Teams listed in predicted finish  ... (r - denotes rookie)
(This is from a contributor. The InsideHoops predicted finish order is coming soon.)

NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE
ATLANTIC DIVISION

Miami Heat
   Last year: 52-30, first
   Coach: Pat Riley (sixth season with Heat, 19th overall)
   Top returnees: Alonzo Mourning, Tim Hardaway, Dan Majerle, Anthony Carter
   New faces: Brian Grant, Eddie Jones, Anthony Mason, Dale Ellis, Don MacLean, Ricky Davis, Todd Fuller, Eddie House-r
   Comment: Maybe this time, Pat Riley got it right. Every year Riley thinks 
he has found the ingredients for a title and every year he's wrong.
   But after acquiring players like Jones, Mason and Grant in the 
off-season, only one question remains: Who will play small forward? Dan 
Majerle has become inconsistent and nothing else, and Dale Ellis is better 
suited for shooting guard. Besides that, Ellis is 726 years old.
   Still, Grant and Mason will be the perfect complements to Mourning in the 
frontcourt. And now that Mourning seems to have grown up, he should be 
better than ever. So will the Heat.

Philadelphia 76ers
   Last year: 49-33, third
   Coach: Larry Brown (fourth year with 76ers, 18th overall)
   Top veterans: Allen Iverson, Theo Ratliff, Toni Kukoc, Eric Snow, Tyrone Hill
   New faces: Speedy Claxton-r, Mark Karchner-r
   Comment: It's amazing what keeping guys together can do for a team. The 
current group of Sixers has been around long enough to become familiar with 
each other, and with Larry Brown. If that weren't enough, they also have the squabbles between Iverson and Brown to bank on.
   Don't think so? History shows that team turmoil can be a good thing in 
the NBA. Look no further than the bickering Bulls of the 1990s for evidence.
   Ratliff and Snow are members of the fictional all-underrated team, and 
Hill doesn't mind being the last option on offense. If Brown can convince 
Kukoc to guard something other than his locker, Philly could actually make a run at the conference finals.

Orlando Magic
   Last year: 41-41, fourth
   Coach: Doc Rivers (second year)
   Top returnees: Darrell Armstrong, Pat Garrity, Michael Doleac, Bo Outlaw
   New faces: Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady, Mike Miller-r, Ed O'Bannon
   Comment: Hill and McGrady are wonderful additions ... but remember, this 
is a team that won with sheer desire and enthusiasm last season. It's hard 
to tell whether Hill and McGrady will hurt such chemistry.      And that 
could be the case once Hill discovers his teammates in Orlando aren't any 
better than the ones he had in Detroit.
   Other than the Bulls dynasty of the '90s, no team has won a championship 
without either a great center or an exceptional point guard. The Magic are 
lacking in both areas -- and Hill is no Michael Jordan.
   It appears Magic is headed for a 45-50 win season and a second-round 
playoff exit.

New Jersey Nets
   Last year: 31-51, sixth
   Coach: Byron Scott (first year)
   Top veterans: Stephon Marbury, Keith Van Horn, Kendall Gill, Kerry 
Kittles
   New faces: Kenyon Martin-r, Soumaila Samake-r, Aaron Williams
   Comment: The Nets needed somebody to show them the way and they may have 
found their man in Byron Scott. The former Lakers great is someone the 
players will respect and listen to, even if he did play during the days of 
tight shorts.
   Martin should fit in well with Marbury and Van Horn, and perhaps help 
Marbury feel comfortable in giving up the ball a little more. Unfortunately 
for the Nets, Kittles' health and Gill's consistency are
question marks. They also don't have a center. Unless you count Jim 
McIlvaine, and nobody really does.
   If the Nets find a shooting guard as productive as Scott used to be, 
they'll be in good shape. As it stands, a playoff appearance is a 
possibility.

New York Knicks
   Last year: 50-32, second
   Coach: Jeff Van Gundy (sixth season)
   Top veterans: Latrell Sprewell, Allan Houston, Marcus Camby, Charlie Ward
   New faces: Glen Rice, Luc Longley, Vernon Maxwell, Travis Knight, Erik 
Strickland, Pete Mickeal-r
   Comment: Let's see ... Sprewell, Houston and Rice. Doesn't exactly rattle 
any thoughts of the league's assist leaders, does it? No matter, Patrick 
Ewing is out and Rice is in -- and the Knicks have become a team with too 
many stand-still shooters. They also have ordinary forwards and no real 
center.
   Van Gundy's first priority will be teaching the likes of Rice and Houston 
how to throw a crisp pass (or any pass). More likely, one of the guards will 
be traded -- and Sprewell would bring the best return.
   Strickland's no-nonsense work ethic could spell the end for at least 
Chris Childs, if not another backcourt player. But the hole at center means 
the end of the Knicks as we knew them. Ewing may not have been the answer but he's better than Luc Longley. If a trip to the playoffs should happen, it won't last.

