Assessing the NBA East: Bulls look to be in good position

The NBA experienced drastic, sometimes shocking, roster changes this summer.

Now that the shuffling has settled down, the next step is to figure out where things stand for next season, particularly in the Eastern Conference.

Miami almost has to be the favorite, after an unprecedented run of asset accumulation. Boston and Orlando are the past two conference champs, though, and return most of the same faces.

The Bulls are hoping to contend after adding low-post scoring threat Carlos Boozer to an already strong nucleus. Atlanta spent a fortune to keep Joe Johnson around and could be a factor.

Don't forget about Milwaukee, either. The Bucks nearly beat Atlanta in last year's playoffs while center Andrew Bogut was sidelined with an arm injury. They added high-scoring forward Corey Maggette and have a coach in Scott Skiles who can work wonders.

Former Bulls guard and ex-Phoenix Suns general manager Steve Kerr assessed the state of the East recently on NBATV, starting with Miami's new power trio of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh.

"I think they're so talented, they're automatically going to win 60-plus games," Kerr said. "It's just going to happen. I think the challenge is for those guys to figure out how to play together.

"As you go through the season, you've got to figure out who gets the ball when, who's playing which role. All three of those guys like to have the ball in their hands. They're all unselfish players, they want to be together, and I think they'll figure it out quickly."

When it comes to the Bulls, Kerr is impressed. With Boozer, they'll have one of the best low-post scorers in the East to pair with rising star Derrick Rose. They didn't land an elite shooting guard but should have plenty of depth on the roster.

"I actually think they are the most well-rounded team in the East," Kerr said. "When you look at Chicago's mix, they've got two unbelievable frontcourt defenders with (Joakim) Noah and Taj Gibson, they've got the great point-guard play of Derrick Rose, and now you've got the low-post scoring that Chicago has been lacking for years with (Carlos) Boozer. I just really like that mix."

In an effort to judge how the teams stack up after the talent shift, we picked out 10 that figure to be near the top of the standings and ranked their starting fives, along with two reserves.

Not surprisingly, Miami came out on top with two players ranked No. 1 at their positions, James and Wade, along with the No. 2 power forward in Bosh. They also did well in bench strength with Mike Miller and shot-blocking center Joel Anthony.

The Bulls ranked second, thanks to high marks for Rose and Boozer. Boston was a close third, followed by Milwaukee, Atlanta, Orlando, Charlotte and New York.

This isn't meant as a prediction for next season as much as an assessment of each team's roster.

Orlando finished surprisingly low because last year's virtual swap of Vince Carter for Hedo Turkoglu didn't work well and the Magic's bench strength seems to have fallen off.

TNT analyst Kenny Smith offered his own feelings on NBATV on how the East's top teams stack up.

"The areas that Boston and Orlando are strong in, those are the weakest areas right now for the Miami Heat - the five position (center) and the one position (point guard)," Smith said.

"Yes, Wade gets 30, Bosh gets 30, LeBron gets 30 - that's 90 points. It still comes down to can you control the tempo of the game against a team like Boston or a team like Orlando. Right now they don't have an answer for those two guys."

On paper, Mario Chalmers is Miami's starting point guard and he's a competent player. But what we might see as the season progresses is James taking on the point-guard role, with Wade on a wing, Bosh in the post and Miller hanging outside as a 3-point option.

This lineup should have a better chance of success than Chalmers having to decide whether he passes the ball to Wade, James or Bosh. The Heat should be OK with interior defense after bringing back Anthony and Udonis Haslem.

Boston made a surprising surge to the Finals last spring thanks to the emergence of point guard Rajon Rondo, who helps take pressure off the aging Big Three. When the season begins, Ray Allen will be 35, Kevin Garnett 34 and Paul Pierce 33. The Celtics signed Shaquille O'Neal, 38, and Jermaine O'Neal, 32, to play center while Kendrick Perkins recovers from a knee injury.

Orlando's supporting cast does seem a bit weak, especially after deciding to bring in Quentin Richardson instead of re-signing ornery defender Matt Barnes. But the impact of center Dwight Howard on both ends of the floor could conceivably be greater than what Wade, James, Rondo or Boozer can bring to their teams.

The only sure thing for next season is that Cleveland and Toronto will fall back. The Cavaliers might have enough talent to challenge for a playoff spot, but the Raptors likely face another rebuilding project without Bosh.

Tougher to predict is how much the top rookies such as Washington's John Wall or Philadelphia's Evan Turner help in their first year.

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