Everyone knows who is at the top of the East, and most will agree on who falls in that second tier of playoff hopefuls, but there's virtually no debate at who will be occupying the bottom part of the East standings for the course of the upcoming season...it's just the order that's up for debate and here's my take in Part I of my Eastern Conference Preview...
15. Milwaukee Bucks
So the Bucks let Charlie Villanueva and Ramon Sessions go without getting compensation, then pretty much sold out on the Richard Jefferson trade for some much-needed salary relief. That leaves them with Michael Redd, Andrew Bogut and a litany of young, unproven kids. They have to figure out if Joe Alexander was worthy of his #8 pick in the last year's draft as well as what Brandon Jennings will bring to the table as a PG. But for the 09-10 season, the Bucks are going to experience some tough times.
14. New Jersey Nets
Not much to be excited about as a Nets fan right now. There in limbo right now, trying to hold out hope of being a player in the LeBron sweepstakes this coming offseason with hopes of being a contender when they move to Brooklyn. For now, Courtney Lee isn't going to score the points (or sell the tickets) that Vince Carter did, but at least they have some young talent in him, Devin Harris, and Brook Lopez. As for now, maybe they can be excited about the pub they are getting from being called the New Jersey Nyets.
13. New York Knicks
Another team that would prefer to just fast forward through the upcoming season to get to what all Knockerbocker fans have been waiting for: the 2010 Free Agent Signing period. Will LBJ head to Gotham? Perhaps. As for this season, look for the team to put up some points but also give up a ton. They brought back Lee and Nate-Rob on 1 year deals, so they will still br trying to get theirs. And if they finally unload Curry, they will probably have to throw in some young talent and receive back some garbage so that could further deplete this team's 09-10 outlook. However, no one will really care if LeBron inks a deal to play in Basketball Mecca next summer.
12. Indiana Pacers
The Pacers have always had some intriguing talent, but a problem putting it all together. I really don't see that changing this year. Danny Granger is VERY good, but not capable of carrying the load of a playoff run (even in the East) on his shoulders. Getting a healthy Dunleavy back (no guarantee) should help, but there is little difference-making that will come from the rest of their offseason moves.
11. Charlotte Bobcats
What's in store for a team that has yet to make a playoff appearance but managed a franchise record in wins last year? More of the same. Larry Brown teams can defend, but it's scoring the rock that will hold down the Runnin' Jordans this year, a fact not helped by the trade of Emeka Okafor for Tyson Chandler. When's the last time you saw Chandler contribute offensively on a play not involving a lob from CP3? I doubt DJ Augustin and Ray Felton will provide the same alley-oop ops this year. That said, LB coaching and their reliance on a strong D will help them win a few games and keep them out of the East's cellar, though not by much.
10. Philadelphia 76ers
This is one of the hardest teams to peg. Back-to-back trips to the postseason and the return of Elton Brand should be enough to make another playoff trip, right? Well considering that they lost Andre Miller, a vital cog in the running of their offense, they will be searching for a new identity with new coach Eddie Jordan. Jordan should improve their offensive efficiency, but what gameplan will it be? The team struggled after trying to run the offense through Brand in the low post last season, only to take off after Brand separated his shoulder and they reverted to the up-tempo offense from the year before. So which do they play this year? I don't think it matters. Between Lou Williams and Jrue Holiday at the point, this team is going to struggle when Iguodala has to be the initiator on offense. Aside from trading for Jason Kapono, they made no other moves to rectify the fact that this team has little-to-no perimeter scoring. I see struggles and disagreements over the direction in Philly.
9. Detroit Pistons
The Pistons were a mess last season and tried to retool on the fly this offseason. Gone are Allen Iverson and Rasheed Wallace. In comes Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon. Problem is, Villanueva and Gordon are remarkably similar (albeit, younger) than the guys they lost, and that wasn't exactly a winning combo last year. Villanueva doesn't provide the team with much in the form of a low-post game, and Gordon is another shoot-first guard to go along with Rodney Stuckey and Rip Hamilton, and all 3 lack the size to allow them to start 3 guards. So it will be interesting to see if new coach John Kuester can figure out a rotation that will keep all 3 happy. Overall, I see the lack of defense and a reliable inside game being enough to keep the Pistons out of the playoffs after squeaking in at #8 last season.
Check back tomorrow for Part II of my Eastern Conference Preview. Next week, I tackle the West.
No comments:
Post a Comment