Washington Wizards
   Last year: 29-53, seventh
   Coach: Leonard Hamilton
   Top veterans: Juwan Howard, Rod Strickland, Mitch Richmond, Richard 
Hamilton
   New faces: Popeye Jones, Felipe Lopez, Cherokee Parks. Dennis Scott, Mike 
Smith-r
   Comment: There are two guys named Mike on this team but each has the last 
name of Smith. The other Mike (Jordan) remains the team's president and has 
no plans to join this bunch of underachievers on the court.
   At least the Wizards actually improved themselves (slightly) by trading 
Ike Austin for Parks, Lopez and Scott. Jones will also breathe some life 
into the frontcourt. But the problems here are too much to overcome. They include Richmond's knees, Howard's lack of support, and Strickland's lame brain.
   Hamilton comes to Washington from Miami, where he coached in the Big 
East. He'll be another example of why college coaches shouldn't experiment 
with the NBA -- and it won't even be Hamilton's fault.
   It'll be (gasp) Jordan's for not getting him the players.

Boston Celtics
   Last year: 35-47, fifth
   Coach: Rick Pitino (fourth season with Celtics, sixth overall)
   Top veterans: Antoine Walker, Paul Pierce, Kenny Anderson, Vitaly 
Potapenko
   New faces: Jerome Moiso-r, Mark Blount-r, John Williams, Randy Brown
Comment: What do you call a team that has nothing and sticks with it? Bad, 
which is exactly what this team will be again.
   Besides Walker and Pierce, the Celtics look like a collection of CBA 
players. In fact, how good they are will have a lot to do with former minor 
leaguers Adrian Griffen and Blount. Meanwhile, Pierce is arguably more valuable to the team than Walker -- and Pierce's status is still undecided as he was stabbed during a night-club altercation during the off-season.
   Pitino has hinted that he'll resign if the Celtics don't improve this season. He probably should be given more thought to what he'll do if they're worse.
 

CENTRAL DIVISION

Indiana Pacers
   Last year: 56-26, first
   Coach: Isiah Thomas (first year)
   Top veterans: Reggie Miller, Jalen Rose, Austin Croshere
   New faces: Jermaine O'Neal, Joe Kleine, Primoz Brezec-r
Comment: Larry Bird is gone. Rik Smits has retired. Mark Jackson is in Toronto, and Dale Davis is in Portland. These aren't the same Pacers who won 56 games and advanced to the Finals.
   Now the spotlight will be on Rose, who is expected to move from small 
forward to point guard, where he'll replace Jackson. He'll certainly pick up 
some pointers from Isiah Thomas -- but remember, Rose was a disappointment before Bird.
   Indiana didn't make an effort to keep Dale Davis, believing that Croshere 
is ready for a starting -- and starring -- role. Miller is Miller, which 
means he'll continue to keep defenses honest with his long-range shooting 
and fiery attitude. Will the Pacers be better than they were last season? 
Probably not.
   But they should still be able to win the weakest division in the league.

Milwaukee Bucks
   Last year: 42-40, fourth
   Coach: George Karl (second year with Bucks, 14th in NBA)
   Top veterans: Ray Allen, Sam Cassell, Glenn Robinson, Tim Thomas
   New faces: Lindsey Hunter, Joel Przybilla-r, Michael Redd-r
   Comment: Not since the days of Sidney Moncrief and Paul Pressey has there 
been this much hope for the Bucks heading into a season. And Bucks fans 
aren't out of line, as Karl is a proven winner and Allen gets better with each passing moment.
   The lone problem is that Cassell finished last year with a whimper, 
taking his teammates down the tubes with him. Then again, Milwaukee may have 
solved that problem in the off-season by obtaining Lindsey Hunter, a 
reliable and -- most importantly -- relaxed playmaker.
   If Przybilla pans out at center and Redd develops into a serviceable 
swingman, the Bucks could still be playing in June.

Toronto Raptors
   Last year: 45-37, third
   Coach: Lenny Wilkens (first year with Raptors, 28th overall)
   Top veterans: Vince Carter, Doug Christie, Antonio Davis, Charles Oakley, 
Kevin Willis
   New faces: Mark Jackson, Morris Peterson-r
   Comment: The Raptors are way too old for an expansion team. They could 
use some young legs in the frontcourt, in the backcourt, and off the bench. 
Besides Carter, all of the expected starters are older than 30.
   Still, this team does have Carter and an accomplished new coach. And 
Lenny Wilkens' main job will be to tone down Carter's over-exuberant act 
while getting the old guys to play with some fire. It won't be easy, but Wilkens has been in worse situations (read: Atlanta).
   Jackson is a point guard who played in the Finals last year, and Peterson 
won an NCAA title. That type of championship mentality could carry the 
Raptors beyond the first round -- but not much further.

