It might not have the allure of the Western Conference, but the Eastern Conference playoffs should prove to be just as entertaining. And while the first round does not seem to possess much intrigue, the East boasts several teams that have legitimate title aspirations.
Any conversation concerning the Eastern Conference must begin and end with the top two teams in the NBA: the Boston Celtics and the Detroit Pistons. These two teams are everyone's pick to meet in the Eastern Conference Finals, and many believe the only teams in the East with a realistic chance at defeating a Western foe in the Finals.
In the case of the Celtics, the addition of All-Stars Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen had many believing that Boston would be significantly improved, but no one imagined this. The Celtics have engineered the best turnaround in NBA history - winning over 40 more games than last season - and have reignited Celtic pride in the Hub with the franchise's best record since the 1985-1986 season.
This is due in large part to an MVP-caliber season from Garnett. Last season, the Celtics were one of the worst defensive teams in the league, but KG has helped turn Boston's defense around. He is a shoo-in for Defensive Player of the Year honors and has also averaged 19.0 points and 9.3 rebounds despite playing his fewest minutes since his rookie year.
Coupled with the fact that Paul Pierce is playing his best basketball since his team's run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2002, particularly in establishing himself as a tough defensive player, it is easy to see why the Celtics have been so great in the regular season.
Still, even with Pierce, Garnett and Ray Allen, the Celtics' hopes in their first-round series with the Atlanta Hawks rest with their role players. Rajon Rando has had some spectacular games recently and will need to be effective on offense, while James Posey will be relied upon to come off the bench and be a lock-down defender. The X-factor for Boston could be power forward Leon Powe, a second-year player who has been phenomenal down the stretch off of coach Doc Rivers' bench.
The Pistons are the other team that is widely expected to breeze to an Eastern Conference Finals appearance. While the Celtics are the new "it" team, Detroit has the experience to make it back to the Finals for the third time in five years. Coach Flip Saunders has been resting his starters, and his team's challenge will be to bring its A-game early to avoid slipping up against an inferior Philadelphia 76ers team.
What makes the Pistons so good is that they combine their balanced offense with defensive tenacity. Detroit is right with Boston as the top defensive team in the league, particularly thanks to Tayshaun Prince, one of the best ball defenders in the game.
The Pistons also have a wealth of players that can hurt teams offensively, including leading scorers Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups. And while no one else on the team averages more than 13.5 points a game, Rasheed Wallace can be a deadly three-point shooter and the tandem of Antonio McDyess and Jason Maxiell gives Detroit a strong offensive presence down low.
The biggest question for the Pistons is guard play off the bench, which is why they made the move to get Juan Dixon from the Toronto Raptors. Still, the real key should be rookie Rodney Stuckey, who like Powe has been at the top of his game lately as his minutes have increased.
While Boston and Detroit are the top two teams, an upset could derail their title hopes. While the first round doesn't offer much potential for upsets, a few teams will be dangerous for the East's top dogs.
The winner of the opening-round matchup between the defending East champion Cleveland Cavaliers and the Washington Wizards will pose a threat to its second-round opponent. The Cavs are a hot pick to stage an upset because of the other-worldly play of LeBron James, but the blockbuster deadline deal to get Ben Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West hasn't paid off yet. Even with LeBron, the Cavs are a prime candidate to be upset in the first round.
That is primarily because the Wizards have been so tough lately. After the recent returns from injury of Caron Butler and Gilbert Arenas to join Antawn Jamison, Washington now boasts three of the four best players on the floor. Jamison has long been underrated and is averaging a double-double this season with 21.4 points and 10.2 rebounds a game. Butler, meanwhile, is one of the best all-around offensive players in the league and will give James fits on the defensive end.
Things will be interesting at point guard, where Wizards coach Eddie Jordan has stated that he will use Arenas as the sixth man. "Agent Zero" has only played in 13 games this season, including the last six since his return from a knee injury, but he will provide a scoring punch for a questionable Washington bench. Add that to the weakness of the Cavs' point guards, particularly on the defensive end, and Mike Brown and his team must be having nightmares about guarding Mr. Hibachi.
The one team in the East that no one is talking much about is the Orlando Magic. All Stan Van Gundy has done is lead his team to a 50-win season and the third seed in the East, with a series against the struggling Toronto Raptors - 13-17 since the All-Star break - as a reward.
Orlando is led by double-double machine Dwight Howard, who has emerged as arguably the best center in the league this year. Howard can do it all, averaging 21 points a game while leading the league in rebounding and ranking fifth in blocked shots. But he will need to be at his best, particularly from the free-throw line, for the Magic to make a run.
It certainly cannot hurt that Howard has a capable sidekick in Hedo Turkoglu, who will likely run away with the league's Most Improved Player Award after upping his scoring average by over six points a game. While the signing of Rashard Lewis, who has posted solid scoring numbers but not contributed much else, received much of the publicity, it is Turkoglu who has emerged as his team's go-to scorer from the outside. This trio might not be enough to outweigh Orlando's glaring concerns in the backcourt, but at least it makes the Magic an intriguing darkhorse pick.
