2008-2009 NBA Preview: Central Division

East

1. Detroit Pistons

This team still has a shot at winning a title because of their veteran core still intact. Chauncey Billups, Rasheed Wallace, Richard Hamilton, and Tayshaun Prince can still get it done and keep this team a championship contender. Rodney Stuckey and Jason Maxiell are up and coming studs and can fill the void off the bench. Look for the Pistons to contend with the Celtics again for east supremacy.

2. Cleveland Cavaliers

Obviously any team with Lebron James is going to be a playoff contender, but this year the Cavs could upend the Pistons for first place in the division. But a lot will depend on Lebron's supporting cast; Mo Williams is an underrated PG who can help lead this team and complement Lebron. This team is very good in the frontcourt with Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Ben Wallace, and Anderson Varejao, but the problem is that's all they have inside. They need more depth up-front. Second round playoff finish isn't out of the question again.

3. Indiana Pacers

Look for the Pacers to be improved this season. Look for them to make the playoffs. They don't have a straight up superstar, but Danny Granger is close to it. Granger is an underrated player averaging nearly 20 ppg last season. Mike Dunleavy can shoot and score and complement Granger very well. T.J. Ford is looking for a new beginning after years of injury, I think he's found a new home in Indy. The bench isn't that bad either, Jarrett Jack is a good guard and Roy Hibbert could be a key player down the stretch. This team will turn heads this season.

4. Chicago Bulls

The Bulls were terrible last season with all of the hype and talent they have. But it seems like the chemistry isn't there. Ben Gordon continues to complain about money and playing time; and it seems everybody else has been under performing. Look for Derrick Rose to take over at PG for Kirk Heinrich sometime during the season. We all know Luol Deng, Kirk Heinrich, Ben Gordon, and Andres Nocioni have gotten it done before. The talent is there, it's just a matter of executing, coaching, and egos.

5. Milwaukee Bucks

This should be an interesting season for the Bucks. They finally have a playmaker that compliments Michael Redd well in Richard Jefferson. Luke Ridnour is a great addition at PG. If Andrew Bogut stays healthy he could be a big factor. But the problems lie at the defensive end and up-front. They don't have much depth or scoring for that matter off the bench. They need someone to step up to help out Redd, Jefferson, and Ridnour.

NBA Power Rankings

Here's TSF's NBA Power Rankings as of 12/11.

1. San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs have been impressive even without Tim Duncan. Manu Ginobli is looking to be the sixth man of the year as he scored 37 points twice in back to back wins over the Mavs and Jazz. The Spurs have been themselves lately, playing team basketball, winning, and holding opponents to 92.5 ppg, plus they're on a 5 game winning streak and have won 11 of their last 12.

2. Boston Celtics
The Celtics have just about dominated in all of their games. It seems Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen are always on their games and even if one or two of them are off, they still have the 3rd. Also, I should mention those 3 are all in the top 35 for points in the league.

3. Phoenix Suns

The Suns rank in the top 10 of the league in ppg (2), FG% (2), and spg (6). Steve Nash has been incredible once again with his 17.9 ppg and 12.3 apg.

4. Orlando Magic
Dwight Howard has been a monster and good thing he's on my fantasy team; He's 10th in the league in ppg (23.5), 2nd in FG% (.614), 1st in rpg (15.0), and 3rd in bpg (2.9). Four of the Magic's six losses are against the Pistons, Suns (2), and Spurs.

5. Utah Jazz
Utah has had no trouble scoring so far thanks to Carlos Boozer, who is averaging 25.1 ppg. Deron Williams is also an emerging top NBA PG. Big road games coming up against Phoenix and Portland.

6. Detroit Pistons
The Pistons have won 8 of the last 10 games and are shooting the ball pretty well lately. Rip Hamilton has finally found his shooting touch and this team looks like their same olf selves again. The defense has been pretty stout giving up only 91.9 ppg.

