2007 NBA Eastern Conference Preview
(In predicted order of finish)
1. Bulls
Coach: Scott Skiles (fifth season)
Last year: 49-33
Newcomers: PF Joe Smith, PF Joakim Noah, C Aaron Gray, PG JamesOn Curry.
Outlook: The energetic Bulls should have the best chance of getting the East's top seed, as long as Kobe Bryant does not become a distraction. Navigating the playoffs is another story. The Bulls need to find reliable late-game scoring.
2. Boston Celtics
Coach: Glenn "Doc" Rivers (fourth season)
Last year: 24-58
Newcomers: PF Kevin Garnett, SG Ray Allen, SF James Posey, C Scot Pollard, SG Eddie House, PF Glenn Davis.
Outlook: No team has ever had an off-season quite like this. The Celtics acquired Garnett and Allen to join forces with Paul Pierce, and it will be interesting to see how the chemistry unfolds. None of Boston's three stars have been big winners in the NBA, plus the supporting cast is shaky.
3. Detroit Pistons
Coach: Flip Saunders (third season)
Last year: 53-29
Newcomers: SF Jarvis Hayes, PG Rodney Stuckey, SG Arron Afflalo.
Outlook: The Pistons were 21-15 before adding Chris Webber last season, then went 32-14 the rest of the way. Will they regret not inviting Webber back? Detroit will need big years from Jason Maxiell and D-League specialist Amir Johnson to challenge for the top seed.
4. Orlando Magic
Coach: Stan Van Gundy (first season)
Last year: 40-42
Newcomers: PF Rashard Lewis, C Adonal Foyle.
Outlook: Lewis will add some offensive firepower. But the Magic is thin inside since Darko Milicic left and Tony Battie is out for the year. Orlando also doesn't have anyone in the backcourt who's been capable of running the team.
5. Toronto Raptors
Coach: Sam Mitchell (fourth season)
Last year: 47-35
Newcomers: SG Jason Kapono, SF Maceo Baston.
Outlook: The Raptors made a nice jump last season and could keep improving. Chris Bosh, 23, is coming into his own, and 7-foot forward Andrea Bargnani will be a matchup nightmare.
6. Cleveland Cavaliers
Coach: Mike Brown (third season)
Last year: 50-32 (Lost NBA Finals)
Newcomers: SG Devin Brown, PF Cedric Simmons.
Outlook: Holdouts are rare in the NBA, yet the Cavaliers somehow managed to have two at once. PF Anderson Varejao and SG Sasha Pavlovic are sitting at home after failing to sign new contracts. LeBron James isn't happy about it, and Cleveland lost six of seven games in preseason.
7. New Jersey Nets
Coach: Lawrence Frank (fifth season)
Last year: 41-41
Newcomers: PF Malik Allen, C Jamaal Magloire, PG Darrell Armstrong, C Sean Williams.
Outlook: Jason Kidd showed he is still going strong at age 34 by averaging a triple-double in last year's playoffs. The key guy for the Nets, though, is center Nenad Krstic, who averaged 13.5 points in 2005-06, then missed last season with a knee injury.
8. Miami Heat
Coach: Pat Riley (11th season)
Last year: 44-38
Newcomers: SG Ricky Davis, C Mark Blount, SG Penny Hardaway, PG Smush Parker, PF Alexander Johnson, SG Daequan Cook.
Outlook: Shaquille O'Neal says he can still have a dominant season at age 35. It won't be easy, since Dwyane Wade is still recovering from shoulder surgery and the Heat retooled with a strange mix of newcomers. Hardaway, 36, has basically sat for the past two years.
9. Washington Wizards
Coach: Eddie Jordan (fifth season)
Last year: 41-41
Newcomers: SG Nick Young.
Outlook: On one hand, the Wizards were among the better teams in the East before Gilbert Arenas got hurt. On the other hand, this group of players has never shown much interest in defense. Why should anyone think that will change?
10. New York Knicks
Coach: Isiah Thomas (second season)
Last year: 33-49
Newcomers: PF Zach Randolph, SG Fred Jones, SF Wilson Chandler
Outlook: Randolph is a talent, but how well he fits next to C Eddy Curry is open to debate. Neither player is a big fan of passing or defense. The Knicks need to keep PF David Lee on the court.
11. Charlotte Bobcats
Coach: Sam Vincent (first season)
Last year: 33-49
Newcomers: SG Jason Richardson.
Outlook: The 1-2 punch of Richardson and SF Gerald Wallace could be lethal. To contend for the playoffs, though, Charlotte needs to give Emeka Okafor more help on the inside.
12. Milwaukee Bucks
Coach: Larry Krystkowiak (second season)
Last year: 28-54
Newcomers: SF Yi Jianlian, C Jake Voskuhl, PF Michael Ruffin, PG Royal Ivey, SG Awvee Storey.
Outlook: The Bucks were a .500 team last year until Michael Redd got hurt, so they could bounce back. Rookie Yi is in a tough spot. He arrives with high expectations but faces a tough transition to the NBA.
13. Atlanta Hawks
Coach: Mike Woodson (fourth season)
Last year: 30-52
Newcomers: PF Al Horford, PG Acie Law.
Outlook: There are plenty of high draft picks on this roster and Horford may turn out to be the best of the bunch. It's hard to see this team winning, though, until some of those young players are swapped for veterans.
14. Indiana Pacers
Coach: Jim O'Brien (first season)
Last year: 35-47
Newcomers: SG Travis Diener, SG Kareem Rush.
Outlook: O'Brien took mediocre teams to the playoffs in both Boston and Philadelphia. He'll have his work cut out in Indiana, where both PF Jermaine O'Neal and PG Jamaal Tinsley have been injury-prone and ineffective in recent years.
15. Philadelphia 76ers
Coach: Maurice Cheeks (third season)
Last year: 35-47
Newcomers: PF Reggie Evans, SF Thaddeus Young, C Jason Smith.
Outlook: The Sixers should be able to build around Andre Iguodala, but too many of their young players are up and down.