Boston Celtics
COACH: Doc Rivers (1st season).
LAST SEASON: 36-46. Lost in 1st round of playoffs.
MEN AT WORK: While PG Gary Payton (14.6 points per game, 4.2 rebounds per game)
grabbed all the headlines when he was traded back East, the player in the spotlight
for Rivers’ first team might be PF Raef LaFrentz (7.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg). He sat
out most of last season with tendinitis in his right knee and will join former
Kansas Jayhawk teammate Paul Pierce, who is no doubt the leader of a Celtics squad
that slipped some last season after making it to the 2003 Eastern Conference Finals.
A re-signed Mark Blount (10.3 ppg, 7.2 rpg) also is back at center.
DANGEROUS INTERSECTION: Pierce was the NBA’s fifth-leading scorer a year
ago with 23 ppg, but he will be in trouble if Payton and guard Ricky Davis (14.4
ppg, 4.5 rpg) do not adapt to their roles in Boston’s system and cause chemistry
problems. Rivers also has four rookies in draft picks Al Jefferson, Delonte West,
Tony Allen and Justin Reed. They are all expected to be able to contribute early,
but with aging veterans like Payton and the questionable health of LaFrentz, there
are still question marks.
EXIT: With a new coach and young backups, Boston might not be able to improve
much on last year’s win total.
New Jersey Nets
COACH: Lawrence Frank (2nd season, 25-15) took over when Byron Scott was fired
Jan. 26.
LAST SEASON: 47-35. Lost in Eastern Conference semifinals.
MEN AT WORK: With PF Kenyon Martin (16.6 ppg, 9.5 rpg) gone to the Denver Nuggets,
the Nets will lean a lot on SF Richard Jefferson and PG Jason Kidd. Jefferson
(18.5 ppg) and Kidd (9.2 apg) are the only two of New Jersey’s top six scorers
last season that are on the 2004-05 roster. The Nets’ 3-point shooters are
gone_Lucious Harris was waived, Kerry Kittles was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers
and Rodney Rogers left as a free agent. PF/C Alonzo Mourning (8 ppg, 2.3 rpg),
who had a kidney transplant, hopes to get back on the court again.
DANGEROUS INTERSECTION: The Nets’ prospects might depend largely on Jefferson’s
leadership. Kidd had significant knee surgery in the offseason, and it is unclear
when he might return. The departure of Martin, Harris, Kittles and Rogers also
upset Kidd, who signed a long-term contract with the hopes of continuing to compete
for a title.
EXIT: Frank reeled off a 13-game winning streak after taking over for Scott. The
Nets need magic like that if they want to get even close to repeating last year’s
output, especially if Kidd misses significant time or is traded.
New York Knicks
COACH: Lenny Wilkens (2nd season, 23-19) took over for Don Chaney on Jan. 14.
LAST SEASON: 39-43. Lost in 1st round of playoffs.
MEN AT WORK: With the addition of guard Jamal Crawford (17.3 ppg) from the Chicago
Bulls, the Knicks have made The Stephon Marbury (20.2 ppg) Show a two-headed dragon.
Marbury will give up some playing time, sure, but when you add him to the likes
of Allan Houston (18.5 ppg) and Kurt (11.1 ppg, 8.3 rpg) and Tim Thomas (14.7
ppg, 4.8 rpg), the able Wilkens, who is coaching for a 32nd season, has plenty
of players.
DANGEROUS INTERSECTION: One word_depth. Despite having one of the league’s
largest payrolls and loads of talent, the Knicks’ bench is kind of shaky,
and injuries are a concern. They have veterans such as Penny Hardaway, Shandon
Anderson and Jerome Williams backing up their talented starters. But if the Knicks
can’t get some stellar playmaking by Hardaway, energy from Williams and scoring
from Anderson, their chances of improving a lot are dim.
EXIT: New York amassed only 39 wins last season because of a slow start. In their
first season together, Marbury and Crawford will have to learn how to play together
before this group will go deep into the playoffs.
