Monitoring E.C Teams: Keeping Tabs On The Best Teams In The East + Knicks predictions
Good day, gents.
I've put together this thread to keep an eye on the Eastern Conference standings and its teams throughout the 2012-2013 season.
Each team's info is posted separately, so please quote the specific team you're talking about in your posts to make it easier to contrast opinions.
HUGE YEAR AHEAD!
Miami Heat
Miami Heat
○ They're the champs, and they don't look like slowing down after the acquisition of Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis.
○ Norris Cole looks to add to an on and off debut season at point guard, in which he played some very decent games.
○ Bosh will be playing more at centre, according to offseason news, which is a huge plus for us as we throw our huge front court at them.
○ They did add Jorts to their front court to help out Joel Anthony and Bosh in the block, but we certainly have the advantage under the rim.
○ Regardless of any advantage we may or may not have, the Heat have Lebron James and Dwayne Wade. The Heat have expressed concern about Wade being able to maintain a healthy body long term, he missed 15 games last year and once cried in a wheelchair, but the depth they added in Allen at the 2 this year, helps to nullify that concern between game 1 of the regular season and game 1 of the ECF.
Head to Head: We can ice the Heat any time during the regular season, but their incredible defence and their leader, Lebron, are a harrowing prospect in the playoffs, and are still the favourites to take the EC crown.
East seeding prediction: 1st
Boston Celtics
○ As old, rickety, and prone to whining and inner conflict as they are, the Boston Celtics are still a very good basketball team. God, I hate them so much!
○ They lost Allen to the Heat in FA, but added the high octane Jason Terry and 7'0 rookie Fab Melo along with the energetic Courtney Lee at the 2.
○ Jeff Green returns from a missed season getting his heart sorted out, and the always reliable Brandon Bass will be back to crash the boards and make the 15 footer off the bench.
○ All in all, the Celtics come in to 12-13 younger, fresher and faster.
○ KG and Pierce might be on the decline, but they always, always bring it when their numbers are called, and Rondo is still Rondo. IMO, he's a top 3 PG, and is merely a reliable shot away from threatening to dethrone CP3 as the NBA's best 1.
Head to Head: We, as they, have a very balanced team throughout all positions. However, the Celtics excellent offseason gives them the advantage because they still have Rondo to add to their veterans and youth. He is the crux of whether or not the Knicks can take the Celtics in a playoff series.
○ They also have a lot more fire power in the front court than us, depending solely on how Stoudemire is implemented in to our offence and whether or not it works. I see STAT as the big X Factor in most match ups for us, but he really is the key to beating Boston.
East seeding prediction: 2nd.
The Pacers did what they had to do in the offseason. They re-signed Hibbert (was he worth MAX?) kept the majority of their core, and replaced Collinson with Augustine.
○ The additions of Augustine and Gerald Green add the depth the Pacers need to pursue a high seed.
○ Paul George, the 6'8 2 guard with springs for legs, had an amazing rookie season, and looks to add to his all around game by adding a more reliable perimeter shooting game this year.
○ Tyler Hansbrough will again provide the energy off the pine, and add rebounding and physicality.
○ The Pacers front court 3 of Hibbert, West & Granger are basically a poor man's version of the Knicks Chandler, Stoudemire and Anthony.
○ However, despite the roster they have, which comparatively may seem not on par with New York's , the Pacers have chemistry. Real chemistry. Something the Knicks really only had sporadically all throughout last season. They shocked the league by taking 3rd seed last season, and look to add to their winning ways by bringing back basically the same roster, with added experience.
Head to Head: Stalemate. With their depth, youth and chemistry, I don't see any marked advantage for the Knicks, especially earlier on in the season without Shump. They have no player better than Melo, and Tyson and Camby provide the required defence to hinder Hibbert.
Bit of a question mark for me when putting one against the other. Expect a close game in each matchup.
East seeding prediction: 3rd ahead of us or 4th behind us.
Given the competitiveness of the East this year, we may not be able to afford to let them take 3rd ahead of us.
Brooklyn Nets
○ Well, what an offseason it was for the new look Nets. They come in to this season bursting with enthusiasm, and most importantly, they've managed to hold on to their best players with little regard for expense, and added some solid, reliable vets.
