What will Dallas do for an encore? How will the young Miami trio finally play right to win it all? Will Derrick Rose repeat as MVP? Are the Celtics and the Lakers too old to contend? Does the Thunder have what it takes to win it all? Is Melo and Amar'e enough for a Knick renaissance? And is the Clippers the newest big thing in Hollywood? We look forward to the 2011-12 NBA season.
We first preview the Eastern Conference Southeast Division.
Atlanta Hawks
44-38 (5th in East, lost to Bulls in 2nd round 4-2)
The Hawks started and finished slow, yet somehow pulled off two wins in Round 2. Still not enough, though. Joe Johnson and Al Horford were the big stars, but the loss of Jamal Crawford is a bitter pill to swallow. Josh Smith is the fuse ready to explode, needs to be more assertive, though. Jeff Teague was a revelation in the playoffs, and may supplant Kirk Hinrich in the starting point guard job. Now they added Tracy McGrady and Jerry Stackhouse past their primes, but can they turn back the clock? Jason Collins did a good job against Dwight Howard in the playoffs, but is he good enough for a full-time starting center gig? These Hawks were still not good enough to contend, and probably be eliminated in the first round this time.
Charlotte Bobcats
34-48 (10th in East, missed playoffs)
The Bobcats took a step back, enduring a coaching change (Paul Silas replacing Larry Brown) and trading original Bobcat and all-star Gerald Wallace to Portland. Now Michael Jordan has to start over, again. The Bobcats lack star power and money to be a viable force in the league, and when you have guys like D.J. Augustin, Boris Diaw, Gerald Henderson, DeSagana Diop and Tyrus Thomas, you have a team with a recipe for disaster. Unless your name is Kemba Walker, if he's ready to lead the Bobcats back to prominence. They swapped Stephen Jackson for Corey Maggette, but that's still not a game-changing trade in Charlotte's part.
Miami Heat
58-24 (2nd in East, lost to Mavericks in Finals 4-2)
Last season, the Heat were the talk of the NBA, with LeBron James and Chris Bosh becoming sidekicks to franchise leader Dwyane Wade. They started slow before finishing strong with 58 wins, and dumping the league-leading Bulls in the Conference Finals. They couldn't get together though against the Mavericks in the Finals. As proven time and time again, three stars are not enough to win it all. The Heat do have a blend of veterans and youngsters, and while James, Bosh and Wade will be there to lead the offense, they need valuable contributions on both ends from Mario Chalmers, Udonis Haslem, Joel Anthony, James Jones and Mike Miller. They added defensive specialist Shane Battier for good reason. But they need Dexter Pittman to mature, fast.
Orlando Magic
52-30 (4th in East, lost to Hawks in 1st round 4-2)
The preseason was all about the Dwight Howard trade rumors. For now, they were put to rest. As for the Magic, the season before was a disappointment, winning 52 games, then poofed against the Hawks in the first round. Superman needs his super-sidekicks, now. But when you have Hedo Turkoglu. Jason and Quentin Richardson, J.J. Redick, Ryan Anderson, Jameer Nelson and Chris Duhon, their games were more predicated from the outside. At least Anderson now has the penchant to crack the boards. But the inside game is something the Magic need more than ever, and even if they added Glen Davis from Boston, you may expect Howard to tire out blocking shots and rebounding. The trade of Marcin Gortat was a big blow for the Magic, and if Howard were to be traded, the lack of a center would knock Orlando out of contention.
Washington Wizards
23-59 (13th in East, missed playoffs)
The John Wall era got underway. Positive news. But Wall needs to grow up, fast. The Wizards are still a few pieces away from returning to prominence, but this group is promising. The return to the modernized 70s Bullets motif was a first step. And adding Jan Vessely and Shelvin Mack saw encouraging signs. But they need 2010 big money signee Andray Blatche to snap out of last season's funk, and for recent Manila visitor and naturalization candidate JaVale McGee to show that he's dangerous at center. And is Jordan Crawford better than Michael Jordan? He needs to prove that in 66 games.
We'll preview the Atlantic Division on our next post.
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