7. Dallas Mavericks
I don't really like the Mavs right now. I don't know, maybe it's because of personal reasons or maybe it's because they lack a defense... That's the question that's been barring Avery Johnson, can he get his team to play some D so they can win a title? Giving up 100.1 ppg and 45.7 FG% won't cut it in the west.

8. New Orleans Hornets
The Hornets have been a little bit of a surprise thus far. They don't give up a lot of points and they can shoot the ball pretty well. Also, I heard Chris Paul is pretty good (21.0 ppg and 9.8 apg)...

9. Los Angeles Lakers
I will give the Lakers the nod over the Nuggets because of their two wins over them. It seems Kobe's grievance for Andrew Bynum is over. As long as Kobe stays healthy, this team will be a playoff contender.

10. Denver Nuggets
Allen Iverson has been tough lately and has been scoring from all over (put up 51 on the Lakers). We all know this is a very good offensive team, but it's the defense they need to improve in order to get over the hump (102.1 PA/G).

Right around the corner...
Rockets, Warriors, and Raptors.

2007 NBA Predictions

East

Atlantic

1. Boston Celtics

Yeah, so have you heard of the new and improved Celtics? They are now a team that has 3 superstars and should lead them deep into the playoffs. Those 3 are Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce. They're mixed with veterans and young talent, but the PG position could be a problem; Can Rajon Rondo handle the job of being the point man everyday in this league?

2. New Jersey Nets

The Nets have a very good perimeter game with Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, and Richard Jefferson. But the question is will their big men be able to stay healthy? If Nenad Krstic can do that he should be able to put up some eye-catching numbers; I feel he is a very underrated player.

3. Toronto Raptors
The Raptors made the playoffs last year and their playoff hopes are still very strong. Chris Bosh is leading the way and Andrea Bargnani should impress. I think their bench was a big reason why they made the playoffs and if they can produce again I don't see why they shouldn't be back.

4. New York Knicks
The Knicks looked a lot better towards the end of last season. Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph up-front will be a stellar combo. If Stephn Marbury, Jamal Crawford, and Quentin Richardson can put up consistent numbers and play they could make some noise.

5. Philadelphia 76ers

A very inexperienced team in Philly. They're about two stud playmakers away from being a very good team again. Andre Igoudala is starting be one of those playmakers. He picked up the slack after Iverson left averaging 18.2 PPG and 5.7 APG and RPG.

Central

1. Detroit Pistons

Still should be one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference obviously. Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, and Rasheed Wallace are still their same old selves. The defense needs to be improved if they want to be a championship team again.

2. Chicago Bulls

The Bulls should be a big threat again. They are a very young and talented team. I think Joakim Noah was a great pick to help up-front with Ben Wallace and Tyrus Thomas. The guard play should be one of the best in league with Kirk Heinrich, Ben Gordon, and Luol Deng.

3. Cleveland Cavs

The Central can be argued as one of the best divisions in the NBA. It's too bad I have the Cavs this low after making the NBA Finals. Lebron James will put up MVP-like numbers again. Daniel Gibson is an up and coming NBA point guard and if Larry Hughes can stay healthy they'll have another vital scoring option.

4. Indiana Pacers

This team no doubt has a lot of scoring threats. Jermaine O'Neal will look to lead this team to the playoffs, but it will be very tough fighting for a position with the Pistons, Bulls, and Cavs. Danny Granger is another scoring option for Indiana. All, they need is the bench to contribute better and they could be a good team.

5. Milwaukee Bucks

They're a mixed team with young and old players. Michael Redd will be a top scorer in the league again but I don't think they have enough depth to move up in the division.

Southeast
1. Washington Wizards
I really think this team could have gone deep into the playoffs had Gilbert Arenas been healthy. They can no doubt score but if they want to contend for a title then they need to pick it up on defense. As long as Arenas stays healthy I believe the Wiz will make a run.

