So which team will be the team to beat in the Eastern Conference next year?

I am pretty interested in seeing how teams in the Eastern Conference do next year. I mean alot of the teams are becoming even with each other now so. I really have to see how the Heat do without any players injured next as well as Washington. Personally I think the team with the best record next year might be theBulls I really like there team, they got a bunch of young guys that have alot of experience playing with each other now so I would say Pistons finish with the second best record and Cavs finish 3rd.What do you guys think?

I am pretty interested in seeing how teams in the Eastern Conference do next year. I mean alot of the teams are becoming even with each other now so. I really have to see how the Heat do without any players injured next as well as Washington. Personally I think the team with the best record next year might be theBulls I really like there team, they got a bunch of young guys that have alot of experience playing with each other now so I would say Pistons finish with the second best record and Cavs finish 3rd.What do you guys think?

mohit2003

The eastern conference is a joke. Any team that makes the finals will get clobbered by the spurs, mavs, suns, jazz, etc.UT_Wrestler

[QUOTE="UT_Wrestler"]The eastern conference is a joke. Any team that makes the finals will get clobbered by the spurs, mavs, suns, jazz, etc.NetYankEagle

[QUOTE="NetYankEagle"][QUOTE="UT_Wrestler"]The eastern conference is a joke. Any team that makes the finals will get clobbered by the spurs, mavs, suns, jazz, etc.Cwesty21

I have to agree with NetYankEagle, the best team in the Eastern Conference is not the Cavs so you dont really have much of a challenge at all. Trust me the Eastern Conference is definitely weaker but there are teams that can win championships in the Eastern Conference I mean it hasnt been as if the Western Conference has been dominating the finals the past few years (except this year)

The eastern conference is a joke. Any team that makes the finals will get clobbered by the spurs, mavs, suns, jazz, etc.UT_Wrestler

:lol: Jazz?

Anyway, you are right the East is a joke and I think that needs to be addressed during the offseason. They need to refix the conferences and perhaps do what the NFL and MLB, American and National leagues.

As for a team to look out for, I'm looking in New Jersey and with a healthy Krystic and a resigned Vince should be a team to look out for (imo).

[QUOTE="UT_Wrestler"]The eastern conference is a joke. Any team that makes the finals will get clobbered by the spurs, mavs, suns, jazz, etc.Ngamer05

:lol: Jazz?

Anyway, you are right the East is a joke and I think that needs to be addressed during the offseason. They need to refix the conferences and perhaps do what the NFL and MLB, American and National leagues.

As for a team to look out for, I'm looking in New Jersey and with a healthy Krystic and a resigned Vince should be a team to look out for (imo).

pg-KIDD(Marcus Williams to back him up)

sg-Wright(maybe)Drafted SG(Maybe)

sf-Jefferson(Nachbar to back him up)

pf-A Big man who can rebound(Mikki Moore to back him up)

C-Kristic(Moore to take the Center and PF Position or Jason Collins:?:

I would say the cavs again if they got a real point gaurd for fricken sake and maybe a consistent big man in the off season if they don't I would take the Bulls to win the east. LinkG1

[QUOTE="LinkG1"]I would say the cavs again if they got a real point gaurd for fricken sake and maybe a consistent big man in the off season if they don't I would take the Bulls to win the east. peacebringer

LeBron has Gibson, Z, and Gooden they are all pretty decent and Gibosn is a pretty sharp shooter I was impressed even though the expression on his face makes it look as if he thinks he is all that cause he helped LeBron get to the Finals.

LeBron has Gibson, Z, and Gooden they are all pretty decent and Gibosn is a pretty sharp shooter I was impressed even though the expression on his face makes it look as if he thinks he is all that cause he helped LeBron get to the Finals.

mohit2003

2 players come to mind Robert Horry and Michael Finnley if they had got those 2 in the off season this series would be totally differant. in the last seconds Horry is Clutch thats why hes got 7 rings , thats why good teams want him if they need a 3 in the 4th querter Horrys is the man to pass it to.

LeBron has Gibson, Z, and Gooden they are all pretty decent and Gibosn is a pretty sharp shooter I was impressed even though the expression on his face makes it look as if he thinks he is all that cause he helped LeBron get to the Finals.

mohit2003

I pick the Heat, Cavs, Pistons, Bulls, and the wizards who lost Arenas to Free Agentcycarnage2k9

Yeah I know they dont come close but they arent that bad. Maybe I just feel this way because the Pistons couldnt play defense against them but Gibson was almost automatic for 3s and Gooden hit alot of big shots from the wings in the ECF. They do need a better PG though but there is no one else to get so I guess we wont be seeing any major moves from them this offseason, unless they trade a few players like Gibson and Varejao which I dont see them doing. By the way I thought Arenas was going to be a free agent next year not this year.

