The East is going to be much stronger this year

[thead]

Boston is FLUSH with assets...if they decide to get trade happy they can make some things happen quickly. They already have Rondo in place.

[thead]

Even the garbage teams in the east will be better this season.

Philly will be doing better with Noel on the court
Boston will be doing better with a healthy Rondo
Milwaukee was asbolutely decimated by injuries last season and should be better...Jabari Helps.
Cavs now have Lebron
Atlanta with Horford back
Detroit with SVG will compete...not sure where they end up.
I cant see the Knicks being any worse.

[Letter N]

I'm just glad we're in the Atlantic because the other divisions in the East look really tough next year.

[torch19]

The Southwest division is the toughest in the NBA.

I stand corrected. The central division is the toughest in the East & one of the toughest in the league.

[mcHAPPY]

That is obviously what I meant and should've been crystal clear from the OP

But yet the title is the total opposite of that sentiment and the OP makes no reference of the west.

Regardless I'm giving my .02 on the subject.

[imanshumpert]

But yet the title is the total opposite of that sentiment and the OP makes no reference of the west.

Regardless I'm giving my .02 on the subject.

LeBron moving to the Cavs has actually spread out the balance of power in the East.

I didn't mention the west so i clearly wasn't talking about the East being better than or against that conference.

[Demographic Shift]

LeBron moving to the Cavs has actually spread out the balance of power in the East. Miami still has a good team, and it reminds me a little bit of the 1994 Bulls team after MJ's first retirement. Obviously, Wade's health is a big issue, but I feel like he's going to be VERY motivated this year after being tossed aside by LBJ.

Then you've got the Bulls, replacing Boozer with Pau is huge, then bringing in shooters like McBuckets and Mirotic is going to be awesome for their offense. If Rose is back that's another strong team.

Indiana should still be strong despite likely losing Stephenson, who I think will be signed by the Hornets, who also have a very strong team with a great, young bigman rotation around Al Jeff and excellent perimeter defenders.

Washington brings back their same team essentially but replace Ariza with Pierce. They should be a little better than last year with Beal and Wall improving.

Atlanta was playing amazing with Horford, so if he's healthy I expect them to be very formidable.

Then there's us, bringing back the same team expecting improvement from JV, Ross and DD. Also added some depth with Lou Will, James Johnson and the Brazilians giving us arguably the deepest team in the league.

Cleveland
Chicago
Miami
Toronto
Indiana
Charlotte
Washington
Atlanta

All look very formidable heading into next season. The only playoff team I see regressing are the Brooklyn Bank-Breakers after losing their best perimeter defender in Livingston and Paul Pierce.

Agree. The East IS better than last year. East rebalanced some elite players starting with Lebron. Guys coming back from injury (Horford / Rose). Of the top 10 draft picks 7 came east. Free Agency not a big swinger in that P.Gasol goes to the Bulls and there are 3 impact players left (Monroe,Bledsoe,Stephenson) all save for Monroe will like stay put. SO the east is better.

With Free Agency just about over here is how the improved over last year's East is shaping up by tier.

Fav's to win East Conf
Bulls - Rose comes back to his MVP form and Gasol helps. 1st if Rose stays healthy. 5th to 7th if he doesn't
Cavs - They have the best player in the League and despite Waiters and Irving clown show the King makes everyone better and finshes 2nd with the Diaper darlings in Cleveland.

If everything goes well (no injuries - organic improvement from the roster)
Raps - Same core with organic improvements expected and added bench scoring addition in Lou Williams and a stopper in JJ -3rd (becasue our division gives 4 each with Philly and Boston and the Knicks enough to edge out the Wiz)
Wizards - Same core that went to round 2 of the playoffs and core improving and added vet SF Pierce 4th
Heat - The lose the best player in the game but recover a little by retaining Bosh and getting Deng + McRoberts - 5th or 6th
Indy - Lots of questions about these guys. Still enough talent to contend again but that collapse has to be answered and it hasn't yet. 6th or 5th

Mid Tier - In the mix for the playoffs
Brooklyn - Brook Lopez returns. But they lose Pierce and Livingston. They are this years Atlanta trying to make 8th seed but fall short and finish 9th. Russian oligarch goes ballistic. How the mighty have fallen.
Charlotte - Solid coach and made PO last year. Added only a not yet ready for prime time Noah Vonleh and lost McBob. Kidd-Gilchrist has to improve or he will be relegated to bust status. Biyombo already there. 8th
Atlanta - Get back Horford and Payne who will play some this year. Finished 8th. Likely will do better this year. Fights with Charlotte for 7th and wins.
Detroit - Do they resign Monroe ? Jodies Meeks+ DJ Augustine fit the SVG style but can they figure out Smith - Drummond-Monroe. Cladwell-Pope better. Still have Jennings to run the point which costs them big time. Scrapping for the playoffs but likely miss out at 10th.

