(By Gerry Wang)

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Central Division
-------------------

1.) Charlotte Hornets- The Hornets, yes the Hornets. Yes, the ones from Charlotte, are my pick to respresent the East in the 2000 NBA Finals. They have a team of scrappy, overachieving athletes. Plus they have the fiery youth and leadership of Baron Davis, and the return of a fat plug in the key, Anthony Mason, the NBA's best passing 300 pounder. But what will utlimately push Charlotte to greatness is Eddie Jones and Elden Campbell, who bring their years of playoff experience w/ the Lakers, and will undoubtedly be more accustomed to the environment in Charlotte.

Players to watch:

-> Eddie Jones- Eddie brings pure athleticism to the table every night, and even on his off nights he'll get you 3 steals. Plus he's one of the NBA's best finishers on the break.

-> Baron Davis- UCLA!!! He's too pig headed to play softly. Every time he takes off from the free throw line to dunk, I cringe, because that's how he wrecked his knee last last year. Of course, w/ a recuperated knee he doesn't seem any worse for wear.

Projected starting lineup:
PG- David Wesley
SG- Eddie Jones
C- Elden Campbell
SF- Bobby Phills
PF- Anthony Mason

Key bench players:
PF- Derrick Coleman
PG- Baron Davis

2.) Indiana Pacers- I think this season will be like a death bed type deal for the Pacers. We all know that Larry Bird suffers from a heart condition that will force him to resign after this season. That sure is depressing. Plus the Pacers reek w/ the stench of oldness. Their average age must be like 29, and that's only because Jonathan Bender, the HS phenom, is 19. Indiana will run out of gas by season's end.

Players to watch:

-> Reggie Miller- This toothpick is the best outside shooter I've seen in my lifetime. Any angle, any amount of people in his face, he'll drain it.

-> Jalen Rose- This year is Jalen's turn to finally start, and you'll notice his numbers significantly go up. But the Pacers' wins will go down. Go figure.

-> Jonathan Bender- If he can earn himself some playing time, people are saying grand things about this kid. Hell, he's like 2 years younger than me or something. And he's rich. I'm not. The hell.......

Projected starting lineup:
PG- Mark Jackson
SG- Reggie Miller
C- Rik Smits
SF- Jalen Rose
PF- Dale Davis

Key bench players:
PG- Travis Best
SF- Jonathan Bender
SG- Chris Mullin
PF- Derrick McKey

3.) Toronto Raptors- I have the uneasy feeling that the Raptors went a little too far in trying to add veteran leadership. They had the #5 pick in the draft, which coulda been used on a bonafide PG, which the Raptors sorely lack, but instead they traded the pick for Antonio Davis, a solid veteran fwd, but one who doesn't fulfill their needs. Plus they resigned Charles Oakley rather than trading him for more youthful players. Oh well, at least they have the all world tag team in Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady. Look for Doug Christie to be traded for a real PG this season.

Players to watch:

-> Vince Carter- Vince Carter is probably the next Dominique Wilkins, while Kobe is the next Jordan. Vince's dunks routinely bring the house down, and he's pretty much dunked himself into the NBA Action's Top 10 Plays of the Week Hall of Fame.

-> Tracy McGrady- McGrady's Vince's cousin, and you can tell hops runs in the family. This year McGrady will get more playing time, and will start reminding people of Penny.

Projected starting lineup:
PG- Dee Brown
SG- Vince Carter
C- Kevin Willis
SF- Antonio Davis
PF- Charles Oakley

Key bench players:
SF- Tracy McGrady
SG- Doug Christie
SG- Dell Curry

4.) Atlanta Hawks- Atlanta probably made the 2nd most offseason moves, and although they've gotten flak for getting Isaiah Rider for Steve Smith, keep in mind they also got Jim Jackson, who's been a 20 point scorer before. Don't overlook him. But the rest of the Atlanta team is still intact, especially their defensive rock Dikembe Mutombo. He'll lead the league in blocks and elbows to the face.

Players to watch:

-> Isaiah Rider- This problem child will probably get his ass kicked into the doghouse by mid-season. But when he comes to play, he should lead the Hawks in points. People underestimate his clutch abilities.

-> Jason Terry- Although Bimbo Coles might be starting right now, Terry will earn the right to usurp him, and will admirably lead Atlanta into the playoffs.

