2008-09 NBA Preview: Part II-The East

Before I run down the Eastern teams and offer my post-season predictions, here are my picks for the 2008-09 NBA Award winners:

MVP- Chris Paul, New Orleans---His stats last year- 21 points, 12 assists and three steals a game- were worthy of the league’s highest individual honor. If CP-3 does that again, and the Hornets continue to improve, he should win MVP. (All of this is void if LeBron added a post-up game over the summer. If he did, then he’s going to average 33-9-9 and easily win this award)

ROY- OJ Mayo, Memphis---I really wanted to give this to my boy Derrick Rose, but I just think Mayo will win it because he fits in the obvious formula. High performing rookie + bad team = ROY. Just look at Kevin Durant last season for proof.

Most Improved- Danny Granger, Indiana--- The Pacers’ best player since Reggie Miller is unknown except to hardcore hoops fans. That will change this year, since I see about 25 a game and a surprise playoff appearance by Indy.

All NBA Squad--- CP-3, Kobe, LeBron, KG and Amare

Now, onto the East, which for only the second time since MJ retired is the home of the defending NBA Champs.

1- Boston
What I know: That according to KG, “Anything is POSSSSSSSIBLLLLLLLLE”
What I want to know: Is this team too old to repeat? I think their starting five is still fine, even though Ray Allen aged about a decade over the course of the 2008 playoffs. But with a thin bench and not many moveable pieces for a trade, I’m not sure if Boston can hold up for another season after playing over 100 games last season.

2- Cleveland
What I know: That if they ever got LBJ a true number two guy, they’d be the best team in the league.
What I want to know: Has anybody ever given coach Mike Brown an IQ test? I honestly think, in a league or horrible coaches (See Jim Boylan and Flip Saunders last season as proof), Brown might be the worst. He still doesn’t understand he’s wasting the world’s greatest hoop talent by playing a stupid half-court game when he should be running. No wonder LeBron is planning on leaving in 2010.

3- Detroit
What I know: That year in, year out, the Pistons are the most consistent team, maybe in all of sports.
What I want to know: What’s different about this years team as opposed to the 2006, ’07 and ’08 models? It’s become common knowledge that Motown will have a 50-win regular season, advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, and then fall apart there. Unless new coach Michael Curry really plans on using young guys Amir Johnson, Jason Maxiell, Rodney Stuckey and Aaron Afflalo more, I can’t see how to expect anything new out of this team.

4- Washington
What I know: That the Wizards are really banged up right now, but still may have the best offense in the East.
What I want to know: What more do Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison have to accomplish to no longer be considered underrated? Everybody knows about Agent Zero, who is out for a couple of weeks. But nobody recognizes that Washington’s two forwards are among the best in the NBA. Butler and Jamison can lead the Wiz until Gilbert Arenas’ return, and then most likely get eliminated by the Cavaliers again.

5- Toronto
What I know: That the addition of Jermaine O’Neal was one of the smartest off-season pickups in the league.
What I want to know:When will Andrea Bargnani start playing like a #1 overall draft pick? Last yea, the Italian put up 10 points and four rebounds a game. Not bad for a bench player, but not good for the first player taken in the 2006 draft. If Bargnani can improve his game, along with the addition of O’Neal to the core of Chris Bosh and Jose Calderon, the Raps become a very dangerous team.

6- Philadelphia
What I know: That Sixers went the boom or bust route this summer with the signing of Elton Brand.
What I want to know: Will Philly live up to the hype? Last year, they shocked the NBA world by not only making the playoffs, but giving the Pistons a run for their money in round one. Then they signed Brand, gave Andre Igoudala a long-term deal and all of a sudden, people having been talking up the 76ers to challenge for the East. I’m not convinced, because I have some questions on Brand’s health and how he’ll fit into the team’s running style of play.

7- Indiana
What I know: That since the Malice in the Palace took place, the Pacers have barely been relevant in the NBA.
What I want to know:Can this team stay healthy for all 82 games? If they can, I really like them as an Eastern sleeper. TJ Ford is a pretty-good point guard and so is Mike Dunleavy at the 2. I already mentioned Granger, who I think will break out and have an All-Star year. Their big men aren’t great, but in the East, you really don’t have to be. Plus they have former Georgetown center Roy Hibbert, who I’m officially calling ‘the black Rick Smits’.

