NBA Eastern Conference Preview: Part II

Last week, we started with our NBA preview for the 2009-10 season by looking at the bottom feeders (15-12) of the Eastern conference.

Today, I will take you through the teams that will finish between 11-9 and are on the cusp of the playoffs. As I mentioned in the first part of the preview, injuries will be a huge factor in determining the outcome of the Eastern conference. If they get some luck with the injury bug infecting other teams in the conference, these teams could be dancing into the playoffs

11. New York Knicks

Key additions: Darko Milicic, F/C (trade, Memphis), Jordan Hill (R), Toney Douglas (R)

Key losses: Quentin Richardson, F/G (trade, Memphis)

We are entering year two of the Donnie Walsh/Mike D’Antoni era and not much has changed in their philosophy—develop younger players and create massive amounts of cap room for the 2010 free agency.

If you had to grade Walsh on sticking to his game plan, then you would give him an A. The Knicks have not veered off course and have kept the rebuilding process intact without much distraction.

Last season under D’Antoni, the Knicks were much improved from the lackluster performance they put up with then coach Isiah Thomas. D’Antoni transformed the Knicks into his style of play and actually brought some excitement to Madison Square Garden that has not been seen in some time. With the lack of talent and constant turnover of the roster, D’Antoni did a marvelous (not Marv Albert) job of getting as many wins as the Knicks did last year (32).

But, lets be honest. Thirty-two wins is not enough for the fans of New York and New Yorkers will want to see improvement, even though it is the year before the 2010 free agency. What is more important, is the superstar free agents of the 2010 class will also want to see improvement to decide if they want to call Manhattan their home in the future.

The Knicks will be better in large part to a deeper team that will cause matchup problems for other teams in the conference.

They have kept their main rotation guys (David Lee, Al Harrington, Chris Duhon, Nate Robinson, Wilson Chandler) in place and have boasted their bench with rookie Jordan Hill, Darko Millic, and Danilo Gallinari (missed last season due to injury and when he played the Knicks were 14-14). They also have Larry Hughes full time and defensive stopper Jared Jeffries. Looking at their roster, they can have nine or 10 guys who can get minutes.

The downside is usually when you see a roster that is even to nine to 10 deep that means the team is not that talented and they don't have any stars. Ding ding ding.

D’Antoni will be able to get this team to score, but his roster is filled with poor rebounders and a poor defenders. He can work his magic only so far and every coach will tell you that talent wins out in the long run.

The Knicks are just not that talented this year and have too many weaknesses to crack the playoffs. Improvement is coming but will it be far enough to attract the big dogs come free agent season?

10. Chicago Bulls

Key additions: Jannero Pargo, G (Russia), James Johnson (R), Taj Gibson (R)

Key losses: Ben Gordon, G (Detroit), Tim Thomas, F (Dallas), Anthony Roberson, G (free agent), Linton Johnson, F (waived), DeMarcus Nelson, G (waived)

After making the playoffs last year, you would think I would put the Bulls back in the playoff picture. Fact of the matter is, the Bulls got worse while other teams got better.

In the offseason, the Bulls’ leading scorer the past four seasons Ben Gordon left the team for cross-division rival Detroit.

Along with Gordon’s departure, the young Bulls don’t seem to be progressing besides Derrick Rose. I think Rose will be a stud point guard for years to come in this league, but the others (Kirk Hinrich, Tyrus Thomas, Luol Deng and Joakim Noah) have all not lived up to their promise billing.

The Bulls will still have front-court issues without a major contributor on the inside. Yes, Brad Miller has come over from Sacramento and will be with the Bulls for the full season, but he seems to be aging by the day, not to mention he is not an inside threat.

Therefore, you look to the perimeter to pick up the slack but they don’t have a pure scorer on the wing that can fill it up. Rose is probably the next thing to a big-time scorer, but he is your point guard and you would rather have him facilitate to his teammates than putting the scoring load on his shoulders.

In order for the Bulls to pick up the slack and get back into the playoffs, they need to see a stark improvement by Deng that we saw promise of a few years back. I am not counting on it and that's why I see the Bulls looking on the outside in for the playoffs this year.

9. Charlotte Bobcats

Key additions: Tyson Chandler, C (trade, New Orleans), Ronald Murray, G (Atlanta), Stephen Graham, F (Indiana), Gerald Henderson (R)

Key losses: Emeka Okafor, C (trade, New Orleans), Sean May, F (Sacramento)

I was very close to including the Charlotte Bobcats in the playoffs. Why? Their coach, Hall-of-Famer Larry Brown.

Making such a hard prediction based on a coach who has had some definite disappointments (Knicks, Olympics) later in his career may seem rather outlandish. However, I believe in coach Brown and his proven track record.

Brown has been with more teams than I can count on my fingers. Therefore, he gives us some good quality data on what is “formula” is for rebuilding a struggling franchise.

In his first year, he is a hard-a** and tears the team apart. He begins to put his hand-print on the team and starts trying to make personnel moves more to his liking. As a result, the first year’s record with a team is not eye-popping and usually a disappointment.

What happens in the second year?

His teams improve their record dramatically averaging slightly more than 14 wins (his second year with Philly was the lock-out shortened season and I pro-rated the wins for that year). Where would a 14-win improvement put the Bobcats at? 49 wins and right in the middle of the playoffs.

The Bobcats’ offseason and second half of last year was filled with moves that had Larry Brown’s fingers all over it. They traded away Emeka Okafor for Tyson Chandler who gives them a legit seven-footer who can rebound and block shots.

Not to take anything away from Okafor, but Chandler is a better fit for this team. At the end of last season, the team brought in Boris Diaw and Raja Bell, both prototypical Brown players.

Bell is a shooter and, more importantly, the defensive stopper on the wing that the team has been in dire need of. On the other hand, Diaw is a playmaker from the wing who really knows how to play the game. When he is in shape, he does so many things well, but he does have a fluctuating weight problem.

There is probably a handful of guys Brown has fallen in love with that can really play the game, yet have battled weight and Diaw is no different. If he gets into shape and plays the way he is capable, the team can contend.

Besides Diaw, Bell, and Chandler, the Bobcats will have Gerald Wallace, Raymond Felton, Vladamir Radmonovic, DeSagana Diop, D.J. Augustin, and Gerald Henderson as rotation guys. Their bench is not a horrible, unlike what you have seen from them in the past. Augustin is a nice fit heading into his second year and has surprised me on how good he played as a rookie.

I think the Bobcats are right there to make their first playoff run, but will need some help in the injury department. Something they did not get with Bell supposedly going to be out a length of time with a wrist injury. If they can stay healthy, they will make a run at the playoffs.