Philadelphia 76ers
COACH: Jim O’Brien (1st season) takes over in Philadelphia after quitting
as coach of the Celtics midway through his 4th season in Boston.
LAST SEASON: 33-49, 5th in Atlantic Division.
MEN AT WORK: On Tuesday, O’Brien shook up his starting lineup, naming SG
Aaron McKie, C Marc Jackson and rookie SF Andre Iguodala to team with all-star
PG Allen Iverson (26 ppg) and PF Kenny Thomas (13.6 ppg, 10.1 rpg). McKie replaced
SG Willie Green, Jackson took the spot of Samuel Dalembert (8 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 2.3
blocks per game) and Iguodala bounced Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson. Dalembert
had struggled to learn O’Brien’s defensive system, and Robinson never
has been known as a good defender.
DANGEROUS INTERSECTION: Iverson was one of the few players originally chosen for
the 2004 Dream Team who did not back out of the Olympics this summer, proving
his maturity as he approaches age 30. Whether or not that maturity rubs off on
his teammates is the biggest pause for O’Brien’s team. A pouty Robinson,
who complained about playing time last season, could spoil chemistry.
EXIT: The Sixers will be the surprise of the conference or struggle all season.
Their roster looks good, but how they will mesh is unclear.
Toronto Raptors
COACH: Sam Mitchell (1st season).
LAST SEASON: 33-49, 6th in the Central Division.
MEN AT WORK: Swingman Vince Carter (22.5 ppg, 1.21 spg) out of Daytona Beach Mainland
has asked to be traded, but the Raptors have said they won’t make a deal
unless it makes them better. So he is returning for another go as their top scoring
threat. Carter will be joined again by Jalen Rose (15.5 ppg, 4 rpg) and by new
PG Rafer Alston (10.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg). Alston, a longtime streetball legend, signed
his first long-term NBA contract and will carry the load at the point unless Alvin
Williams (8.8 ppg, 4 apg) returns from injuries. Second-year center Chris Bosh
(11.5 ppg, 7.4 rpg) came up big last season.
DANGEROUS INTERSECTION: Rose and Carter had a little trouble sharing the spotlight
last season, and it could be a point of concern this season for Mitchell and add
to Carter’s frustration. Also, Toronto is confident in Alston, but he is
not intended to be the starter. If Williams is healthy, he is the natural choice.
The team could suffer if Alston has to shoulder the duties long term.
EXIT: The playoffs aren’t a pipe dream for the Raptors, but they need Williams
to recover earlier than expected, Bosh to continue to show progress and some bench
players to step up.
CENTRAL DIVISION
Cleveland Cavaliers
COACH: Paul Silas (2nd season, 35-47).
LAST SEASON: 35-47, 5th in Central Division.
MEN AT WORK: Like last year, the spotlight will be on SF LeBron James (20.9 points
per game, 5.5 rebounds per game and 5.9 assists per game), who had an incredible
Rookie of the Year season. The shock of PF Carlos Boozer leaving for the Utah
Jazz has faded. The hole isn’t as wide with C Zydrunas Ilgauskas (15.3 ppg,
8.1 rpg) in the middle and PF Drew Gooden, acquired in a summer trade with the
Orlando Magic, averaging about 11 rebounds and 10 points per game in the preseason.
Toss in a healthy Jeff McInnis (12.8 ppg, and 2.5 rpg) and Eric Snow (10.3 ppg,
6.9 apg) at the guard spots, and the Cavs have a very capable starting five.
DANGEROUS INTERSECTION: The hope is that lottery pick Luke Jackson can help solve
some of the Cavaliers’ atrocious outside-shooting woes. Last season, Cleveland
was 21st among 29 NBA teams in field-goal percentage, connecting on 43 percent
of its shots.
