WHAT ABOUT THE EAST?!?!?!?!

i agree with every thing, except i think new jearsy will be the 1 seed

 

If Eddie Curry improves this year as much as he did during the last half of last year watch out for the Bulls. Tyson Chandler is going to be awesome in my book. I think the Bulls could suprise a lot of people next year and maybe even make it as high as 6th seed and make some noise in the play-offs.

 

that's about right, and only two are good enough to make the playoffs in the WEST, if that

 

Toronto Raptors will finish no worse than 8th; didn't you know? Carter's back. They have a very solid team.

 

The East has no significance except that one of them might provide a player the Rockets can really use.

 

I predict that Vin Baker will have a 20/10/3 season, putting the Celtics at the top of the East. You heard it here first...

 

I'm a little bit higher on the Hornets but, overall, I like your analysis.

 

well, no doubt detroit and new jersey are still the teams to watch

the only big difference/change i forsee is cleveland being up there as well. the team will have guns at every position, talent and size all put together with a new coach.

i also see chicago coming in fourth or fifth with eddy curry starting to learn to dominate inside and the guards starting to gel

 

I agree with you playoff spots. As for your teams that could possibly make it...

Cleveland- I don't think we'll make it this year. We have 4 guys who are all starter-quality, but they are all guards. Egos could easily take over and push us out of playoff contention for the moment. Miles, Davis, Wagner and LeBron are all talented, but there's not enough PT for all of them. LeBron will obviously start, possibly at the PG position, and Davis will probably be the 2 guard. Miles could slide down to SF, but he's said many times that he wants to play point guard. Wagner is a talented scorer who could help off the bench (if he's willing to sit), and Boozer and Illgauskas will round out our team. The Cavs have a great future, it's all about how the mesh in the first year together.

New York- I don't see them having a chance this year. They lost Sprewell and got Keith Van Horn in his place, which definitely caused the Knicks to lose out. Houston is still gonna be their leader, but who else is there to really help him out? Van Horn is a good role player, but he's yet to prove that he can lead a team (or even be a good, consistent second option), and McDyess is injured all the time. New York might surprise us, but I doubt it.

Toronto- This all depends on the health of Vince Carter. We've all seen what a healthy Carter is capable of, after seeing him put up 50 points like it was nothing in his classic battle with Allen Iverson several years back. If Carter can silence his critics and return as the Carter of old, the Raptors have a serious chance at making a push towards the playoffs, especially in the eastern conference. However, if Carter goes down again, the Raptors are going to have to hope for another high lottery pick. And maybe this time they can trade the pick for a talented veteran to assist Carter (and hopefully motivate him to step up his game).

 

dada, the raptors suck ass. they don't have anyone outside of carter, and he doesnt even play defence. the raptors are in for a 30 win season.

 

1: A. Williams, M. Palacio
2: V. Carter, L. Murray, M. Peterson
3: M. Peterson, L. Murray, C. Jefferies, M. Bonner
4: C. Bosh, J. Williams, J. Moiso
5: A. Davis, M. Bateer, M. Bradley

Carter has one of the top performers on the U.S. team this season; he has arguably been their best offensive weapon, leading in shooting percentage by 15 percent, and coming second in scoring. He's shot 3s, slashed in, and penetrated fiercely, but what has stood out is his impressive perimetre defense. This man has been working extremely hard on his fitness level over the summer, and it shows; he's ripped, and he is definitely quicker on his feet. I think, from now on, defensive is not going to be such a problem.

Now, looking at the Raptors lineup, you would notice that they haven't added anybody of great stature (i.e. a superstar), but they have indeed added very good utility players; all of whom come with almost insignificant salaries.

Palacio is an ideal backup PG, a very nice floor general.

Bateer has never been given a chance in the NBA, but if you look at his international play with the Chinese National Team, this man definitely stands out. At near 300lbs, he is a big strong centre, who is not afraid to go hard into the paint. Also, you would be delighted to know that he has a very soft touch, and is one of those big men who can hit the 3 with consistancy. With the Raptors, he will definitely be given a chance, and the large Chinese community supporting him in Toronto, he'll likely feel more at home. Will prove to be an excellent backup centre.

Now, Moiso is my most favourite transaction addition this offseason. After putting up huge performances late last season, and throughout the postseason, he has definitely given scouts something to nibble on, in terms of his potential. Many experts are looking for him to be one of the sleepers this season, who will make a real jump into becoming an NBA player. After all he was an 11th pick, and doned to become a solid NBA starter at the end of things. He will definitely be given a chance to show more as a Raptor.

Looking away from how the Raptors did in the FA and transaction market, you would notice that they had the number 4 pick this season, which they used to pick up Chris Bosh. Long, lanky, and athletic, he has been picked on to be the "next" Garnett. He has as much offensive skills as any other bigmen in this league, and has been described as being "silky smooth". On the defensive, he's a natural shot blocker, which comes with his inhuman athleticism. He's also a great rebounder on both ends of the court, capable of putting up 10+ rebounds on any given night. In the summer league he showed that the praise he recieved being the number 4 draft pick, was well deserved. Averaging from 15-30points a game, 10 boards, and 2-6 blocked shots. He's expected to produce immediately, although his best years are clearly a few years down the road, after he beefs up.

Lastly, another new addition will be Lamond Murray, the leading scorer for the Cavs a year ago, and a likely top scorer for the Raptors, if he had played last season. Offensive wise, he can do anything; penetrate, slash, shoot from the perimeter, and run fast breaks; defensively, he can not be relied too heavily on as he is aging. However, expect him to average at least 10 ppg as a Raptor this season, as he is now 100% healthy.

Now, the Raptors veterans: Alvin Williams, Antonio Davis, Jerome Williams, and Morris Peterson. All of whom are capable starters.

Alvin Williams is a solid starting guard, who is the Raptor's best permeter shooter and defender. Despite his considerablly bigger size, compared to most other PGs, he is still among the quickest. He is capable of putting up at least 15p/6a each game, and if needed, is able to offer much more, as seen last season.

Antonio Davis is old, but still one of the strongest and most aggressive players in the league. Amazingly, he is one of the few centres in the league who is capable of containing Shaq to an extent. A great defensive, and solid offensive player, he is a top Centre in the east, capable of putting up 15p/10r/3b on any given night. He is the team's vocal and veteran leader.

Jerome Williams is the team's most energetic players, and a great offcourt/oncourt leader and example setter. He is arguably the league's best hustler on court. No matter how well he plays offensively, he is always great defensively, because of his hustle. His aggresiveness and strength make him a great shot blocker and rebounder. He is arguably the Raptor's best rebounder, as he demonstrated on many nights last season, grabbing up to 21 rebounds a game.

Morris Peterson, another sniper on this team is also one of the youngest. A great transition player, he is very capable of creating and finishing breaks. He is also one of the Raptor's best 3point shooters, who shows great hustle on both ends of the court.

Looking at this team, you can not honestly say any of them are scrubs. They are all very useful, and together, they allow the Raptors a very deep bench to work with. Their starting five have been working together for a couple of years now, and have grown together lead by Carter. Considering the above, and the fact that they have a very knowledgable and disciplined coach in K. O'neil this season, the Raptors are definitely a solid team no matter how you look at it. They will make a run.

Nobody outside of Carter? What exactly do you mean by that? In terms of scoring, try Peterson, Williams, Murray, Davis, and Bosh. Defensively, try everybody on the Raptor's roster -yes, including Carter.

Book mark this page, and refer back to it during next season, and come back to me. At that point, you'll be hearing about Carter's great come-back season, and how the Raptors have improved as a team, running for a playoff spot.