in less than 14 days. I thought I would do my due diligence and provide you with a preview of the upcoming season and give you my predictions on how it will all play out. I am sure I won’t be wrong at all (need sarcasm font here).

Over the course of a number of blog posts, I will predict and give a snapshot of every team in the league and where I anticipate them finishing in their conference. Part One starts here with a look at the Eastern Conference and the teams that will finish between 15 through 12.

For years, the Eastern conference has been the Gerald Wilkins to the Western Conference’s Dominique. It has been joked as the minor leagues of the NBA, but no longer is that necessarily the case.

Yes, the Western Conference is more powerful 1-8, but looking at the entire conference, that is not true. Outside of the top four, the Eastern conference is fairly even and believe the remaining playoff spots will be determined by injuries, as is usually the case in the East.

Over the past few years, injuries to star players, whether it is Dwayne Wade, Gilbert Arenas, or KG,  have wreaked havoc in the conference and changed the landscape of the playoff picture. It will be no different this year and the teams that are hit by the injury bug will find themselves in a much different position than they envisioned in training camp earlier this month.

Without further ado, here is what we are looking at for the bottom teams of the Eastern conference:

15. New Jersey Nets

Key Additions: Rafer Alston, G (trade, Orlando), Tony Battie, C/F (trade, Orlando), Courtney Lee, G/F (trade, Orlando), Terrence Wiliams (R)

Key Losses: Vince Carter, G/F (trade, Orlando), Ryan Anderson, F (trade, Orlando)

The Nets were a surprise team last year winning 34 games and Devin Harris had a breakout year, making the Eastern Conference All-Star team.

This year, they have continued the rebuilding project but are still years away from cracking into the the playoff picture. In the offseason, Vince Carter was traded away to the Orlando Magic, which saw the Nets bring back some younger talent in Courtney Lee and a veteran point guard in Rafer Alston, though it remains to be seen how long Alston will be in "Dirty Jerz."

Although I am not a huge fan of Carter and his waning defensive attributes, the trade was lopsided in favor of the Magic in terms of talent. What it did bring the Nets, however, was chance to rid itself of a bad contract and get younger to add to the rebuilding project—and a rebuilding project it sure is.

To go along with Harris, the Nets have big man Brook Lopez in the middle who surprised many basketball writers and fans, not named Jaime as I said to draft him fifth in last year’s NBA draft. He is a legit man in the middle, standing 7' and has a nice touch around the basket with a knack for rebuilding. His defense is improving and he will only get better with more experience—he is only 21.

Besides Lopez and Harris, the Nets will sport Lee at the two who is a good defender and above-average shooter. He is not a go-to type of a guy, but Lee is a very nice complement to have on any team.

One of the big question marks is still Yi Jianlian. He came over in the Richard Jefferson trade last year and has still not lived up to his hype. He will be given the opportunity to hold down the power forward position, and it will be interesting to see how he develops.

I believe he is a nice complement to have on a good team but not a player to carry a team, especially a bad one. He needs to be surrounded by more scorers where he can be a good third or fourth option and hit the open jump shot consistently, which is not the case on this Nets roster. Like Lopez, he is still young (22) and has plenty of years ahead of him to get better.

The Nets are a team full of side dishes but no main entree. Next summer’s approximately $30M in cap space should open them up to get that prime steak. Only time will tell with this team, but not this year.

14. Milwaukee Bucks

Key Additions:Hakim Warrick, F (Memphis), Ersan Ilyasova, F (Turkey), Kurt Thomas, F (trade, San Antonio), Walter Sharpe, F (trade, Denver), Carlos Delfino, G (trade, Toronto), Roko Ukic, G (trade, Toronto), Brandon Jennings (R)

Key Losses: Charlie Villanueva, F (Detroit), Fabricio Oberto, C (Washington), Richard Jefferson, F (trade, San Antonio), Malik Allen, F (trade, Denver), Amir Johnson, F (trade, Toronto), Sonny Weems, G/F (trade, Toronto), Ramon Sessions, G (Minnesota)

Just like the Nets above, the Bucks are in a rebuilding project and traded away a top player in their rotation in Richard Jefferson to the San Antonio Spurs for future cap relief. The pieces are starting to come together in the puzzle, but the Bucks are still a few years away from making any sort of run at the playoffs.

