Name your top five Eastern conference teams

[ScoobyDoo]

I'm putting the Celtics at the top because the are the ECF champs

1. The Boston Celtics
Then...
2. The Bulls - Great point, good PF play, wings and I love the old vet Kurt Thomas to lead them and bring some muscle along with Boozer and Noah.

3. Orlando - Interested to see how Miami can handle Howard.
4. Miami
5. Milwaukee - it wouldn't suprise me to see these guys knock off some people if they stay healthy, including a Miami team.

I pick Chicago and Milwaukee as my sleepers, both of whom I think could knock off Miami in a series.

Main reason? Both have excellent point guards in Rose and Jennings. They'll make their teams explosive. I don't see Miami having that.

   

[Evantime34]

Regular season standings:
1. Chicago
2. Miami
3. Orlando
4. Boston
5. Milwaukee
6. Atlanta

[housecall]

Celtics is #1 but after that its pot luck...Philly is my sleeper in the east.

[Roy Hobbs]

At least in terms of the regular season:

1. Miami
2. Orlando
3. Boston
4. Chicago
5. Atlanta

[Roy Hobbs]

Main reason? Both have excellent point guards in Rose and Jennings. They'll make their teams explosive. I don't see Miami having that.

   

You don't think Miami is explosive?  Or you don't think they have an explosive point guard?

D-Wade and Lebron are both more explosive than Rose and Jennings.

[nickagneta]

1 Miami
2 Boston
3 Orlando
4 Chicago
5 Atlanta

[Bahku]

1. Celtics
2. Celtics
3. Celtics
4. Celtics
5. Celtics

[Who]

1 Miami
2 Boston
3 Orlando
4 Chicago
5 Atlanta

Ditto

[indeedproceed]

At least in terms of the regular season:

1. Miami
2. Orlando
3. Boston
4. Chicago
5. Atlanta

Co-sign, but count me among Atlanta's doubters this season. If Milwaukee can pickup where they left off before Bogut went down, I think they can overtake Atlanta.

[Snakehead]

At least in terms of the regular season:

1. Miami
2. Orlando
3. Boston
4. Chicago
5. Atlanta

What I predict.  For "power rankings" for the post season, I'd make us two and Orlando 3.  But I think that will be the seeding order.

[hpantazo]

1. Miami
2. Boston
3. Chicago
4. Orlando
5. Milwauke

Don't sleep on the Bucks, they will be tough this year, possibly even #4.

[nickagneta]

Main reason? Both have excellent point guards in Rose and Jennings. They'll make their teams explosive. I don't see Miami having that.

   

You don't think Miami is explosive?  Or you don't think they have an explosive point guard?

D-Wade and Lebron are both more explosive than Rose and Jennings.

It's the PG bias. The media has made the PG position the "sexy" and "in" position in the NBA. Only problem is no matter how "sexy" and "in" it is, it's still the least important position on the court in regards to having a championship quality team.

When was the last time an NBA champion had a top 3 PG in the league? Isiah or Magic?

[indeedproceed]

Main reason? Both have excellent point guards in Rose and Jennings. They'll make their teams explosive. I don't see Miami having that.

   

You don't think Miami is explosive?  Or you don't think they have an explosive point guard?

D-Wade and Lebron are both more explosive than Rose and Jennings.

It's the PG bias. The media has made the PG position the "sexy" and "in" position in the NBA. Only problem is no matter how "sexy" and "in" it is, it's still the least important position on the court in regards to having a championship quality team.

When was the last time an NBA champion had a top 3 PG in the league? Isiah or Magic?

When the Spurs won last Tony Parker was pretty darn decent.

When the Pistons won, Billups had to be in the discussion for top 3. At least that season.

[CelticWes34]

1. Boston
2. Orlando
3. Miami
4. Chicago
5. Atlanta

[Snakehead]

1. Miami
2. Boston
3. Chicago
4. Orlando
5. Milwauke

Don't sleep on the Bucks, they will be tough this year, possibly even #4.

Good points by you and others on the Bucks being a sleeper, I could definitely see it.  If Atlanta drops off like that... that team has to be a huge dissapointment.  Maybe they start making some changes and we can land Josh Smith.. (a guy can dream)

Anyways, I am surprised people think Chicago will be that much better.  I think they improved certainly but they will not win more regular season games than Orlando.  Orlando will win more than us I believe, just like they did last year when we were in "coast mode".  They are a team that can dominate throughout the regular season and especially against scrub teams with their shooting and Dwight Howard dominating inside.  The team didn't get better really, but their young guys should be a year better and I don't see why Chicago would knock them off.

Chicago hardly made it into the playoffs last year.  I think people forget that a little bit.