juice:
i still contend that cleveland beat a better team in the eastern finals (detroit) than they were swept by in the championship series (san antonio). to me, detroit is still a much better team than cleveland despite the outcome of that series. cavs just got on a good roll in games 3,4,5,6. i still think the east is detroit's to lose. whether or not boston can make a jump into the cle/mia/chi mix remains to be seen. it could certainly happen. hell, it wouldnt surprise me if washington were to enter that mix as well. or even orlando. east is wide open. but i still think detroit is head and shoulders about the field. i know that prob sounds illogical. but i think detroit is the best ... but able to be taken down with the right matchup.
Detroit's defense keeps them in just about every game they play.
However, their offense can go straight up stagnant at times. Given the fact that Saunders is also not a defensive coach, I see them deteriorating again as the rest of the east catches up.
I'm biased against Cleveland because I hate them, and Washington is treading water, they don't want to play defense and the coach hates them for it.
As I see it, Chicago, Orlando, and perhaps Toronto are poised to make a big jump this year. Miami could also easily return to form with a healthy Wade.
All in all, the conference seems very evenly matched, I can easily see Boston's trio jelling very quickly and grabbing a top 3 seed.
KG in the post, with Allen sniping from 3 and Pierce slashing from the wing is about as impossible defend as anything else. KG also brings a lot to the defensive end and rebounding aspect as well.
I don't like Boston by nature either, but I am looking forward to watching them play