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Predictions For The Nba East

fleung22

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fleung22

fleung22 1

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What do you guys think about these predictions?Celtics may not be as dominant but tough to argue for top spot. Cavs look like they could compete for top spot assuming a healthy Lebron and big frontmen can still play. I think the Heat will be better than listed but the Pistons are ready to move down from no. 2.Magic, Raps and 76ers are such ??? Feel like one of them will do great and one will miss the playoffs somehow. 76ers are like the Bulls coming into last year and I'm not sure Turkoglu (spell!?!) can still get better in the improving East. Barring injury Raps can't be any worse with Jermaine vs. Ford can they?http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?p...asonPredictionsPREDICTED STANDINGS FOR EASTERN CONFERENCE: 2008-09CONF TEAM W L PCT 08 W 08 L 08 PCT1 Boston Celtics 55 27 .671 66 16 .805How big is the Posey problem? Enough that the departure of Big Game James helps take the Celtics down 11 wins in our survey. Plus, by next June, the Big Three will nearly be the Big 33 (Kevin Garnett, 33; Paul Pierce, 31; Ray Allen, 33). But guess what? They're still the East's beasts. | Offseason Moves2* Detroit Pistons 50 32 .610 59 23 .720Pick your metaphor: Is the championship window closed? Are Sheed, Rip, Tay and/or Mr. Big Shot headed out the door? Will Michael Curry finally put a stop to the coaching carousel? Can Kwame cut it? Will Joe D blow it up? With no answers apparent, Detroit remains a team in limbo. | Offseason Moves3* Cleveland Cavaliers 50 32 .610 45 37 .549If the Cavs can find chemistry in the combo of King James and Mo Williams ... if Big Z and Big Ben have anything left ... if J.J. Hickson makes an immediate impact inside ... Cleveland can win 50 for the third time in four years. Which is just enough to earn LeBron his first MVP award. | Offseason Moves4 Orlando Magic 49 33 .598 52 30 .634Superman's deflating departure from the East semis has us feeling skeptical about Orlando. And apologies to Anthony Johnson, Mickael Pietrus and Courtney Lee, but it's far from clear the Magic have addressed their weaknesses at the point, shooting guard and power forward. | Offseason Moves5 Philadelphia 76ers 47 35 .573 40 42 .488Philly flipped from feeble to phenomenal in a few months last season, and the Elton Brand acquisition appears to have accelerated the Sixers' progress. But they need further growth from Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young and Lou Williams, plus another strong year from Andre Miller. | Offseason Moves6 Toronto Raptors 45 37 .549 41 41 .500Jermaine O'Neal has missed 122 games in four seasons, while T.J. Ford has missed 130, and each player helped wreck his previous team's chemistry. So the Raptors can only hope their new center puts his problems and sore knee behind him long enough to provide relief for Chris Bosh. | Offseason Moves7 Washington Wizards 43 39 .524 43 39 .524Agent Zero's biggest contribution to the Wizards last season was his blog, but Arenas and his repaired knee still got a $111 million contract. So will the return of Arenas and Jamison be enough to get the Wiz out of the first round of the playoffs for the first time in four years? Probably not. | Offseason Moves8 Miami Heat 39 43 .476 15 67 .183Dwyane Wade's scintillating Olympics performance was a welcome sight, but the roster remains a mismatched mishmash and the coach is a rook. Still, Marion, Beasley, Chalmers and Jones should help the Heat double (or perhaps even triple) their 15-win total of last season. | Offseason Moves9 Chicago Bulls 38 44 .463 33 49 .402No team is more baffling than the Bulls, which went from darlings to dregs in just months last year. The pessimist sees more of the same: weird chemistry and growing pains. The optimist sees a quick, Derrick Rose-led turnaround for the team many thought would win the East last season. | Offseason Moves10 Atlanta Hawks 37 45 .451 37 45 .451Good news: The Hawks gave the Celtics a tougher playoff series than the Lakers did. Bad news: Josh Childress flew to Europe. Good news: The Baby Birds are a year older. Bad news: The East is deeper. More bad news: Another 37-win season probably doesn't get it done. | Offseason Moves11 Milwaukee Bucks 35 47 .427 26 56 .317To get stronger on defense, Milwaukee moved out Mo Williams and Yi Jianlian, hired Scott Skiles as coach and fortified with Richard Jefferson ... and Luke Ridnour, the pixie point guard who "can't guard a chair." If the chemistry works, it should add up to a jump up the charts. | Offseason Moves12 Indiana Pacers 34 48 .415 36 46 .439Jettisoning Jermaine O'Neal to Toronto was a bold step, and new PG T.J. Ford should keep Jim O'Brien's Pacers running. But does Larry Bird's reform movement add up to change Pacers fans can believe in? Probably not, at least until he finds some players worthy of an All-Star vote or two. | Offseason Moves13 Charlotte Bobcats 32 50 .390 32 50 .389Which Larry Brown did Michael Jordan hire: The one who has turned around many a young team in his Hall of Fame career, or the one who led the Knicks so badly that many accused him of sabotaging the season? Another question: What does the (nearly) 68-year-old coach have left? | Offseason Moves14 New York Knicks 29 53 .354 23 59 .280Mike D'Antoni will certainly raise team morale. But will the Knicks see a boost in the standings? Not as long as two heavyweights -- Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph -- are around to spoil the fun-and-gun. It'll be a season of transition, but change won't be happening in seven seconds or less. | Offseason Moves15 New Jersey Nets 28 54 .341 34 48 .415The youth movement is under way, as the Nets' brain trust builds hope that a King will lead them in 2010. Until then, the '08-09 season is all about finding out which prospects are pieces of the puzzle for the future. In other words, as part-owner Jay-Z might say: "Show me what you got." | Offseason Moves

