NBA 2010-2011 Season

Boston Celtics
Less than five months after losing to arch-rival Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals, the Celtics and coach Doc Rivers worked extra hard during the off-season to get better. And get better they surely did with the acquisition of Shaquille O’ Neal (from Cleveland) and Jermaine O ’Neal ( Miami).

With the original ‘Big Three’ of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen back, the Celtics have another legitimate shot at a record 18th NBA title. Age remains the only question mark for the Celtics, but Rivers proved it’s not a huge concern w ith the way he ran the team last season.

Toronto Raptors
With Chris Bosh and Hedo Turkoglu no longer around, expect the Raptors to try to make the most out of what’s left to its otherwise strong line-up. Even with Leandro Barbosa joining the team, the team will find it hard to compete as a rebuilding team. In fact, it could take many years to get the franchise back to respectability.

New York Knicks
With Amare Stoudemire and Raymond Felton, the Knicks have suddenly become a title contender again with coach Mike D’ Antoni at the helm. The only significant losses are David Lee and Cris Duhon, but Stoudemire and Danilo Gallineri could easily make up with huge numbers day in and day out.

Philadelphia 76ers
Forget about four-time scoring champion Allen Iverson, who decided to pack his bags and play in Italy, but the 76ers will find life difficult against the much-improved teams in the East. Coach Doug Collins will depend a lot on Andre Iguodala, Elton Brand and rookie Evan Turner but little is expected from a team which finished with a 27-55 record last season.

New Jersey Nets
Coach Avery Johnson’s Nets hope to contend for one of the bottom-place playoff spots in the East with rookie Derrick Favors and newcomers Troy Murphy and Jordan Farmar in the line-up. But Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov should be happy to see an improvement from a 12-70 season.

Predicted order of finish: Celtics, Knicks, 76ers, Nets, Raptors.




Cleveland Cavaliers
From a league-best 61-21 season with MVP LeBron James around, the Cavs will be happy enough to finish at .500 and make the postseason with a line-up led by Antawn Jamison, Mo Williams, Anderson Varejao and newcomer Ramon Sessions. But it will be tough, very tough. In any case, a 6-1 pre-season record is a good start for the rebuilding franchise.

Milwaukee Bucks
The addition of veteran swingman Corey Magette should make the Bucks a sure-fire playoff team. Brandon Jennings, John Salmons and Andrew Bogut remain as the team’s go-to-guys, but Bucks coach Scott Skilles has a great supporting cast at his disposal.

Chicago Bulls
A 41-41 season should provide enough motivation for the Bulls to improve this season. And despite the hand injury to All-Star Carlos Boozer, the Bulls are expected to hold their own against the ‘Beasts of the East’ with a line-up backstopped by Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, Derrick Rose and Taj Gibson.

Indiana Pacers
Even with Danny Granger playing his usual best, the Pacers know they have to do a lot to finally end a four-year playoff drought. Coach Jim O’Brien admits the team can only contend for the bottom-place playoff spots in the crowded East but to do it, they have to get the most from the defense-oriented line-up.

Detroit Pistons
With the entry of Tracy McGrady and rookie Greg Monroe, the Pistons hope do better that their forgettable 27-55 record last year. The 31-year-old McGrady, who averaged 21.5 poiints in 14 injury-plagued years, is hoping to prove skeptics wrong. And Ben Godon, who missed 20 games last season, and Tayshaun Prince and Rip Hamilton must stay healthy to come up with big numbers for Detroit to finally shed that underdog image.

Predicted order of finish: Bulls, Bucks, Pistons, Pacers, Cavaliers.




Orlando Magic
Despite failing to make the East finals last season, the Magic should be more than happy to have one of the deepest and most talented teams, led by Dwight Howard, Vince Carter and Rashard Lewis. Coach Stan van Gundy knows the Magic have learned their lessons well from last season’s disappointments and should be able to put things in proper perspective in order to regain their high billing.

Atlanta Hawks
A team still on the rise, the Hawks will improve their last season’s 53-29 record with a line-up one year better. But to contend for the East’s top prize? Even Hawks coach Larry Drew admits the road only gets tougher with all the makeovers done in Boston and Miami. Still, a line-up that counts on Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Mike Bibby and Marvin Williams can’t be totally overlooked.

Miami Heat
With certified superstars LeBron James and Chris Bosh joining Dwyane Wade in Miami uniform following a couple of blockbuster off-season trades, the Heat surely have what it takes to dominate -- and win -- the title this season.

James, the league’s most prolific player last season, and Wade, if he stays healthy, can form a devastating 1-2 punch who could present nightmares to rival teams all the way to the finals. Add to the mix a true All-Star center in Bosh and a supporting cast that include Jerry Stackhouse, ‘Z’ Ilgauskas and Eddie House and Miami coach Erik Spoelstra is now the envy of every NBA coach. (Except, perhaps, LA Lakers coach Phil Jackson).

Charlotte Bobcats
If majority owner Michael Jordan will have his way, the Bobcats should be one of the top teams in the East this season. But even in the ultra-tough Southeast Division, that could be mere wishful thinking even for the greatest player to ever play the game. Stephen Jackson, Boris Diaw and Gerald Wallace would have good nights, but these won’t be nearly enough.

Washington Wizards
The entry of top rookie John Wall and the return of veteran Gilbert Arenas inject fresh for the long-suffering Wizards to finally make the playoffs. But that is easier said than done in the vastly-improved East. Wall and Arenas can provide the spark on any given night, but the Wizards still lack the tools to keep pace with the Celtics, the Heat, the Magic and even the Bulls in the chase for the best record in the East.

Predicted order of finish: Heat, Magic, Hawks, Wizards, Bobcats.