As promised (just slightly tardy). . .
Eastern Conference (can we still make the Leastern Conference joke?):
(J/G) 15. Toronto
Name me 3 Raptors. Do it! I dare you! (Ok, you can: Bargnani, Calderon, Jack. . . but when Jarrett Jack is your third "named" player, you're bad)
(J) 14. Cleveland (G) 14. Philadelphia
I don't think the Cavs will win 25 games this year. As much crap as Lebron has gotten for leaving (and he should, of course, for HOW he left) no one has been able to say that he shouldn't have left because the Cavs were good. They're awful. George has more faith in them. More on this later.
(J) 13. Philadelphia (G) 13. Detroit
I think by December 1st that Doug Collins will wish he was back calling games for TNT.
(J/G) 12. New Jersey
Improvement. But anything is better than 12-70.
(J) 11. Indiana (G) 11. Washington
The addition of a real point guard (Darren Collison) makes the Pacers interesting, but without Troy Murphy (who they gave up to get Collison), everything falls on Danny Granger, who is still not a top tier guy last time I checked. And c'mon George - the Wizards at 11? Don't make me put three guns by your locker!
(J) 10. Charlotte (G) 10. Cleveland
I know the Bobcats made the playoffs last year. And I can't believe I'm gonna say this, but the loss of Raymond Felton is a big deal. They won't be there next year. I'm not sure what George sees in the Cavs to get them this close to the playoffs, but I guess with as bad as the East is, it's not that far of a stretch.
(J) 9. New York Knicks (G) 9. Indiana
My sad goodbye letter to Amare Stoudemire: I watched you improve over 9 seasons and you showed so many signs of being an elite power forward. I saw you dominate games and fly through the air with force rivaled by few. I lamented your injuries that sidelined you and made me hope for great things from Boris Diaw. But you went for the money and something new (I can't blame you for wanting to, I just wish you hadn't) and now, I'd like to welcome you to something you only were a part of twice in your nine seasons with the Suns: the Lottery.
(J) 8. Detroit (G) 8. New York Knicks
I think eventually that talent will win a few games for the Pistons (even though it's all very similar talent!) and they'll crawl into the last playoff spot which is really just an invitation to be swept by (SPOILER ALERT!) the Heat. George thinks Amare gets the Knicks to what is hardly what their fans hope for, but I think they'll be slightly more disappointing.
(J) 7. Washington (G) 7. Milwaukee
(Doing the John Wall dance)
(J) 6. Atlanta (G) 6. Charlotte
I don't like the Hawks. I think they're masquerading as a good team and one of these seasons the bottom is just gonna fall out and they'll be revealed as such. Joe Johnson just got paid (did anyone catch how Joe got the biggest contract out of all the Summer of 2010 guys? Unbelievable!) and, wait, is Mike Bibby even alive still? Yeah, I'm not sure this ends well.
(J) 5. Milwaukee (G) 5. Atlanta
Last year held a surprising twist in Wisconsin as the Bucks became relevant all of a sudden. And I don't think it was a one-time thing. They've collected an odd group of underrated guys who still produce (Drew Gooden, Corey Maggette, Chris Douglas-Roberts) to go along with Brandon Jennings, Andrew Bogut, and John Salmons. See, normally I would laugh at a list like that. But in the East, that's almost home-court advantage style!
(J) 4. Chicago (G) 4. Orlando
It's a four-horse race in the East and I think it's Chicago who finishes last in that group. I'm not a big Boozer fan (where did he ever get the Jazz?) so I'm not as high on them as others (again, more on that later). If they'd gotten Redick to go along with Korver, I might have changed my tune, but I still see them as too young to get any higher on this list.
(J/G) 3. Boston
The oldest team on the face of the Earth will still be a force to be reckoned with. I personally almost put them 2, but I have a feeling they'll do a lot of things like last year and take off some of the season and preserve their old bodies for the playoffs. That's fine. I guess they've paid their dues. I just think they should also pay their season ticket holders for their nights off. . .
(J) 2. Orlando (G) 2. Chicago
A lot like Dallas in my mind, the Magic are gonna find ways to win throughout the season and chalk up quite a few. But I don't think they're a force at all when their best player and foundation for everything they do (Howard) decides to not join TEAM U.S.A. at the World Championships to work on his game in a high intensity situation like that. He would have been the go-to big man on that team (we sent Tyson Chandler as our center - 'nuff said) and gotten crazy amounts of reps at the free throw line and in the post. I think he did a disservice to his team by not going. And we will be shown that in May when Boston beats them in the second round.
(J/G) 1. Miami
Ugh. (But boy will it be fun to watch)
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