By Stefen Lovelace / Lake Ariel PA / AKA Jamal McCracken

Popular opinion is that the NBA Western conference is much better then the East. This is more or less a true statement, but different people interpret this in different ways. Some believe that all the talent is in the West. Team-wise, yes it is. Others think that the East is nowhere nearly as interesting as the West. This year, that's not that case. In the West you've got the Lakers vs. the Kings. That's it. Sure the Mavs are an offensive juggernaut and Tim Duncan's back will be broken in half by 30 from carrying the Spurs, but my interest will be directed toward the East. My reasons:

1) Grant Hill's Health - If he's even 50% healthy, look out for the Magic in the East. If you remember, McGrady was averaging near the low teens while playing for the Raptors, and was supposed to be the compliment to the great game of Grant Hill or Tim Duncan.

Well Hill went down twice, and McGrady took over the reigns like only a true superstar could. Now that Hill may finally be healthy, they may form a 2-man tandem to rival any duo other than Shaq and KB8. Just try to remember those Piston days; before Jason Kidd was a human triple double machine, Hill was the most balanced player in the league. Although he won't be a 20, 8, and 8 guy anymore, 15, 5, and 5 wouldn't be too shabby to go with McGrady's game. Mix that with some great role players in Armstrong, Grant (assuming he can still walk), and hopefully an emergence of Ryan Humphrey, and this team may be a pleasant surprise.

2) The Atlanta Hawks - The Hawks are stacked, point blank. Jason Terry, Glenn Robinson, Shareef Abdul-Rahim, and Theo Ratliff (healthy hopefully) are dangerous. Dangerous enough to make a serious run for that Eastern Conference crown. This team's gotta be legit when they promise to give money back to fans that paid for season tickets. That's confidence, and it'll pay off. The only problem is chemistry, something that will take time to become accustom to. They may struggle early, but a strong second half will lead this team straight to the middle of the playoff pack and could spoil any team's chances of a long playoffs.

3) The Battle between the Pistons, Nets, and Celtics - The three top teams last year only got better over the summer. Though I'm quite skeptical about the trade of Stack, Hamilton may be able to fit the job nicely. Again chemistry will play a role, but by addressing the point guard problem head on with the acquisition of Billups, they'll still be successful. The Nets added Rodney Rogers, Mount Mutombo, and back-up Chris Childs to an already dominant team. Exiling Van Horn out of Jersey was smart considering Jefferson is ready for a breakout year and the players they picked up will help them recapture the Eastern Conference Championship. Mutombo can play in the paint on defense swatting shots, while the other four run the break to perfection. Rogers is basically Van Horn, only no a whining, crying baby, and Childs will play well in his 8 minutes a game. The Celtics, a favorite team of mine, with Baker in the paint will cause some serious headaches for some teams. I think he can give a solid 13 and 8 to mix with Pierce and Walker and he's all they really need to go over the top. Yes, the point guard spot is a problem, but with the likes of Walker and Pierce around, do they really need one?

The East will be interesting, and fun to watch. The champs will come from the West (hopefully the Kings) but the East is still worth a strong look. With the above factors, plus Vinsanity's comeback, AI's new team, and the Hornets always being good, the East should garner some more ratings, and hopefully more respect.