By Sandeep Pulusani

Another year of NBA basketball comes around, and following it comes another year of Eastern Conference embarrassment. The eastside is in a sad state, with top teams that cannot contend with any of the top four in the West. The Eastern Conference playoff race is truly up for grabs. So who’ll make it and who won’t?

8. Toronto Raptors

I almost thought about leaving the Raptors out of the picture. With Vince’s health questionable, the Raptors are uncertain playoff prospects. Sure, they have Alvin Williams, Antonio Davis, and Morris Peterson, and they are all putting up nice numbers. But how far can this team really go with Carter’s knee acting up, and the chance of another recurring injury?

7. Philadelphia 76ers

Who got the better end of that deal? The Sixers lost the defensive giant Mutumbo, who by the way, isn’t looking very young these days. They made a Franchise deal, giving away old cats, and bringing in young ones. Van Horn, though he may be overrated, will provide help for Iverson. Todd MacCulloch won’t completely fill in the defensive horizon that Mutumbo once filled, but his nice hands will give the Sixers something to work with. Ultimately, the Sixers playoff hopes rest on AI’s shoulders.

6. Washington Wizards

Whew, I’m excited. If this team stays healthy, we could once again see His Airness in a playoff game, and who knows what can happen from there. This team has veteran experience (Jordan, Oakley, and even Laetner) mixed in with amazing young talent. If Stackhouse puts the numbers he put up in Detroit, he can take the team to the playoffs. Juan Dixon has great crowd support, coming out of Maryland himself. Kwame Brown looks to be improving, putting in great numbers his opening games. Jordan is continuing to light it up and if he stays healthy, a playoff spot is imminent.

5. Boston Celtics

Who’s Vin Baker? Granted, they made one horrible deal in the preseason. But, the bottom line: They have two of the hardest working players and they will solely take Boston to the playoffs. Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker can, and will, carry this team to the playoffs.

4. New Orleans Hornets

Being situated in a new town is a difficult enough, but when you have an ever-improving Baron Davis and Courtney Alexander, a healthy Mashburn, and P.J Brown, I couldn’t short this team anywhere over 5th seed. Some argue that the Hornets may go all the way, but with a new home town and struggling team chemistry, that might have to wait another year.

3. Indiana Pacers

These guys have transformed. Four years ago, they were overflowing with veterans, and the only one remaining worth mentioning is Mr. Clutch (Reggie Miller).This team is the deepest in the East and is filled with so much young talent, that if all their starters on the team were out for the season, their overall record would still be better than the Knicks. Al Harrington is healthy again, Jamaal Tinsley has lost the fat and gained the muscle, and the inexperienced talent is learning. The only person that can screw their playoff hopes up is Isaiah Thomas.

2. Detroit Pistons

They went 8-0 in the preseason. Mehmet Okur turned plenty of heads away from Yao Ming. Richard Hamilton seems to fit in well after seeming to be hampered by MJ’s presence last year. The rebounding monster Wallace can’t be stopped. Their team is working well together, and this team works their asses off every night. Is that enough to take them to the 2nd seed in the East? Damn right it is.

1. New Jersey Nets

You don’t have to read this to know this fast-paced team will be 1st seed. KMart is still in business, Richard Jefferson’s wide open jumpers and fast break lay-ups are falling, Dikembe Mutumbo is filling the lane, Jason Kidd is on route for an MVP, and Kittles is… who knows? With the exception of the Kings, the Nets are the fastest team in the NBA. Though he’s been old for the past 8 years, Mutumbo is still able to grab the boards and block the shots.

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