There's only one word to describe the race for the finals in the Eastern Conference; parody. The East is broken down into three categories: the elite, the up and coming, and the terrible. The elite are the cream of the crop and baring a major injury (or in Indiana's case, a basket brawl), will be part of the final four in the conference. The up and coming teams are young and fearless, and could surprise a few of the elite teams. Finally, the terrible teams are so bad, even the players know it. What category does each team fall?
Here's a look at the Eastern Conference from worst to first.
15. Toronto Raptors Alright, for those Raptor fans out there, let me be the first to start the chant: "Fire-BAB-COCK! (Dun, dun, dun, dun, dun,
dun) FIRE-BAB-COCK!
Does ANYONE know what the Raptors are doing? First they trade Vince Carter for 30 cents on the dollar, a personal bag of
Baked Lays (Sour and Cream), and a $10 gift certificate to 'Bath and Body Works.' Then they blew another lottery pick on an
over hyped big man without a true position. And finally, they let their best player, Milt Palacio, sign with the Jazz.
(Just making sure you were still paying attention!)
You've got to feel for a guy like Chris Bosh. He's grown leaps and bounds since his rookie season, and could be
considered one of the better power forwards in the league (in fact, he actually is), yet he's being held captive in Canada. He
has no quality teammates to speak of (other than the always entertaining Jalen Rose), and a head coach who's a little over his
head, and for whatever reason, everyone hates. It's really unclear what the future holds for the Raptors, but one thing is for
sure, they're going to stink for the next couple of years.
The Canadian's deserve better. It's really sad when you think about it.
14. Charlotte Bobcats If I ever become the owner of my own NBA team, I want to follow the same blueprint as
Charlotte Bobcats owner Rob Johnson. He, along with Bernie Bickerstaff has put
together a very young and talented basketball team. During the expansion draft, the Bobcats made an effort to avoid any and all
bad contracts and older players. They only drafted players who were young and hungry. From there, they drafted forward Emeka
Okafor, College National Player of the Year, and the Bobcats enjoyed about as good of a season as an expansion team could expect.
(By the way, let me give a little credit where it's due. I've never been a big Bickerstaff fan; I always thought his
primary duty in the NBA was to ruin franchises. He ruined the Wizards and he ruined the Knicks. He always came across to me as
an ego-manic who was a lot worse at his job than everyone actually credited him with. But he proved me wrong last season. He was
the collective rock for the Bobcats. He did a masterful job of coaching the equivalent of a YMCA pick up team, and coached them
to 18 wins. I thought Johnson was out his mind when he hired Bickerstaff, but now I think he's a genius. If ever there were a
better person to take over a franchise, it would be Bickerstaff. The lesson as always...you know...)
Anyway, going into this season, the Bobcats look ready for a superb sophomore season. Staying with their youth plan, the
Bobcats added two reigning national champions, rookies Sean May and Raymond Felton. Couple these two with Okafor and Gerald
Wallace, and the Bobcats suddenly have a great nucleus for the future. Right now, however, they just don't have enough pieces to
get out of the eastern basement. Give it a couple of years and we might actually be talking about the Bobcats making the playoffs.
13. Atlanta Hawks When you think about Atlanta, what immediately comes to mind? For me, it's the Underground, the Martin Luther King Jr.
memorial, big businesses, Ted Turner, or the Braves. The Atlanta Hawks are the
furthest thing from my mind. Apparently, the fans in Atlanta feel the same way. The Hawks draw about as many fans as the
San Antonio Silverstars (not that I watch the WNBA or anything). Needless to say, the Hawks desperately needed to sign a star
player to help regain some semblance of NBA respectability.
Enter Joe Johnson. The former Phoenix Suns guard signed a $70 million
contract with the Hawks in hopes of finally being a go to guy on his own team. With the Suns, he was an underrated third option
who couldn't excel out of the shadow of Stoudamire and Nash (with good reason when you really think about it).
But before the ink could dry on Johnson's contract, team governor and part owner Steve Belkin immediately threw the
challenge flag, claiming he didn't mind signing Johnson, but not at the expense of little used, but effective guard Boris Diaw
and two valuable future first round draft picks. Suddenly, Johnson's signing became the object of a heated legal battle between
the ownership group of the Hawks.
