Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks have been stockpiling young talent and have a chance to take the next step and start really making some noise in the East. I'm a huge Josh Smith fan (his game, not so much his attitude) and I think the Hawks had the best draft of any team by picking up two quality players (Acie Law and Al Horford) who can immediately contribute.
A lot of people criticize the Hawks roster and dismiss them as being overloaded with swingmen and undermanned at point guard and center. While Horford doesn't exactly address the center issue, he should provide dependable scoring on the block, and the addition of Law should help erase bad memories of the Marvin Williams pick. If the Law/Sam Cassell comparisons turn out to be even close to accurate, the Hawks will have their playmaker for the next decade.
Get excited about: Winning considerably more games than usual, Josh Smith getting way, way up, Horford's post moves.
Cover your eyes so you don't have to see: Marvin Williams struggling to live up to his draft position.
Here is an awesome YouTube clip of Josh Smith's top ten plays from last season. He flies under the radar because the Hawks have been pretty mediocre the past few years, but he is one of the most electrifying players in the entire league. In my opinion he is the most vicious dunker in the NBA. Look at how hard he throws it down!
Orlando Magic
The Magic added two critical pieces this summer which have the team and the city excited about their postseason chances this year. Rashard Lewis will come in and give them a dependable wing option, while the great and highly underrated Stan Van Gundy will give them an advantage on the sidelines.
The evolution of Dwight Howard from hesitant teenager into dominating low-post monster will be just as significant for this team. I think that by mid-season he will supplant Shaq as the East's best center.
It remains to be seen whether or not J.J. Redick can deliver for this team, but if he can reclaim any of the old Duke magic, he will be a very valuable contributor. The interior threat of Howard should open up the perimeter and Redick figures to be one of the principle beneficiaries if he can stay injury-free and contribute on the defensive end.
Get excited about: Howard getting double teamed and dunking anyway, the smooth game of Rashard Lewis, Jameer Nelson having a career year, the great Stan Van Gundy.
Cover your eyes so you don't have to see: A healthy Grant Hill thriving in Phoenix and prompting many a "What might have been..." musing in Orlando.
Check out this Dwight Howard dunk.
Washington Wizards
Along with the New Jersey Nets, this Wizards team is one that I think most fans sleep on a little bit. The general perception is that they are good, but not elite. The fact that the Wizards didn't make any key offseason improvements while much of the East did seems to indicate that this team will once again finish in the middle of the pack and suffer a early to mid-round playoff exit.
Much like the Nets, I think this Wizards team's performance and perception has been lowered due to injury. Remember, two years ago these were the guys who went the distance with the Cavs (and probably should have knocked them off). If these Wizards can stay healthy, they can be extremely dangerous and should probably be considered the favorite to win the division. Gilbert Arenas seems to have recovered from his knee injury and should be ready to go.
Get excited about: Gilbert's theatrics on and off the court, Caron Butler's second consecutive All-Star selection, Andray Blatche emerging from the dark recesses of the bench.
Cover your eyes so you don't have to see: Brendan Haywood botching things in the middle. While the Etan Thomas situation is tragic on multiple levels, it will also really hurt the Wizards in the middle as they will have to depend much more on Haywood to be consistent night in and night out.
Here's a YouTube clip of Gilbert dropping 60 on the Lakers. I had the great pleasure of watching this game live.
Charlotte Bobcats
The Bobcats added Jason Richardson to an already athletic backcourt. The trio of Raymond Felton, Jason Richardson, and Gerald Wallace will be very fun to watch. If Richardson can gel with his new teammates, the Bobcats' playoff aspirations may well pan out.
The loss of Sean May to injury is going to hurt them down low, but they should be able to get by with Emeka Okafor and Walter Herrmann. Though its still too early to tell, things aren't looking good for Adam Morrison's career. After a very rocky rookie campaign, he's out for the year due to a torn ACL.
Despite these setbacks, the Bobcats do appear poised for a significant increase in the wins column. They've built well through the draft and the addition of a proven scorer in Richardson could be enough to get them over the hump.
Get excited about: Having the two-time NBA Dunk Champion on your team, the maturation of Raymond Felton's game, playing relevant games in March and April.
Cover your eyes so you don't have to see: Adam Morrison rocking the stache and the retro suits on the bench.
Here is yet another YouTube dunk video. This one is Jason Richardson showing what he can do on both ends of the court. I love the fact that he is bold enough to throw down a 360 with a defender trailing him.
Miami Heat
Ah, at last, the moment we've all been waiting for. It is with gladness in my heart that I now turn to my hometown team: your 2006 NBA Champion Miami Heat. Regarding Wednesday's Antoine Walker for Ricky Davis/Mark Blount swap, there is only one thing to say: Pat Riley strikes again!!I cannot tell you how happy I am with this trade. Just a few days before I had been reading online that some NBA scout thought that Antoine Walker was virtually untradable due to his contract size and his recent performance. I was resigned to the idea of watching Antoine bobble, fumble, stumble, and chuck his way to retirement in a Miami Heat uniform. Then Pat Riley pulled off this terrific coup and an offseason's worth of missed opportunities and inactivity was suddenly and miraculously fixed.
Ricky Davis will be a fine addition, especially in the early season while Dwyane Wade is still recovering from surgeries. While I will certainly miss Michael Doleac and even Walker (a little), I think this was an incredible deal for the Heat. I think that this team, if healthy, will definitely be better than projected.
Get excited about: Keith Askins' bowties, Ricky Davis being kept in line by Deputy O'Neal, Wade's triumphant return.
Cover your eyes so you don't have to see: Brick after brick after brick being hoisted by this team's three point shooters as they suffer from the departure of Jason Kapono, Eddie Jones, and James Posey.
I'm going to leave you guys with this quintessential Miami Heat play. Maybe the greatest single play in Heat history. Enjoy.
This division has no clear-cut favorite in my opinion, and it will be very interesting to see how it all shakes out. What do you guys think?
2 comments:
Truly invaluable insight! Thanks for a great post Charlie!
Watch out for the Raptors
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