The NBA season tips off in just a week, and with Allen "the Answer" Iverson rumored to be headed to Turkey, the Eastern Conference is left with a number of questions. Will the Miami Heat gel faster than Pat Riley's hair? Will the Boston Celtics have time to fit AARP meetings into their already tight schedule? Will Vince Carter once again lead the league in winces and grimaces, or will he set a career-high in minutes played through pain?
Jokes aside, Wednesday's matchup pits the absurdly talented Heat against the seasoned Celtics to kick off one of the most anticipated seasons in recent history. Those two teams, along with the Orlando Magic, constitute the triumvirate that figures to battle for the number one seed all season long.
Anyone with a TV, radio, phone, internet connection, magazine subscription or access to Pony Express was bombarded all summer with information about Riley's coup and the Heat's new fierce All-Star trio of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh. In lower-key news, Miami was also able to sign veterans Eddie House and Mike Miller, as well as re-sign Udonis Haslem and Joel Anthony to round out its roster.
While the Heat will have to rely heavily on its trio, as far as trios go, it is one of the most talented ever assembled. Wade and James both fearlessly attack the basket, can pull up for mid-range jumpers and, on nights when they're both hitting outside shots, are impossible to defend against. Bosh possesses a slew of post moves and his range extends past 20 feet. On occasion, he can stretch it into three-point land. Don't expect this team to slouch on defense either: Wade and James have combined to make five All-NBA Defensive teams, and are not only premier on-the-ball defenders, but are also both among the league's best at chasing down breakaway lay-ups. These factors, and the unlimited potential present on its roster, make the Heat the preseason favorite for the Eastern Conference title.
Until they are dethroned, however, the Celtics are still the conference champs. The team came within six minutes of an NBA title a season ago, and appears to have gotten healthier, deeper and more experienced. Many claim the key to the season rests on the health of Kevin Garnett's knee. If he truly is as explosive as he claims, he could add a post-up dynamic that was missing on this team a year ago. The signings of the O'Neal towers — Shaquille and Jermaine — and Delonte West bring much-needed size and shooting to a bench that was lacking in both departments last season, while holdovers Nate Robinson, Marquis Daniels and Glen Davis round out arguably the deepest bench in the league.
Yet, the team's fortunes may rest on the abnormally broad shoulders of Rajon Rondo. At times during last year's playoffs, he proved to be a uniquely un-guardable guard with his ability to make game-changing plays on both ends of the court. His aggressive play is the key to the Celtics' offense. If he is able to make the defense collapse on his penetration, it frees up jump shooting for Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. The Celtics will rely on their seemingly endless number of weapons, both starters and bench players, but concerns about health are always present in a team of this age. If they can stay healthy, the Celtics are almost sure to be back in the conference finals.
Also seeking a return to those conference finals are the Magic, who will look to forget the dismal way they were eliminated from that stage of the playoffs in the spring. Dwight Howard is determined to finally develop post moves, and spent a few days with Houston Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon during the summer to try and learn a dream-shake or two. Orlando returns almost the same roster that was nearly swept by Boston a year ago, the main difference being a carousel at small forward — with Matt Barnes departing for Los Angeles, Mickael Pietrus assuming the starting role and Quentin Richardson filling in as a back up.
On paper, Orlando is full of talent on both ends of the court, but it must conquer mental demons in order to ascend to the next level.
After these three teams, there is a large drop-off to the rest of the conference. The Chicago Bulls look promising, but may continue to suffer from a lack of shooters surrounding the core of Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and free-agent signee Carlos Boozer. That's why three-point specialist Kyle Korver could prove as important an acquisition as Boozer.
The Atlanta Hawks have made almost no changes to a team that got crushed in four games by the Magic in last season's playoffs. The Milwaukee Bucks have potential, but still appear a year or two away from really competing for a top conference position. After the signing of Amar'e Stoudmire, the New York Knicks will certainly improve on last year's 11th-place conference finish, and a potential trade for Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony could send shockwaves throughout the conference.
Teams like the Toronto Raptors, New Jersey Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Washington Wizards and Indiana Pacers show no evidence of being competitive against the top of the conference, but will still be interesting to watch, largely for their rookies. John Wall's summer-league and preseason performances have given early indications that he was worth the No. 1-overall pick in the draft by Washington. Besides a few exciting players, however, these teams have very little to look forward in the upcoming year.
For the Celtics and Heat, however, next Wednesday night is the first of many steps toward the ultimate goal: an NBA Championship. It's time for the questions to be answered.
