2010-2011 NBA Season Preview: Eastern Conference

Yes, people. It is my favorite time of the year. Football season is in full swing, baseball season is finally coming to a close and yes, the basketball season is upon us. We're well in store for another season of dunks, jumpers and great NBA action, and Dear Whoever is here to sift through the clutter for you.

Our season preview starts in the Eastern Conference, where there's been a huge shift in power since last year. Let's check out the 8 best teams in the East, where they stand and who's got the juice out East Hit the jump to see them:

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Don't know what you guys are looking up to... You're the bests of the East until proven otherwise.

1. Boston Celtics
Yes, I said it. The Boston Celtics are the best team in the Eastern Conference at the beginning of the season. To be concise, you're not the man until you beat the man, and no other team in the Eastern Conference could dethrone the Celts last year on another run to the Eastern Conference crown. Yes, the Big 3 is older. Yes, Shaq and Jermaine O'Neal's careers are surviving through a respirator. No, Rajon Rondo will not have a jump shot by season's end. All of those do not matter. The Celtics have one of the best defenses in the league, and have added major depth through free agency, signing Delonte "Yo Mama", the two O'Neals, and scorer Von Wafer. Not to mention, they've still got Kendrick Perkins (underrated defensively; he kept Dwight Howard in check), as well as drafting sharpshooter Luke Harangody, and Doc Rivers on the sidelines. Everyone's waiting for the Celtics to drop off. They shouldn't hold their breath.


It takes more than 3 players to win a championship, but with these three, does it even matter who else is on the roster?

2. Miami Heat
Yes, yes, y'all. The story of the offseason. The Monstarr-esque triumvirate (look it up) put together by Pat Riley in the greatest coup in NBA history, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh will most definitely inspire fear in most teams before they even step onto the court. What makes this squad even scarier though is the role players they've accrued in this same summer. Along with holding onto Udonis 'the Man in Florida' Haslem, the Heat pretty much got Zydrunas Ilgauskus with LeBron, signed veterans Eddie House, Juwan Howard, Jamaal Magloire, and picked up Mike Miller. Miller is definitely the most underrated pickup of the offseason. With the amount of attention the Heat's Big 3 will get, Miller is going to find himself open... A LOT. He should shoot a ridiculous percentage with both James and Wade feeding him the ball. Add two promising rookies in DeSean Butler and Dexter Pittman to that equation and you've got a solid rotation around Wade, Bosh and James. The Heat are going to be scary good. We won't put them ahead of the Celtics yet, for posterity's sake, but I'm sure Boston can feel Miami right behind them.


Can Boozer bring some boom back to the Bulls, or will he just bust?

3. Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls were a major player in the LeBron, Bosh and Wade sweepstakes, but only managed to come up with Carlos Boozer, which isn't a bad consolation prize in the least bit. Carlos Boozer joins a Chicago Bulls team that overachieved simply off grit, hard work and great defense. Bringing Boozer into a frontcourt with Joakim Noah is going to pay dividends immediately for Boozer, who's coming from a Utah team where he usually played the center. Not anymore. Noah's presence allows Boozer to move back to his natural 4 spot, where he will fluorish, even if he'll be out for a little while with a broken hand The Bulls also have this really good guard... I think his name is... Derrick Rose! Rose is already a phenom, and according to NBA reports, has been working on his jumper consistently over the summer, which should only make him more deadly of a scorer. The Bulls also have talented role-players in Luol Deng, Taj Gibson, and free agent signee Kyle Korver. This Bulls team looks really good on paper, and should jump a few spots this season.


LeBron's going to take much more than the basketball away from you if you don't work on those post moves, Dwight...

