The East 2009 Postseason Teams

Kiyaman

Legend
On August 11 2008, here is my list of the (Defensive) Eastern Conference 2009 Postseason Teams:

No hard feelings to anyone but the Western Conference teams are not as physical or dominating in the Frontcourt and Backcourt as the Eastern Conference teams. The majority of the west teams play an open court run and gun style which is good during the regular season because the Refs dont allow much physical contact untill the Postseason. This season when checking the stats of a game check the fouls and the FT attempts of the Western Conference Teams and you will see how they win the majority of their games (acting). Especially against the East teams who are used to playing physical.

1) Boston is the Top team in the East winning last season Championship Finals off of pure team-defense.

2) Detroit is still the roughneck team in the league that can get down and dirty or quick as lightning with just one of these leadership players on the court Billups, Rip, Prince, and Rasheed. They just added Kwame who went through a grueling Bigman training for three years with coach Phil Jax. Old man Rasheed scoring will rise with 24 mpg of Kwame big body in the paint.

3) Cleveland got Lebron James with a full training-camp of Varejao & Big Ben to work into the creative Lebron system early. Having a healthy Gibson and Delonte West at the point is not bad when both jumpshots are falling so Lebron could take over the point. Pavolic outside shooting will have to make up for such a poor season last year.

4) Toronto will have a mystery recovery of a 80 game healthy Jermain O'Neal to co-exist with the dominating Bosh in the paint. 6.10 Center Bargnani could practice his 3 point shooting throughout the entire season with O'Neal & Bosh each averaging 12 rebounds and 2 blocks per game. PG-Jose Calderon have the chance this season to say, "Nash and Paul what?".

5) Washington got a season well rested Gilbert Arenas back to make every oposition have to double and tripple team him in a well coordinated coach Eddie Jordan system that has been hard for any team scout to predict since becomming a head coach.

6) Orlando is back with Superman Howard going after the Starting Center of the All-Star game with his homeboys Lewis & Hedo in the frontcourt to back him up. This season JJ Redick will have to get up off the pot or go to the Euro league because rookie SG-Courtney Lee out of West Kentucky is here to stay by making PG-Jameer Nelson game move up a level or two.

7) Philly finally got the PF-Elton Brand, that the 76ers been missing for decades since they traded Charles Barkley. Dont get me wrong the team had some decent PF the best was an injury Coleman they traded for he played hurt for years. But adding PF-Elton Brand with a shotblocking C-Dalembert with a young athletic Thadeus Young and Evans in the Frontcourt their Rookie Center Speights will learn quick. I never did like PG-Andre Miller performance as a Clipper or Nuggets in the 4th quarter where he consistently folds under pressure but on the 76ers with Captain SF/SG-Iggy, SG-Green, and backup PG-Ollie, Miller seem to have become a crunchtime player.

8) Atlanta "Danger-Danger-Danger!", this is a team that kept comming together and improving their chemistry in each of their playoff games. Having a full season and training-camp of the starting bacourt tandem of PG-Bibby & SG-Joe Johnson (both are in their final contract season) will be something exciting to watch. Especially with the dominting strong force of the Tandem of Josh Smith & Al Horford in the paint. It's very sad that they lost Josh Childress great awareness performance that is hard to replace to the Euro League. But the way this team came together in the Postseason games gives me confidence in the team and coaching staff to make each player move up a level in their performance this regular season with the lost of Childress.

9) Charlotte got HOF Coach Larry Brown running the show now, and every Knick Fan, Piston Fan, 76er Fan, Pacer Fan, and Spurs Fan, should know what that means now for all of the Bobcats young players (either shut or get up off the pot). If Rookie PG-DJ Augustin brings the same point-talent he applied in Texas, with C-Okafor, a healthy PF-May, SF-Wallace, SG-Richardson, and Combo-Guard Felton, with the deep young defensive depth they have on their bench the NBA league will have problems if coach Larry Brown runs an uptempo run and gun performance with a "Three-Guard Line-up" for one quarter each game with two little guards (Augustin & Felton pressuring the ball each time on defense), and high-light performer Jason Richardson defending the passing lane under coach Larry Brown strategy.

10) Chicago has a new and better coach now in Vinny Del Negro, who will size-up PG-Hindrich performance to the number 1 pick PG-Derrick Rose creative performance (both may play in the same line-up at times). The Bulls having a full season and training camp veteran experience SG-Larry Hughes to direct the direction of the guards, and a wiser veteran PF than Ben Wallace in Drew Gooden to direct the directions of the young bigmen in the paint may shock and suprise alot of unblievers this season. The re-signing of Deng was a wise move for the Bulls by taking alot of pressure off the two new Combo-Guards (Hughes & Rose) that will lead their Backcourt for 48 mpg this season.

11) Miami, the most curious team to look foward to watching this season with an injury Super Star SG-Dwayne Wade who is averaging 15 points comming off the bench this offseason on the USA Olympic Team. He looks great to me, his first step is back to normal. Pat Riley did not seem to happy selecting the best player in the draft the 6.10 PF-Michael Beasley who looked like a NBA star player while in college. Alot of teams would luv to have a starting line-up that consist of switching a strong PF into a Center like C/F-Haslem, PF-Beasley, SF-Matrix, and SG-Wade. The Heat problem lies in who will be the master PG of this team for 27 to 32 mpg. I hope they find a young and upcomming PG for this duty.
 
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