2008-09 NBA Eastern Conference Preview

(From the next issue of Maxim Philippines)

Boston’s (not) dead!
2008-09 Eastern Conference
by rick olivares

A couple of months ago, the chants of “Beat LA” not heard in the New England area for some 31 years, rang across the TD Banknorth Garden as a rivalry was renewed. The re-tooled Boston Celtics scuttled the Los Angeles Lakers in six games to bag title number 17.

This year, across the NBA landscape, across 29 cities, fans hope to chant something familiar. A chant that began in Philadelphia in 1968, “Boston’s dead. Boston’s dead.”

And this early, the defending champs have lost a vital cog in their title drive from last year in James Posey (who fled to the New Orleans Hornets). To offset the stinging loss, Boston exhumed a player of unfulfilled potential; one who hasn’t played competitively in two years – Darius Miles.

You’re gonna need more gas in the tank, Danny Boy because it’s open season on the defending champs and the 2K Big Three will average 33 summers when they take to the floor come play-off time. And we all know that the only #33 worth talking about in Beantown has his number retired high up the parquet so they will need more than veteran smarts for the 82-game grind and the second season.

Eastern Conference predicted order of finish:

1. Boston Celtics

2. Cleveland Cavaliers
How does the King follow up a scintillating performance on the world stage? By taking the fight to the elite of the Eastern Conference for the Larry O’Brien trophy. He led the star-studded Redeemed Team USA and how showed how he can take over a game. While he won’t have J-Kidd, CP3, or even Deron Williams to lob him an alley-oop, he’ll have Mo Williams (late of the Milwaukee Bucks) to get him the ball and make opponents pay if they sag too much off him.

The strength of the Cavs lies in its backcourt and small forward position with Daniel Gibson, Wally Sczcerbiak, Sasha Pavlovic, Delonte West, James and Williams. Up front, they’ll have problems especially if Z and Big Ben cannot produce or have health problems. And if Danny Ferry continues to believe that Anderson Varejao is the answer to Cleveland’s woes then these guys are in trouble. And we have no idea what JJ Hickson will contribute to this line-up. LeBron James has been playing basketball almost non-stop for a year now. He might hit the wall and that’s where he’ll need his teammates to pick up the slack.

You need to tinker some more with this line-up because the King definitely will need more than horses and men if they want to return to the NBA Finals.

3. Detroit Pistons
The Pistons are now officially the Utah Jazz (circa 1990’s) of the East. You know… win 50-plus games a season then flame out in the play-offs.

They have the Fab Four of Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, Chauncey Billups, and Rip Hamilton. Joe Dumars’ biggest mistake was thinking that Flip Saunders could replace Ben Wallace and now he still thinks that new Coach Michael Curry can cover up that five-spot.

Avery Johnson would have been perfect for this squad. He’d shake it up and give these guys a kick in the butt. But this is the line-up. They’ll be one of the better teams as they take names and win some, but if they don’t display the passion and energy that nabbed them the title in 2004 then these guys are smoked.

How do they get jazzed (pardon the expression which isn’t meant to be an analogy)? Start Jason Maxiell at center and insert Rodney Stuckey as the starting point guard. That will save the wear and tear on Chauncey and save him for when it matters.

But if Curry is unable to inspire the crew, then this year will definitely be their last ride.

4. Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia… the time is now. And for Andre Iguodala. He’s teased fans the past couple of seasons with his penchant for big games especially during the play-offs, but before he can really replace the A.I. Version One or even conjure images of his idol Michael Jordan, he has to bring it night in and night out.

And Coach Maurice Cheeks has to be open-minded. This is not the Sixers team he played for in the 80’s when they won the squad’s second NBA title. If you ask me, he also mis-coached Portland during his time there. Part of the problem with coach’s wanting to install their system is not taking stock of their roster. Obviously, this Sixers team is born to run. You can thank GM Eric Stefanski for suggesting to Cheeks to play an uptempo game that has given life to this dispirited squad. And with Theo Ratliff returning and Elton Brand giving the team a low post presence, with Andre Miller manning the point and Louis Williams a new threat from the two-spot, watch out. Now all they have to do is see to that bench.