Pistons aren't a championship caliber team anymore without their defensive anchor. Even if they make the finals next year in the weak east they couldn't beat whoever comes out of the west.

Pistons aren't a championship caliber team anymore without their defensive anchor. Even if they make the finals next year in the weak east they couldn't beat whoever comes out of the west.

UT_Wrestler

I don't know, but I think the high school team up the street could make the finals coming out of the Eastern Conference.murlow12

[QUOTE="murlow12"]I don't know, but I think the high school team up the street could make the finals coming out of the Eastern Conference.NetYankEagle

Damn boy you really need to learn the meaning of sarcasm

[QUOTE="carnage2k9"]I pick the Heat, Cavs, Pistons, Bulls, and the wizards who lost Arenas to Free AgentcyNetYankEagle

yah they did. he said that he is opting out of his contract after this final season. so for the 08-09 season he will probably be wearing a different jersey cough lakers cough.

[QUOTE="NetYankEagle"][QUOTE="carnage2k9"]I pick the Heat, Cavs, Pistons, Bulls, and the wizards who lost Arenas to Free Agentcyxbox360isgr8t

yah they did. he said that he is opting out of his contract after this final season. so for the 08-09 season he will probably be wearing a different jersey cough lakers cough.

[QUOTE="NetYankEagle"][QUOTE="murlow12"]I don't know, but I think the high school team up the street could make the finals coming out of the Eastern Conference.UT_Wrestler

Damn boy you really need to learn the meaning of sarcasm

[QUOTE="NetYankEagle"][QUOTE="carnage2k9"]I pick the Heat, Cavs, Pistons, Bulls, and the wizards who lost Arenas to Free Agentcyxbox360isgr8t

yah they did. he said that he is opting out of his contract after this final season. so for the 08-09 season he will probably be wearing a different jersey cough lakers cough.

[QUOTE="xbox360isgr8t"]

[QUOTE="NetYankEagle"][QUOTE="carnage2k9"]I pick the Heat, Cavs, Pistons, Bulls, and the wizards who lost Arenas to Free Agentcycarnage2k9

yah they did. he said that he is opting out of his contract after this final season. so for the 08-09 season he will probably be wearing a different jersey cough lakers cough.

[QUOTE="xbox360isgr8t"]

[QUOTE="NetYankEagle"][QUOTE="carnage2k9"]I pick the Heat, Cavs, Pistons, Bulls, and the wizards who lost Arenas to Free AgentcyNetYankEagle

yah they did. he said that he is opting out of his contract after this final season. so for the 08-09 season he will probably be wearing a different jersey cough lakers cough.

yah which unless they trade him he wont be back in a wizards uniform. they wont win anytime soon. so yes at the end of the day the wizards lose. hell they lost when mj was there and drafted kwame then tried to comeback and play for them.

[QUOTE="NetYankEagle"][QUOTE="murlow12"]I don't know, but I think the high school team up the street could make the finals coming out of the Eastern Conference.UT_Wrestler

Damn boy you really need to learn the meaning of sarcasm

[QUOTE="carnage2k9"][QUOTE="xbox360isgr8t"]

[QUOTE="NetYankEagle"][QUOTE="carnage2k9"]I pick the Heat, Cavs, Pistons, Bulls, and the wizards who lost Arenas to Free AgentcyNetYankEagle

yah they did. he said that he is opting out of his contract after this final season. so for the 08-09 season he will probably be wearing a different jersey cough lakers cough.

The Celtics there i said it, if not them for sure the Knickspeacebringer

The Celtics there i said it, if not them for sure the Knickspeacebringer

I agree.

Cavs or Bulls. Both teams are young with a good nucleus. The Bulls are just missing someone who can score inside, while Cavs are missing a better perimeter scorer who is good at defense.

I think Detroit is getting too old unless Joe Dumars figures out a way to trade Webber. Detroit is really lacking in the Center department. Miami is also too old. Riley has to trade everybody but D. Wade away. Shaq is breaking down fast kinda like Hakeem did.