EXIT: Cavs fans haven’t seen a playoff team since 1997-98. Paul Silas is
one of the best X’s and O’s coaches for young talent, especially with
young big men such as Gooden. This team has loads of it, so look for Silas to
excel and this team to get back to the postseason.
Chicago Bulls
COACH: Scott Skiles (2nd season, 19-47 as he took over for Bill Cartwright).
LAST SEASON: 23-59, 8th in Central Division.
MEN AT WORK: Youth, youth and more youth is the story. The Bulls saw the last
piece of their championship past leave when Scottie Pippen announced his retirement
after battling nagging injuries. The good news is there is plenty of potential
for the young talent. Their top returning scorer and starter is Eddy Curry (14.7
ppg, 6.2 rpg). Kirk Hinrich (12 ppg, 3.4 rpg) at point guard also is a great scorer.
Tyson Chandler (6.1 ppg, 7.7 rpg) starts at power forward, and rookie SG Ben Gordon
helped Connecticut win the NCAA title last season.
DANGEROUS INTERSECTION: The inexperience of its players also could hurt Chicago.
A rookie in your starting lineup (Gordon) is always a risk. With Luol Deng and
Andres Nocioni also expected to log big minutes, rookies will be forced to put
up numbers for the Bulls to succeed. They also need Curry to be ready to step
up to his full potential and for Chandler to stay healthy.
EXIT: There is no getting around the age or inexperience of the players. The new-look
Bulls have potential but cannot afford a big learning curve if they hope to make
the playoffs this season. They likely are at least a season away.
Detroit Pistons
COACH: Larry Brown (2nd season, 54-28).
LAST SEASON: 54-28. Won NBA championship.
MEN AT WORK: If you need proof that the Pistons have the best starting five in
the East_and maybe the entire league_look no further than the balance of their
statistics from last season. Except for F/C Ben Wallace (9.5 ppg), all but one
of their starters averaged double figures, but his 12.4 rpg and lunch-bucket work
ethic more than made up for it. He again is joined by PG Chauncey Billups (16.9
ppg, 5.7 apg), SG Richard Hamilton (17.6 ppg), SF Tayshaun Prince (10.3 ppg) and
F/C Rasheed Wallace (16 ppg, 6.8 rpg). Billups’ scoring and rebounding numbers
last season were career highs.
DANGEROUS INTERSECTION: It’s hard to find fault with the defending champions.
They lost their top bench players (Corliss Williamson and Mehmet Okur) from last
season and added Antonio McDyess and Derrick Coleman. They could hit bumps in
the road if Brown becomes too exhausted after coaching at the Athens Olympics
this summer or if Wallace gets in a bad emotional state.
EXIT: Repeat champions? Why not? They have their starting five back and rearing
to defend, and they seemingly have plugged all the holes on their bench.
Indiana Pacers
COACH: Rick Carlisle (2nd season, 61-21).
LAST SEASON: Best record in NBA at 61-21. Lost in Eastern Conference Finals.
MEN AT WORK: Indiana has the East’s best one-two punch in SF Ron Artest and
PF Jermaine O’Neal. As long as he wasn’t suspended or on the verge of
mischief, Artest’s (18.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg) defensive skills and toughness had
the kind of impact that drew comparisons to Dennis Rodman. Combine that with O’Neal’s
20.1 ppg and 10 rpg, and hot shot Reggie Miller, and the Pacers again are a threat
for the league’s best record. To add scoring and clear a logjam at forward,
Indiana acquired SG Stephen Jackson (18.1 ppg) from the Atlanta Hawks for Al Harrington
(13.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg).
DANGEROUS INTERSECTION: Having Artest on your roster adds some uncertainty. What
happens if he blows up? He made some noise this summer about how he was the Pacers’
MVP, not O’Neal. Carlisle was able to keep him in check for most of last
season’s conference finals run. Also, O’Neal has been bothered by nagging
injuries since last season, and starting C Jeff Foster will miss 4-6 weeks after
right hip surgery.