○ With an impressive starting 5 of Lopez, Humphries, G Wallace, Joe Johnson and DWil, the Nets, to their absolute credit, managed to keep Marshon Brooks, an excellent 2 guard that turned a lot of heads as a rookie last year.
○ To their credit again, the Nets went out and brought in big bodies Reggie Evans and Andre Blatche via FA. I think Evans will be the thorn in our side when we face the Nets. He's a savage rebounder and defender, an intimidator and a huge energy boost off the pine. The addition of Sheed was a relief to me regarding this. Blatche is still a capable player, but is a bit of a mess mentally. He also has a propensity to get above playing weight.
○ They also added Mirza Teletovic, last year's leading scorer in the Euro League as their very own Novak. Teletovic, however is a far, far more rounded offensive threat, and at 6'9 - 255, could be the Nets X factor in taking the season series from us. Great addition.
Head to Head: I'd have to give it to the Nets because of Derron Williams. Our match ups are quite even, with the exception of the unpredictable Stoudemire, except for at the 1. The big, able DWil is going to kill Felton, Kidd and Prigioni this year, and unless Shump comes back 100% cured and plays some 1 for us against him, the Nets have the up on the Knicks for that one blaring mismatch.
○ Humphries is an excellent rebounder, and the 1-2 punch of him and Evans VS STAT and Sheed at the 4 is a huge glass cleaning advantage for the Nets.
○ Our benches will be reasonably on par, but if Camby has a healthy season, that is to our advantage against Brooklyn.
East seeding prediction: 5th ~ with the ability to move up as far as 3rd
In the end, I think a lack of cohesion and familiarity will have the Nets losing some winnable games. That, however, is not necessarily a safe assumption. They are very talented.
Philadelphia 76ers.
○ The 6ers had a busy, productive offseason, and brought in Andrew Bynum. Though they lost the electrifying Andre Iguodala, the addition of Bynum, one of the league's premiere centres, is a huge boon for Philadelphia's playoff aspirations. In the absence of Kobe Bryant in LA, Bynum put up 23 and 14 boards, including rebounding games of 30 and 18.
He's the focal of the 6ers offence now, and though he'll be rested often with Hawes backing him up, he'll no doubt have a career season, and put up stats worthy of All NBA notoriety.
○ The 6ers also signed Jason Richardson, and will bring in Nick Young to add to a very deep 2 guard rotation that still boasts Evan Turner, who improved in leaps and bounds last season. So they have no lack of back court offence.
○ Jrue Holiday, one of the league's more daunting back court defenders, will be back to add to his ever improving game, too. He put up an impressive 16, 5 and 5 last season, and with Bynum setting picks and hammering down the low block, look for Holiday's game to be given some real slack offensively, making him all the more dangerous, as well as providing better looks for their perimeter shooters.
○ SF-PF Thaddeus Young will also be back for another solid year, and his all around game on both ends brings the 76ers closer to the East's elite. His versatility is key.
○ Doug Collins is a brilliant coach. He'll be making the most of his new roster, but a lack of depth at the 4 will cause him some headaches as he looks to implement his bench.
Head to Head: Melo has always thriven against the 76ers, and he'll be our Mr Reliable throughout all of the season VS Philly. Tyson and Camby, again, will be a struggle for Bynum. Until Shump's back and Brewer's himself again, the advantage is clearly ours. Until then, the 2 guard is their main advantage.
East seeding prediction: 5th or 6th. Depending entirely on the health of the oft injured Bynum. If he has a healthy season as the new go-to-guy in Philly, look for them to be a team nobody wants to meet in the 1st round.
Cleveland Cavaliers.
This may be my boldest prediction, but I have that much faith in the ability of Kyrie Irving and the Cavs' role players, to think that they can take 7th.
○ Varejao will be back in action, along with Casspi and the newly acquired CJ Miles. A very dynamic group with an elite, young PG, that can run, hustle and crash the boards.
○ Samuels, the undersized 6'9 centre whom some of you may recall came in to The Garden last year and embarrassed Amar'e Stoudemire, is a bruising PF that if used correctly by Byron Scott, can be pivotal in opening up Casspi, Gee and Irving's games.