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slt1der

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I'd switch the top two and bump Cleveland down.Joe D up there is running a sick team. They've got the best starting 5 and their bench could probably start for most teams. With that depth, I'd flip flop them with the greens. But of course, Detroit is known for coasting through the regular season a la Spurs and rest everyone for the playoffs. So I'll take it all back. Cleveland probably won't be that high of a seed even with the addition of Mo Williams because let's face it, their offensive scheme sucks. Probably around a 5th seed.

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CaneBrain

CaneBrain 97

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I think they got it about right. The Heat are a huge question mark to me even as a big follower of the team. You just cant predict how Chalmers and Beasley are going to do out of the gate.I think that ESPN article is pretty good. Obviously, some teams could swap spots but nothing looks too crazy...

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babylondonks

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I think the Wizards can beat any team on any given night, and Antawn Jamison has really been slept on as a consistent 20/10 player, but I just still don't have faith in them. I don't really have any complaints with any of the seedings. I'm excited for the 76ers though, would like to see them do well with Brand and Iggy and it's great to see them bounce back from the AI trade so quickly.

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outsider13

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I don't disagree with anything really. I think the time will come when the Pistons fall from the top and their age will catch up to them. Fortunately for them, the east has really been awful.I think the Magic won't have as good of a year, but won't be surprised too if they do. I think it will come down to Turkoglu being huge and Lewis playing to potential. Expecting the same as last season out of Turkoglu might be asking a lot.Cavs, not a believer, but not a fan so my views are a bit biased. They should finish 3rd I guess. It is the east.76ers. Wow, quite the prediction there. Will Brand stay healthy? If he does and him Dalembert and Iguodala are on the court together, could be quite interesting. This could be a very good team.Raptors, I think they could do VERY well too, but it comes down to the health factor. If O'neal and Bosh stay healthy all year, the team could do very good things. Also, if Calderon gets hurt, I think this team is done. Unfortunately now they lack any depth at PG with the departure of TJ. Go Raps though.

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fleung22

fleung22 1

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Apparently the Heat are experimenting with playing Wade at the 3 spot as a point forward with Mario Chalmers and Chris Quinn in the back court.
the new Suns of the East?if that happens it's definitely a running team assuming the starting lineup is:5Marion4Beasley3Wade2Chalmers 1QuinnMagloire/Zo might play centre and move Marion to PF to have Beasley off the bench but seems doubtful
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Jadaki

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the new Suns of the East?if that happens it's definitely a running team assuming the starting lineup is:5Marion4Beasley3Wade2Chalmers 1QuinnMagloire/Zo might play centre and move Marion to PF to have Beasley off the bench but seems doubtful
I think that's a change of pace lineup honestly. Zo is only good for 15-18 minutes a game, and if they put that front court out there they are going to have to outrun other teams and play great help defense.
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fleung22

fleung22 1

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I think that's a change of pace lineup honestly. Zo is only good for 15-18 minutes a game, and if they put that front court out there they are going to have to outrun other teams and play great help defense.
ya, I was reading an article on espn.com and they've switched between having Wade and Marion on the 3. I'm really looking forward to seeing the Raps vs. Heat play. O'neal/Bosh will dominate the inside but there's really no Toronto guard or SF that can stop Wade.
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I_fold08

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the new Suns of the East?if that happens it's definitely a running team assuming the starting lineup is:5Marion4Beasley3Wade2Chalmers 1QuinnMagloire/Zo might play centre and move Marion to PF to have Beasley off the bench but seems doubtful
wont happen as long as riles is in the front office, just because he isnt the coach doesnt mean he isnt running the team
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CaneBrain

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No chance the heat make the playoffs, none.
what kind of odds can I get on no chance? should be good right?what an absurd statement. i am sure you would be the guy saying the same thing about the Rays winning the World Series at the beginning of the year.
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CaneBrain

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No chance the heat make the playoffs, none.
A third of the way into the season and the Heat are currently the 6 seed in the East and hold a 2.5 game advantage over the 9 seed (ironically Chicago).
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