EXIT: Other than the Miami Heat, the Pacers are the only team that can challenge
the Detroit Pistons for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
Milwaukee Bucks
COACH: Terry Porter (2nd season, 41-41).
LAST SEASON: 41-41. Lost in 1st round of Eastern Conference playoffs.
MEN AT WORK: Michael Redd (21.7 ppg, 5 rpg) is the top returning scorer, but the
bulls-eye is stapled to the back of F Keith Van Horn. Van Horn (16.1 ppg, 7 rpg)
is free of the criticism that likely resulted in him leaving New Jersey and New
York but must carry some of the load. Flashy SF Desmond Mason also averaged 14.4
ppg and 4.4 rpg a year ago.
DANGEROUS INTERSECTION: Redd, the NBA’s 10th-leading scorer in 2003-04, and
Van Horn probably will have to put up big numbers again for Porter’s team
to return to playoffs. The lack of an established center, the possibility that
Redd’s pending free agency could become a distraction and the uncertain long-term
status of PG T.J. Ford might be factors, too.
EXIT: Everything clicked last season as Porter coached the Bucks to the playoffs
in his first season. That has to happen again. Either Mike James or Maurice Williams
will have to duplicate Ford’s 6.5 assists-per-game performance from last
season before he sustained a freak spinal-cord injury. He is, to date, unavailable,
and his replacement, Damon Jones, left as a free agent in the offseason to play
with the Miami Heat.
ATLANTIC DIVISION
Atlanta Hawks
COACH: Mike Woodson (1st season).
LAST SEASON: 28-54, 7th in the Central Division.
MEN AT WORK: The Hawks have averaged only 30 wins a season since 2000 and desperately
needed an overhaul. Woodson comes to Atlanta via the NBA champion Detroit Pistons,
where he was an assistant coach. He has four new faces in Atlanta’s starting
five_all offseason acquisitions via trades and free agency. Garnering the most
attention is 24-year-old SF Al Harrington (13.3 points per game, 6.4 rebounds
per game). He comes from the Indiana Pacers’ pipeline of young producers
and will be joined by PF Antoine Walker (14 ppg, 8.3 rpg) and C Jason Collier
(11.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg).
DANGEROUS INTERSECTION: It will be hard for Woodson to help a team with so many
new faces find some cohesiveness and chemistry early. Atlanta’s management
must hope he can somehow tap into the philosophies that put Motown’s team
at the top of the charts.
EXIT: The bad news is the Hawks still are rebuilding. The good news is that every
other team in the new Southeast Division is, too. They won’t get into the
playoffs just by tucking in behind the Southeast Division favorite Miami Heat,
though. With a young, energetic coach who has a good NBA mind like Woodson, they
should improve a lot.
Charlotte Bobcats
COACH: Bernie Bickerstaff (1st season).
LAST SEASON: Inaugural season.
MEN AT WORK: The Bobcats decided to build their team around youth – beginning
with No. 2 NBA draft pick Emeka Okafor, a center/power forward. The Magic passed
on the former Connecticut star, and he became the no-brainer choice for the expansion
Bobcats. Okafor might wind up being the best fit for Bickerstaff’s first
bunch, though. To Okafor, Charlotte adds 14th-year veteran SG Steve Smith (5 ppg)
and a host of youth_including swingman Jason Kapono (3.5 ppg, 1.3 rpg) and SF
Gerald Wallace (2 ppg, 2 rpg).
DANGEROUS INTERSECTION: You name it, and it’s a question mark for the Bobcats.
Okafor, the Most Outstanding Player in UConn’s run to the NCAA title, will
be a great player in time, but their investment in him is for the long term. Bickerstaff’s
mission is to help the Bobcats continue to improve and see to it that their future
franchise player doesn’t sustain too many bumps and bruises.