Having plenty of athleticism on the wings in Joe Alexander, Warrick, and Mbah Moute, along with first round pick PG Brandon Jennings allows the Bucks to be a much more up-tempo team that is more aligned with second-year coach Scott Skiles’ style. Look for the Bucks to fast-break more and open the floor up.

The foundation of the team still relies heavily on fringe all-stars Andrew Bogut and Michael Redd, but health with these two is always an issue with both missing a combined 69 games last season. If healthy, they are two of the better players at their position, and if they can stay on the court, the Bucks have a chance to fight for the eighth and final spot of the playoffs.

After a disappointing rookie campaign, plenty of the Bucks present and future depends on the progress of second-year forward Joe Alexander. GM John Hammond traded away SF Richard Jefferson which should open up playing time for Alexander and look for him to get increased minutes. The question remains, will he be able to live up to the expectations?

Beyond Bogut, Redd, Alexander, and Jennings, the Bucks do not have much firepower to propel them into the playoffs. The rest of the team is filled with role players, and do not think they do not have what it takes.

13. Indiana Pacers

Key Additions:Dahntay Jones, G (Denver), Earl Watson, G (Oklahoma City), Solomon Jones, F (Atlanta), Luther Head, G (Miami), Tyler Hansborough

Key Losses: Jarrett Jack, G (Toronto), Rasho Nesterovic, C (Toronto), Jamaal Tinsley, G (waived)

Larry Bird is doing all of the right things to put his team in position to win in the future, but the Pacers are not good enough yet this year.

They possess emerging star Danny Granger who broke out last year to make the all-star team and average over 25 ppg. Other than that, their other main contributors are injury-proned players who are soft in Mike Dunleavy and Troy Murphy. In the NBA, you can’t win with soft players and the Pacers have too many of them, which I believe is why they went with All-American Tyler Hansborough ("Psycho T") in the draft.

Some people believe this was a stretch in the draft, but I believe it was a good pick-up. I think grabbing somebody like Hansborough you get exactly what you expect: hard-nosed and tough player who can rebound and be a nuisance.

This type of draft pick changes the culture of the ball club and forces players to get tougher in practice. The draft wasn’t particularly strong this year and Hansborough will be a solid rotation guy for years to come.

Along with Hansborough and Granger, the Pacers have a bright future. They have Brandon Rush on the wings who is a deadly shooter from the outside and can knock down shots—something always coveted in the NBA.

In the middle, Hibbert had a nice rookie season and will move into the starting center position with the void left by Nestrovic. He looks lighter this season and looks to be quicker and more mobile. Big men always take longer to develop in the NBA, and I believe the best of Hibbert is down the road. If he continues at this development, he will be a nice five in the league for years to come.

Like many of the other teams missing the playoffs, the Pacers are just a couple of pieces away. Unfortunately, they have some bad contracts on the books and can’t make moves in free agency in the near future. For them, it will all be about development of their younger players and making good picks in the upcoming drafts.

12. Detroit Pistons

Key Additions: Gordon, G (Chicago), Villanueva, F (Milwaukee), Chris Wilcox, F (New York), Ben Wallace, F (Phoenix), Dajuan Summers (R)

Key Losses: Rasheed Wallace, F/C (Boston), Antonio McDyess, F (San Antonio), Amir Johnson, F (trade, Milwaukee), Arron Afflalo, G (trade, Denver), Walter Sharpe, F (trade, Denver), Allen Iverson, G (Memphis)

Many of you may be surprised to see me rate the Pistons so low in the Eastern Conference. Bottom line, I have not been impressed with the moves Joe Dumars has made over the last few years.

Last year, the Pistons squeaked into the eighth and final playoff spot. This offseason they have lost their starting frontcourt and replaced it with mediocre players in Charlie Villanueva and Chris Wilcox, not exactly a force to be reckoned with in the middle. Dumars was able to pick up sharp-shooter Ben Gordon from division rival Bulls, albeit overpaying for him.