4. Orlando Magic

That's right. The Orlando Magic are only the 4th-best team in the Eastern Conference simply because they didn't do much to get better over the summer. Don't get me wrong. They're not bad, at all. Yet, Stan Van Gundy's squad looks eerily similar to the teams of the past two years that were trounced in the Playoffs. Of course they've got Dwight Howard, who's spent another summer 'working' on his post moves. Yes they've got Vince Carter, who's another year older and another year weaker. And yes they've got Rashard Lewis, whose game has regressed further and further during his stay in Orlando. Looking at the Magic, the only bright spot I can see is Jameer Nelson getting better. Nelson was unstoppable during the Playoffs last year, lighting up Raymond Felton and Mike Bibby on the way to the Eastern Finals, and will look to take a greater role in Orlando this year. The Magic added Quentin Richardson, whose weight will balloon up again now that he can camp out on the three point line, and Chris Duhon, who will take his inefficacy elsewhere after two terrible years in New York. Will it be that same old Magic that wins in the regular season, but folds in the Playoffs? We will see.



Scary combination when those two are playing at their best in the backcourt, but the front court will be what drives this team to the Playoffs.

5. Washington Wizards
The first true surprise on this list, the Washington Wizards, have put last year's abysmal season behind them and come back with a new face to complement the old face of the franchise. John Wall is the REAL DEAL. Anyone who's watched him play over the summer or in the preseason can see how nasty this man is. Now that he's paired up with a reformed Agent Zero, it will be interesting to see what the ceiling is for Wall's phenomenal talent. That's not even the main reason I have the Wiz up so high. The real reason is their frontcourt. The Wizards' two big men, Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee are STARS in the making. Blatche reminds me of Kevin Garnett with his ability to score and JaVale McGee is simply a freak of nature at 7-1 with guard-like leaping ability. The Wizards also solidified their rotation, bringing in Yi JianLian, Kirk Hinrich and Al Thornton to complement Josh Howard, Nick Young and Hilton Armstrong. When the Wizards do shock the Eastern Conference, don't say I didn't tell you so.


Jennings might not even know how to say Bogut's last name. Their chemistry on the court certainly hasn't taken a hit...

6. Milwaukee Bucks

If there's one team in the NBA that no one is talking about, but really should be talking about, it is the Milwaukee Bucks. After a promising rookie season, the Bucks point guard Brandon Jennings is poised to make more noise, but the centerpiece to this team is their oft-underrated center Andrew Bogut. I will go as far as to say that Bogut is the best center in the Eastern Conference. More skilled and consistent than Dwight Howard, had Bogut not been injured in last year's Playoffs against Atlanta, the Bucks would have a lot more buzz around them. John Salmons is as good as ever, using a very Paul Pierce-esque game to score efficiently, adding to their allure. Those players aren't the only reasons I have the Bucks up here. Scott Skiles brought in a host of solid, wiley veterans to complement those three like Drew Gooden, Corey Maggette and Keyon Dooling. Let's also not forget that the Bucks have a shooter by the name of Michael Redd, who will get some minutes, even as he works with no knees. The Bucks have a team full of understated go-getters and it shows in how well they play under the radar. Hopefully that won't be the case, this year.


Those frowns won't be turning upside down for a while if the Hawks don't get some new blood on that roster...

7. Atlanta Hawks
There is always one team at the beginning of the NBA season scheduled for a huge drop-off from the success of previous seasons. That team is the Atlanta Hawks, simply because they did NOTHING to get better over the offseason. Wait... They actually did make one move: signing Joe Johnson to a 6-year $120 million head-scratcher of a deal. Now, this wouldn't be so bad if Johnson hadn't already reached the ceiling of his potential at age 29. As a Hawk, yes Johnson's been successful, but the Arkansas product has a knack for shrinking in big games that has cost Atlanta dearly. Not to mention, the Hawks have the same undersized frontcourt and lack of playmaking options that have plagued them for years. Al Horford, Marvin Williams and Josh Smith are already what they are going to be in their NBA careers, while Mike Bibby continues to be a liability on defense and little more than a three point-chucking paperweight on offense. Jamal Crawford isn't happy with his contract, and though exciting, won't be the deciding factor for the Hawks. Atlanta is the same team that Boston blew out in Game 7 of 2007 and that Orlando swept last year. A coaching change with no personnel moves will ensure that, and the Hawks have slipped accordingly.