EXIT: In the NBA, times can get really bad, really quickly. Just ask the 2003-04
Orlando Magic. The Bobcats have some decent young players, but most of them have
not played a lot in the league. That might make them hungry. Even if they overachieve,
though, they probably will dwell mostly in the cellar this season.
Miami Heat
COACH: Stan Van Gundy (2nd season, 42-40).
LAST SEASON: 42-40. Lost in Eastern Conference semifinals.
MEN AT WORK: The story of the Eastern Conference is Shaquille O’Neal’s
return to the state where he began his NBA career, with the intrastate and division
rival. Slimmer and eager to punish the East teams (as well as ex-teammate Kobe
Bryant), O’Neal (21.5 ppg, 11.5 rpg) will anchor a revamped team that advanced
in the playoffs last season. The Heat also have second-year stud Dwyane Wade (16.2
ppg, 4 rpg) and SF Eddie Jones (17.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg), a former a teammate of O’Neal’s
with the Lakers.
DANGEROUS INTERSECTION: At age 32, Shaq’s health was the chief concern heading
into the offseason, but his work in the gym has built a fitter, more agile Diesel.
The trade that brought O’Neal to Miami also cut into its ability to score
from the perimeter.
EXIT: The Pacers and defending champion Pistons aren’t going to hand O’Neal
and the Heat the East. The Pistons are confident they know how to beat him, after
taking down the Lakers dynasty in June. The Big Fella makes the game easier for
teammates, but Van Gundy admits that crafting schemes to use other players with
O’Neal could be a challenge. No doubt he will be entertaining.
Orlando Magic
COACH: Johnny Davis (2nd season, 20-51) took over for Doc Rivers after the Orlando
Magic started last season 1-10.
LAST SEASON: 21-61, the worst record in the NBA.
MEN AT WORK: New General Manager John Weisbrod hired a whole new crew. Rather
than adding a star and role players around two-time NBA scoring champ Tracy McGrady,
he made the controversial decision to deal the two-time All NBA first-team star
who was born in Central Florida. In return, he got three-time all-star PG Steve
Francis, SG Cuttino Mobley and C Kelvin Cato from the Houston Rockets. Weisbrod
drafted high school PF Dwight Howard with the No. 1 pick in the draft and acquired
PG Jameer Nelson, who was chosen No. 20. He also added defensive standout Stacey
Augmon and sent PF Drew Gooden and second-round pick Anderson Varejao to the Cleveland
Cavaliers for veteran big man Tony Battie.
DANGEROUS INTERSECTION: Davis is 44-111 in two stints as a coach so he must prove
he can guide a turnaround and do so with an almost entirely new roster. A healthy
Grant Hill would help.
EXIT: Weisbrod said he expects this team to contend for a playoff spot. Few teams
have managed such a big improvement in one year, especially with so many new additions.
Washington Wizards
COACH: Eddie Jordan (2nd season, 25-57).
LAST SEASON: 25-57, 6th in the Atlantic Division.
MEN AT WORK: Former No. 1 pick Kwame Brown (10.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg) has experienced
his growing pains and then some. He has shown flashes of the talent that Michael
Jordan and others saw when they drafted him straight out of high school in 2001,
but this could be his breakout season. He is joined by guards Gilbert Arenas (19.6
ppg, 4.6 rpg) and Larry Hughes (18.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg) and PF Antawn Jamison (14.8
ppg, 6.3 rpg).
DANGEROUS INTERSECTION: Relying on so much youth is always risky, but the Wizards
traded for Jamison to add an experienced and dependable veteran, replacing mercurial
SG Jerry Stackhouse. They are hoping Jamison’s steadiness will help them
climb the standings and get into playoff contention for the first time since the
1996-97 season.
EXIT: With better health this season, this team is much improved from the injury-plagued
squad that notched just 25 wins a year ago. If they can get an expected much improved
effort from Brown, the Wizards might finish just out of the top eight teams in
the Eastern Conference that will make the postseason and look to build on that.
(c) 2004, The Orlando Sentinel (Fla.). Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.