NBA Predictions and Thoughts

Eastern Conference:

ATLANTIC: New Jersey, Philadelphia, Boston, New York, Toronto
CENTRAL: Indiana, Detroit, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Chicago (best division in East)
SOUTHEAST: Miami, Washington, Orlando, Atlanta, Charlotte (worst in East)

Western Conference:

NORTHWEST: Denver, Minnesota, Seattle, Portland, Utah
PACIFIC: LA Clippers, Sacramento, Phoenix, LA Lakers, Golden State
SOUTHWEST: San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Memphis, New Orleans (best division in West)

Some thoughts:

- Stacey Augmon apparently is still in the league and playing for Orlando. The Plastic Man, Grant Hill, and Laettner are the only guys left from that 1991 Duke/UNLV game still left in the league. Which makes me feel old from now, but when all of the Fab Five have officially retired, I'll know it's time to settle down and have some kids.

- between Miami and San Antonio stockpiling every good player in the NBA and so many undeveloped HS kids, there are some weak rosters that feature only one or two decent players. The two worst rosters that I noticed using ESPN's current depth charts were Toronto, Charlotte and Utah. Toronto has only one young talent in Bosh and everyone else is pretty much a throwaway. If Jalen hasn't proved he can lead a team by now he's not going to. The Bobcats has Okafor and pretty much nothing around him. I get the feeling that Wallace will always be raw, Brevin is only good for bad teams, and I don't have much faith in Kareem or Brezec. Utah has one true talent in Kirilenko, and then Boozer who may only have the appearance of a career because of Lebron. I could be wrong about Deron Williams, but if he proves me wrong I doubt it will be this year.

Toronto: Mike James, Mo Pete, Jalen Rose, Chris Bosh, Loren Woods
Charlotte: Brevin Knight, Kareem Rush, Gerald Wallace, Emeka Okafor, Primoz Brezec
Utah: Deron Williams, Gordon Giricek, Andrei Kirilenko, Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur

- Phil Jackson has a chance to prove his coaching merit this year, because this has to be the least talented team he's coached.