Yes, Gordon lit it up in the playoffs but he is streaky and a liability on defense. Not to mention, you have to try and squeeze him in for playing time among the Pistons' best players in Hamilton and Prince. Rookie coach John Kuester will have his work cut out for him. Players have been responding well to him so far, but we are still in the preseason and that will only go on for so long when a team starts losing.

Kuester will definitely have his bumps in the road as a rookie coach, particularly dealing with an under-manned front court.

A breakdown of each individual '09 Playoff teams' chances of getting in the 2010 playoffs, and the teams that could replace them.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Cavaliers—Last season's top-seeded team did nothing but improve for this year. They acquired Shaq pretty early for some lower class players, and then signed wings Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon. The team might still be the team to beat in the East this year and will have no problem getting to the postseason.

Celtics—Set back by a Garnett injury last year, the team looks to bounce back with the acquisitions of Rasheed Wallace, Marquis Daniels, and Sheldon Williams. For a team that I personally think has a horrid bench, they've improved it and more. They will be fighting for top position in the postseason, not whether or not they'll get in.

Magic—Now, loosing Hedo Turkoglu, Courtney Lee, and Rafer Alston may look bad when the only headline addition was Vince Carter. However, the Magic also signed Brandon Bass and Matt Barnes to replace the three loses. Also, the Magic will now have Jameer Nelson back from injury. The team is still as good as ever and they'll be seen in the playoffs.

Hawks—The eighth seeded team became the fourth seeded team in 2009. Now instead of a backup point guard they have the 50-point scoring Jamal Crawford. I like that trade, though. They then fixed the need for a backup point guard by drafting Jeff Teague. Now a team with literally ten players looks ready for the playoffs for the third straight season.

Heat—Now the Heat only lost Jamario Moon. They can recover from that. They haven't yet, but it's not completely necessary. He was a good player, but he wasn't a key player.

Now, the Heat are in hot pursuit of Allen Iverson, who could prove to be a good addition to the squad, but he won't like coming off the bench. If the Heat get him, they'll have an improved year over last year.

If they don't, they may struggle a little, and will probably have to settle for a lower seed, but I still see them making it past the regular season, probably as a bottom three seed.

Sixers—Jrue Holiday cannot replace what Andre Miller did for the Sixers, but it's a start, and I think the Sixers had a great draft by drafting Holiday. However, if there's any kind of slip on the team, the Sixers could fall out of the playoffs. It'd be temporary, but don't be surprised if Elton Brand isn't as good as the Sixers need him to be.

If he does work, though, he will be as big of a star as Andre Miller, and the extra Jrue Holiday push could even make the Sixers a better team. Remember, they didn't have Brand last season, so the Sixers technically lost Andre Miller, and gained Brand and Holiday.

Bulls—While I don't think the drafting of James Johnson was smart (as the team already has a few solid post players), it wasn't horrible. The team still is working a solid seven or eight man roster, and the year of experience for Derrick Rose will only make him better.

But Ben Gordon was a good player to have on the team, and the Bulls weren't that far off from missing the playoffs. It's a 50-50 for this season, and one major injury could set them back. Don't be too set off by what I said though, the team is almost the same, and will be fighting for the bottom three seed, and they'll probably get it.

Pistons—Now the Pistons are a completely new team. Being the eighth seed last year, getting an entirely new team makes it a very hard call what the team will be like. If it works, the team will probably be about the same, if it doesn't they will slip.

And that's all you can say about the Pistons at this point.

So it looks like any where between neither and all four of these teams could fall short of the playoff mark, but the good news for those teams is that their competition isn't very intimidating 

But here's who'll put up a good fight.

Raptors—Shawn Marion is a good player, but he didn't really fit in with the Toronto game, and Hedo is really excited about becoming a Raptor. The losses of Anthony Parker and Marion will hurt, but the additions of Marco Belinelli, DeMar DeRozan, Hedo Turkoglu, and Jarrett Jack will make a great team that will push Chris Bosh and the Raptors further than the team went last season.

