'09-'10 Preview: Southeast

Southeast Division: This is not a bad division. Orlando should remain an elite team in the NBA and Atlanta has a chance to be very good. The 3, 4 and 5 spots are up for grabs but the guess here is that Larry Brown takes the next step in getting Charlotte to the playoffs while the Heat prepare for the departure of D-wade. The Wizards should not be very good. If they are it will be because Arenas has taken the next step into one of the game’s top players.


1. Magic: There was a lot of turnover for a team that reached the NBA Finals last year. Gone are Hedu, Courteney Lee and Skip to my Lou. Replaced by Vince Carter and Brandon Bass. This should continue to be one of the elite teams if Jameer Nelson can fully recover from injury and Vince Carter can fit in to the team. Hedo will be missed if Carter starts bombing away.

2. Hawks: Solid team top to bottom. Solidified the bench by adding Joe Smith, Jamal Crawford and Jason Collins. If Marvin Williams can continue to develop and Josh Smith can stay focused, this team could very well challenge Orlando.

3. Bobcats: Larry Brown’s team has some talent. They need consiatant PG play from Felton and/or Augustin and somebody other than Wallace to score. Boris Diaw needs to develop consistency. Gerald Henderson could impact the team right away.

4. Heat: It’s been an interesting off-season for Michael Beasley. We know about the rehab and the passing out on the boat but what we don’t know is if he played any basketball. This team should hover around the .500 mark again.

5. Bullets: This team will go as far as Gilbert can take them. He played 2 games last year, lets hope he improves on that. Apparently Brandon Haywood is still in the league.

Players to Watch: Jameer Nelson. How does he recover from last year’s injury. He hurried back for the Finals but was very rusty. The guy is a leader and it will be important for him to incorporate Vinsanity into the game without Superman getting pissed.

Players to Hate: J.J. Redick