Almost three weeks later, the Hawks and Suns finally completed their sign and trade deal, but not before Belkin's stake
in the team was bought out, and he was effectively removed as team governor.
Johnson, however, couldn't be any happier with his new challenge; he finally gets to play point guard and show his
versatility. But how will he get this team get back to the glory days? The Hawks have too many swing players (Josh Childress,
Al Harrington, Josh Smith, Johnson, and stud rookie Marvin Williams). The team still needs a consistent point guard and a
big man.
(By the way, my condolences to Jason Collier's family. It was a very unfortunate situation.)
Atlanta took a huge step forward by finally finding someone to take their money, but it's going to take a few more years
before the Hawks are back in the playoffs. The Smith and Williams drafts were great and the Johnson signing was big. Now they
have to build on it.
Until then, the only thing exciting about Hawks will be watching Smith dunk on his opponents on a nightly basis. That
alone might be worth the price of admission. Sadly, only about 1000 fans in Atlanta will be there to see it.
12. Boston Celtics Give Boston GM Danny Ainge a lot of credit. He's quietly rebuilt the Celtics with very athletic, defensive minded players
who will only get better with time. Between Al Jefferson, Tony Allen, Delonte West, and rookie guard Gerald Green, the Celtics
are pretty set for the future.
There are only two things stand in their way of winning right now, however: 1) The core group of the aforementioned
players are too young to realistically help out star forward Paul Pierce in a heated playoff push, and 2)
Doc Rivers is still the head coach.
I have no doubt in my mind that the Celtics will once again become one of the better teams in the East. Right now,
though, they have a bunch of young players, a frustrated superstar who's been on the trading block since the beginning of last
season, and a terrible in-game head coach. The future looks bright, but the present is definitely a little hazy.
11. Milwaukee Bucks Just two seasons ago, the Milwaukee Bucks were the feel good team of the league.
After getting rid of the big three (Robinson, Cassell, and Allen), and replacing them with up and coming star Michael Redd, key
sixth man Desmond Mason, and rookie point guard T.J. Ford, the Bucks became a sleeper playoff team. Behind rookie head coach
Terry Porter, the Bucks relied on hustle, grit, and quality shooting from Redd to place themselves amongst the up and coming
teams in the league.
Funny how one season and a major injury can change a teams fortunes. With Ford out for the season with a spinal problem,
the Bucks became one of the worst teams in the league. No one could really explain the huge slide. Nevertheless, the Bucks
missed the playoffs, but were able to snag the first pick in the NBA draft lottery.
Now, I've seen quite a few highlight reels of first pick Andrew Bogut (and how can you not the way the league has shoved
him down our throats), and I'm not overly impressed. Best case scenario he becomes the next Brad Miller (which isn't all that
bad, but we're talking about the first pick here). If the Bucks make the playoffs, it won't be because of Bogut. You have to
wonder how much the Bucks believe in him if they give Dan Gadzuric (yes that Dan Gadzuric) and give up Mason for former all-star
Jamaal Magloire.
Ford's return and the signing of underrated star and the reigning "Most Improved Player" Bobby Simmons will play much
greater dividends than Bogut could ever hope to achieve. Don't get me wrong; I think Bogut will be a serviceable big, especially
in the East, but he's nowhere near the franchise player being the first pick entails. I guess it's more than a coincidence that
Bogut will share the frontcourt with another former first pick flameout, Joe Smith. Ouch!
(Put it this way, if you're Milwaukee, would you have rather had the first pick in 2004 with
Dwight Howard and Emeka Okafor, 2003 with LeBron, Carmelo, and Wade,
or in 2005 with Andrew Bogut? Don't answer that.)
I love Ford's return, and I think Simmons and sharpshooter Redd will play well off of each other. When it's all said
and done, the Bucks will battle in hopes of crawling into the playoffs, but fail to get there. Next season might be a little
different.