Wizards—The fate of Washington once again depends on whether or not Agent 0 stays healthy (duh), but a squad with Foye, Young, Arenas, Miller, Butler, Jamison, and Haywood seems like a playoff team.

They will actually most likely make the playoffs this season and will fight for something around the fifth seed—again, I can't say this enough—if Gilbert Arenas stays healthy.

Pacers—The only reason I put them here is because they got so close last season. Although, on paper, this team isn't actually very good. Jeff Foster, Troy Murphy, and Dahntay Jones must be good if they're listed as the starters on ESPN.com, but I've never really heard of them.

I like T.J. Ford, Danny Granger, and Tyler Hansbrough, but I can't really say that I know enough about the team to formulate a good decision. Sorry.

Bobcats—The Bobcats got close last season but look like they're taking steps backwards with adding Gerald Henderson and Tyson Chandler to replace Emeka Okafor and Raymond Felton. If they can get Felton, they could make a push, but otherwise, they may go further back into the lottery.

The Bucks, Knicks, and Nets look like they're starting to prepare for the future, and some of those teams are doing a good job of it.

Personally, I think what the Bucks did this offseason sucked, but that's just me.

And there's the East, a conference that has the first four teams in the playoffs pretty much set up, and the last four are in a position where anything could really happen.

The East side is rising. The NBA is no longer totally about the Wild West. The Lakers are still arguably the strongest team, but many teams are coming close.

Everybody loves Shaq. Who couldn't? The Cavs decided to lick their wounds from last time and grab Shaq, thinking that O'Neal may be the answer to their loss against Dwight Howard and Co.

Shaq can dominate on the offensive end and if the Magic ever run hack-a-shaq, they can switch to Ilgauskas, who is weaker on the post but a better shooter.

Despite being quite old for an NBA player, Shaq's field goal percentage is as high as ever, shooting over 60 percent for the past two years in Phoenix. Shaq also brings experience and strength.

But in my humble opinion, I think that getting Shaq may not guarantee a championship next year. 

The Cavaliers' problem is their defence on rotation; that's where the Magic got most of their dagger three's last year.

The problem is Shaq is 37 and he isn't the man he used to be. His lack of speed is a major problem and does not help on rotation.

Shaq may be a bit better than the frail Ilgauskas, yet still pretty slow. If I were to go for speed, I might as well go for the smaller, faster Varejao.

If the Cavaliers beat Magic last year, would they have beat Lakers in the Finals? I doubt it. Chances are, they would have found no answer to Kobe Bryant, who is a match-up nightmare for anybody.

Take a look back to 2008, when Ray Allen and Paul Pierce did a great job guarding Kobe Bryant. Many say Kobe wasn't in top form last year and he didn't "step up."

I think that the problem was the Celtics' defence. They managed what many other teams did not—slow down Kobe.

One player is never going to change a team instantaneously. The Cavaliers realized that, and are trying to add Jamario Moon to their roster.

If the Heat cannot match the Cavaliers' offer in a week, then we put Jamario Moon into the equation. Moon is not a huge offensive player, but he is quick and can help on the poor D the Cavaliers put up.

I speculate Moon will probably play swingman (Guard/Forward), helping them on defense against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.

Nonetheless, other teams have been making adjustments, as well. Lakers added Ron Artest to their roster. This would mean trouble for LeBron James, but not that much.

The Cavaliers are one of the best offensive teams, and the addition of Shaq also makes them much more versatile in the offensive end.

The next big addition is Vince Carter to the Magic. The Magic traded Hedo Turkoglu and Courtney Lee away for the veteran.

While Vince may not be as athletic as he used to be, he is still a threat behind the arc, can distribute, and can put up numbers. The addition of Vince Carter will make the Magic a better all-around team.

Many teams in history have had big man/guard combinations that have proven successful: Kobe and Shaq, Dwayne Wade and Shaq, Gasol and Kobe... With some luck they might even get another chance. Why not Vince Carter and Dwight Howard?

Finally, the Celtics. Despite being bombarded by age problems, there is no denying that they are great. The Big Three are three weapons of different styles, causing many problems for teams. The recent addition of Rasheed Wallace adds many more options for the Celtics. 

There you have it. The best three teams of the East.