Dwight Howard to Nets Wouldn't Change Power Hierarchy in the East

The trade that almost was would have sent the best big man on the planet, Dwight Howard, to the New Jersey Nets to play with the first or second best point guard on the planet, Deron Williams.

But what would it have meant in regards to the Eastern Conference power hierarchy? The answer: very little.  

Yes, the New Jersey Nets would have been a playoff team with Howard and Williams leading the way, but would they have been able to compete with the Eastern Conference super powers? Not unless you think Anthony Morrow, Stephen Graham and Shawne Williams are all candidates for the "2012 breakout player of the year award."

The truth is, the Nets need a lot more help than just Howard and Williams to reasonably expect to pose any sort of challenge for Eastern Conference supremacy.

Let's examine the top five teams in the East as of this second...

*Please note: Rankings subject to change at any moment due to the fact that no one truly has any idea what is going on in the NBA today.

5. Atlanta Hawks

Yes, losing Jamal Crawford hurts. But with the emergence of Jeff Teague during the Hawks' 2011 playoff run, it won't hurt nearly as much as you might think.

The Hawks can still trot out an extremely talented starting lineup consisting of Teague, Kirk Hinrich (unless Tracy McGrady has anything left in the tank), Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and Al Horford.  

And you still have Marvin Williams, Zaza Pachulia and the aforementioned McGrady to bring off the bench.  

This is still a team capable of winning 35 games this season (remember, we're only playing 66!) and competing for the five seed out East.

4. Boston Celtics

Yes, the loss of Jeff Green to season ending heart surgery stings. But the "Big Four" are still in place to make one final run at championship.

With a starting lineup consisting of Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and (gulp) Jermaine O'Neal, this team can still reasonably expect to win 42 games.

There is the one glaring issue concerning the depth of a team that boasts one of the oldest rosters in the NBA.  

With a second unit consisting of the newly acquired Brandon Bass, Marquis Daniels, Keyon Dooling and Sasha Pavlovic, it should come as no surprise that Celtics fans are not exactly brimming with confidence when discussing their title aspirations.

3. New York Knicks

Tyson Chandler was perhaps the biggest free agent signing in 2010, and it wouldn't be a stretch to say that might be the case again in 2011.

Boasting one of the most talented front-courts in the NBA, the Knicks will be counting on their young and emerging back-court duo, point guard Toney Douglas and shooting guard Landry Fields.

If Douglas and Fields are able to keep opposing defenses honest by knocking down open threes, the superstar tandem of Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudamire should have plenty of room to operate on the low block and in isolation sets.

The addition of Chandler will help shore up a defense that ranked third from last in the NBA last season while helping the Knicks get to the 45-win mark.

2. Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls seemingly endless search for a two-guard finally came to an end when free agent Richard (RIP) Hamilton inked a two-year, 10 million dollar deal last week.

The question remains as to how much Hamilton still has left in the tank, but he should be able to provide the Bulls with a decent third perimeter scorer.

Chicago will trot out a starting lineup consisting of 2011 MVP Derrick Rose, Hamilton, Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah.  

There's also plenty of firepower on the second unit; Taj Gibson, Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer, C.J. Watson and Omer Asik help form quite possibly the best bench in the NBA.

This team should win 47 games at a minimum and compete with you know who for home court advantage in the East.

1. Miami Heat

Most analysts feel that the "Big Three" will experience a much smoother ride in year two of the "Heatles" era compared to their inaugural campaign.

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh will once again team up with Mario Chalmers, Joel Anthony, Udonis Haslem, Mike Miller and the newly-acquired Shane Battier to finish what they were unable to accomplish in 2011.

This year's Miami Heat team will face substantially less pressure than they were confronted with last season and should be able to cruise through the regular season with relative ease.

Fifty wins is certainly not out of the question for this group, and anything less than an NBA title will be considered a failure.