I'm probably going to get death threats like John Weisbrod last year by Magic fans for this next prediction, but let's
give it a shot anyhow. Let me preface this by saying that I actually like the next team on this list. I think they have very
versatile players in place, and the upgrade at head coach will only help in the long run. The swing players are great, and the
backcourt has been strengthened.
NOW...with the positives out of the way...
10. Orlando Magic The
Orlando Magic has slowly become the laughing stock of the league. I won't rehash all of the
blunders over the past 8 years, but I will focus on the latest mistakes made just this past offseason. It all started with the
NBA draft. With the 11th pick, and several quality collegiate players available, including Sean May, Hakim Warrick, and my
favorite pick, Danny Granger, the Magic decided that Spanish forward Fran Vazquez was their man. Fine, I've come to grips with
the pick. I actually saw him play during EuroBasket 2005 and came away impressed. The kid can play.
The Magic's biggest mistake, however, was that they never talked to him. They talked to his agent. They talked to his
coaches. They even talked to his teammates and opponents. The Magic used their lottery pick on an international player and not
once did they talk with the player himself. To me, I don't care how the team decides to put the corporate spin, Vazquez deciding
to stiff the team is a direct result of poor scouting and a lack of homework.
But enough about the Spanish sensation who'll probably never don a Magic jersey. I liked the
Keyon Dooling signing, but I would have loved it a lot more if they
didn't draft point guard Travis Deiner in the second round, and didn't already have point guards
Jameer Nelson and Steve Francis.
(Speaking of Nelson, what kind of message are the Magic sending to this guy by bringing in two other players who play
the same spot? Way to show your support for Nelson as the teams future point guard.)
Dooling adds depth and defense to the backcourt, but didn't solve the Magic's most glaring need for a ball distributor.
With Francis spending some time at the two this year, the best move the Magic could have made during the offseason was sign a
true ball handler who knows how to run a team. Instead, they got a Francis copycat who'll look more for his offense than pass to
his teammates (as evidenced by his less than 2 assets per game average over his five year career).
Up front,
Kelvin Cato and
Tony Battie are both in a contract year. Both have been big
disappointments throughout their entire careers (anyone remember that Battie was a #4 pick?), but without a solid season this
year, they can kiss their last big contract goodbye. So look for good things there. Cato has been battling shoulder injuries for
over a year now, and it's going to take some time to heal after having surgery on it this past summer. How he responds will
really dictate the team's defense. Sharp shooter
Hedo Turkoglu returns and will have another solid season as the
sixth man (hopefully he'll play a little defense this year).
The key to the season, however, rests on the shoulders of Francis, forward
Grant Hill, and of course, emerging super-duper-star
Dwight Howard. If Francis can remain under control (which is A LOT
easier said than done), if Hill can play at least 70 games, and if someone other than Nelson passes the ball to Howard, the
Magic might actually surprise a lot of people.
After years of expectations by other analysts, the bar has certainly been lowered. The Magic can, and should take full
advantage of that, sneak up on a couple of teams, and be right there when the playoffs start (dare I use the word sleeper).
The key as always is going to be defense. Last season, the Magic couldn't guard the Detroit Shock (alright no more WNBA
references). Francis was so bad defensively,
Johnny Davis of all people, had to shadow him on stationary players who
barely moved from the perimeter. How's Steve going to handle playing the two and guarding bigger shooting guards, and fighting
through screens on a nightly basis? Can Cato and Battie provide consistency on defense in the middle? Will Turkoglu ever make a
defensive stop? These are important questions going into the season.
New head coach (or the return of former head coach)
Brian Hill is certainly an upgrade over the totally incompetent Davis.
Many believe that this move alone is worth about 10 more wins, but I'm more inclined to say that Hill's presence will get the
Magic to about .500. Will they make the playoffs? They definitely might. It's going to be a dog fight between about four teams
for the last few spots, but I just can't see them sneaking in this season. A buddy of mine and I went to the team scrimmage in
Jacksonville earlier this month, and nothing that I saw indicated to me that the Magic were ready for the playoffs.
With Cleveland finally on track, and the other teams from last season seemingly getting better, the Magic are in a
virtual holding pattern. I give them credit for trying, but it's going to take more than just names, and looking good on paper,
to get to the playoffs. Sadly, the Magic will fall just short.
