Atlantic Division Season Preview
1) Washington Wizards
Cap Space: light years over the HARD Cap
Expiring Contracts: C Gene Harkins (465k), SF Jonathan Bishop (840k), SG Armando Copper (9.577 million), PG Rodney Favre (22.312), PG Brett Lee (2.080)
Going for a ring: C Harold Rose (second rounder), C Darius Cottrell (LLE), G Mel Hill (Carter deal)
Projected Starting 5: Darius Cottrell, Michael Lopes, William Harada, Armando Copper, Rodney Favre
Significant Bench: G Stanley Stivers/Mel Hill, C/PF Antonio Romano, SF/SG Jonathan Bishop,
Outlook: The Wizards are pretty clearly the class of the Atlantic Division though that is not saying a whole lot. Trading off Carter, even for a Utah Jazz first down the line, might signal that Washington is not going to be going for a ring in a pretty weak Eastern Conference. And that would be a curious thing. Dealing off Kimbo Carter is going to pull Washington back to the back a good bit, because now there is a hole at the starting 5. No matter which guy they go with (Cottrell/Romano) all they are going to be getting is defense and rebounding (though with Cottrell they are also getting a pretty good passing big). There is a question if Cottrell is ready to start and whether Romano can hold up an entire season as a starter. Either way it is questionable if they have a championship level center there. Look for them to make a move around the deadline for one. This team upfront still revolves around Lopes and Harada. They are going to have to come up big on a consistent basis for Washington to run with the big boys come playoff time.
One thing, Washington does have is a lot of guards. Armando Copper is a solid enough scorer, but nothing exceptional. Rodney Favre is a HOF level player and still is a very good scorer and runner of the offense. His defense is just solid enough to be a starter. He will probably put up a very good season again in a rather very good season. Stivers and Hill are going to be battling for the rest of the guard minutes. Both are solid players but nothing great. Jonathan Bishop is a very good gun off the bench, but he does play any defense at all. Right now, the Wizards are the best in the Atlantic division and a favorite to get to the Finals. However, they need to upgrade in a couple places to really have a chance at getting that elusive ring.
2)Boston Celtics
Cap Space: 7.86 million OVER the soft cap
Expiring Contracts: C Tony Golden (565k), C Ricky Fulton (1), PF Norman Custer (5.4), PF Micah Rodriguez (1), SF Jermey Holt (465k), SF Fairleigh Alling(1), PF Eric Ortega (1), PG Cameron Jennings (1)
New Celts: PG Carol Sellers (#25 overall), PF Robert Holt (second rounder), PG Eric Ortega (vet minimum), PG Cameron Jennings (vet minimum), SF Fairleigh Alling (vet minimum), C Ricky Fulton (vet minimum), C Tony Golden (minimum)
Starting 5 Projections: Lewis Munoz/Norman Custer/Ryan Fort/Ethan Singh/Shawn Montano
Significant Bench: C Rickey Fulton, SF/SG Fairleigh Alling
Outlook: Montano and Munoz are the engineer and engine of this team. As long as those two are healthy, Boston is going to be hard to deal with. Norman Custer is still a solid player at his advanced age though Father Time has started to erode some of his skills. Beyond those two is solid defense and rebounding guy in Rickey Fulton. Not much else resides there though and a long term injury to Munoz very well could sink their chances. Ryan Fort is a solid enough starting 3 for Boston. Fairleigh Alling is a threat from beyond the arc and a solid defender. Ethan Singh is a threat to pop 20 on most nights and is a good defender. Montano is one of the best points in the game.
Overall, this seems like a slightly above average team that is not much different from Orlando, New Jersey, Miami and the Knicks. All of these teams could win 45 games or lose 45-50 games this season. Injuries are really going to determine who finishes where in this division.
3) Orlando Magic
Salary Cap: 2.318 million UNDER the cap
Expiring Contracts: Everyone but Edwards, Hawkins, Tate, Cartwright and Lucas
New Magic Men: PF Harold Hawkins, PG Roger Spencer (2million/1 year), PG Harold Fritsch (4/1), PF George Rice (2/1)
Probable Starting 5: Michel Edwards, George Rice, Johnny Tate, Kobe Cartwright, Frank Lucas
Significant Bench: C/PF Loyd Flick, C/PF Heriberto Floyd, PG Wayne Crenshaw
Outlook: Signing George Rice is absolutely huge for this team, it gives them another solid 2 way down low player. Rice is going to move into the starting 4 spot, and teams are not going to be as quick to double team Edwards. This should make Edwards a lot more effective and might push his numbers up some as well. Beyond those two all around players is a hard nosed defense and rebounding guy in Flick and another one that has a touch of inside ability as well in Heriberto Floyd. Roger Park even might fit into the Magic rotation as a spot player giving a lot of offense down low in very limited minutes. Not many teams in the East can go this deep down low.
Johnny Tate is an excellent mid range shooter and does have decent range beyond the arc. A very good positional defender as well, Tate looks to put up about 18-20 points a night this year. Kobe Cartwright is another guy that is very consistent and a good all around player. Cartwright will look to up his scoring this year as Orlando was a bit disappointed in that last year. Not a great outside shooter, but solid enough. There is not a great option off the bench here, and Orlando will probably look to upgrade here during the season. Frank Lucas is the point and did have a very nice year racking up 13 POGs for the Magic. Lucas is a very exciting shoot first point, though his ultimate role might be the starting 2 guard. Orlando did try to move him there this year, but Roger Spencer did not have a great camp losing the backup job to Wayne Crenshaw.