A'Mare can't be the only Knick to show up if Donnie Walsh's exit strategy from Isaiah's debacle is going to work...

8. New York Knicks
Yes, I said it Knick fans. The New York Knicks will make the playoffs in 2011. However, that is not because they are the 8th best team in the Eastern Conference. It is because no other team under them seems to have the potential to vault them into this 8th spot. The Knicks have one of the most exciting, yet risky, rosters on paper. Adding A'Mare Stoudemire this summer was tantamount to a shot of adrenaline to a dead basketball scene in New York. Bringing in Anthony Randolph, Ronny Turiaf and Kelenna Azubuike is the bandaging to a wounded spirit. And signing Raymond Felton... Well, it's a start. The point is, the Knicks are finally building a nucleus of talent that ISN'T the debacle of players that Isaiah Thomas tried to pass off as a team. The Knickerbockers should be exciting to watch under the tutelage of Mike D'Antoni, and have some intriguing pieces in swingman Wilson Chandler, sharpshooter Danilo Gallinari, combo guard Toney Douglass, and the Russian center that came out of nowhere, Timofey Mozgov. Whether or not the team will be able to string together some wins in D'Antoni's high offense, no defense system is still an unknown. They're still better than the Nets, Bobcats, Sixers, Cavs, Pistons, Pacers and Raptors, though.

Whew... There you have it people; a rundown of the potential Playoff-bound teams in the Eastern Conference. I hope there's no love lost for the seven squads that didn't make it. The Eastern Conference is stacking up again, much like the West was doing in the earlier part of the decade. Check back in the next few days for more NBA posts, including the Western Conference preview, my picks for this year's awards and a few more surprises. I LOVE THIS GAME!!!

Dear Washington Wizards

The end of an era...

via The New York Times:

The machine that swirls the Ping-Pong balls does not have a conscience or sympathy, just a rush of air and a low hum. Occasionally, however, a little karma seeps out when the motor starts for the N.B.A. draft lottery.

The Washington Wizards, who endured the most chaotic and controversy-filled season in their history, were rewarded for their suffering Tuesday night, when the balls delivered them the No. 1 pick in the draft — and the chance to draft the Kentucky point guard John Wall.

“Obviously, we needed something like this,” Ernie Grunfeld, the Wizards’ team president, said. “It gives the franchise hope.”

Perhaps no team needed it more. Gilbert Arenas, the Wizards’ franchise player, served a 50-game suspension for felony gun possession after a locker-room confrontation with a teammate. They traded their two remaining stars, Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison, in mid-February, plunging them into a rebuilding effort after starting the season as a presumed playoff team.

It's been a long, long, looooooooooooong season for you guys. From thinking you were going to be a playoff team in the beginning of the year, to damn near having a 'shootout' (most people know the news blew it out of proportion), to unloading the three best (we later found out Andray Blatche was a player himself) players, to basically tanking for the rest of the season, you guys had one of the worst seasons in terms of publicity. Now, you guys lucked the hell out by nabbing the first pick in this year's draft, and by that virtue, the righ to the consensus #1 player, John Wall. I'm not going to lie, John Wall is impressive. He has superb athleticism, a natural feel for the game and an unmatched charisma on the court. Plus he has a really funny dance, which only comes around once in a blue moon. (where's Jamal Anderson with the Dirty Bird when you need him?. Even so, he might not be the right pick for you guys.

Check the dance and some highlights..


Everyone and their mom is saying that Wall is automatically the #1 pick. Somehow, I'm not convinced. Watching Evan Turner play the game is like watching Prince on a stage with a bunch of instruments: no matter how crazy he looks, he's always in control. Whereas John Wall tended to take plays off because he had a college all-star team with him, Turner really was the only player worth talking about on his Ohio State Buckeye team. Whereas John Wall is streaky and turnover prone (every good prospect is in college, really), Evan Turner was damn near perfect towards the end of games. Whereas we've seen just a year of John Wall at a higher level, we've seen Evan Turner grow every year into a DOMINANT player. The man was a triple-double machine, with amazing intangibles, a quiet lead-by-example style and the resolve of a brick wall (haha, nice little pun).