Now how's that for objectivity!
9. Washington Wizards What a difference a couple of months make. Back in April and May, the Wizards were one of the hottest teams in the league.
Every analyst and so called analyst predicted good things in the future for the Wizards. They had a solid nucleus and a very
good defensive minded head coach.
So what happened?
Yes they lost Larry Hughes, who was a very big part of their offense and more importantly their defense, but they are
still one of the better up and coming teams in the league. What happened to the hype? Head coach Eddie Jordan is still in
charge. They still have two all-star level players in Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison, and their nucleus still looks solid.
I don't get it.
Well, I for one haven't completely jumped off their bandwagon. I think this team is just as talented as they were last
season. Losing Hughes was huge, but I think the likes of Caron Butler,
Chucky Atkins, and Antonio Daniels, will help compensate
for his loss. Brendan Haywood has quietly had himself a pretty solid career, and the bench is actually deeper than last season.
With all of that said, the Wizards will battle with the Magic and Bucks all season to get into the playoffs, but fall just short
to...
8. New York Knicks If ever there was a city that could handle the mood swings and dramatics of a guy like Larry Brown, New York is the place.
Brown has moved more times than an 8 year old Army brat. There's no doubt about Brown's ability to teach the game. He's one of
the best coaches in the league today, and it was great to see him finally win his first NBA championship back in 2004.
But when it comes to a guy like Larry Brown, you have to take the bad with the good. For all of the progress Brown
achieved with the Detroit Pistons the past three years, he was also a huge
distraction. It was completely unprofessional of him
to be reportedly talking with other teams about possible jobs in the middle of a heated playoff run. Once the Pistons lost game
7 of the NBA finals, the future seemed clear: Larry Brown's run in Detroit had come to an end.
Now, he's in the basketball Mecca. The thought of Brown and Knicks GM Isiah Thomas working together is too hilarious for
words. But as much as it pains me to admit, I love what the Knicks have done. They have a solid balance of defense (Jamal
Crawford, Trevor Ariza, Antonio Davis, and rookie David Lee), shot blocking (Channing "soft as charmin" Frye, Jerome James, and
Eddie Curry), and scoring (Stephon Marbury, Crawford, Quentin Richardson, and rookie Nate Robinson). On paper this team looks
very interesting, but when you see them in action and what Coach Brown has done with them thus far, you can't help but get
excited if you live in the big apple.
The journey back to the playoffs won't be easy, however. Much like
Brian Hill in Orlando, coach Brown has to peel away several negative
layers and tendencies from many of his players. Marbury, for all of his great stats, has never proven to make his teammates
better or raise his game when it mattered. He is a very talented player, just like Orlando's Francis, but lacks the "it" factor
that makes other shoot first point guards like Detroit's Chauncey Billups and Philly's AI so successful. Coach Brown's primary
task this season is to mold Marbury into the type of player that he's made his last two point guards. If not, it will be Marbury,
not Brown who will garner all the blame. With Crawford and Robinson taking control of the ball more this season, look for a
short leash on Marbury. If he cannot conform to Brown's ways, Isiah Thomas will have no other choice but to trade the popular
guard.
Acquiring Curry and Davis gives the Knicks great depth up front and for the first time since the Ewing era, a consistent
low post threat who demands a double team. For years the Knicks have been labeled a soft, undersized team, but with Davis,
James, and Curry, that label has been shed.
The Knicks are a very talented, hungry basketball team. They have a perfect blend of youth and experience. They also
have one of the best head coaches in the league. The Garden will be rocking once again as the Knicks try to claw their way back
amongst the league's elite. Things will surely end terribly in New York one day, what with Thomas and Brown at the helm, but for
now, things are look quite positive.
7. Chicago Bulls The baby bulls are all grown up. After 8 years of mixing and matching and building through the draft, the
Chicago Bulls finally saw a return on their investment. Things finally started to
click once young veterans Eddie Curry and Tyson Chandler combined with the younger rookies (Kirk Hinrich, Loul Deng, and Ben
Gordon). It's taken a long time, but the Bulls are definitely set for the future.
