Re: How I see the east (as of today)

[Snoopy the Celtics Beagle <snoopy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 03:02 PM 7/26/03 +1000, John wrote:

>As of today- this is how I see the East


Face north and turn right.  That's the easiest way...

>lining up for the next season;

oh, well.....


>1. New Orleans - if they can be healthy they'll win the Conference

The Shinns will find some way to screw it up.  If they thought they were 
cursed before, wait until they try messing with fans in New Orleans.


>2. New Jersey - they could be lower than this and I wouldn't be surprised- 
>Eddie Jordan is a huge loss

Byron Scott is a bigger loss, and he STAYED.  Can you BELIEVE that Kidd is 
publicly backing Scott for a contract extension?  That's like the Joker 
backing Lex Luthor.


>3. Orlando - with Juwan Howard and a bit more experience from Drew Gooden 
>they're looking good

Doc Rivers should be coaching the Magic--his sleight of hand has everyone 
thinking Orlando is better than it really is.  The Magic need oomph in the 
starting lineup, and despite the deals, it's not enough.


>4. Boston - a better team than last year and a team that will only improve

NBA Champs in June.  You heard it here first.  :>)


>5. Detroit - they got rid of the coach who made them overachieve and got a 
>guy whose never taken his team to the top (except for one year in 
>Philly)  - they'll slide a bit.

God help them if Ben Wallace has to start playing offense, or his teammates 
need to start playing defense.


>6. Chicago - Add Scottie Pippen and a bit more experience in their young 
>big men and they'll be a playoff side. Just you wait and see.

The first nonsensical deal you can't blame Krause for.  Pippen "shoulda 
stood in bed".  He's only going to look good in comparison with a really 
bad team.


>7. Indiana - I would not be surprised if they finished as low as 11th in 
>the conference.

I wouldn't be surprised if the team bus ran over Isaiah on it's way to pick 
up Rick Carlisle.


>8. Washington - Gilbert Arenas, a few other nice players and this team 
>will be one of the teams fighting it out for the final playoff spots come April

The Wizards?  No, seriously.  Without Jordan, the Wiz were 
lottery-bound.  Arenas is only barely going to keep them out of the basement.


>9. New York - I like the move for Van Horn- but it doesn't move them up or 
>down enough to either tank or contend. Bubble team.

A bubble team that got booed at home frequently for playing so badly the 
fan fave was a guy who tried to remove his coach's head from the rest of 
his body.  More like a soap (opera) bubble to me.  Good riddance to Spree.


>10. Toronto - Should be better, but their older players remain old and the 
>team improves slightly over last year but again not enough Bubble team.

Someone needs to explain the rational logic behind naming Vince Carter to 
an Olympic team when he can't even bring up the level of play in 
Toronto.  He's not only older, the surgery didn't help.


>11. Miami - Another bubble team but this one could surprise.

Those bubbles have a lot of helium in them to make Miami anything other 
than a team that was more boring to watch than Boston--except the night 
Riley made a profanity-laced tirade about the officiating.


>12. Cleveland - a small move up the ladder of the eastern conference this 
>year.

They got what they wanted--a player to sell more tickets.  I still recall 
last season, when Boston came to town and there were more Celtics fans than 
Cavs fans in attendance.  They still stink.


>13. Atlanta - What is their aim? I have no idea what they're trying to do.

The first bankruptcy of the 21st century NBA?  One night they double-booked 
a Hawks game with a Springsteen concert and nobody noticed.


>14. Milwaukee - Hey, Milwaukee - LAST SEASON was the one to tank, not this 
>one!! They want Emeka?

The Bucks don't stop here.  They stopped waaaaaayyyy back there, somewhere, 
out in a field of cheese.

I'm not trying to pick on John, I'm just picking on the teams 
themselves.  I think after the frequent flyer mileage logged by the WC 
teams, there'll be even more trading over the next couple of weeks.  Until 
the dust settles a bit, I think it might be too early to predict the order 
of the Conference.

Except, of course, that the Celtics will win the NBA championship.  Nyahh, 
nyahh, New Jersey.

Snoopy the Celtics Beagle
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