4) New Jersey Nets
Salary Cap: 10.652 million over the soft cap
Expiring Contracts: PF Tim Linker (3.053), SF Jay Gallegos (2.932), SF Roberto Hicks (465k)
Hello New Jersey: C Jacob Gibbs (Moore trade), SF Migeul Meehan (#18 overall), PF Jodie Knights (second rounder), SG Ellis Brawler (MLE)
Starting Lineup: Jacob Gibbs/Tim Linker/Preston Williard/Ellis Brawler/Peter Hodges
Significant Bench: C/PF Stacy Derby, SF Jay Gallegos
Outlook: Jacob Gibbs is moving into the starting lineup for the Nets. He gives some beef upfront and he is a very good defender and rebounder. Solid enough scorer inside as well. A very good compliment to Linker who steps up big enough to wrest away a starting spot. Linker is very light and it remains to be seen if he is going to hold up to the rigors of starting. However, his talent is forcing the Nets to start him. Behind those two is going to be Stacy Derby, last year's starter, is going to be the top big off their bench. Derby is going to get most of the minutes there and provide some muscle off the bench. Byrd will take up whatever minutes are left over. He offers some nice defense and is a very good rebounder.
Preston Willard is an excellent defender and rebounder for his position, but his offense is not much to behold. Jay Gallegos is going to be the top swing man off the bench in New Jersey and he provides some balanced offense(B/B) while not being the defender or rebounder that Willard is. Most likely, Gallegos is going to have to be the instant spark offensively off the Nets. They are going to depend on him for around 10 points a game. Ellis Brawler can not defend anyone at all (a C defender) but he is an excellent offensive player overall (B/A-). Now, he is going to have to put up a lot of points to be an overall positive for the Nets. Something along the lines of 22+ppg. That would mean being a #1 or #2 key. And putting up numbers he has not done to this point of his career. Whether or not he can do will go a long way to determining how big a threat the Nets are in the East this year.
Peter Hodges is one of the best young points in the game. In 4 years, he does have 87 POGs in 298 games. He makes this team go, and this team is going to be relying on him more than ever. There is a good backup option here if he goes down for any length. Most likely, Brawler would get shifted to the 1 and Gallegos would take over the 2 spots making the Nets very thin overall.
| Atlantic Division | ||||||
| W | L | Win % | L 10 | Home | GB | |
| Miami Heat | 58 | 24 | .707 | 7-3 | 33-8 | - |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 50 | 32 | .610 | 2-8 | 30-11 | 8.0 |
| New Jersey Nets | 49 | 33 | .598 | 9-1 | 30-11 | 9.0 |
| Boston Celtics | 49 | 33 | .598 | 7-3 | 27-14 | 9.0 |
| Washington Wizards | 48 | 34 | .585 | 7-3 | 28-13 | 10.0 |
| Orlando Magic | 35 | 47 | .427 | 4-6 | 23-18 | 23.0 |
| New York Knicks | 25 | 57 | .305 | 5-5 | 15-26 | 33.0 |
| Central Division | ||||||
| W | L | Win % | L 10 | Home | GB | |
| Charlotte Bobcats | 53 | 29 | .646 | 4-6 | 33-8 | - |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 51 | 31 | .622 | 6-4 | 29-12 | 2.0 |
| Atlanta Hawks | 42 | 40 | .512 | 7-3 | 26-15 | 11.0 |
| Detroit Pistons | 39 | 43 | .476 | 5-5 | 25-16 | 14.0 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 30 | 52 | .366 | 5-5 | 17-24 | 23.0 |
| Chicago Bulls | 30 | 52 | .366 | 5-5 | 17-24 | 23.0 |
| Indiana Pacers | 23 | 59 | .280 | 3-7 | 15-26 | 30.0 |
| New Orleans Hornets | 22 | 60 | .268 | 3-7 | 11-30 | 31.0 |
| Midwest Division | ||||||
| W | L | Win % | L 10 | Home | GB | |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | 50 | 32 | .610 | 5-5 | 29-12 | - |
| Memphis Grizzlies | 48 | 34 | .585 | 5-5 | 28-13 | 2.0 |
| Dallas Mavericks | 45 | 37 | .549 | 8-2 | 26-15 | 5.0 |
| San Antonio Spurs | 43 | 39 | .524 | 4-6 | 24-17 | 7.0 |
| Houston Rockets | 42 | 40 | .512 | 3-7 | 28-13 | 8.0 |
| Denver Nuggets | 41 | 41 | .500 | 5-5 | 26-15 | 9.0 |
| Utah Jazz | 26 | 56 | .317 | 3-7 | 15-26 | 24.0 |
| Pacific Division | ||||||
| W | L | Win % | L 10 | Home | GB | |
| Portland Trailblazers | 48 | 34 | .585 | 5-5 | 27-14 | - |
| Los Angeles Lakers | 48 | 34 | .585 | 6-4 | 27-14 | 0.0 |
| Phoenix Suns | 48 | 34 | .585 | 6-4 | 28-13 | 0.0 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | 42 | 40 | .512 | 6-4 | 25-16 | 6.0 |
| Sacramento Kings | 41 | 41 | .500 | 5-5 | 22-19 | 7.0 |
| Golden State Warriors | 34 | 48 | .415 | 3-7 | 22-19 | 14.0 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | 29 | 53 | .354 | 4-6 | 17-24 | 19.0 |
All-Star Weekend
All-Star Weekend Winners
East v West
Sophomores v Rookies
Dunk Contest