The West is the best, but the East is getting better....or Eastern Conference Preview

The East is getting better. Some teams are actually improving in the Eastern Conference. I am not predicting a team from the right side of the map will win the title anytime soon, but they're actually getting better, at least some of them. Here's a quick roundup and some predictions:

Division Champs and other divisional notes

Atlantic: New Jersey. I still think they'll be better day in and day out than Boston and Toronto unless of course they trade Jason Kidd sometime before in February. Of course, Boston has the Big Three and nothing else (but it could be enough to win a playoff series or two) while the Raptors have a very good team in the making, possibly a year or two away from title contention. The Knicks should be very interesting to watch as they have two of the best post-up players in the League in Curry and Randolph and a point guard who's not gonna give them the ball, the one and only Coney Island's Finest, aka Marbury. Philadelphia will have to settle for a few highlights from the jumping Iguodala.

Central: Chicago. This is a very good team with talent (a lot), balance and depth. They could reach the Finals and should win the toughest division in the East. Of course Detroit will be very good (but not great) and Cleveland is still all about LeBron which could prove once again to be enough to reach the Finals; but it won't happen this time. Milwaukee has some talent (i.e. Michael Redd) but too many question marks to contend, including the big Chinese project. Indiana has a very good point guard - center combination (Tinsley and O'Neil) that could even be enough to make the post season in the East but in order to do that a few other players need to raise their games and Tinsley needs to show up every night at his best.

Southeast: Miami. Still like the Heat (Wade has no match in the Conference) better than Charlotte and the Magic, both teams should be much better anyway. Orlando could be good with Howard and new signing Lewis (very good player but definetely overpaid) . The Bobcats lost May for the year before playing a game and that will cost them a chance at the Division; they could be solid anyway. The Wizards have one of the best players in the game, Gilbert Arenas, but basically nothing else is up to the challenge of trying to win the Division.

So, after all...here's what's going to happen:

Playoff Teams: New Jersey, Boston, Toronto, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Miami, Orlando.

Best Team: Chicago. They'll be good, very very good.

Worst Team: Atlanta. They're so consistent in tha dept. I don't feel like going against the odds. They had a very good draft and should improve from last year anyway. They could get a serious challenge by the Sixers this year.

Eastern Conference MVP: Kevin Garnett. He'll score, rebounds and plays in Boston. Should get more votes than LeBron. He's a great player and trade to the East has made him the best player in the Conference.

Eastern Conference Rookie of the East: Al Horford, Atlanta

Celtics record (I think it's worth mentioning since everyone is talking green now): Boston was 24-58 last year but comparing that team with the 2007/08 edition is meaningless. Everyone's new in town. Boston should win 50 games behind the big three.

Eastern Conference Champs: The Chicago Bulls will eventually gain the right to lose to the best team in the West. We all know who we're talking about, aren't we?

Whatever, the West is still (by far) the best..

Go Suns !