93 ESPN analysts from across the country (and media outlets) were polled on the future outlook of the Eastern conference for this upcoming season, and the results were pretty much what everyone expected. That being said, it wouldn’t be fair unless OYBTW added their own output, so here’s my take on what to expect out East in 2010:
1. Miami Heat: (Projected: 63-19) Everyone and their grandmothers are high on the Heat, and for good reason. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh team up with a very good supporting cast (all things considered with the salary cap) and they should roll through the East. They won’t contend with the Bulls’ 72-win season, but they’ll make it interesting. The East goes through South Beach, and that’s a fact.
2. Orlando Magic (55-27) It’s been a quiet offseason for the Magic, outside of the Chris Paul trade rumors, but that’s not neccesarily a bad thing for a team that won 59 games last season. Vince Carter should regress in 2010, but not that much. They have a deep bench and Dwight Howard will help the team win enough regular season games to wrap up the 2 seed out East.
LeBron James and the Miami Heat should run away with the East in 2010.
3. Boston Celtics (52-30) The Celtics clearly believe they have one last championship run in them as seen by re-upping Paul Pierce and bringing back Ray Allen. They also signed Jermaine O’Neal and Shaquille O’Neal as insurance for the injured Kendrick Perkins, and with Rajan Rondo in the lineup, they’ll have a fighting chance every night.
4. Chicago Bulls (49-33) Things seemed bleek in the Windy City when the Bulls missed out on the three stars who ended up in Miami, but the Bulls executed their backup plan to perfection, signing Carlos Boozer, Ronnie Brewer, and Kyle Korver. Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah are only getting better, and there’s a chance the Bulls could contend for the No. 2 seed.
5. Milwaukee Bucks (47-35) The Bucks were one of the most active teams this offseason despite not getting much press, but the end result was putting together one of the deepest teams in the East. Brandon Jennings and a healthy Andrew Bogut will team up with a loaded roster, and it’s hard to imagine this team not improving on last year’s 46-win season.
6. Atlanta Hawks (47-35) Joe Johnson was the highest paid player this offseason, and the Hawks will regret it. He has long been considered one of the most underrated players in the league, but he’s not worth the money he was given ($119 million). The supporting cast is still there and they have an excellent starting core, but Jeff Teague at the point and a weak bench could hinder them down the stretch.
7. New York Knicks (40-42) Maybe it’s because I’m a big fantasy basketball player, but consider me on board with the Knicks in 2010. Amar’e Stoudemire and Anthony Randolph are perfect for Mike D’Antoni’s offense, and the addition of Raymond Felton gives them stability at the point. Danilo Gallinari is a player and Wilson Chandler gets the job done. Defense might be an issue, but it will be tough to keep up with them on offense night in and night out.
8. Charlotte Bobcats (39-43) Who’s going to play point guard for this team? D.J. Augustin has showed nothing to prove he’s ready to handle the point, and outside of Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace, this is a rather weak team. The addition of Erick Dampier will undoubtedly help, but how much? Still, expect them to sneak in as an 8 seed.
9. Washington Wizards (35-47) Looking for your sleeper team in 2010? Pick the Wiz, and it’s more than just because of John Wall. Gilbert Arenas, Andray Blatche, and JaVale McGee will team up to form an excellent young core, and Kirk Hinrich and Josh Howard give them a talented rotation. It’ll be tough for them to hit .500, but Wall could push them close.
10. Philadelphia 76ers (33-49) The addition of Evan Turner will do wonders for the Sixers, even with the loss of Sam Dalembert, and Jrue Holiday now has a year of experience under his belt to go with a deep unit. New center Marreese Speights is one of the true sleepers this season as well.
11. Indiana Pacers (30-52) It could be a long season in Indiana, but Danny Granger and rookie Paul George could make it a little shorter. Rookie Lance Stephenson could start at point guard, but isn’t the long term solution. They have decent depth but no one who really stands out (outside of Granger). They finished the year by winning 10 of their last 14 and could build on that, but don’t count on it.
12. Cleveland Cavaliers (30-52) Your welcome, Dan Gilbert. I really wanted to put the Cavs last in the standings because of the owner’s ridiculous comments about LeBron James, but they do have a team outside of Flight No. 23. J.J. Hickson is poised for big things, Antwan Jamison and Mo Williams give them expierence, and Anderson Varejao will continue to produce. The loss of Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Shaq up front will hurt them, and overall it could be a long year in Cleveland.
13. New Jersey Nets (28-54) The Nets are improving and could make some noise for the No. 8 seed if everything falls into place. Devin Harris, Brook Lopez, Terrence Williams, and rookie Derrick Favors make for a nice core, and the addition of Travis Outlaw will help them greatly. Courtney Lee still isn’t the answer at shooting guard and depth is a major issue.
14. Toronto Raptors (24-58) Chris Bosh was just about all the Raptors had, and now he’s gone. They also lost Hedo Turkoglu and adding Leandro Barbosa and Linas Kleiza won’t do it. They paid Amir Johnson big-time money, but that doesn’t make him a big-time player.
15. Detroit Pistons (20-62) I love Greg Monroe’s game just as much as anyone, but this could be a long season. They didn’t add much and will face a tougher Eastern conference in 2010. The potential is there, but a firesale could be in order, making for a long season.
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Great Post! Now I wonder how Miami will respond to the challenge issued, specially with the roster they now have.