Dogs with Fleas
Knicks - Lets see. Lost their defensive anchor in the middle. Highest draft pick was in 2nd round. Resigned Carmello !! but still have on contract Barney/Stoudemire/JR Smiths. Some hope for internal improvement with Shumpert and Hardaway and Caldy to run the point for offense and a sieve on defense.Forgot to add in a ROOKIE head coach with no coaching experience in the largest media centre in the league.[/B]. So yeah NY media should have them winning the division on paper but on the court they finish 10th or 11th.
Philly - Nickname Sam Hinkie the tanker. He fields last years team with more 2nd round picks to fill it out. No FA's. Season ticket holders will have torches and pitchforks at the ready as Phily sells hope and the future again. 15th place.
Orlando - Lots of good young players. Look like they are all in the same place at the 3 / 4 slots. Raw Rookie PG in Payton. Loooong Season ahead with no one to get the ball to the 3/4 group and Olidipo still learning. 13th
Milwaukee - Getting better. Parker will help this year. I think they have best upside of the dogs with fleas. 12th
Boston - Likely the time to trade Rondo. Selling the future in Boston one more year. 14th

[thead]

I understood the OP...not to fling poop or anything

I'd also contend that both the balance of power has spread amongst the eastern conference teams AND I think the conference as a whole is also stronger with even the weaker teams poised to take at least small steps foward.

That being said...Yes the west would murder most of our conference if conferences were abolished

[thead]

can we cool it on the Cavs people...they aren't particularly deep at the moment.

Wiggins is a rookie
Bennet might as well be
Waiters is a ball dominant, defensive sieve
Irving (see Waiters)
Thompson has plateaued.

I mean yes Lebron makes any team a playoff threat but even this team smacks of 7th/8th seed at best THIS YEAR

[mcHAPPY]

I didn't mention the west so i clearly wasn't talking about the East being better than or against that conference.

A serious question: who gives a shit?

My point of view was not an attack on you as a poster or a person.

But since you've made an issue out of it: how is the east stronger against itself? If something is stronger wouldn't it be relative to another entity, say like the west?

Oh darn, I forgot.....who gives a shit!

[thead]

how is the east stronger against itself?

Could be more competitive within itself

[Demographic Shift]

can we cool it on the Cavs people...they aren't particularly deep at the moment.

Wiggins is a rookie
Bennet might as well be
Waiters is a ball dominant, defensive sieve
Irving (see Waiters)
Thompson has plateaued.

I mean yes Lebron makes any team a playoff threat but even this team smacks of 7th/8th seed at best THIS YEAR

All your points bang on.
BUT
Lebron is just the best g*d d*m player out there and he can play 40 minutes a game in a game that has 8-9 players used during the entire game. He just dominates. In spite of the stark reality of what you point out and I agree with you whole heartedly, LBJ will carry this band on his back to a top 3 seeding.

[thead]

without roster moves or more vets signing on I just cant see top 3. If Waiters is moved and Ray Allen and Mike Miller stop by to say whats up...and Verajao stays healthy...maybe

[white men can't jump]

can we cool it on the Cavs people...they aren't particularly deep at the moment.

Wiggins is a rookie
Bennet might as well be
Waiters is a ball dominant, defensive sieve
Irving (see Waiters)
Thompson has plateaued.

I mean yes Lebron makes any team a playoff threat but even this team smacks of 7th/8th seed at best THIS YEAR

Well the pure talent level of this Cavs team is arguably better than the one LeBron left, which went from best to worst with his departure. They definitely can be a top team in the conference. They still need some things to go right, but pretty much any team with LeBron has a chance to win 50 games.

Then you have to count the division. Everyone talking about how the central is the strong division, but only if things go right for all teams.

Indiana hasn't even re-signed Stephenson yet and losing him would be a huge blow as they're not very deep or talented beyond George on the perimeter in that case. Throw in the concern that they might struggle with chemistry, and Hibbert could continue his weak play, and they could take a step back, maybe a big one.

Every Chicago analysis starts with "if Rose is healthy"....well what if he's not? They got much better in the frontcourt with Gasol and Mirotic, but their wing and PG positions are still fairly weak beyond Rose. There's also the chance that even healthy Rose needs a big chunk of the season (say 2-3 months) to adjust.

So that division is a wide open battle with these 3 teams all having the potential to stumble. They could all make the playoffs, but in the end, there could just be only one that looks like a contender.

[Nilanka]

There isn't a single team in the East that I would be afraid of in the playoffs.