Losing Curry was a moderate setback. He was their only low post threat, but even in his contract here, he struggled with
consistency and rebounding. In return, the Bulls acquired underrated big man Mike Sweetney, the gawd awful Tim Thomas, and a
player even I can't remember. On the surface, it looks like a lopsided deal, but when you factor in the risks of Curry's heart
condition (especially in the wake of Collier's death); it evens things out. Curry could go on to have a pretty good career, but
I think the Bulls are still in a good position.
With Curry out of the picture, look for a more perimeter oriented attack starting with Deng, Hinrich, and Gordon.
Speaking of Gordon, the generally consensus was that after a spectacular rookie season, head coach
Scott Skiles would put him in the starting lineup. Skiles, however,
says that he loves the combination of Hinrich and point guard Chris Duhon, simply for defensive reasons; therefore, look for
Gordon to continue to come off the bench. It won't matter though; Gordon will be in the game during crunch time.
The biggest concern with this team is in the frontcourt. Not only did they loose a big body in Curry, but they also
lost Antonio Davis. That means that Chandler must have a big season, especially after signing a $60 million contract.
Offseason pickup Darius Songalia is just waiting to explode on the scene, but other than that, the Bulls are very thin.
Defense is what will get the Bulls to the playoffs. Coach Skiles won't stand for poor performances on defense, and with
so much talent on both ends of the court, the future definitely looks bright, and there's really nothing to hate about these
lovabulls.
6. Philadelphia 76ers If the NBA was based on how teams looked on paper alone, the Sixers would be right there with the Raptors and Bobcats. What
keeps the Sixers competitive and always a playoff attendee, however, is the resilience of one Allen Iverson. He is the epitome
of overachieving, and as Iverson goes, so do the Sixers. Iverson is without a doubt the most understood athlete in basketball,
and yet he doesn't let it affect his game. He plays with a reckless abandon you'll be hard pressed to match. His teammates
follow his lead, and as a result, the Sixers are a much better team than they look.
This season won't be any different. Andre Iguodala is an absolute stud on both ends of the floor, and reminds many of a
young Scottie Pippen. Kyle Korver, fresh off his new deal, brings consistent outside shooting, but after his awful performance
against the Pistons in the playoffs, he's got a lot to prove this season. The same goes for Samuel Dalembert, who also signed a
big contract. Now that he's got his money, he has to show that there's more to his game than hustle boards and put backs. For
the Sixers to truly be effective this season, Dalembert has to stay out of foul trouble and keep his head in the game. New head
coach Maurice Cheeks will make sure that the young players continue to develop and be positive contributors.
The X-factor is Chris Webber (or the artist formerly known as Webber). He has battled knee injuries for over the past
five years. He was an early spark for the Sixers when he first joined the team around the trade deadline, but quickly faded down
the stretch due to injuries. Webber has vowed to make a comeback, and promised Iverson that he'll be there for him as the team's
second star. Can Webber stand the test of time? Probably not, but he is an excellent passer and consistent from 15 feet. What's
more, when you have a guy like Iverson, you always have a chance.
5. Cleveland Cavaliers Who would have thought that out of the top three picks of the 2003 draft, LeBron James would be the only one without playoff
experience?
(Heck, Darko Milicic has more playoff experience AND a championship ring before LeBron has even played a game in May.
Who saw that coming?)
Over the past two seasons, the Cavs have had the talent and drive for a pretty good season only to fall in the last
month and a half. Last season they were easily a top 5 team, but after a poor March and April heading into the playoffs, the
Cavs found themselves on the outside looking in. The solution was simple: not only surround LeBron with quality players, but
also bring in veteran players who know how to win.
For weeks, the Cavs entertained the idea of signing sharpshooter Michael Redd. When he re-signed in Milwaukee, they
turned their attentions to another sharpshooter, Ray Allen. When he resigned in Seattle, the Cavs looked at the third name on
their list: Larry Hughes. Hughes was not their first option, but he is the best fit. While not quite the shooter of Redd or
Allen, he is a very good role player who will anchor the team's defense. The thought of him playing in the lineup with LeBron
reminds many of the dream combo of
Grant Hill and
Tracy McGrady. For the Cavs sake, let's hope neither player goes out
with an ankle injury.