5. Chicago Bulls
I’m going out on a limb here to say that the losing stops now. Last year was an aberration in this storied team’s climb back to the top. Don’t laugh. New coach Vinnie Del Negro isn’t PhilJax but give Johnny Pax some credit (with the exception of his Kobe Bryant flirtations and inability to sign Luol Deng and Ben Gordon before the last season that did this team in even before opening night), he’s done a marvelous job of picking out talent. So who knows? Del Negro might be another Lawrence Frank (so are they in trouble now because the New Jersey Nets have not been a force since Byron Scott was driven off the Turnpike).

This team has all sorts of problems from it lack of front court to its rotation. By the time the season starts, don’t be surprised if Ben Gordon and either Larry Hughes or Kirk Hinrich is offloaded. Paxson will need to bring in a big man who can score and give some proper spacing for their guards. If they can pry Andrei Kirilenko from Utah that would be a coup for the club.

Right now, the starting unit would look like this: Derrick Rose (PG), Larry Hughes (SG), Deng (SF), Drew Gooden (PF), and Joakim Noah (C). Andres Nocioni will be the sixth man, Tyrus Thomas, Kirk Hinrich, and Thabo Sefolosha will come off the bench. Not bad when you think about it. These guys can play with anyone in the league.

The question is, can they play together? This line-up is way too talented to miss out the play-offs for a second straight year. They’ll be back… as long as Nocioni is healthy.

6. Toronto Raptors
This team labored in silence over the past two seasons (except for the squabbles between TJ Ford and Jose Calderon) but bared their mandibles during the play-offs.

And they should finally break out of the Jurassic Age and into a legit NBA contender now that Calderon has his wish to run the point on a regular basis, Andrea Bargnani has a full season under his belt, and well, they have Jermaine O’Neal. Nothing like a change of scenery to light a fire under his pants which have seen far too many lost days on the bench with injuries.

This team… with Anthony Parker, 2005 draft pick and TAU Ceramic point guard Roko Ukic and Jason Kapono should knock off the Orlando Magic as Atlantic Division champs.

7. Miami Heat
Oh ye of little faith. Yes, they’ve got a rookie coach in Erik Spoelstra but four-fifths of their starting unit will run, gun, and sky for spectacular slams like the Redeemed Team in Beijing and certainly make them a better unit than last year. Dwyane Wade is healthy and back to his death-defying ways. Shawn Marion can certainly accept being second fiddle here unlike in Phoenix where he was the third option on offense. And Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers, their two prized recruits will make this team go. They signed Jamal Magloire and James Jones both who will help Udonis Haslem and Mark Blount on the boards and inside. Since the Big Fella has departed to the West where he will eventually destroy the Phoenix Suns, the Miami Heat will have their revenge and make it back to the playoffs.

8. Orlando Magic
When the Magic take the floor on October 29, it will be the franchise’s 20^th anniversary in the league and it will be in defense of their Southeast Division title (their third division title over-all).

Unfortunately, I think that the Magic overachieved despite too many deficiencies in almost all their positions. Then they lost Carlos Arroyo and Keyon Dooling who both put up points on the board for Orlando last season. Who do they replace them with? Courtney Lee, the 22^nd pick of the draft, Anthony Johnson from the Sacramento Kings, and Mikael Pietrus from the Golden State Warriors. If they want to defend their division crown and make it to the play-offs, they’ll need more than simple scoring sock from Rashard Lewis, Jameer Nelson, and Hedo Turkoglu. They need all hands on deck including their wafer-thin bench.

The rest of the teams:
9. Atlanta Hawks
10. Washington Wizards
11. New Jersey Nets
12. New York Knicks
13. Charlotte Bobcats
14. Milwaukee Bucks
15. Indiana Pacers