Contenders and Pretenders: NBA Eastern Conference Postseason Probables

With roughly two months remaining in the 2007-08 season, the elite teams are starting to show up at the right times while the pretenders are slumping into the summer.

With that being said, here are the possible matchups that could culminate into bolstering television ratings for the NBA...

1) Boston Celtics (47-12)

Can anyone remember the last time Boston was at the top of the Eastern Conference food chain?

If you can, yes, it's been that long for the rest of us.

Since the formation of the Big Three, the Celtics have been on a tear. They started the season with high hopes and the way they played made it clear that they were determined to no longer be the laughing stock of the Eastern Conference.

Somewhere in America, Kevin McHale and Larry Bird are smiling at the good fortune of Boston and somewhere in Hardwood Heaven, Reggie Lewis is impressed and proud of the transition of his Celtics. With a four game lead for the top spot, and a six game winning streak, the Celtics just have to keep doing what they're doing and they'll be sitting pretty come the playoffs.

2) Detroit Pistons (44-17)

The Pistons have had a few flat tires, but the engine's have been running for Detroit recently. Despite the loss to Boston last night, the Pistons are still the No. 2 seed heading into the final stretch. Momentum is everything when you play at least two games a week over a span of half a year. Detroit is hoping to get some momentum back and find that magic they had when they won an NBA Championship.

They came close last season and have some games against possible playoff opponents the remainder of the season. The Pistons have moved past the incident involving Ron Artest, the flip flopping of Larry Brown, and Rasheed Wallace actually looks like a team player instead of a showboat. Expect the Pistons to settle for nothing less than an NBA Title, but they might have to slow down the Celtics this summer to do that.

3) Orlando Magic (40-23)

If there was a team whose future was up in smoke in the offseason, it's the Magic. First, they thought that they had their head coach in Billy Donovan, but all of a sudden Donovan decided he'd rather stay in the college ranks. So they went searching again and found Stan Van Gundy and haven't looked back since.

With several teams in their rear view, Orlando has shown that there is life after Grant Hill. Dwight Howard has filled his new leadership role quite nicely. They are no longer thinking draft in the summer; they are thinking playoffs. And if the last few years have proven anything, the underdogs like the Magic find a way to win despite adversity. As their motto for the season says: "The Time is Now!"

During the final two months of the season, eight of their games are against potential playoff teams (including defending champion San Antonio). Winning at least half of those games could keep them at the No. 3 spot and possibly put them in the No. 2 spot.

4) Cleveland Cavaliers (35-26)

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