2. Miami Heat
Once Dwayne Wade comes back this team will be one of the best in East again. Shaq lost some weight, which should help his own cause and possibly put his numbers back up a bit. Also, Ricky Davis was a great addition to help fill in for Wade while he's out. Davis will be one of the best sixth mans in the league.

3. Orlando Magic

The Magic are a young and up-coming team. With the addition of Rashard Lewis it's just what they were looking for, a top-notch scorer to help out Dwight Howard. The play of Hedo Turkoglu and J.J. Redick will be key in the teams success.

4. Atlanta Hawks
This team has a lot of potential, maybe they can put it all together for a whole season; if they can do that they could possibly make a run at the playoffs.

5. Charlotte Bobcats
Pretty young team, they do have Jason Richardson to help with the scoring, but in the long term run I don't think it was what this franchise needed.

Eastern Playoff Predictions:
Celtics over Raptors
Pistons over Nets
Wizards over Cavs
Bulls over Heat

Celtics over Bulls
Wizards over Pistons

Celtics over Wizards

Come back tomorrow for the Western Conference Preview.

Take Your Pick: Defending Against LeBron vs. The Pistons

Alright all of this dissecting of LeBron's every move has had me thinking a lot. So, naturally, I arrived at a mental crossroads which inspired me to blog....or just boredom one of the two. OK, so who would you rather gameplan against the superstar or the all-around team? The best example right now would be the Cavs (LeBron) vs. Pistons matchup so that's what I'm using to iron all of this out.

Ok so who would you rather have to gameplan against that one guy who can beat you, and beat you bad or the team where any guy can step up and beat you on any night? To arrive at my pick was rather simple I suppose. Just look at the 4 teams remaining in the NBA Playoffs. 1 Superstar (King James) and 3 other all-around teams who seem to be calibrated for the playoffs. To me this really spells it out nicely. I would much rather gameplan against LeBron than have to gameplan for the Pistons. Right now, if you can stop LeBron you stop the Cavs. That's why I think that they are a year, maybe 2 years or 1 player away from making the finals.

Take a look at teams like the Pistons and Spurs. Nothing too exciting or flashy. They just play defense and win....especially in the playoffs. In looking at the Pistons they have any number of guys that can beat you on any night. One night Chauncey will beat you and the next night Rip will tear you up. Not to mention Webber, 'Sheed, and McDyess. You can't just focus on beating the one guy. Whereas the Pistons can beat the Cavs by really mainly focusing on how to stop LeBron, getting a double-team on him, his tendencies, and taking away those tendencies and opportunities. With a complete team like the Pistons most likely nobody will explode on you but there are too many ways they can beat you and too many things to worry about.

Basically, I would rather have to focus on stopping the one guy who can beat you badly than having to worry about stopping a team full of guys who can beat you. That's what the Pistons are, and LeBron is the lone ranger when it comes to superstars in this year's playoffs right now. My pick was Cavs in 7. This was mostly because because I don't like the Pistons. It will be interesting to see if my prediction holds true but don't' be surprised to see a Spurs vs. Pistons final of "boring" basketball. Because these two teams are built for the playoffs and I think a lot of NBA coaching staffs would probably agree with me in preferring to gameplan against a LeBron, Kobe, or Dwayne Wade-like player than teams like the Spurs, Pistons, Jazz, or Suns.

But that's just my opinion. Some would maybe argue that it would be easier to not have to worry about double-teaming anyone. They would say that the Cavs just need to focus on winning individual battles and creating favorable matchups which would be far easier than stopping the LeBron's of the world. All you need to do is have everybody do their job right? You have a better chance to win if you are gameplanning against the team that doesn't have that superstar threat.

I disagree with that point of view though. Once again just look at the teams that are in the playoffs right now. Look at the superstar-studded teams that are at home watching. Right now I'd much rather be a coach sitting on the Pistons bench than the Cavs bench, they probably get more sleep at night. Although, if you're sitting on the Cavs bench trying to figure this stuff out you probably deserve to be paid more.