○ Gee, though he was underwhelming last season, is an athletic phenomenon with boundless potential, IMO. If he gets a more reliable perimeter game, the Cavs will start cooking.
○ I really think that if this team can pull it together, maybe make a mid-season or early season trade to boost their depth, they can be 7th seed.
Head to Head: We take them every time. We can't stop Kyrie, hell, even Shump couldn't come close! But our depth will crush them.
Eastern seeding prediction: A very ballsy 7th or 8th.
Milwaukee Bucks.
○ The Bucks had an up and down season last year, plenty of upsets, plenty of floggings from teams they should have beaten. In the end, they were trounced from the playoffs in the 9th seed. With the downfall of Orlando and Atlanta this year however, the Bucks look primed to steal the 8th spot.
○ The big buzz in Milwaukee is that the greased lightning back-court of Jennings and Ellis will have some real time to click this season.
○ Ilyasova will be back in action and crashing the boards again this season.
○ Dalembert is at the 5 and adding defence and size.
○ Dunleavy Jr, who killed us last year, will be back in a Bucks' uniform again, but how many touches is he really gonna get with Ellis and Jennings hogging the ball?
Head to Head: If we hold their back-court, we smash them.
Eastern seeding prediction: 8th.
Honorable mention to Atlanta who will be fighting it out for the last spot to get eclipsed by the heat in the first round.
New York Knicks
○ This is by far the Knicks' biggest, best roster we've had since the dawning of the Walsh era. But why should it be me who hogs all the prediction glory?
Have your say! Please quote this post in your Knicks predictions for players, stats, X Factors and so on!
Miami- the champs, everything goes through them right now I'm not in a position to say how I feel about us matching up with them.
Boston- Very good team with great leadership, the fact that we split with them last year and Carmelo seems to own them for the most part makes me like our chances. They wont be as good of 3 Point shooting team as they were last year which makes me feel better
Indiana- They are the Nuggets of the East, very deep, reliant on each other but lack a true go to scorer
Brooklyn- Most over rated team in the league. Look at their projected starting 5, 1 good defender. No outside shooting, no interior D, they will rebound well though.
Philadelphia- Better than most project. Bynum/Turner/Holiday/Young is a deadly core 4 for them with Wright/Young/Richardson stretching the floor, Hawes/Brown adding Center depth and Moultrie being the young energy guy. If Turner can take steps forward they'll be hard to beat BUT they lack perimeter D which will hurt them in the East
Cleveland- Irving is a stud if guys like Varejao/Thompson/Waiters/Gee/Casspi can just support him and stay consistent then they can be the 8 seed in the East
Detroit- Love their core right now, still young and will likely need more time to develop but have a bright future
Toronto- Deep team but still dont have an identity.
Milwaukee- Will defend the hell out of you but right now its hard to see where they are. Dalembert should help their cause with some interior D and Ellis and Jennings have to be more consistent
Washington- Dark horse team who should make the playoffs. Beal has a lot to prove but should make an immediate impact. Okafor/Nene/Ariza is a good frontcourt and now its up to Wall to take his game to the next level
Charlotte- sucks
Orlando- sucks
Atlanta- Cant get a read on them, they got 6 shooting guards and 2 bigs, not a good recipe for success
Chicago- If D.Rose were here they'd be #2 in the East but I cant see them being anything more than a 6-8 seed
Pre-Season Projected Standings
1. Indiana- Hungry team
2. Miami- coast during the 2nd half as usual
3. Boston- still better than us right now
4. New York- good start for us
5. Philadelphia- pending Bynum's health
6. Chicago- great D and coaching
7. Brooklyn- over rated but will make it
8. Cleveland- dark horse, surprise team
Sad to say, I think Brooklyn is bringing the potatoes to roast in the brick oven. They have the energy of a new building, new city behind them, and they are knee-deep in the steaming mud of the Knicks-Nets rivalry. And they will march through this mud with anger in their brains.
So maybe I am not so sad, because I would rather we battle swords with the Nets because this is a healthy rivalry for the league and ultimately the sport.
So I think it's the Nets that will bring the heat and drop the buckets with some gust winds.
