Re: play-offs

[Rohan Prashad <rprasha@clemson.edu>]

MAURICE SPRUIJT wrote:

> I think we won't have a better record next year than these teams:
> Chicago, Indiana, Miami, Charlotte and Atlanta
>
> Cleveland, New York and New Jersey are probably going to be better next year.
> And there you have it, 8 teams already. We'll never be higher than a
> 6th seed, and even play-offs is going to be hard. I doubt we'll get
> another great player from the Draft. So we definitely need to make
> some moves in the offseason.
>
> Also, Washington should be up and coming some season. Better watch
> out for them too.
>
> Orlando, Milwaukee, Detroit, Philadelphia and Toronto are teams that
> shouldn't be better than the Celts.
>

  I agree with most of what you said, but I don't think Washington will be an up
and coming team next year, first of all they have to re-sign Rod Strickland,
which will not be easy. Then they probably will try to break up Webber and
Howard, and if they do this or if they don't do this, their team chemistry will
never be where it was last year.
Also, if the Bulls are not brought back (Jordan, Pippen, Rodman, Phil Jackson)
why would they be better than the Celtics?  And if we steal Geiger from the
Hornets, that could be a big blow to them.
I do have us in the playoffs next year, not only b/c of what I said above, but
because a healthy core of Anderson, Walker, and Mercer, plus a free-agent big man
should  put us at least a couple games over .500. Also, in Pitino's former
coaching jobs, his second year with a team always shows great improvement. He
usually gets better personnel, and his current players have a year with the
system under their belts, and understand it much better.  I see the same thing
happening here.

Rohan