SOUTHEAST DIVISION
1-ORLANDO MAGIC (Nelson, Carter, Pietrus, R. Lewis, Howard): Of course everyone will be wondering if Orlando did the right thing but letting Hedo go and bringing on Vince-anity. Vince brings a better offensive player, but Hedo was the man running things. Don't forget that to get Vince, they had to part with Raefer Alston and Courtney Lee ... two starters on their Finals squad. They still are the class of the division since no one can step to Howard, but I don't see them making a return trip to the Finals.
2-WASHINGTON WIZARDS (Arenas, M. Miller, Butler, Jamison, Haywood): Injuries decimated the Wizards last year. So much so, that despite being one of the worst teams in the East in '08-09, they are one of the trendy teams to pick in the conference this year. I love the fact that they dealt their No. 5 pick in the draft for two guys (Randy Foye, Mike Miller) that can help them immediately.
3-ATLANTA HAWKS (Bibby, J. Johnson, J. Smith, M. Williams, Horford): I really like the Hawks this year. They have a formidable starting lineup mixed with veteran reserves in Jamal Crawford, Mo Evans and Joe Smith. If draft pick Jeff Teague can bring something to the table, Atlanta could challenge for the division title.
4-MIAMI HEAT (Chalmers, Wade, Beasley, Haslem, J. O'Neal): The fact that D-Wade is so good makes anyone believe in this team. There isn't much talent behind him. Beasley has some issues to work out, O'Neal is a shell of his former self and the bench is filled with less than stellar role players. Look for Wade to lead the league in scoring.
5-CHARLOTTE BOBCATS (Felton, Bell, G. Wallace, Diaw, Chandler): Charlotte has enough to make a run for a playoff spot, but the offense still lacks a go-to scorer. This is a stellar defensive team who have to shut down opponents if they want to win. With the ownership situation unsettled, it will be tough for this team to bring in the pieces to compete.
No comments:
Post a Comment