I guess the point I'm trying to make, Wizards, is that you shouldn't always believe the hype. Believe what you see. Believe the statistics, believe the intangibles, and your gut feelings. Who knows? In 10 years, we could be talking about just Wall, just Turner, or maybe even both. Drafting is such an inexact science, that I don't think I've seen anyone master. That said, it's just as easy to pick one over the other. But just think about your team. Do you really want another livewire, somewhat loose, inexperienced point guard, or a floor general. If there's one thing that you guys were missing, it was leadership. Evan Turner has a presence that belies his maturity. John Wall has a dance. I guess it's up to you guys. We sure as hell will be hearing about it a lot until June 24th...

Dear NBA Owners

I guess owning the Clippers has its perks when you're the one pulling the strings, whether they win or lose...

It's been a long time coming, but slowly and surely, the summer of 2010 will be upon us. A year ago, it seemed like all of the speculation around potential free agents was all sizzle and no steak. Now that it's 2010, and a lockout is becoming more and more imminent by the day, a lot of you are trying to save your asses. You're looking to set yourself up for the summer to get a good pickup, and also trying to make sure your teams will be solvent and your assets players will be safe from the bullshit of arbitration. That said, I can understand the frenzy. At the same time, I think it is detestable how you guys are treating your players, because it's going to affect the game soon.

Whether it's Marcus Camby finding out about his trade (2 days after the fact) from his agent while at dinner with his family, or John Salmons being left at the team's hotel on a gameday upon his trade, it's obvious: you guys have become less and less concerned with the treatment of their players and more with the bottom line. And that bottom line is coming before player morale (the Nets look like they're writing suicide notes), the team winning (Knicks; 'nuff said) and even federal law (coughGilbertcoughcoughArenascough). But seriously, when will it stop guys? When will the cap-clearing and player shuffling stop? When will you guys hold on to your players so that there's some sense of loyalty? I'm not going to lie. Players are spoiled prima donnas sometimes. Sometimes moving players need to be moved for one reason or another. Sometimes the money does override the player's interest. But here's an interesting thought: maybe taking care of your players would lead to better outcomes and less friction between the players and the ownership.


T-Mac probably would have gone right back to this, given the time to rest...

Think about it: Why didn't LeBron participate in the Dunk Contest this year? He didn't want to get injured and have the front office start yanking his money. Look at T-Mac (PRAYING he's back to form for the Knicks). Why was his departure from Houston so hard? The ownership didn't want to lose their asset player, and would rather him rot on the bench. Look at Chris Paul, who's team decided to have surgery on his knee, instead of letting it heal naturally. He could have stayed out and rehabbed the knee correctly, but is probably going to play again this season (another order from the management), and re-aggravate it. And there are historical precedents for this, like A'mare Stoudamire or J-Kidd, who's careers were slowed down by their teams opting for quick returns. You guys really do treat the players like assets. No wonder there's going to be a lockout. Players won't play for you guys unless they know their money is safe, because they know once you're done with them, they get dropped.

I suppose it is just business, and we are in a recession. but at the end of the day, is the NBA doing good business right now? Players against the owners, injuries galore, wack All-Star Games and lack of competition don't sound like a success to me. Then again, most people would rather wack basketball than none. Get it together, owners. This summer will definitely be crazy, but you guys have to do your players right, and I guarantee they'll do right by you...

Dear Washington Wizards

What did he really do to deserve this??

via The Washington Post:

Gilbert Arenas was charged Thursday with a single count of carrying a pistol without a licence, a felony that carries a five-year sentence, but the Washington Wizards guard has reached a plea agreement that would result in much less or even no jail time, several sources close to the case said.

