East Coast Swagger: The Top Eight Teams in the Eastern Conference

Philadelphia will be banking on the return of Elton Brand to lead them back to the postseason, and him staying healthy will be key.

His presence strengthens a frontcourt that includes Samuel Dalembert, and Thaddeus Young.

Young is an emerging star and Dalembert can prove to be a defensive anchor on a team that doesn't play very good man defense.

Andre Miller's leadership and steadiness will be missed, and the Sixers can only hope that guard Lou Williams is ready to play the point guard position full-time.

The wild -card is guard Andre Iguadola, who at various junctures seems to be on the verge of superstardom.

He will have to take the next step, because the Sixers' hold on the eighth seed is tenuous at best, and there are a host of teams waiting to pounce should the Sixers miss a beat.

Toronto looks to make a postseason appearance after missing out last season, and on paper the seventh seed doesn't do them justice.

They have as a core, the versatile superstar, Chris Bosh, and the newly acquired Hedo Turkoglu to go along with point guard Jose Calderon.

People have been extolling the virtues of Calderon since he entered the league, and right now would be the perfect time to have the kind of season fans feel he's capable of.

The weakness of the Raptors is presumably in the paint where center, Andrea Bargnani, is considered more of a perimeter player, than the type of banger needed in the rough and tumble east.

Rookie DeMar DeRozan looks like a stud and if he develops the maturity, he could become a very important piece in the Raptors march to the postseason.

The Hawks seem to be in a holding pattern as far as their development as a viable contender in the east.

They are too talented to fall much further, but don't have the direction or the passion to really make a statement in the postseason.

Much of the motivation issue has to do with coach Mike Woodson, but the players haven't dedicated themselves to the weaknesses in their games.

The addition of Jamal Crawford provides another scoring option to go along with Joe Johnson, but Crawford, like many of the Hawks, is a poor defender.

The one player who should be a defensive stopper is Josh Smith, but he too lacks the motivation and passion to work on that part of his game, unless it involves a block that will make SportsCenter.

Mike Bibby has continued his descent into mediocrity, and is a defensive liability anytime he is on the court.

Re-signing Marvin Williams was a good thing, because Williams, Johnson, and forward Al Horford are the only ones who show the type of grit and learning capacity that it takes in order for the Hawks to advance.

If all goes well with the Wizards they could potentially move up and challenge for a spot as high as third in the East.

Of course if all goes well primarily means, if Gilbert Arenas' knees can hold up to the punishment of an entire season.

He hasn't played a meaningful game in two seasons and his health is paramount to the Wizards' postseason chances. In plain speak, if he can't go, then the Wizard will have a long summer.

On the other hand if healthy, Arenas has an experienced and capable cadre of players surrounding him.

Antwann Jamison and Caron Butler are two of the most underrated players at their respective positions, and center Brendan Haywood never receives the credit that he deserves.

The addition of sharp-shooter, Mike Miller should give Washington another perimeter scoring option, and Randy Foye should take some of the pressure off of Gilbert Arenas.

Make no mistake though, the Wizards will only go as far as Gilbert's knees will take them, and if he can't return to prominence, like magic the Wizards will disappear from the playoff picture.

Most observers would say that the Heat's position is a little high, considering that they are basically a one-trick pony.

I counter with the argument, that when that one-trick pony happens to be one of the top three players in the league, it kind of balances things out.

Miami will go as far as the broad shoulders of Dwayne Wade will carry them, and he has the talent to turn some heads in the playoffs.

Unfortunately for him, his supporting cast doesn't measure up the lofty standards he upholds.

The key will be center Jermaine O'Neal. If he can regain any of the magic that allowed him to be one of the better post players this decade, then the Heat could be formidable.

He is aging rapidly though, and his various injuries make it unlikely that he will be having many flashback moments this season.

Michael Beasley definitely has the talent to be a worthy side-kick to Wade, but who knows what his state of mind is after his earlier stint in rehab this year?

After those three you have a stable of steady but unremarkable players, who will do the things necessary to compete, but none are really talented enough to make a difference.

I would like to clue everyone in to a little secret. Much ado has been made about Shaquille O'Neal's signing with the Cavs, but truthfully the center position was not the problem for Cleveland last year.

Their flaw was the inability to match up with the more versatile power forwards in the East, and that is a problem that remains there today.

Besides, pinning your hopes on a 37 year old Shaq shows the true desperation that has befallen this organization.

They need to win and win now, but their roster doesn't suggest that much re-tooling, more like adding extra bodies that might help you in the long run.

Jemario Moon is a tremendous athletic addition, but he lacks the discipline to be a premier defender, which is what the Cavs need, and Anthony Parker is nothing but a role player who's biggest attribute is being Candace Parker's brother.

The failure to address versatility at the power forward position, and not adding any other real perimeter help for LeBron James will keep the Cavs looking up in the East.

There have been rumblings in the East about Kevin Garnett's return, and the Celtic's corresponding leap to conference dominance.

The addition of Rasheed Wallace, and Marquis Daniels gives Boston added versatility in the frontcourt and the backcourt.

The Celtic's hopes will still hinge on the health of Garnett, and if he is able to perform at his usual superstar standard.

Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Rajon Rondo are a trio that can sustain excellence and have the potential to be dominant, but without their vocal leader and heartbeat, Boston could find itself in a similar situation as last season.

Their bench did improve, and Daniels 'ability to play the point guard position allows Eddie House to move over to his more natural shooting guard position when in the game.

Kendrick Perkins, and Glen Davis are as steady as they come, but did the Celtics do enough to catch the Reigning Eastern Conference Champs?

To be the best you have to beat the best, and the Magic didn't stand pat on the laurels of last season's Finals' defeat at the hand of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Instead, they made a series of impressive moves to strengthen their roster in preparation for the assumed brutal Eastern Conference schedule.

Hedo Turkoglu will be missed, but Vince Carter is a decent consolation prize, and could prove to be an upgrade at the position.

The Magic didn't stop there though, they proceeded to re-sign Marcin Gortat, added Ryan Anderson, and Brandon Bass, and even added Jason Williams as insurance for Jameer Nelson.

It all adds up to one of the deepest, and most talented rosters in the NBA, and with anchor Dwight Howard in the middle, the Magic are more than capable of defending their conference crown.