The New East after the trade!?!!

[Diesel]

1. New Jersey. The addition of Mutombo might slow their offense but they have the strongest defense ever in the east.

2. Indiana. Who? INdy. They are mighty deep. I wouldn't bet against them now.

3. Washington. Don't sleep. MJ's coming back and he has Pippen..I mean Stackhouse at his side. He also have Brown, Jeffries, Heywood, White, and a whole slew of big men.

4. Orlando. HIll, Tmac, Knight, Kemp. Thats a lot.

5. Boston. Now, your health means little. Everybody is back and healthy. Boston's lack of defense will be evident.

6. Milwaukee. I bet Toni makes a big difference. They have a lot of talent.

7. Atlanta. Yeepee. What was Detroit Thinking.

8. Detroit. They traded an allstar for an overrated Sg. Jordan is good. Even still, I like Tayshun Prince and him and Rip will do a little damage.

9. Philly. Good. Iverson's heart may propell them into the playoffs.

10. Miami.

11. New York. They need a BIg Man.

12. Chicago. with Rose, Fizer, and Williams they will make some noise. If CHandler comes along, they could make a run.

12. Toronto. AD is good but not impressive. The biggest loss was Childs. A Williams will be exposed.

14. Cleveland. I look for nothing from Miles but he might average 17/8.

[jaywalker72]

I don't think anyone will miss the Wiz this year, especially after the trade.

A nice mix of the old (Jordan), in their prime (Stack), and youth (Hughes, Jeffries, Dixon, Brown), are going to draw a lot of ink this year. And the Hawks have this game in their 5 game pack. Amazing.

Toronto worse than New York and Miami?

Miami gets Caron Butler, but the rest of their aging team is another year older. Eddie Jones and Brian Grant are on the other side right now, and do they have a PG yet?

New York added McDyess, but it's still Houston and Spree and that is all. And shooting guards like Spree get old fast.

Toronto loses Keon, but still have the rest of the same team that made noise two years ago. If MIL deserves playoff mention, perhaps TOR shouldn't slip this far, either.

Honestly, from top to bottom, there isn't a whole lot of difference in these teams. Health, chemistry, and the breaks could mean the difference between being a home court seed or middle of the lotto.

[Guest]

Here is the only huge problem the Wiz

will have:

Michael Jordan 41%FG(36% on road)

Jerry Stackhouse 39.7%FG

Larry Hughes 38%FG

Bryon Russell 38%FG

Kwame Brown 38%FG

Yikes!

[capstone21]

I agree Toronto is a very strong team with some depth. They are a playoff contender.

Washington really has nothing to offer in my opinion. Hughes is a not a pg and they will suffer. Their big men are average or below average. I think they are one of the weakest teams in the East.

Miami drops. Zo maybe out for the season. I have a feeling he is going to retire as a result of this Kidney thing.

Diesel you also forgot the Hornets who I think will win the Central. They have a great team put togther and I think they may have finally got a shooting guard when they got Alexander.

[Traceman]

Now that is hilarious! Back in July, you said they have "so much talent." Now you are saying that "AD is good but not impressive. The biggest loss was Childs. A Williams will be exposed." Here were your predictions from July:

"IF things don't change much more:

1. Boston. - Getting a C that can put up 15-18 and pull down 10 rebounds or so will really help them. Also, a change of Scenery was long overdue for Baker. The real steal of yesterday was getting Shammond Williams. He's no high scorer but he can hold the line.

2. Toronto. - So much talent (if they don't trade Vince and Jefferies away). I would like to see how Jeffries fair and if he challenges Pete.

3. New Jersey. - Jason Kidd makes everyone better. But Injuries don't help NJ like they did last yr.

4. Detroit - Great Coaching. They have Billups at the Point. Watch out.

5. Indiana - Sleeper team for sure. They are abundantly talented at every position. I think that they will trade for a vet PG before it's all over. Can you say: NVE!

6. Washington - MJ returns. Washington comes through the East. Seriously though... They have a lot of talent.

7. Philly - Iverson wills them to the playoffs again.

8. New York. - If Dice is healthy... Him, Houston, and whoever they get for Latrell runs the table. To be totally honest, they need a C in the worst way... But if Dice plays and is healthy, Dice has the most talent around him that he has ever had. Dice vs. Reef should be interesting."

I still think that about 9 teams (including us) could finish anywhere between 2 and 10 dependng on injuries, chemisry, luck, etc. I think NJ is the team to beat again but after that, who knows what will happen? I think Miami is in trouble since it appears that Zo won't be playing. That is horrible news. I really like Zo and I hope he gets healthy whether he ever plays ball again or not.

[capstone21]

Hello the Hornets.

[Guest]

Hello...how can you say that about the Knicks. They're young now...with the exception of Dice. He's such a question mark, having to depend on his explosiveness. If healthy, they're a 35 win team max!

[Diesel]

Actually, if you look at the list, the changes are indicitive of the recent moves made.

1. I thought Toronto would keep both Childs and Clark. That was their defense. Vince isn't a good defender. AD and AW are adequate. Last yrs run was based on their ability to hold good scoring teams scoreless and that was due to good defense. When they lost those two for NOTHING they lost a lot. Also Childs was the point that AW couldn't be.

2. Surely NJ's stock has raised. Deke, Childs. Now they have defense. Especially when you think of Deke/Kmart/Jefferson on the frontline!!!

3. Detroit has dropped. I like billups but Halmilton/Billups is not the same as Stack/Billups.

4. The Pacers by virtue that they haven't done much has moved up. I also expect a trade to come down any day now. Croshere/bender for stoudamire.