Arenas is scheduled to enter his plea on Friday afternoon before D.C. Superior Court Judge Robert E. Morin. Even if prosecutors agree not to seek prison for Arenas, it will be up to Morin whether to sentence Arenas to probation, community service, a fine or some combination. The judge, a former defense attorney, also could send Arenas to jail.

Regardless of whether Arenas goes to jail, the star's future in the city that once embraced his jocular personality and his ability to hit clutch jump shots is in doubt. The 28-year-old former all star, whose birthday parties made the television news, has been suspended indefinitely by the NBA, and it is unclear whether a felony conviction would give the Wizards the right to void the remaining four years of his six-year, $111 million contract.

There are certain moments when the direction of the law makes absolutely no sense. It's a sad day when the justice system completely overshoots it's boundaries and makes a move to severe for it's own good. That said, Wizards, it's an even sadder day knowing that you threw your player under the bus for something that turned out to be a joke (by some accounts). Yes, Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton (who should be kissing Gilbert's ass for the rest of his life) were in the wrong for both having guns in a locker room, and for making light of it afterward. Gilbert is getting charged with an unlicensed pistol (funny, because Dick Cheney can ACTUALLY shoot some one, and not even be arrested), facing 5 years of a felony, and you guys decide to turn your back on him.

Not only is that foul ethically, but Gilbert has done soooo much more for the Wizards that Caron Butler or Antawn Jamison. Antawn is too scared to take the big shots, and Caron Butler has been playing terribly this year. In fact, the first player you should be cutting ties with is Caron. At least Gilbert is playing like a shell of himself. We could just blame it on the government's knack for knocking black athletes harder than anyone. At the end of the day, had you guys just stuck by Arenas, you might not have won a 'ship, but you wouldn't be poised to take a nosedive in the East. Too bad Javaris didn't get the long arm of the law.


Can anyone deny how ill Gil is??

Dear Gilbert Arenas & Javaris Crittenton

Replace the sneakers with a gambling debt, and you have the story below...

via Associated Press:

The investigation of Gilbert Arenas(notes) and the guns he brought to the Verizon Center took a much more serious turn on Friday amid a report that he and Washington Wizards teammate Javaris Crittenton(notes) allegedly drew on each other during a locker-room argument over a gambling debt.

Arenas responded with a flurry of messages on Twitter, at times making light of the news but also making one tweet that read somewhat like a denial: “I understand this is serious..but if u ever met me you know i dont do serious things im a goof ball this story today dont sound goofy to me.”

If there's one thing that the NBA was known for last decade, it was being the home of the most thuggish athletes in all of sports. That said, David Stern (as much as I dislike some of his practices) has made a valiant effort to try and shed that image. By placing emphasis on character, community service, and imposing some questionable rules (eg: dress code, Twitter, personal conduct, etc.), he's cleaned up the way the game is viewed. And after all of that, we have to turn a locker room into the Wild West??

Gilbert and Javaris, you guys are on one of the most disappointing teams in the league, (sad that DC is the home of two disappointing teams) and haven't been able to put together more than two wins in a row all season. You're in the bottom of your division and 12th in the East. That being the case, why the hell were the two of you making high stakes bets?? Shouldn't you guys be, you know, lamenting in your mediocrity, or maybe even practicing?? And then to make matters worse, the two of you got so engrossed in the bet that you decided to pull guns out on one another. What kind of bet was that imperative, that it would require the use of firearms to defend or acquire one's winnings? Javaris, I guess being a bust, and all, you decided to take up a second career as a bookie. And Gilbert, in addition to getting your wife snatched by Shaq, you're drowning your sorrows in gambling? Come on, guys. This is sad.

It's even funnier that both of you had unloaded guns. So in addition to being trigger-happy gambling addicts, neither of you even had the sense to know how to work them. This is a damn shame, not only for the both of you, but for the Wizards and the NBA. Gilbert, you've always been one of my favorite players on and off the court, and Javaris, I always loved your potential. But, DAMN. Nothing can erase a 'nigga moment' in the NBA...