Everyone needs to stop pissing their pants.
Boston
- Courtney Lee isn't that good, but with Bradley probably the starting 2 they will have a solid lineup, probably finish 2 seed but not guranteed, definately a top 4 finish in East.
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Indiana
- Man are people misinformed about these guys, they mucked up trading away Collison. Sure they could play big ball with George Hill at the point against Miami when Colllison had poor ball security, but it won't cut it in a regular season. Remember how Toney Douglas filled in pretty well during that Boston series and put up like 14/6 and a lot of people thought he could fill in competently for us? George Hill is obviously better than Douglas but the problem remains the same, both his and Augustin's passing skills aren't good enough for a PG and both are primarily shooters.
Collison did have poor ball security and could get bullied but he did have great passing skills. I think this is a key problem a lot of people overlooked, maybe I'm wrong but I think they will have offense stagnation problems.
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Philly
Bynum has shown nothing to prove he can be a healthy player let alone a consistent leader. Will be hard to tell how he handles it when he takes all the blame after a few losses. Plus Philly will now get torched by the great perimeter players with Iggy not there to guard them. And no, BSPN is not correct and Turner will not have an all star caliber year.
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Brooklyn
Still up in the air about these guys, could be really good or barely make playoffs. Depth is a problem and if the injury prone lopez goes down who plays center? Injuries will be a major concern for the team, as would be rim protection, Hump can rebound but doesn't defend well.
I'm confident in saying Chandler/Camby will cancel out any advantage Lopez will have against us and STAT will likely torch there front court. Are our back court up to defending D Will, JJ & Brooks?
What scares me about the Celtics is Rondo. The rest of the team doesnt really scare me, maybe Pierce a little bit. He seems to cancel out Carmelo head to head, more on this later but back to Rondo. I really think Rondo could be the MVP this year, he showed me things in the playoffs last year that i hadnt seen from him. He was hitting clutch shots and its not even his shot so much, if he can ever play with confidence consistently and not let one bad play shake him up, watch out. This dude can take over a game with is defense and offense, the only player i think does this better then him is Lebron.
If U dont have a good gameplan for slowing Rondo down he will painfully rape you deep and hard with no vaseline. Kidd would receive the most brutal raping of all our players, Felton would do a little better. Im not even sure if Shumpert and Brewer could get the job done but hopefully one of them can and then we got Camby/Chandler to protect the rim. If we can slow Rondo, I think we're better then Boston but thats a very difficult task. Those old f*ggots dont really scare me that much even though KG still goes hard.
And Carmelo needs to show Pierce who's boss already, theres no way Old man pierce should even be mentioned in the same breathe as Melo at this point.
Boston is the only team that may be as deep as the Knicks except besides Rondo all their stars are older, since their 08 championship they haven't been a great regular season team so I wouldn't be surprised if they finish like 4th but do great in the regular season.
Indiana is a good well balanced team but their lack of a real superstar and vets besides David West is a big shortcoming in my book. In the playoffs where games start to grind out you need experienced vets and more importantly a superstar or more to rely on to get you easy buckets.
Brooklyn is being extremely overrated by the media imo kind of like the Clippers after they got CP3 last year. But anyway I actually think they will be a good team around 5th or 6th seed. Dwill is still a great PG, JJ is not a good number 1 option but I can see him flourishing as a number 2, and Lopez maybe be the best scoring C. They don't have a lot of depth or veteran leadership plus their gonna need time to gel.
Philly has def gotten better with the addition of Bynum but their also a little bit overrated. As a Laker fan I watched Bynum a lot and he's def one of the top Centers prob 2nd best it's gonna take him some time to adjust to playing as the number 1 option.
Chicago is gonna suffer badly on offense without Rose for most of the year, but their such a good defensive team and they have one of the best coaches in the league that I still think they'll be good and it will a tough match whenever someone goes to Chicago. I see them around 6th to 7th seed
I see the Knicks finishing anywhere in the top 4 this season
Indiana should be coming into this season with a chip on their shoulder, and they've gotten much deeper adding Augustin, Gerald Green and Mahimi... they have a well balanced roster.., besides the Heat and Celtics the Pacers have a chance to make alot of noise in the East.
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