NBA Eastern Conference 2007-08 Preview

History Lesson
After the fabled Chicago Bulls dynasty of the 1990’s was scattered to the four corners of the NBA (Michael Jordan retired for the second time, Scottie Pippen went to Houston, Dennis Rodman to the Los Angeles Lakers, Steve Kerr to the San Antonio Spurs, Jud Buechler to the Detroit Pistons, and Luc Longley to the Phoenix Suns), it was obvious that from the get-go, that it was going to be a wide-open race.

The Spurs won in the strike-shortened season of ’99 while the Lakers took the next three. In the nine years since Michael Jordan prematurely abdicated his throne, the east has won only two NBA titles. And when the Pistons and the Miami Heat won them (in 2004 and 2006 respectively), they weren’t even considered to win as their protagonists in the Finals, the Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks were seeded to win it all.

So where did it all go wrong? How can such a proud and strong conference that has dominated All-Star competition, collectively won more NBA titles than the west, and produced such all-time great teams like Bill Russell’s Boston Celtics, Red Holzman’s team-oriented Knicks, Larry Bird’s Celtics, Dr. J’s Philadelphia 76ers, and Detroit’s Bad Boys of the late 80’s plummet so low to the point of being a joke? In case you still haven’t caught up, see the Cleveland Cavaliers that played in last year’s finals.

Surprisingly, the answer begins where it ended. With Michael Jordan.

While the Bulls were racking up titles (with a cameo appearance by the Houston Rockets, deserving stand-ins when His Airness was shagging fastballs), the real NBA finals were played when the eastern conference play-offs got underway. There were the Knicks, the Heat, the Indiana Pacers, the Pistons, the Orlando Magic, and the Cavaliers who were legitimate title contenders. While it would be too presumptuous to claim that the west was weak, it was clear – even in the immediate two years after the Bulls were disbanded after their Last Dance – that the east still had the better teams.

So where does MJ come in?

The Bulls ruled. And with Chicago a certain lock as eastern champs, the only way stars like Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Chris Webber, Ray Allen, and Rasheed Wallace were going to get back to the Big Dance was by moving west. The exodus of stars continued with Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Penny Hardaway, Steve Smith, Glen Rice, and Ron Harper to name a few.

As the Spurs and the Lakers alternated between Larry O’Brien trophies in the new millennium, the exodus back to the east by prime time players itching for NBA Finals action has begun. And this year the gap looks to get closer.

A new power rising
Kevin Garnett’s move to the Boston Celtics was the biggest story of the summer. While they’ve formed their own version of the Big Three, Garnett in all likelihood is only a sure first-ballot Hall of Famer. His presence, talent, boundless energy, and perhaps desire immediately transform the sad sack Celtics into an eastern challenger. But since Danny Ainge mortgaged their future to Minnesota to win now, the Celts have a thin bench. Their starting unit alone doesn’t even begin to compare to Boston’s last title squad in 1986 so how more their bench.

On that alone, I’m going to go on record to say that it’s not going to be enough unless Ainge brings in more help this season. You think Latrell Sprewell might take the veteran’s minimum for a chance to win while being reunited with Garnett (they had a great run a couple of years ago with the Timberwolves).

Aside from Boston, New Jersey, New York, Toronto, Orlando, Milwaukee, and Charlotte received significant free agent help from Western refugees. Of the aforementioned, I figure the ever-improving Bobcats and Raptors to make bigger strides this season and maybe a play-off berth. The Bobcats have gotten better with every passing year and look for the addition of J-Rich to turn them into a play-off contender.

Everyone likes the Bulls to finally complete their ascension by taking the eastern crown, but for all their youthful talent, they still are one player short winning it all and completing an obsession of the club’s former General Manager Jerry Krause to win one without the sainted MJ. But they are very good and now a year wiser and older, they still feel that they lost it to Detroit by not showing up when it mattered. And if you’ve been an ardent student of history, you’ll know that those who get through the Pistons go to the Finals (read: Miami and Cleveland). So you can bet those Bulls, again taking a lesson from MJ who used perceived or real slights to elevate his game, will try their best to gore every one who gets in their way.

But should the Bulls stumble out of the gates, I’ve got a nagging feeling that current GM John Paxson will not wait for another year to try. I’m sure he remembers the Cleveland Cavaliers of his team that were perhaps deeper than the Bulls. The only difference was they had Jordan on their side. And that was more than enough. So if the Bulls struggle once more, look for him to revisit that trade for Pau Gasol, Kobe Bryant, or some disgruntled All-Star.

Also standing pat on their team were the Pistons, the Wizards, the Sixers, and the Cavaliers. Of the three, the Pistons seem best equipped to deal with their rivals’ reloading. GM Joe Dumars feels that their young guns are ready to contribute now so there was no need to break up a team that has easily been the class of the east. Yet the onus is on coach Flip Saunders to march back into the Finals. Anything less then he'll probably be out at the end of the season.

The Wizards and the Cavaliers on the other hand still hope to rely on their All-Stars to tow them to the top. But the question is, is that enough?

The Miami Heat on the other hand hoped to land Milwaukee’s Maurice Williams or Charlie Bell thinking they can supplant Jason Williams and move Dwyane Wade to the two-spot. Only they staed within Wisconsin's state limits and the Heat were only able to land Penny Hardaway who is a shadow of his former self. In a conference that is getting stronger and featuring a lot of young studs eager for the limelight, the Heat are old and too young. Unless Antoine Walker discovers the fountain of youth, Shaquille O’Neal is one more his spry and powerful self, and White Chocolate goes retro. As it is, the Flash might find himself playing at a different speed than his teammates.

Receiving a shot in the arm through the draft were the Milwaukee Bucks and the Atlanta Hawks. But of the two, Milwaukee seems to have the better upside.



That's me wearing my Andres Nocioni Bulls jersey.

Predicted order of finish:
Atlantic
1. Toronto Raptors
2. Boston Celtics
3. New Jersey Nets
4. Philadelphia 76ers
5. New York Knicks

Central
1. Chicago Bulls
2. Detroit Pistons
3. Milwaukee Bucks
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
5. Indiana Pacers

Southeast
1. Charlotte Bobcats
2. Washington Wizards
3. Miami Heat
4. Atlanta Hawks
5. Orlando Magic