[Guest]

If Hakeem is truly out for the season (he failed his physical yesterday) or even more of a shadiow of himself than he was last season, what does that do to the Raptors? Bet they're wishing they'd just paid Clark....cause it's really becoming the VC show. Better hope he's made a complete and full recovery....I'm still very unsure about that team, from top to bottom, inside and out.

[Diesel]

Well, I guess they will line it up like this:

AD/Montross/Ndaiye

JYD/Bradley

Pete/Jeffries

VC/Jackson

AW/Hunter

They lose three good players. I forgot about them picking up Hunter. He will be a good standin offensively but what they had defensively is gone. Also, AD playing C is going to get old quick.

A lot depends on what will happen with JYD and PEte. IF these guys can step up them Toronto will be good but not much better than a 5th seed in the playoffs.

[Guest]

They look like a weaker version of Detroits

35 win team two years ago.

the Hornets will be up there.....Grant will

play better without Zo but they will still

lose games.They have a even weaker bench/

no PG and no PF and JJ has only been a 10PPG

player the last two years.

[Diesel]

There's a hidden Danger now. IF Miami is allowed to run, all of their strengths will be displayed. Grant can run. Jones is a runner and finisher. Butler is ?? The question is this... If they run, Riley will have to go with House over Carter and if they do, they might be Good.

[Guest]

what exactly is their bench? Grant's not a great scorer (not bad though, by any means)...if anyone's having an off night, I'm not sure that they'll be able to put points on the board.

they have absolutely NO bench.

[KB21]

I agree that New Jersey is the team to beat in the East, but the rest I don't agree with.

1. New Jersey Nets

2. New Orleans Hornets

3. Boston Celtics

4. Indiana Pacers

5. Orlando Magic

6. Atlanta Hawks

7. Detroit Pistons

8. Washington Wizards

9. Toronto Raptors

10. Milwaukee Bucks

11. Philadelphia 76ers

12. Miami Heat

13. Chicago Bulls

14. New York Knicks

15. Cleveland Cavaleers

[capstone21]

Boston does not have a point guard this year...they will struggle this year. Especially if they think they are going to run the offence through Walker.

[Blunt91]

I would move Orlando up to 3rd spot, boston drops to the 6thposition and we move to the 5thspot. Could you see a 1st round series between the Pacers and Hawks? To me we have a little rivalry with the pacers,especially JT and Tinsley.

[Boondocks]

Since you were curious as to how Jefferies would play with the raptors, I looked if they had signed him already.

Chris Jefferies is still unsigned, maybe the Hawks could get him in a trade? Although he's a 3 he can play the 2 as well and is a really good defender..

Any thoughts? Raps are looking to trim the roster so perhaps email would do the trick.

[Guest]

Y'all are really under-valuing the Sixers. Granted that a lot of the team has changed since it's Finals run two years ago...but they've still got a pretty decent lineup and, off court @&%$ aside, Iverson's heart is tremendous. They're gonna make the playoffs folks. Pencil it in.

Detroit looks incredibly weaker now. They're gonna miss Stack...I wonder if Carlisle can get Hamilton to play D, hit the weight room, or learn to post up some smaller guards....a team with some good role players, but not a true "first option" in the league. Maybe Rip will come close to All-Star status this year, but I somehow doubt it.....

[hds428]

Stack went from overrated ballhog to the next Pippen, and Rip went from the second coming to overrated SG? Is this the same Diesel who so vehemently campaigned agains us trading for Jerry Crackhouse? Here's how I see it:

1 NJ - even though they have Deek, I don't think he'll hinder them too bad except on the break, they're still the team to beat in the east even with the ancient stiff.

2 BOS- No Kenny, no big loss. Walker and Peirce will run the show and Anderson will use the post season off time to polish and wax his fleet of Bentleys

3 IND- As long as Reggie is on the floor, they're a contender

4 ORL- They're alot higher if Hill plays more than a handful of games, NO, ORL and ATL could all move way up or way down depending on the gimps.

5 NO - Baron Davis is that badass, Mash will contribute, but its not a question of IF but WHAT will take him out THIS time?

5 ATL- Reef and Big Dogg on offense will somewhat compensate if Theo is'nt there. JT will shine in his first FULL year at point and losing DerMarr will be a surprising factor.

6 DET - Atlanta football fans know all about flukes, but then again so do hoop fans from...

7 PHI - Van Horn will disappear when it counts and Iverson will continue his Keyshawn Johnson impersonation (gimme the d@mn ball!), getting rid of ole man mountian brings em up some and being in the East does'nt hurt.

8 WAS - Stack and Jordan; the UNC connection, unfortunately this is'nt the MJ from 1998

9 MIL- Toni will be as much of a factor as he was in ATL, none. They're still a threat as long as Ray keeps healthy.

10 TOR -Vince and Vince alone keeps em out of the cellar, if something crazy happens and they do make the playoffs (which any team 1-12 could do) the biggest thing they'll have to overcome is Lenny.

11 MIA - EJ and Grant will underacheive again and Riles will be on the spot...again

12 NY- Dice is nice but with Spree and Houston there just are'nt enough balls to go round, chemistry will be a factor. Can you say rebuilding?

13 CHI- Rose stops the bleeding some but they're still way too young and raw; could move up some though.

14 CLE- DFL and looking forward to LeBron James...they hope

The East is NOT stacked, not even close. The best team in the east would still be middle of the pack out west. Our conf is still up for grabs, and it'll be a dogfight to see who gets the priveledge of getting rolled by the Lakers. Pencil in LA for another ring, especially when the inevitable Webber media circus gets fired up.