NBA Eastern Conference preview

Eastern Conference at a glance

Here is Mike McGraw's predicted order of finish for the 2009-10 NBA regular season:

1. Cleveland Cavaliers

Coach: Mike Brown (fifth season)

Last year: 66-16

Newcomers: C Shaquille O'Neal, SG Anthony Parker, SF Jamario Moon

Outlook: The Cavs didn't have to give up much to get O'Neal from Phoenix. Will the 37-year-old big man be the Dwight Howard stopper they lacked in last year's playoffs, or will he just close off LeBron James' paths to the basket?

2. Orlando Magic

Coach: Stan Van Gundy (third season)

Last year: 59-23 (lost NBA Finals)

Newcomers: SG Vince Carter, PF Ryan Anderson, SG Matt Barnes, PF Brandon Bass, PG Jason Williams

Outlook: The Magic reached the Finals with the group it had, but must have decided it needed a better matchup with Kobe Bryant. So Orlando allowed Hedo Turkoglu to leave and traded for the often-unmotivated Carter.

3. Boston Celtics

Coach: Glenn "Doc" Rivers (sixth season)

Last year: 62-20

Newcomers: PF Rasheed Wallace, SG Marquis Daniels

Outlook: Wallace, 35, brings a veteran shooting touch, but the key to Boston's season is the health of PF Kevin Garnett. After missing the playoffs with a knee injury, he seemed fine during preseason. Though SF Paul Pierce, 32, and SG Ray Allen, 34, are a year older, the Celtics' championship window should stay open for another year or two.

4. Bulls

Coach: Vinny Del Negro (second season)

Last year: 41-41

Newcomers: SG Jannero Pargo, SF James Johnson, PF Taj Gibson

Outlook: The Bulls seem to have a nice mix of experience, size and athleticism to surround second-year PG Derrick Rose. To keep improving, they'll need a bounce-back season from SF Luol Deng and late-blooming SG John Salmons to prove he's not a flash in the pan.

5. Atlanta Hawks

Coach: Mike Woodson (sixth season)

Last year: 47-35

Newcomers: SG Jamal Crawford, PF Joe Smith, PG Jeff Teague

Outlook: The Hawks were able to build on their promising 2008 playoff performance against Boston and add 10 victories last season. Whether this group can soar any higher might depend on Crawford, who could be a dangerous scorer off the bench or a shot-happy chemistry killer.

6. Miami Heat

Coach: Eric Spoelstra (second season)

Last year: 43-39

Newcomers: SF Quentin Richardson, PG Carlos Arroyo

Outlook: Better than any one-man show on Broadway, Dwyane Wade carried Miami to a fifth-place finish last season. The Heat didn't change much because it's saving cap space for the 2010 free-agent class. Does Wade have enough energy to do it again?

7. Washington Wizards

Coach: Flip Saunders (first season)

Last year: 19-63

Newcomers: SF Mike Miller, G Randy Foye, PF Fabricio Oberto

Outlook: After missing most of the last two seasons with a knee injury, PG Gilbert Arenas is back. So is C Brendan Haywood. The Wizards hung onto their nucleus of SF Caron Butler and PF Antawn Jamison, but their collection of young players didn't deliver while Arenas was sidelined.

8. Toronto Raptors

Coach: Jay Triano (second season)

Last year: 33-49

Newcomers: SF Hedo Turkoglu, SG Jarrett Jack, SF DeMar DeRozan, C Rasho Nesterovic, PF Reggie Evans, SG Antoine Wright, SG Marco Bellinelli, PF Amir Johnson

Outlook: This was a desperate summer for GM Bryan Colangelo as the Raptors try to keep PF Chris Bosh from leaving as a free agent next year. Toronto made some interesting moves, adding scorers in Turkoglu and Jack. Interior defense was a huge problem last season.

9. Detroit Pistons

Coach: John Kuester (first season)

Last year: 39-43

Newcomers: SG Ben Gordon, PF Charlie Villanueva, PF Chris Wilcox, C Ben Wallace, SF Austin Daye

Outlook: The Pistons might unleash the first full-time four-guard offense this season. They signed ex-Bull Gordon to an expensive contract, while Chicago native Will Bynum came on strong at the end of last season. Scoring won't be a problem, but defense is a big issue.

10. Milwaukee Bucks

Coach: Scott Skiles (second season)

Last year: 34-48

Newcomers: PG Brandon Jennings, PF Hakim Warrick, SF Carlos Delfino, C/PF Kurt Thomas, C Francisco Elson, SF Ersan Ilyasova, PG Roko Ukic

Outlook: During preseason, it seemed as though the Bucks were trying a little harder to play Skiles' brand of defense. Injuries ruined last season, with both SG Michael Redd and C Andrew Bogut missing months at a time.

11. New York Knicks

Coach: Mike D'Antoni (second season)

Last year: 32-50

Newcomers: PF Jordan Hill, C Darko Milicic

Outlook: Obviously, the Knicks are playing for next summer and hoping to sign a significant free agent. A lottery pick won't do them much good, since their first-rounder belongs to Utah. D'Antoni's teams are always sharp on offense, and New York should have a couple of high scorers in SF Al Harrington and PF David Lee.

12. Philadelphia 76ers

Coach: Eddie Jordan (first season)

Last year: 41-41

Newcomers: G Jrue Holiday, SG Jason Kapono, SF Rodney Carney

Outlook: The high-priced signing of PF Elton Brand turned into a disappointment, but the Sixers still made the playoffs. Brand is back from an injury, while veteran PG Andre Miller signed with Portland.

13. Indiana Pacers

Coach: Jim O'Brien (third season)

Last year: 36-46

Newcomers: SG Dahntay Jones, PF Tyler Hansbrough, PG Earl Watson, C Solomon Jones.

Outlook: The Pacers are stuck in bad-contract purgatory and made few moves after a second straight 36-win season. They can only hope the defense improves and the long-term deals belonging to Mike Dunleavy and Troy Murphy expire someday (2011).

14. Charlotte Bobcats

Coach: Larry Brown (second season)

Last year: 35-47

Newcomers: C Tyson Chandler, SG Gerald Henderson

Outlook: Larry Brown is used to making quick improvements at his many NBA stops, but the Bobcats added just 3 wins last season. Trading PF Emeka Okafor for Chandler was strictly a money-saving transaction.

15. New Jersey Nets

Coach: Lawrence Frank (seventh season)

Last year: 34-48

Newcomers: SG Courtney Lee, PG Rafer Alston, SG Terrence Williams

Outlook: Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov is ready to take ownership of the team and the proposed Brooklyn arena still hasn't broken ground. So this is definitely a transition year for New Jersey, which sent top scorer Vince Carter to Orlando. The Nets do have some promising young players in PG Devin Harris, C Brook Lopez and Lee.