Top ten teams in the NBA’s Eastern Conference

Part two of the TTCS NBA preview

10. Milwaukee Bucks

Richard Jefferson and Michael Redd are better right now than any player Scott Skiles coached during his Bulls’ tenure. We know a Skiles team will play great defense. Sure, the Bucks will be going with an unproven lead guard. This isn’t a very deep crew either. Maybe a playoff berth is too much to ask for in Year One, but Skiles will have Milwaukee competitive.

9. Toronto Raptors

Toronto has two big reasons to think they can make the playoffs for the third consecutive season: a) the departure of TJ Ford means more minutes for the wonderful Jose Calderon, and b) Jermaine O’Neal could prove to be the biggest addition any team made in the offseason. But O’Neal hasn’t been healthy in five (!) seasons, and there isn’t a lot of depth here. More than anything, the Raptors need Andrea Bargnani to start playing like a number one overall pick. We’ll believe that can happen when we see it.

8. Chicago Bulls

Before everyone starts throwing tomatoes with “HOME TEAM BIAS” written in sharpie at me, hear me out. Derrick Rose will make an impact immediately. Drew Gooden is in his prime (27) and playing for a new contract. Tyrus Thomas is looking at consistent minutes for the first time as a pro. Luol Deng doesn’t have to worry about trade talk or contract extensions. Maybe Vinnie Del Negro won’t hate Ben Gordon. And also remember that last year the Hawks grabbed the eighth seed at 37-45. These Bulls should win over 40 games. That means a spot in the playoffs.

7. Miami Heat


No team this side of Boston can match stars with the Heat. Wade is one of the league’s ten best players, and he’s looking to prove it after missing nearly all of last season. Michael Beasley will be able to fill it up out of the gate, and don’t forget how good of a player Shawn Marion is. Also don’t forget that Marion could be playing for a contract. Granted, this ranking is dependent on Mario Chalmbers living up to his considerable hype, but a mid-40s win total doesn’t seem too unrealistic for team that won just 15 games year.

6. Washington Wizards

Gilbert Arenas is out until the winter. Luckily for Washington, playing without its star is nothing new. Caron Butler was flat out awesome last year, and Antwaan Jamison should be eager to prove he’s worth his new contract. Expect the Wiz to tread water until Gil comes back- and then take off.

5. Orlando Magic


The Magic were arguably the NBA’s biggest surprise last year, improving by 12 wins from the previous season. Can this team win 52 games again? We doubt it. While Dwight Howard should only get more dominant, Hedo Turkoglu played over his head last year. There isn’t much depth here, either. Still, there should be enough in Orlando for another playoff birth.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers

If there was VORP for baseball, LeBron’s rating would be off the charts. Imagine how bad Cleveland would be with a normal NBA small forward. The King’s supporting cast should be better this year too, with last year’s trade pieces now fully integrated into the system. The addition of Mo Williams won’t hurt either. Expect a historically good season from LeBron. Maybe that’ll even include his second Finals birth.

3. Detroit Pistons

They wanted Flip Saunders gone and there he went. But will the veterans still give Michael Curry max effort? The Pistons chances in the postseason may be up to Rodney Stuckey, Jason Maxiell, and Amir Johnson. If the young guys can provide Detroit with big minutes during the NBA’s endless regular season, the Pistons will be dangerous once again in the playoffs.

2. Philadelphia 76ers

Thaddeus Young is the key to this team. He played well last year as a rookie; if he continues to improve, Philadelphia will be as tough as any team in the East. Elton Brand didn’t come to Philly just for the money. He’s ready to win. The 76ers are too.

1. Boston Celtics

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Check out TUP for my Bulls season preview.