8- Orlando
What I know: That based on talent alone, Dwight Howard is the best center in basketball. And if he tried, he could go down as an all-time great.
What I want to know: How quickly has it taken for Orlando management to regret giving Rashard Lewis $120 million? As a power forward a year ago, Lewis averaged five rebounds a game, exactly the same as Bobcats shooting guard Jason Richardson. He’s not great at any part of the game, and his huge contract limits the Magic from going out and getting another good player (a shooting guard might be nice).

9- Chicago
What I know: That for the first time in a decade, the Bulls have a true playmaker on offense and a player the fans are really excited to see play.
What I want to know: What is the goal of the season? Is it the playoffs? Is it to get Rose and Del Negro as much experience as possible? Is it to see which players are keepers and which should be let go? I think that there’s no way Deng, Hinrich and B.G. all repeat the poor seasons they had a year ago, and the addition of Rose, Drew Gooden for a full year and the maturity of Ty Thomas and Joakim Noah make this team playoff worthy. Still, not enough post scoring or experience for my liking, as sad as it is to write that. Then again in the East, who the hell knows. But for right now, I have them on the outs.

10- Atlanta
What I know: That Hawks fans have to be embarrassed their team couldn’t convince Josh Childress to stay in the ATL as opposed to going to Greece.
What I want to know:Can the Hawks make the playoffs again, especially with a short bench? Atlanta’s starting five is pretty good, but the loss of Childress really exposes a weak spot on the roster. Unless Acie Law IV, a rookie last year, can pick it up at the backup point guard spot, I don’t think the Hawks have enough to make it to the second season again.

11- New York
What I know: That a backcourt of Chris Duhon and Jamal Crawford, with Eddy Curry at center, will not work.
What I want to know: Is there any way that the Knicks can bring Isaiah Thomas back as GM? His ability to make trades that instantly made other teams better, while filing up his salary cap, was just a joy to watch. By the way, in case you didn’t notice, I hate the Knicks and really have nothing to say about them.

12- Milwaukee
What I know: That Scott Skiles is the right coach for this team, because he will coach defense, something the Bucks haven’t heard of in the past five years.
What I want to know: Does this team intend on stopping anybody? I know the question contradicts with what I already know about this team, but ever Skiles’ tough love might not do the trick with this bunch. Every single player in their projected starting five is a score-first player, as is rookie first-rounder Joe Alexander. They’ll beat some teams that way, but ask Denver, the no-defense policy just doesn’t work in today’s NBA.

13- Miami
What I know: That when healthy, Dywane Wade is on the short list of the league’s best players.
What I want to know: Will this team be closer to the 2006 Heat or the ’08 version? Obviously by my prediction, I’m going with the latter. I still firmly believe that Michael Beasley won’t be as good as advertised, because guys who only score and play no D or rebound don’t usually succeed at the power forward spot. (With the exception of Charles Barkley and Dennis Rodman- both of who I’m pretty sure aren’t going to be duplicated- no power forward 6-7 or shorter has done well in the NBA.) Shawn Marrion is one of those guys who fits in great on good teams, but his hustle and D have no purpose on a bad one. And Wade, while great, can’t do it all.

14- Charlotte
What I know: That Michael Jordan is the greatest athlete I ever saw, but that doesn’t really say much for his skills as a GM,
What I want to know: Is the word ‘contender’ in the vocabulary of the Bobcats? They’ve been a franchise for four full seasons now (entering their fifth) and have yet to even come close to a playoff spot. Wasting high draft picks on guys like Adam Morrison and Sean May were not smart moves, nor was giving a big deal to Matt Carroll. Jordan has now hired coach Larry Brown to turn things around, but history tells us that Brown won’t be there for long.

15- New Jersey
What I know: That the ROC Boys are in the building tonight, but that those boys won’t win very many games.
What I want to know: When will Vince Carter realize he’s not a jump shooter? Last season, whenever I watched the Nets, the same question would pop up in my mind: why does VC shoot so many three-pointers? Either he’s afraid of contact (a good possibility) or he just thinks he can shoot his way to 25 points a game. Improve that 36% from three-point range Vince, or just go back to dunking on people every game like you did in Toronto.



Finally, here are my playoff and Finals picks:

Western Conference Finals: New Orleans over LA Lakers. Tyson Chandler holds down Bynum and Gasol, Posey attempts to handle Kobe, and nobody on LA can touch Chris Paul.

Eastern Conference Finals: Boston over Cleveland. The Pistons run of conference finals appearances ends, but the Celtics run of Eastern dominance doesn’t.

NBA Finals: New Orleans over Boston in 6. Too much wear and tear on the Celtics gives the Hornets a chance to steal one in Beantown, and then N.O. defends its home court to win it all.