The Eastern Conference – Normally we’d look at this as the Leastern Conference because the winner would likely fall prey to a more powerful force from the West, or Bestern Conference. That’s how has been the last two years, and for nine of the last twelve Finals. It doesn’t look that way now. The way the East is shaping up, it appears that the battle is going to come down to two. Much like the Ultimate Warrior and Hulk Hogan before them, the Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics are clearly the top two. The battle will come down to them and them only. Let me elaborate.
- Chicago Bulls - Currently the top seed in the East, but there's still plenty of time left for that to change. The Bulls have stunned everybody, even some loyal fans, with how amazing they've been this year. Derrick Rose is likely going to win the MVP award, Tom Thibodeau is a top candidate for Coach of the Year, and the Bulls seem more and more likely to be the team representing the East in the NBA Finals. They have the best record against elite teams, they have become a monster defensive force, and the scariest piece of the puzzle is not that they have Derrick Rose but rather some legendary team chemistry and really believe they can win it all. They've had the second easiest schedule in the last stretch of the season, but at the start of the season it would've seemed likely a stretch like this would give the Bulls problems. They had a habit of playing down to a weaker team's level and losing. Now they're coming into every game with such force they're striking fear into other teams. There was the monster 40 point victory of the Kings followed by a 30 point domination of the Hawks the next night. Then the other night with the Bulls down 87-83 against the Bucks with three minutes left, Derrick Rose had two assists, two free throws, and three baskets to lead the Bulls to victory. This team is looking like a monster and poses a serious threat to teams like the Celtics or Lakers.
- Boston Celtics - While they may be in danger of dropping down to the 3 seed due to a recent slump, there's no reason for concern. This is the same team that looked like they were knocking on the door of a first round elimination to Dwyane Wade's Heat last year and they wound up playing in the Finals and nearly winning. Why? Defense. They lock people down. It doesn't matter where the game is or who it is against, the Celtics will beat you down and drain you in a series. This is of course if they are healthy. Aside from a finger injury to Rajon Rondo they appear to be much healthier than last year. They'll need Shaquille O'Neal or Jermaine O'Neal to actually play some games, but as long as they have healthy players then no team in the conference poses any kind of a threat except Chicago. They made some big changes at the trade deadline, but they are still the Boston Celtics. Pierce and Garnett are healthy, and that spells certain doom for almost every team. With Garnett anchoring the defense, Rondo being on the floor, Allen's shot falling, and Pierce healthy and able to come through in the clutch, the C's have a great chance of winning their second title in four years.
- Miami Heat - People can say all this crap about how nobody wants to play the Heat in a seven game series and talk about how they've done so well in the home stretch of the season, but don't buy into it. The Heat have the easiest schedule in the last part of the season and are doing what they've done all year, beast on bad teams. I'm not impressed with the Heat still dominating the lower level teams. They've done it time and time again. I want to know if they're going to have any answer for getting clowned by the defenses of Boston and Chicago. We've been through it a million times. The Heat have been a step behind the major teams all year and come Playoffs I'm not so sure that's going to change. I may be wrong, but I doubt it.
- Orlando Magic - Man will that city be heartbroken when Dwight Howard leaves soon because of suffering post-season elimination after post-season elimination.
- New York Knicks - They might not even make the Playoffs if these losing ways continue. Hah!
The Western Conference - Man is this conference going to be nuts. Seeds 1-5 are going to make for some interesting basketball, dear readers.
- San Antonio Spurs - Early on it looked as though the Spurs could become the second team in history to win 70 games. Before the All Star break they were the best team in the NBA and looked like the biggest threat in the West to stop the Lakers from making their fourth straight Finals appearance. After the All Star break it hasn't looked so amazing for the Spurs. They've lost three straight, injuries have taken Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan, and losses to the Lakers and Heat have people wondering if the Spurs are as good as we all thought they were. I hope they are, but you never know. If Tim Duncan isn't healthy and ready to go come Playoffs, then the Spurs are dead meat. Same goes for if Manu Ginobili's thigh contusion leaves him out for any serious length of time. Even healthy the Spurs have to prove they can take out the Lakers. They match up well with the Mavericks, but LA still takes it to them.
- Los Angeles Lakers - The Lakers have won 15 of 16 after the All Star break and look like they're going to run train come Playoffs and possibly win their third straight title. This isn't a surprise since this is a team coached by Phil Jackson and Phil can only win championships in threes. Kobe is starting to play much better than he did early on, Pau Gasol is still having another amazing year, and Andrew Bynum is seemingly playing better than he ever has. That's cause for concern for everybody in the West. The Lakers have been there, done that, and they look like they might just do it all again. People were counting them out early on, but they way they've been playing lately has shut up all of the doubters. Much like Phil Jackson's Bulls teams of the mid to late 90s, the Lakers let the league get their licks in early and now are running the gauntlet over everybody in the final stretch. If I didn't hate Kobe Bryant I'd be really excited that the Lakers are putting together such an epic stretch.
- Dallas Mavericks - While the Lakers and Spurs are the biggest stories in the West, the Mavericks have a great chance of making it to the Finals. They aren't quite overlooked, but they aren't really focused on enough. This is a team that seems much hungrier and much more talented than the team that made the Finals in 2006. Dirk is having another fantastic year, Shawn Marion is playing like it is 2006, Jason Terry is having a great year, Tyson Chandler is a monster force on the defensive end, and Jason Kidd continues to stun in the later stages of his career. The Mavericks have so much depth and have rebounded from losing Caron Butler in a big time way. They've got great rebounders and shooters and as I said before they have a way greater desire to win a championship than they ever have. Chandler's defense and rebounding will give that frontcourt of the Lakers a headache. The speed of Terry and JJ Barea give them an advantage over a lot of teams as well, and nobody in the conference has a point guard who can do as much as Jason Kidd. The Mavericks constantly collapse in the Playoffs so there's a lot of question marks around them, but if they can get it all together then they are a serious threat to win the West.
- Oklahoma City Thunder - Before the season started we had to hear about what a great young team this is. After picking up Kendrick Perkins they look like a huge spoiler team. Perk's defense and size will help them out so much as will the defense of Serge Ibaka, and having Thabo Sefolosha's defense on the wing is always dangerous. As we've heard all season, Westbrook and Durant are fantastic players and MVP candidates. The hype has been off the charts all year, and it will still be high come playoffs. They could make a pretty good run this year and are built to do some damage in the future too.
- Denver Nuggets - Trading Carmelo Anthony was the best thing they've done. They're in the 5th seed and look to stay there and have been playing the best basketball we've seen out of Denver in ages. They're not going to make a run for the title or anything, but they could be a big time spoiler team and make a push. The Nuggets are the team I'm most excited for in the West come Playoffs because while they aren't an elite team and don't have a superstar, they're playing so well they could cause a lot of problems for a lot of teams.
That's all I got. Man I hope the Knicks don't make the Playoffs.
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