Where 17 happens: Eastern Conference preview

And now, what you've all been waiting for ... the 2008-09 Eastern Conference Preview. The West is really just a battle for second place, as Larry Bird once said about the 3-point contest. Well, that's not entirely true, but the road to the title will have to go through one tough team from the East at some point. The West is deeper, but there may not be a better team in the league than Boston, so let the debating begin.

Stick around for the playoff predictions at the bottom ...

1. Boston – The Celtics lost their top bench player from last season in James Posey, but as important as Posey was to the team’s success, he was still a bench player. The starting five returns along with much of the bench that led them to a title. They’re still the champs until someone knocks them off.

2. Cleveland – Lebron James doesn’t have his Scottie Pippen yet, but Mo Williams is a step up over Wally (Wendy’s older brother) Szczerbiak. The King almost beat the champs last year by himself, and now he has a slightly better chance to take the next step.

3. Detroit – Don’t sleep on these guys for the same reason you shouldn’t sleep on the Spurs. They’re older and not much improved, but they’re not just going to fall off the map either after going to the conference finals last year. The core is the same, but it’s a pretty good core.

4. Toronto – Chris Bosh emerged as a legitimate superstar in the Olympics. Sure it’s a different game over here, but the world finally got to see how good this kid can be. Pair him with Jermaine O’Neal in the middle and Jose Calderon on the outside, and the Raptors have a shot.

5. Philadelphia – Elton Brand plus Andre Iguodala and a cast of strong young players equals immediate contention. It’s still tough to call the Sixers a serious title contender when Theo Ratliff’s expiring contract averages more than 15 minutes per game.

6. Orlando – While Chris Bosh emerged in Beijing, Dwight Howard looked far more human than the Superman we thought he was becoming. The Magic have some skills, but Lewis and Turkoglu are too soft to carry them if Howard has an off night.

7. Washington – Arenas is out for a while, but the Wiz actually looked like a better team at times last year without Agent Zero. If they get out to a hot start, don’t be surprised if people in D.C. tell their $100 million man to take his time coming back.

8. Miami – Dwayne Wade is back. Not to keep harping on the Olympics, but no one had a bigger coming out party than Wade, who proved he’s still a stud and can carry a team when healthy. Beaseley and Marion make up a very talented cast that’s only lacking bench depth to be a top team.

9. Atlanta – The Hawks caught the Celtics at the right time at the beginning of the playoffs last year and almost pulled the miraculous upset. They’re the real wild card this season as the progression or regression of their young players can change their fortunes drastically.

10. Chicago – The Bulls are coming off one of the most disappointing NBA seasons in recent memory. This year the expectations are far lower, but don’t expect much more from a club whose veteran players are Larry Hughes, Drew Gooden and Kirk Hinrich.

11. Charlotte – There’s enough talent here to win a few games, but there aren’t any glue guys to bring it all together. Odds on Larry Brown having heart trouble this year: 3-2.

12. Milwaukee – Richard Jefferson makes them a better team and Michael Redd is always fun to watch, but go ahead and name one more decent player on the Bucks. Joe Alexander was the most overhyped player in the draft this year so he doesn’t count. NOTE: The Bucks are so boring I incorrectly had them listed on the Western Conference preview yesterday and Angry Craig didn’t even comment to make fun of me.

13. Indiana – Roy Hibbert’s supposed to get me excited for this season? Sorry Pacers fans, this one’s going to take a while to rebuild.

14. New York – Isiah is still on the payroll even if he’s not the coach or GM anymore, which is good enough reason to put them near the bottom of the East.

15. New Jersey/Brooklyn – Can the Nets just come out and say that they’re openly positioning themselves for a run at Lebron when his contract is up? Keep trading away your best assets N.J. and see how much the King wants to play for a loser. Hey, at least you still have Jay-Z.

ROUND 1
1. Boston def. 8. Miami

2. Cleveland def. 7. Washington

6. Orlando def. 3. Detroit

5. Philadelphia def. 4. Toronto

ROUND 2
1. Boston def. 5. Philadelphia

2. Cleveland def. 6. Orlando

EASTERN FINALS
1. Boston def. 2. Cleveland