Boston Celtics will be the NBA's feast of the East

Ask any NBA junkie who they think will come out of the east to play for the league title and the majority would name the Celtics. Another significant number of people might just pick the Detroit Pistons, because they have that essential playoff experience. We might have a few fans picking the Cleveland Cavaliers (heck, LeBron James could once again put the team on his shoulders) or the up and coming Orlando Magic, but almost everyone would agree that these teams would need a small miracle to reach the finals.

In all fairness this is all understandable, considering the fact that three of the eight eastern playoff teams were heading for the golf courses this time last year. Of these three ‘newbies’ the Atlanta Hawks and the Philadelphia 76ers are just plain happy to be here, as they are in the middle of a rebuilding process. The Celtics are the exception to the rule – they added Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen for this season and have finished with the top record in the league.

Five teams return from the 2007 playoffs, but of these five the Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards and Cleveland Cavaliers are actually limping into the highly competitive post season. The Raptors finished with only four wins in their last 10 games, whilst both Cleveland and Washington went a not too shabby 50% during that stretch. 

Here are then the Eastern Conference playoff teams according to how deep they’ll go:

First round exits:

Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks actually have enough talent on board to give even the Celtics some problems. Mike Bibby is a proven playoff performer along with Joe Johnson who many times had to carry the team by himself. Alas the immaturity and inexperience of the immensely talented Josh Smith and Marvin Williams will be the key factor. The Hawks already overachieved by making it this far. The young group will, however, be able to get it first taste of playoff basketball.

Philadelphia 76ers

Had they managed to beat out Toronto for the 6th seed, I could have seen them upset an Orlando Magic team that would have had to adjust to some quick match-ups. Alas they face the Pistons, a team that has now become a standard in the elite ranks of the conference. There really isn’t even one match-up within this contest where I would favor Philly.

Toronto Raptors

There are many similarities in playing styles between the Raptors and the Orlando Magic. This is probably going to be a juicy first round match-up. I expect it to go some distance, but in the end it is going to come down to who has the better shooters surrounding him: Chris Bosh or Dwight Howard? My money would be on the cast featuring Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis (aka The Magic).

Washington Wizards

The Wiz have said goodbye to the post season for the past two years simply because they faced a hungry Cleveland team with LeBron James carrying the main load. Guess who they’ll be facing in the first round? They say revenge is a great motivator, but this Wizards team is currently too hobbled up. Whilst you cannot say that the Cavs are in tip-top shape either – both teams have struggled on the road this season, which means home court will be a huge advantage in the end.

The second round is as far as they go:

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavs went to the finals last year, but that team had a different look going into the playoffs than this current version. Too many questions surround King James and Co. The deadline deal that brought in Joe Smith and Ben Wallace (amongst others) has not paid off so far. LeBron clearly looks frustrated at times. The one glimmer of hope they have: James has truly stepped it up another level this year. He is finally taking the crucial shots instead of passing them up. This fact alone could get them to advance further than I would think. As it stands right now, I don’t see how they could beat the Celtics whom they are sure to meet in the second round.

Orlando Magic

I expect the Magic to last all seven games against Detroit. Playoff experience will decide the final minutes of a game seven, and I’m all but certain that Chauncey Billups’ team will be the one left standing after the final buzzer whilst Dwight Howard and the Magic will have to think about next year. This team is loaded with shooters, they possess excellent speed and, with coach Stan Van Gundy, they have an experienced general to follow. I still think they are a year away from reaching their full potential, but this post season figures to be quite a ride for them.

With the finals at stake:

Detroit Pistons

This team has a definite ‘been there, done that’ advantage going. With so much inexperience, so many newcomers in the eastern race, they have to be confident they can get the job done. When Rasheed Wallace decides to play hard the Pistons are an unstoppable force. Too bad his attention tends to float in and out of games. You know what you are getting from the core group of Billups, Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince. The question is, will it be enough against league leading Boston?

Boston Celtics

With high-profile blockbuster moves in the summer, they have managed to get a crosshair on them from game one. Every team wanted to play them and every team wanted to beat them. Not too many did, however. Boston has gelled quicker than anyone had thought – the trio of Garnett, Allen and Paul Pierce was a lock to play well, but questions surrounded the other positions and the bench. Not one player was criticized as much as Rajon Rondo. Yet all he did was prove that he can be a successful starting point guard next to the big three. My dream final would feature the age-old Boston-Los Angeles rivalry, so I just had to pick Boston to win the East.