Re: The Weak East

[Dan Forant Sr <dforant1@nycap.rr.com>]

If Sprewell contributes well again, and remember he didn't really take hold
till end of the short season, the Knicks will be a force with or without
Ewing. They have a lot of talent and a patient coach. Along with Houston
they will be a force. I don't expect to beat out the Knicks this season.
The Knicks were not sleepers last season, just slow out of the gate. 

At 11:56 AM 8/16/99 -0600, you wrote:
>I'm not convinced the East is all that strong right now and that buoys
>my hopes for our boys.  After all, the Knicks made the playoffs in the
>last week (barely beat our boys to do that) and then won the
>conference.  Don't you think there are four or five teams in the West
>that could beat us all?   Let's look at the competition:
>
>New York:  could well be as good or better, but Ewing hurts as much
>as he helps nowadays and they need to decide who they are.  I can't
>see them being as consistent as they need to be to win 60 games.
>
>Miami:  good front court, guards in decline, bench weak; they could
>still win 50
>
>Indiana:  could still be a top four team in the East, but it's hard
>to figure how they're on the upswing
>
>Atlanta:  who knows?  this team lacks fire in the belly
>
>Orlando:  give them a few years, and then a few more
>
>New Jersey:  some real fine talent; maybe they'll be a contender, but
>would you make them your darkhorse?
>
>Toronto:  last year's flash makes some good off-season moves; should
>make the playoffs
>
>Charlotte:  same as New Jersey but more blue-collar oriented; still,
>they will challenge for the seventh or eighth slot, not the top
>
>Detroit:  an enigma; if they're a contender, it's with a lower case
>"c";  most likely candidate to pull an "Orlando" next offseason
>
>Philadelphia:  able to leap medium size buildings; I can't see them
>beating the better rehearsed troups with consistency
>
>Cleveland:  as Ilgauskas goes, so go the Cavs.  What a slogan!  I 
>like this team but they're no threat for the top tier, either
>
>Milwaukee:  forgotten, but not gone; they'll be good, like Indiana,
>but on the way up
>
>Oh, yeah, Washington:  puhleeze, while I wish them well, I agree with
>the conventional wisdom that they will resign from the league by
>Christmas
>
>and, ta ta ta:  Boston:  why not?
>
>My picks (and I know you don't really care, but I'm bored this
>morning):
>
>l.  Miami
>2.  New York
>3.  Philly
>4.  Indiana
>5.  Milwaukee
>6.  Boston
>7.  Charlotte
>8.  Cleveland/Toronto tie
>
>I feel better now.  
>
>Gene
>
>
>