To add to the talent and veteran presence, the Cavs signed Donyell Marshall, who could be the most underrated player of
all time. He's a good shooter, rebounder, and defender. I'll never understand why he never got that big contract. Nevertheless,
he will add much substance and stability to the Cavs frontcourt alongside Zydrunas Ilgauskas, especially considering the
instability (both mentally and physically) of Drew Gooden.
To add to their shooting, the Cavs signed Damon Jones, the
Miami Heat's former three point marksman. Other point guard Eric Snow couldn't hit
the ocean, so with James and Hughes slashing to the basket, guys like Jones and Marshall will have plenty of open shots from the
outside.
The Cavs are stacked with talent and toughness. They have an inside out game that other teams can only dream about.
They added defense and shooting, and with most of their nucleus under 30, they are set for the future. Darko might have a
championship ring, but it will be LeBron who will have more rings before it's all said and done.
4. Detroit Pistons Former Houston Rockets head coach Rudy T once said, "Never underestimate the
heart of a champion." I think the
Detroit Pistons need to make a laminate of that phrase and post it all around the
locker-room. The team that once paraded around with wrestling championship belts are now challengers. They've lost their
faithful leader and teacher, but that doesn't mean they've lost what they've been taught.
We all know that Larry Brown wore out his welcome. GM Joe Dumars was very patient with Brown even as he entertained jobs
with other teams. You have to give the Pistons credit for being able to concentrate on the court, despite their head coach
basically throwing them under the bus with the season still in progress. Larry had to go, and the Pistons couldn't have picked a
better replacement.
Flip Saunders has a reputation for taking less talent and making them play well above expectations. For seven seasons in
Minnesota, he took star Kevin Garnett, and a bunch of backup singers to 50 win seasons and a place in the playoffs. While he
never got out of the first round, no one questioned his ability to teach and get the best out of players.
Now Flip has talent. Now he has a team that's willing to do whatever it takes to get that championship feeling back.
They came within minutes of winning back to back championships despite all of the distractions, and seem hungry now that
everyone is picking other teams to claim their spot as eastern champs.
The road back to the finals won't be easy. The Pistons return the same group of players from the championship season.
The starting five is as good as it gets, but it was the bench last season, who couldn't step up when the team needed them. With
Saunders looking for more offensive and a more up tempo game, guys like Carlos Arroyo, Maurice Evans, Antonio McDyess, and
Darko Milicic--whose confidence was beaten to the ground by Larry Brown--will thrive as role players.
The Pistons haven't forgotten what they've been taught. They may become a more offensive minded team with Flip in
charge – which should help eliminate those scoring droughts the Pistons were infamous for – but defense is where this team makes
their calling. The trio of Wallace, Wallace, and Prince are still the best defensive group in the league, and with quality
defensive stoppers McDyess and Dale Davis backing them up, the Pistons won't skip a beat. The team will gain home court
advantage and be on a collision course with the Heat and Pacers to try to get revenge on the
San Antonio Spurs. Until then, they'll have to settle for a fourth place finish.
3. New Jersey Nets The big three return. You know them by name. Kidd. Carter. Jefferson. Just when you thought the window on the Nets run to
the finals had closed; GM Rod Thorn changed the team's fortune and traded for a rejuvenated Vince Carter. Together with Jason
Kidd, the Nets went from lottery bound, to playoff sleepers. Unfortunately for them, not only was Richard Jefferson out most of
the second half of the season, but they faced the Heat in the first round. No small hurdle for a team banged up with injuries.
This season hopes to give this team a breath of fresh air. The big three have a full training camp under lovable head
coach Lawrence Frank behind them, and with Boston and New York a step behind in the Atlantic Division crown, the Nets are easily
a top three seed.
