Eastern Conference Seeding Predictions

Eastern Conference Seedings:

1. Boston Celtics - This team should stay at the #1 seed still after last year's performances, However I don't think losing James Posey will make the Boston Celtics drop a seed as a team, they are still a very good team with The Big Three with Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. However some of those players have a record with injuries mainly Paul Pierce, If they are all healthy next season they should easily without a doubt remain as the #1 seed and still become title contenders, I think they should pick up another defensive wing player though.

2. Detroit Pistons - I also believe this team should stay at the #2 seed like they did last year, I really think with a new coach they could be even better and with there bench players now becoming more experienced in the playoffs like Rodney Stuckey he was a stud against the Orlando Magic when Chauncey Billups went out, The Pistons can make it to the Finals if they play with heart every game, it seems like since Larry Brown had left the Pistons they have lost interest in making it to the finals, they lost to the Heat, Cavs and now Celtics, They've made it to the ECF 5 years straight, and with Larry Brown for 2 years they made it to the Finals, It was a good move getting a new coach, Pistons should stay at #2.

3. Philadelphia 76ers - The 76ers should make the 3rd seed because they've improved deeply in the post with Elton Brand a 20/10 guy who is also an excellent defensive players but isn't one of the more flashy players in the league, The 76ers should be one of the top teams in scoring with the post player in Elton Brand and the slasher in Andre Iguodala, I also believe with Andre Miller also posting up on some PG's and creating shots for others the 76ers should be very efficient on the offensive end. I think the 76ers edges out the Orlando Magic, due to there superior post play with Samuel Dalembert and Elton Brand, that's a pretty tough team to score in the paint, If the 76ers can get shooters they should also be racing for the 2nd seed not the 3rd

4. Orlando Magic - The Magic should at the very least make the 4th or 5th seed of the Eastern Conference, The Magic might get off to a slow start with Dwight Howard coming off the Olympics, and getting use to having Tony Battie back in the starting lineup, I think they have improved but not as greatly as the 76ers, Pietrus is more so a spark off the bench than your everyday starting Shooting guard. I don't expect Dwight to perform as great as he did last year simply because at the months of March and April his stats started to decline because teams discovered how to play against him. I'm also not sure if Hedo can perform the way he did last year either where he was an all-star like player, he is very old and you never know when someone's season can just turn-around like that. I also don't think there PG would cut it out for them either they have been lacking at that position for a long time. I don't think they can live in the 3 all day and expect to make it to the top 3 seedings

5. Cleveland Cavs - The Cavs just improved today by getting Mo Williams a shooter a scorer, a PG who can create for both himself and his teammates, but he is better at creating for himself and I think that might help LeBron a lot, so he doesn't have to do all the work all of the time, I expect the Cavs to have homecourt against the Magic if they are the 5th seed, I see the Cavs getting a better record. There defense has always been rock solid with there front court and LeBron James has really improved defensively as well. I think with Mo Williams on this team LeBron James won't have to do all the work all 4 quarters like he did last season, Mo Williams will be good, but i'm not sure if he fits into Mike Brown's defensive scheme, I do know Mo Williams will easily fit into his offensive scheme not very hard though. The Cavs should get the 5th seed at the very least with LeBron James arguably the best player in the league and with his defensive team and new PG.

6. Washington Wizards - If there Big Three is healthy all season long they should be able to make it to the 6th seed, Wizards might expect a slow start from Gilbert Arenas, but I think Caron Butler and Jamison will perform the way they did last year and that was become all-stars. I also think they have some nice emerging stars and a good post defender in Brendan Haywood, I expect this team to have a better record than the Raptors, Heat, Hawks, Nets, etc....

7. Toronto Raptors - I'm only sold on this team at the very least making the playoffs, I'm not sold on Jermaine O'Neal is going to vastly improve Chris Bosh's offensive game nor am i sold on Jose Calderon will unleash into a superstar, I see Calderon being a fantastic starting PG which he already is, but I don't expect much from Chris Bosh, I'm also not even sold that Jermaine O'Neal can even be healthy next season, He has arguably been one of the most injury prone players in the league along with T-Mac, Yao Ming, Grant Hill, etc... I think the Raptors should at the very least make the 7th seed, I don't see them much higher. The only thing this team has improved in is not allowing 3 20-20 games against dominant big men.

8. Miami Heat or New Jersey Nets - I see this being the race, you can argue that the Hawks can make it but I don't see it, I think the nets will make the playoffs if we still do not see a healthy Dwyane Wade, If we do I really think the Heat will make it, so depending on durability the Heat will make it, if not the Nets, Nets should be able to make it because they have improved greatly on length and height with Yi Jianlian and Brook Lopez also now having Devin Harris for a full year this time along with getting Bobby Simmons to this team, Heat should be able to make it with now having Michael Beasley on the team a very impressive college player who can play SF/PF and is arguably at this point already noted as the best rookie and the most likely one to win ROY. I think seeing a healthy Dwyane Wade, Shawn Marion and Michael Beasley should be able to keep them in, if not, the Nets should make it.