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NBA’s Eastern Conference Playoff Preview – 2009 Season

4 March 2009 45 views

This season, the NBA’s Eastern Conference has dominated national headlines in newspapers and on the Internet.  This is quite the opposite of how the former “L”Eastern Conference was looked upon even just a couple years ago.  The NBA’s elite are no longer strictly in the Western Conference, as 3 of the top 4 teams in the NBA are from the East.  Only the Los Angeles Lakers are performing up to par w/ the Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers and defending champion Boston Celtics.

With the playoffs looming only weeks away, the East is a three (3) team race to the NBA Finals – no disrespect to the Detroit Pistons or Atlanta Hawks, who are good, but not great this season.  I’m not ready to write off the Lakers or other Western team from winning this year’s championship, but they have their work cut out for them.  The road to the NBA Championship still goes through Boston, while Cleveland and Orlando are close behind.

Here are my team reviews, in no particular order:

Cleveland CavaliersCleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland isn’t new to championship discussions, having reached the Finals and suffering at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs during one of their many “odd” year championships.  Superstar Lebron James is this season’s MVP without a doubt and has the Cavs on pace for the league’s best record this year.  Of course, James has more help this year w/ the addition of guard Mo Williams and the relative health of the other contributors.

The Cavaliers can be dominant on both ends of the court, so they have to be looked at as a serious contender.  They can shutdown Boston’s Big-3 if needed and can likely withstand a tough defensive opponent to grind out a 7-game series.

F/C Ben Wallace was recently lost due to a freak broken fibula accident, but he isn’t expected to miss the entire playoff season and will likely factor into their playoff run.   Fresh off being waived by the Thunder, forward Joe Smith was signed to help bolster the frontcourt and give the offense an added perimiter shooter and post defender.

Overall chance at winning… 3 to 1

Boston CelticsBoston Celtics

Boston is the defending champ so they go in as the favorite once again.  With a potent offense, improved point guard play from Rajon Rondo and a decent supporting cast, the Big-3 of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett can carry the Celtics to another NBA title.

Health is an issue w/ this team, w/ KG recently going out of the lineup for several weeks.  While he should be back to playing shape soon and be fine for the playoffs, the Celtics will likely lose homecourt advantage in the playoffs due to the injury.

Paul Pierce has been mostly quiet this year, but consistent.  He is a proven scorer who can take over a game at any given time.  This year, he seems to be allowing Allen to shine a bit more, as well as Rondo, who’s speed and athleticism can also take over a game at times.

Boston’s bench is not the same as last year, but they have signed Stephon Marbury (yes that one) to help shore up the second unit.  So far, so good, but only time will tell if this was a good move by Ainge & Co.  The Celtics also picked up Mikki Moore, which could end up being the difference maker… he can play defense and score when given the opportunity.  With the Kings, he was a 5th or 6th scoring option and he needs to be more like the 8th or 9th.

Overall chance at winning… 2 to 1

Orlando MagicOrlando Magic

The team that is probably the most overlooked in the Eastern Conference, Orlando could surprise people once the playoffs begin.  They have a solid defense and a potent offense, including one of the best 3-pt shooting squads in the league.  That latter is not necessarily a good thing, considering the old saying that “you live and die by the 3″.

Leading up to the All-Star break, the Magic were performing very well – leading to 3 All-Star representatives.  Some would argue that guard Jameer Nelson was not an All-Start, but that’s neither here nor there.  And of course, Nelson was injured and missed the game.  This led some to believe that the Magic had lost their chance to advance far in the playoffs.

The acquisition of Rafer Alston for virtually nothing several weeks ago has pushed Orlando right back into the playoff mix.  A pass-first poing guard, Alston brings a level of excitement and playmaking that Nelson didn’t necessarily lack, but he was looking to score more as the season went along.

The Magic are led by the new “Superman”, Dwight Howard, who is leading the NBA in both rebounds and blocks, which should lead to a Defensive Player of the Year award for the 23 yr old.  On the wings, Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis lead a devastating 3-pt barrage that typically leaves other teams scrambling to keep up.  Several supporting players have stepped up and played well, including Courtney Lee, Michael Pietrus and others.

Overall chance of winning… 6 to 1

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2 Comments »

  • tommy latham said:

    What about the miami heat we will go all the way to the finals and win D-wade for MVP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    # 13 March 2009 at 4:11 pm
  • J-Jerseys Admin (author) said:

    The Heat are not going deep in the playoffs or to the Finals unless the league’s officials bail him out and put him at the line 25 times per game (see Heat/Mavs Finals). Wade is a super talent, but this year his supporting players are crap (no offense to them).

    I had the same feelings about how Lebron was being treated (in the past), but watching him this year, he is truly dominating games and working hard for his team, especially on the defensive end.

    # 14 March 2009 at 2:02 pm