So the only pundit consensus about the Eastern Conference is that the Celtics, Pistons, and Bulls will be good (though the Bulls have already been embarrassed in their first two games). Just about everyone else seems to have a chance (so it's not exactly a "middle").
For example, predictions for bottom 5 playoff teams:
Simmons: Miami, NJ, Mil, Atl, Ind
SI: Miami, Clev, NY, Wash, Toronto
ESPN Mag: Clev, NJ, Toronto, Orl, Wash
So, who actually is going to be good, suck, etc.?
― circles, Saturday, 3 November 2007 03:49 (eighteen years ago)
it depends on what you mean by good.
rofl at walton on espn "the celtic championship drought is over".
― dan, Saturday, 3 November 2007 05:10 (eighteen years ago)
...and by chance I mean a chance to make the playoffs
Heat - I hate this team right now. The Ghost of Shaquille O'Neal + Ricky Davis != good team. Wade'll be back soon, but they feel so injury-prone and washed up. Might squeak into the playoffs, but I can't seem them being better than...
The Magic - If Howard plays half as well as everyone says he will, I can't see how they don't win the SE and get the fourth seed. Leaving them out of it entirely seems like madness. Still wish they had a real PF though.
Raptors - Kind of indefensible to leave them out. They have everyone back and most of their best players are still getting better (Bosh, Bargnani, Ford, Calderon). Maybe they overachieved, but they should still match what they did last year.
Hawks - They've been stockpiling talented guys for a while, and I think they should slip into the playoffs. They're sort of like the non-evil twin to the Knicks, who've also been stockpiling youngish (though much more expensive) talent. The Hawks at least seem like they can work together decently, while the Knicks just get in one another's way.
― circles, Saturday, 3 November 2007 05:20 (eighteen years ago)
yeah, good is pretty relative. I doubt any of these teams would really be competitive with the good western conf teams.
― circles, Saturday, 3 November 2007 05:21 (eighteen years ago)