NBA Playoffs Bracket 2012: Re-Seeding East After Derrick Rose's Injury

Derrick Rose's torn ACL has fundamentally shifted the balance of power in the Eastern Conference playoff bracket.

Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau might not see things that way, but there's little question that just about everyone else does. That doesn't mean the Chicago Bulls are incapable of surprising people with their unmatched depth and unselfish team concept. This team is still dangerous regardless of the opponent.

Nevertheless, the East looks a lot different than we thought it would a month ago.

Throw those regular season records out the window—here's a seeding that more accurately reflects where we stand in the wake of the first round's opening games.

8. Orlando Magic

Orlando's impressive victory over Indiana in Game 1 aside, this team is still in big trouble without Dwight Howard. They might be able to pull a first-round upset, but it will be against all odds.

It has been nice to see how effective Howard's supporting cast can be—this is an underrated bunch, but it's not much of a playoff team without its star center. 

7. Philadelphia 76ers

The 76ers may wind up looking pretty competitive against the Rose-less Bulls, but they're still one of the weaker teams in the Eastern Conference bracket. Doug Collins' team is deep and well-coached, but desperately needs a couple of go-to scorers who can take over under pressure. 

6. Atlanta Hawks

Atlanta looked awfully good against the Celtics in Game 1, but this is still a team playing without its All-Star starting center.

Josh Smith and Joe Johnson may be able to carry this team to a first-round upset against Boston and make it to its fourth-consecutive Conference Semifinal. That's probably as far as the Hawks can go, though. 

5. New York Knicks

New York has played more like an eighth seed than anything else in its first two postseason games, but that probably says more about just how amazing the Miami Heat are at the moment.

The Knicks have been one of the East's best teams under Mike Woodson, and that will remain the case regardless of what happens in this series. It's not like many teams would fare much better. Expect the Knicks to play more like a fifth seed when they return home to make a stand. 

4. Chicago Bulls

You might think that Chicago belongs even lower on this list without reigning MVP Derrick Rose in the fold. Nevertheless, this club has been remarkably consistent without Rose for well over one-third of the regular season.

Tom Thibodeau's club is defensively sound and incredibly deep. Even without Rose, the Bulls remain more than capable of upsetting "better" teams and holding ground against all the rest. This probably won't be the year a title returns to Chicago, but no one is taking the Bulls lightly at the moment.  

3. Indiana Pacers

Indiana didn't look like much of a playoff team against Orlando in Game 1. But most of that dysfunction can probably be chalked up to a young team's postseason jitters.

This is still a well-coached bunch that will hustle and win with defense. When the baskets start falling, that will amount to a legitimate third seed.

2. Boston Celtics

While the Celtics are off to a rough start with a Game 1 83-74 loss to the Hawks and Rajon Rondo's suspension for Game 2, Boston is still one of the precious few teams with even an outside shot of derailing the Miami Heat.

Before they have that chance, Boston still has to beat the Hawks and whoever makes it out of the Bulls-76ers series.  

1. Miami Heat

With Rose done for the season, Miami becomes the undisputed team to beat in the Eastern Conference. LeBron James has continued his MVP play in his first two games against the Knicks, and the rest of the East looks ill-equipped to make a dent in this team's confidence.

Stranger things have happened in the playoffs—given that Miami depends so heavily on its three best players, an injury or cold-streak could put the team's title hopes in serious jeopardy. At the present rate, however, Miami probably won't be stopped until the NBA Finals, if even then.