Wizards have no bench and no good big men. Nets have no bench, Kristic is coming back next year so they'll have their big man again, but their bench is horrible. Orlando is young but Dwight has to develop his offensive skills, Darko has to care about the ball game, and a new SG. Toronto is young and they need a bench.

There's hope in Atlanta if they get either a PG or C in the draft. The Hawks have to stop drafting PFS, SFs, and SGs, there's already 10 on the team. They had their chance at Chris Paul and Deron Williams but screwed up. They're like the Clippers of the 90s, shooting themselves in the foot by drafting stupid.

Milwaukee needs a bench and a SF.

In respnse to Ngamer05 post

Yeah thats right

UTAH JAZZ!!!

At least they actually beat the Spurs in the playoffs!

Next year Detriot will still have the best record I would guess.

But Toronto will be the next big thing.

The problem is that whenever the Pistons have the best record they do bad in the playoffs. When we were the second seed we won the championship and then went to seven games. After that we get the first seed and end up dissappointed the

Pistons usually play better when they are underdogs and after this year I defintely think that they will be underdogs to come out of the east in the playoffs. I think the Bulls will have the best regular season or maybe the heat since Shaq wount spend the first 60 games of the regular season getting back in shape with that new show he is starting this summer. I think an Eastern Conference team can win it all next year, it just depends on who the opponent is and which team makesfrom the east. One thing I have noticed this year is that matchups are playing more of a role now. For example the Warriors matchup really well against Dallas, even though they cant beat anyone else. Same with Detroit, they matched up pretty well against the Bulls but I think the Bulls could have beaten the Cavs.

The NBA is all about Match ups Dallas matches up well with Spurs but not with Warriors Jazz are good againstWarriors but bad against the Spurs.

The NBA is all about Match ups Dallas matches up well with Spurs but not with Warriors Jazz are good againstWarriors but bad against the Spurs.

yellbell

I agree. I have no doubt the Mavs would have beatin the Spurs if they played in the playoffs but GS shot lights out against them and Don Nelson knows every weakness Dirk has. Im sure SA fans feel a little lucky to have a fairly easy road to win the championship. No Mavs, no Detroit, wounded Suns. Grats to the Spurs though. A championship is a championship.

[QUOTE="peacebringer"][QUOTE="LinkG1"]I would say the cavs again if they got a real point gaurd for fricken sake and maybe a consistent big man in the off season if they don't I would take the Bulls to win the east. NetYankEagle

EXACTLY!!! I know he has some players that are CAPABLE of playing well but they aren't on the level of a Pippen or even a Rodman who game in and game out did all they could and played well. Shoot, Kerr was a solid guy and Paxton was too! If it would have been Pippen wide open in game one against the Pistons, he would have drilled it and LeBron would have been heralded as a great decision maker. Instead, Marshall (who had hit six freakin' threes against the Nets) misses a wide open shot where he could have "made coffee before shooting" accorrding to his coach! LeBron is a great player but he is surrounded by sub par players (sub par because they are VERY inconsistent which is HUGE in basketball, look at the Jazz and their two Euro's that dropped off the map against the Spurs). I will say though, the Bulls, Pistons, and Heat are teams that can beat the Cavs in their current state and I don't believe that the Cavs would have beat the Suns, Mavs, Jazz, or the Warriors for that matter just because they don't have the role players to help LeBron take on a full team. I know they beat the Pistons who are a good team but LeBron was playing out of his head and Boobie stepped up huge which just didn't keep going in the Spurs series. If they grab a solid SG (Larry Hughes what happened?) they would be set and keep going back to the Finals.

dirk and nashare horrible playoff payers that why they get the mvps because that their limitthey get out the way when the big boys come out dboe313

I really dont think that those two are bad players especially Nash. I mean I understand what you said about Dirk because he had no impact in the playoffs for his team except for the second game they won. However Dirk can take over games in the playoffs, Game7 against the Spurs was a great example. Steve Nash also plays great in playoffs I have seen him rescue his team lots of times in the last moments of games but usually they either have a key player or players missing during the playoffs, either due to injuries or as the case was this year due to suspensions.

For the East I'll list the top three teams in my opinion.

1.Bulls-good young team with plenty of potential and will only get better with experience.

2.Pistons-still have some fight left in them and will step up but will lose the conference championship to the Bulls.

3.Cavs-have a good team, all they need is an outside, consistent shooter, will lose to Pistons.