Eastern Conference getting deeper

["Berry, Mark S" <berrym@BATTELLE.ORG>]

The East still is vastly inferior to the West in terms of quality, but the
depth of the conference is improving. Atlanta has written a textbook in how
to rebuild a franchise, and looks like a playoff team. Washington is adding
Jordan and who knows who else. New Jersey just took a giant leap forward by
trading for Kidd. By the way, I'm the president of the Jason Kidd fan club.
The guy makes everyone he plays with better. I expect Van Horn and Kenyon
Martin to really improve their play this season. If the Nets had kept Eddie
Griffin instead of giving him away for Richard Jefferson and two scrubs,
they'd really be dangerous.

Of the playoff teams-Philly, Milwaukee, Orlando, Toronto, Miami, New York,
Charlotte and Indiana-only Toronto seems poised to regress (due to the loss
of Antonio Davis). Atlanta and Washington figure to join Boston as the teams
challenging for the final playoff spots, with New Jersey maybe poised to
make a move. It's going to be tougher for the Celtics, and if Chris Webber
lands in Detroit, things really get crowded.

I know we all want this to be the year, but I'm not so sure we're ready. I
think we'll hang in the race, but I don't see us in the top eight with our
current front line. Trades and free agency could change that before the
season starts, of course, and if Johnson and Brown are even better than I
think (and I think they're going to be very, very good), then maybe we
emerge for that last spot. The good news... I think once we sort out that
front line, be it this year or next, we have a team that can make a nice
little leap not just to that eighth spot, but into the middle of the pack.
There are some teams poised to slide in the next couple of years, and I
think the Celts can make a real move in the conference. But our next few
major roster moves will be critical.

Mark