2009-10 NBA Season and Postseason Picks and Awards

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Eastern Conference

Atlantic:

Boston - 63-19 Go three deep for stars. Wallace fills a nice piece and the bench is still solid. Will Davis pout all season hampering their success? Probably, but it won't matter.

Toronto - 49-33 Adding Turkoglu was a nice coup. Bosh, Turk, and Bargnani are a nice three who can do many different things. Depth will be an issue. Sure, they paid a lot but you have to when you play in Toronto. On top of that, they got a player to take their money which shows good promise for smaller, colder, non traditional markets. That's good for the league.

Philadelphia 76ers - 40-42 losing Andre Miller will really hurt this team but they'll pile up a bunch of wins vs. the Nets and Knicks whom they should be better than by default.

New Jersey Nets - 30-52 Lopez, Harris, Williams will show the cupboard isn't as bare as it looks. Still they are very young and inexperienced and there isn't much depth beyond Alston and Alexander off the bench. This is all about 2010 and wooing LeBron though. Will 30 wins and Jay-Z be enough to do it?

New York Knicks - 25-57 traded or released most of the junk from the Thomas era. Like the Nets this is all about 2010 and they cleared space to enter the LeBron sweepstakes. Not much here. Gallinari is a bust as I thought he'd be and Chander and Lee are nice players at best with not much help, as always.

Central

Cleveland LeBrons - 54-28 Let's call them what they are. Adding an aging Shaq is nice only paper and if it's 1997 as he wasn't the right fit. Now he's simply out for a ring but 12 points and eight rebounds a game isn't going to do it and at 0-2 already they have 12% of their total loses (16) from last year. The player they actually need is the one they had in Boozer. Should they be able to keep LeBron and flip Shaq for free agent to be Boozer come 2011 then they'll have a shot at winning the Championship. Their window shut in their own conference when KG got healthy for Boston as their no longer the best team in it. I think the LeBron farewell tour began this week and he'll go to NJ with the deep pocketed Russian owner.

Detroit Pistons - 45-37. Adding Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva is nice for depth but where is the PG? Will ball hogging be an issue? As always they are the nicest regular season team money can buy. Don't be surprised if Indy jumps them but their improved depth, even if its not in all the right places, should get them a playoff spot-and a 1st round exit.

Indiana Pacers - 38-44 Danny Granger and Co. are improving each year. Finally starting to get nice depth and good drafts. Adding a PG behind Ford would really help if and when he goes down due to his small frame. At least a year or so away not to mention another player or two.

Chicago Bulls - 35-47 losing Ben Gordon is really going to hurt the team depth not to mention the spark he often gave when entering games. Who did they draft to replace him? Who's gonna help Rose? They barely made the playoffs last year and that was with him.

Milwaukee Bucks - 24-58. Bucks have some nice pieces Bogut, Redd, some nice potential Alexander and Jennings and some nice depth in Defino and Warrick. So whats the problem? Its still very thin, young, and inexperienced, and the price slashing (Villanueva, Sessions) not only hurts as they were better than the players relied on to replace them, but it also means no help ($$$) will be coming in to help them if someone goes down. Could be the Wolves of the Eastern Conference.

Southeast

Orlando Magic - 56-26 Carter, Lewis, and Howard are the 2nd best big three in the league behind Boston. Carter can't do everything Turkoglu can but he brings heart, flash, and can score in bunches so it wil be fun to watch. I'm not as high on him or them as Jamal Mashburn was in the NBA KIA Preview on Tuesday, but they'll still be very good. Adding Matt Barnes and Anderson adds some nice depth, different skill and needed size which was evident in their Finals loss to the Lakers last spring. They need to get even bigger to really break through. Another 6'11-7'0 footer would really help. Can they be creative and get Chris Bosh?

Atlanta Hawks

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