Eastern Conference Power Rankings

Its been a hell of a long time since I last got to do Power Rankings, but finally, the NBA season is not far off. Here's the Eastern Conference:

1. Boston Celtics

They won the championship, but lost a key bench player in James Posey. Even without Posey, this team is still rock solid. They're the best defensive team in the league, and the offense should be even better this season with a more experienced Rajon Rondo running the point.

2. Cleveland Cavaliers

Last year, they made the conference semi-finals, and they gave the Celtics some trouble. Adding Mo Williams was a great move; a step in the right direction, but the Cavs still could bring in some more guys and stop relying on LeBron James to do everything.

They need to find someone who can take over at the five when Big Z steps down and they need to do it soon. That said, the Cavs will be serious contenders, with LeBron putting up unimaginable numbers.

3. Philadelphia 76ers

Last year, this team's biggest weaknesses were inside scoring and 3 point shooting. Elton Brand gives them the superstar they need and fills the previously gaping hole in the post.  Kareem Rush and Donyell Marshall can both hit threes consistently. This team could go far if they work well together.

4. Detroit Pistons

They're a good team, but a lot of their key players are getting older, and the offseason was filled with trade rumours. The major trade Joe Dumars talked about never happened, which isn't necessarily a good thing. New Coach Michael Curry has a tough job ahead of him. Detroit will do well, but don't expect a championship.

5. Toronto Raptors

The Jermaine O'Neal trade was a great move. If he can revitalise his career in Toronto and become the monster in the post that he used to be, they will have one hell of a combination. A lot of teams will struggle to deal with O'Neal and Bosh in the post at the same time.

Jose Calderon looked great in the Olympics, and there are no glaring weaknesses. Expect something big from this team.

6. Miami Heat

No, its not a typo. They were terrible last year with Wade injured. He dominated with Team USA—the old D-Wade is back. Shawn Marion will be there all year. Michael Beasley will win rookie of the year. And they solved their point guard problem by signing Shaun Livingston.

The only question is how Jamaal Magloire will perform at center. This team is much better than most people think.

7. Orlando Magic

Dwight Howard dominanted last season but he needed to improve his shot. Apparently he has gotten a lot better in that department, so he should have a monster year. The Magic have three spectacular starters (Howard, Hedo Turkoglu, Rashard Lewis) but need more contribution from the bench.

8. Washington Wizards

They gave Gilbert Arenas a huge contract and now he is out with a knee injury. The Wizards are very unlucky with injuries. A healthy Gilbert would have had them higher on this list, but instead Caron Butler and Antwan Jamison will have to take care of things until Agent Zero returns.

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