Cleveland Cavaliers
   Last year: 32-50, sixth
   Coach: Randy Wittman (second year)
   Top veterans: Lamond Murray, Andre Miller, Brevin Knight, Zydrunas Ilgauskas
   New faces: Bimbo Coles, Chris Gatling, Matt Harpring, Chris Mihm-r, J.R. 
Reid, Robert Traylor, Clarence Weatherspoon
   Comment: Yes, the Cavaliers look like a team with too many misfits. And 
yes, they traded Shawn Kemp.
   But the folks in Cleveland believe they've rid themselves of large egos 
and inert objects -- namely, Kemp himself. They're left with Miller and 
Murray, two guys who are ready to blossom. And in case Mihm isn't ready, the Cavs added a bunch of big bodies to help cover up his mistakes.
   This team isn't ready for a title or anything close. But it will run and 
trap and play the brand of basketball Wittman tried to sell last year. By 
midseason, the Cavs could be an opponent that teams in a playoff race don't want to face. Something they never would have been with Kemp.

Charlotte Hornets
   Last year: 49-33, second
   Coach: Paul Silas (third year with Hornets, fifth overall)
   Top veterans: Derrick Coleman, Elden Campbell, Baron Davis, David Wesley
   New faces: Jamal Mashburn, P.J. Brown, Hersey Hawkins, Tim James, Jamal 
Magloire-r, Lee Nailon-r
   Comment: With the exception of Brown, nobody on this team has shown a 
regular desire to accomplish anything but collect a paycheck. OK, maybe 
that's being too tough on Hawkins, but he's at the end of his career and 
will be lucky to last the season.
   Everything else about the Hornets is uninspiring, including the town in 
which they play. No longer are they the cute little team that featured 
players such as 5-foot-3 point guard Muggsy Bogues and wonder
boy Rex Chapman in the early 1990s. Instead, fans look at them more like a 
bunch of blockheads with no real direction.
   The direction may be a new home in 2001, with New Orleans being the city 
mentioned most. The Hornets can also expect to head south in the standings.

Chicago Bulls
   Last year: 17-65, eighth
   Coach: Tim Floyd, third year.
   Top veterans: Elton Brand, Ron Artest, Brad Miller, Michael Ruffin
   New faces: Marcus Fizer-r, Jamal Crawford-r, Ron Mercer, Khalid 
El-Amin-r, A.J. Guyton-r, Jake Voskuhl-r, Bryce Drew
   Comment: They're still young but at least there's a future. Finally, the 
Bulls have some players they can keep, talented guys who just need time to 
mesh.
   Other than Mercer and backup guard Fred Hoiberg, nobody on the team has 
more than two years of NBA experience. That's the recipe for more growing 
pains, probably severe ones. But by midseason everyone should know where 
they stand, and the Bulls could finish .500 in the second half. That's an 
improvement over last season -- although still not reason enough for fans to 
get excited.
   One thing that hasn't been mentioned much: Tim Floyd is on the hot seat. 
Either the team stops being so pathetic or G.M. Jerry Krause will bring in 
another crony.

Atlanta Hawks
   Last year: 28-54, seventh
   Coach: Lon Kruger (first year)
   Top veterans: Dikembe Mutombo, Jim Jackson, Jason Terry, Alan Henderson
   New faces: DerMarr Johnson-r, Anthony Johnson, Hanno Mottola-r, Scoonie 
Penn-r
   Comment: It shouldn't be as bad as last season, when the Hawks just .... 
quit ... trying. But it's not going to be much better with an inexperienced 
point guard (Terry) and an unproven small forward (DerMarr Johnson).
   Jackson and Mutombo are reliable but limited, and Henderson is coming off 
a season in which he was comatose -- and that was on his better days. Lon 
Kruger came from Illinois, and he'll get an inside look as to why college 
coaches rarely survive in the NBA.
   Mark down four more wins (thank you, Detroit) and more importantly, less 
finger-pointing and moping.

Detroit Pistons
   Last year: 42-40, fourth
   Coach: George Irvine (second year)
   Top veterans: Jerry Stackhouse, Michael Curry, Loy Vaught
   New faces: Chucky Atkins, Mateen Cleaves-r, Billy Owens, John Wallace, 
Ben Wallace, Cedric Ceballos, Brian Cardinal-r
   Comment: The less said, the better.
   OK, how about this -- ever heard of Mikki Moore? No, he's not the 
frontman of an '80s hair band ... he's the Pistons' starting center.
   Then there's the fact that Ben Wallace and Curry will probably be the 
starting forwards, and Eric Montross will probably be the best player off 
the bench. All of this means that George Irvine will probably wish he had 
chosen a more enjoyable hobby, such as pulling out his eyelashes with a tweaser.
   Cleaves won an NCAA championship at Michigan State last season. He once 
said that playing for the Pistons fulfills a lifelong dream. But for Cleaves, Detroit will seem much further away from East Lansing than he ever imagined.

(This is from a contributor. This is not the InsideHoops staff prediction list. Our team rankings by division is coming soon.)

10/4/2000
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