-> Lorenzen Wright- If he gets playing time, he'll get you a double double. He was a warrior w/ the Clippers until he got disillusioned w/ their management.

Projected starting lineup:
PG- Jason Terry
SG- Isaiah Rider
C- Dikembe Mutombo
SF- Alan Henderson
PF- Lorenzen Wright

Key bench players:
SF- LaPhonso Ellis
SG- Jim Jackson
SF- Chris Crawford

5.) Cleveland Cavaliers- Every year, the Cavaliers play their slow-ball, forcing their opponents to trudge downcourt in a half-court set, and barely scoring above 70 points a game. This year, coach Mike Fratello is gone, and new, more exciting system should be installed. Look for Cleveland's rookies to shine.

Players to watch:

_	-> Shawn Kemp- Once again, Shawn Kemp has reported to camp as a blimp. Still, he's one of the best forwards in the league, good for a double double every game, as well as reel after reel of highlight dunks.
	-> Zydrunas Ilgauskas- Big man's coming back from a season-ending foot injury. He's a good scorer and decent rebounder. Plus he gets like 2 blocks a game. Might be fantasy sleeper.

-> Andre Miller- The Compton native doesn't play w/ any thug in him. He's not flashy, he's not selfish, and I don't think he has any tattoos on him. Look for him to start.

Projected starting lineup:
PG- Andre Miller
SG- Wesley Person
C- Zydrunas Ilgauskas
SF- Lamond Murray
PF- Shawn Kemp

Key bench players:
SG- Trajan Langdon
PG- Brevin Knight
SF- Cedric Henderson

6.) Milwaukee Bucks- The Bucks have the NBA's most sex-related moniker, w/ 2nd being Miami. You can tell that I don't really have much to say about Milwaukee, a team loaded w/ talent on paper, but find ways to lose games on the court. But they're young, and the return of a healthy Sam Cassell gives the Bucks one of the best starting lineups in the league. It's all about chemistry and coaching now.

Players to watch:

_	-> Glenn Robinson- Big Dog has the ability to score 25 points a game. He's that smooth, that versatile. But the other facets of his game are suspect, especially defense. Is this his year to prove he's an upper-tier player?
	-> Ray Allen- He Got Game! Ray Allen should improve this year, into the 20 points a game range. He's a nice guy, very classy, and should be an All-Star.

Projected starting lineup:
PG- Sam Cassell
SG- Ray Allen
C- Ervin Johnson
SF- Glenn Robinson
PF- J.R. Reid

Key bench players:
SF- Danny Manning
SG- Dale Ellis
SF- Tim Thomas

7.) Detroit Pistons- The Pistons look like a team that ready to combust. I don't think Bison Dele's coming back, and I don't think Grant Hill wants to either next year. They have bad chemistry, no play maker, and no Joe Dumars around to set a good example. One bright spot is Jerome Williams, who is like Dennis Rodman in his younger years. This is will be a down year for the Piss-tons.

Players to watch:

-> Grant Hill- Grant Hill will continue to shoulder most of the load for Detroit, but as usual, he'll be worn down by the end of the season. The fact that he leads his team in 5 statistical categories doesn't mean he's good, it means his team is shit.

Projected starting lineup:
PG- Lindsey Hunter
SG- Jerry Stackhouse
C- Eric Montross
SF- Grant Hill
PF- Christian Laettner

Key bench players:
PG- Derek Harper
PF- Jerome Williams

8.) Chicago Bulls- Don't let the Bulls shitty roster fool you. True, they're shitty, but if you examine the roster more closely, you'll see that about half of the team can readily be waived, clearing cap room. This can only mean that Crumbs Krause is planning a huge free agent signing next year. Tim Duncan and Grant Hill will be on the market. Who knows?

Players to watch:

-> Elton Brand- He'll show why he was the #1 pick in the draft. He might seem short, but damn, he's got big wingspan. Enough to score in the post w/ ease, and yes, he'll be seeing a ton of looks and misses to clean.

-> Ron Artest- It was a crime that Artest slid so far in the draft. The Bulls pulled off an upset by getting him. His secret is his short shorts. Look out for them.

Projected starting lineup:
PG- Randy Brown
SG- Hershey Hawkins
C- Will Perdue
SF- Toni Kukoc
PF- Elton Brand

Key bench players:
SF- Ron Artest

<-- Back Home