Keep an eye on Nenad Krstic. Through the second half of the season and in the first round of the playoffs, Krstic showed
that he's going to be a major player in this league. He has a never say die attitude rarely seen by European players. He has
excellent footwork and a knack for rebounding. The Nets may have passed on Shareef Adul-Rahim, but they won't miss him as much
if Krstic can establish something down low. Role players Marc Jackson, Jeff McInnis, Clifford Robinson, Scott Padgett, and
rookie guard/forward Antoine Wright, round out the Nets rotation. Not all that great, but not that bad either. At the end of the
day, it will be the big three that catapults this team to one of the elite.
2. Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers represent the model for how to build a championship contender.
Just five short years ago, the Pacers were in the finals with a completely different team. Gone are the likes of Jalen Rose, the
Davis boys (Antonio and Dale), Mark Jackson, Rik Smits, and of course, sharpshooter Reggie Miller. Today's Pacers include
Stephen Jackson, Jermaine O'Neal, Jamaal Tinsley, and the always crazy Ron Artest. In five seasons, there has been little to no
drop off of production despite all of the changes. Give Donnie Walsh and Larry Bird a lot of credit for keeping the Pacers
competitive through the generation change.
Last season was supposed to be the Pacers year. They were the best team in the East, yet injuries early slowed them
down. Just when things looked like they were about to change for the better, the Pacers faced the Pistons in Detroit on November
19. People forget this now, but the Pacers were blowing the Pistons out on their own home court. For whatever reason, however,
the starters were still playing. One flagrant foul and a reactionary action later, and the future of these two teams headed in
two separate directions. We all know the story by now, and have watched the footage to nausea. Artest overreacted to a beer
thrown in his direction and he went into the stands trying to fight anyone within arms distance. Chaos ensued.
The aftermath included a slew of suspensions for the Pacers including a year ban for Artest. In a normal situation,
injuries and key suspensions spells disaster, but the Pacers took their setback as a challenge. Fueled by the old, "Us against
the World" mentality, the Pacers, behind Reggie Miller, battled all odds and made the playoffs (as a sixth seed no doubt). They
even made it to the second round (where they took the defending champs to six games). Their miraculous season only magnified the
job that Walsh and Bird has done over the years. They found players who worked hard and saw even the toughest of adversity as a
challenge. No other head coach could have kept his team together the way Rick Carlisle did. Tenth and twelfth men stood up when
it mattered and gave the team a boost. No one can call last season a waste.
With all the melodrama behind them, the Pacers can now focus on their run to the championship. Miami and Detroit may
have all the hype, but the Pacers have all the substance. They are arguably three deep at every position, and with the return of
Artest, they will continue to be one of the best defensive teams in the entire league. International sensation Sarunas
Jasikevicius brings flair and toughness. He, along with O'Neal, will help to bring leadership in the wake of Miller's
retirement. That's no easy task, but with Carlisle still in charge and Larry Legend looking over their shoulders, I believe they
can do it. Through all of the challenges and questions from last season, the Pacers look ready for a finals run.
1. Miami Heat Shaquille O'Neal was a guest on Stephen A. Smith's show "Quite Frankly" back in September, and Screamin' Stephen pointed out
that aside from Shaq's first season in Orlando where the team finished 41-41, no Shaq led team has finished the regular season
with less than 50 wins.
(All I can say to that is, WOW!)
It is for that very reason that I'm picking the Heat to finish first in the Eastern Conference this season.
They've gotten better offensively. Antoine Walker and Jason Williams bring a good element to the team, and James Posey
replaces the role once occupied by Eddie Jones. Gary Payton, although a few steps slower, and a first ballot cheap ringer, is
still serviceable and better than
Keyon Dooling and Damon Jones combined. Dwyane Wade is one of the best
guards in the league and only getting better. He's a brilliant cross between the old Penny and the current Kobe. He's got talent
that we could only dream of.
But at the end of the day, the Heat's success rests on the shoulders of the diesel. He will be the collective glue that
keeps this new group of players together. He will be the reason why Stan Van Gundy keeps his job amid reports of Pat Riley
itching to take over. He will be the reason why the Heat will challenge for the championship this season. There are so many
questions about how this offensive minded team is going to get along. The answer is simple: Shaq.
