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By Jason Palumbo

NEW JERSEY NETS

Off-Season Summary:

After watching his team play in their second straight NBA Finals, the New Jersey Nets' General Manager, Rod Thorn, had an off-season highlighted by the re-signing of franchise player Jason Kidd, and the acquisition of former all-star and two time Defensive Player of the Year Alonzo Mourning. Controversy over supposed disputes between Kidd and head coach Byron Scott, contract issues with starting power forward Kenyon Martin, and the impending sale of the defending Eastern Conference champions kept Thorn busy and probably cost him what hair he had.

Probable starters:
PG - Jason Kidd
SG - Kerry Kittles
SF - Richard Jefferson
PF - Kenyon Martin
C - Alonzo Mourning

Key Reserves:
SG - Lucious Harris
PF - Aaron Williams
C - Jason Collins
F - Rodney Rodgers

Others: C - Dikembe Mutumbo; G - Zoran Planinic; F - Brian Scalabrine; G - Tamar Slay; G - Brandon Armstrong

2003-04 Projection:

Eastern Conference Champions. The Nets did not do much to improve their personnel, but they did enough to stay ahead of the rest of their conference. The only significant loss they suffered was back-up point guard Anthony Johnson, and Planinic should easily be able to replace his contributions. They scored a coup on centers in the East, and if Mourning can contribute at even eighty percent of his all-star form, he will provide an inside game to complement Kidd's running attack. The Nets have questions to answer concerning their lack of outside shooting. Defensively, they should rank among the top teams in the league, especially at producing turnovers with their overall athleticism and their size and shot-blocking in the frontcourt. The only teams in the East whose talent threatened the Nets last year were the Pistons and the Pacers, both of whom will have to adjust to new coaching systems and significant changes in their starting lineups. To compete with the best teams out West, the Nets need to make another move or to hope that Richard Jefferson and Kenyon Martin have improved more than the Olympic qualifying games demonstrated.

BOSTON CELTICS

Off-Season Summary:

The Celtics were not big players in the off-season this year. The most notable change came in the front office where former all-star guard Danny Ainge returned to the organization as Director of Basketball Operations. A draft day trade for point guard Marcus Banks may help to fill the gap left by starting point guard JR Bremer.

Probable Starters:
PG - Marcus Banks
SG - Paul Pierce
SF - Eric Williams
PF - Antoine Walker
C - Tony Battie

Key Reserves:
F - Walter McCarty
F - Jumaine Jones
C/F - Vin Baker
SG - Kedrick Brown
PG - Tony Delk


Others: C - Mark Blount; PG - Mike James; F - Brandon Hunter; C - Kendrick Perkins

2003-04 Projection:

The Celtics have a chance to finish second in their division. Like the Nets, the Celtics did very little to improve their team from the outside but hope to have improved internally. Rumor has it that Vin Baker has confronted his problem with alcohol and is mentally and physically prepared for this coming season, and the word concerning Antoine Walker is that he has trained all summer and is in superb shape. If Baker could return to form or even play his way into the starting line-up alongside Walker and Battie, the Celtics would sport one of the biggest, most talent frountcourts in the East. The other hope is that swingman Kedrick Brown has developed his outside game and ball-handling to complement his tremendous athleticism. Jumaine Jones was an odd off-season acquisition. He is an athletic, hustling forward with good outside range, but his skills largely overlap with Eric Williams and Walter McCarty who are both veterans of coach Jim O'Brien's systems. The only true point guard on the team is Markus Banks, and traditionally small point guard do not fare well during rookie campaigns. Once again the team will look to Pierce as their primary scorer and playmaker. Pierce needs to learn to make the smart passes consistently, like Jordan did under Phil Jackson, if the Celtics hope to unseat the Nets.

ORLANDO MAGIC

Off-Season Summary:

The Magic drafted guards Reece Gaines and Keith Bogans in an attempt to find a big point guard to play beside McGrady. They also signed veteran point guard Tyronn Lue to help the rookies develop. The team lost veteran big man Shawn Kemp but picked up former all-star Juwan Howard.

Probable Starters:
PG - Tyronn Lue
SG - Tracy McGrady
SF - Gordan Giricek
PF - Juwon Howard
F/C - Drew Gooden

Key Reserves:
C - Andrew DeClerq
PF - Pat Garrity
G - Reece Gaines
G - Keith Bogans


Others: C/F - Stephen Hunter; F - Donnell Harvey; G - Jeryl Sasser

2003-04 Projection:

The Magic has the talent to get out of the first round of the playoffs this year, but they may not have the size. Unless Stephen Hunter has bulked up considerably, there is not a legitiment NBA center on the team. While moonlighting power forwards may get the job done during the regular season, New Jersey, Detroit, Charlotte, and even Philadelphia may be able to take advantage of Orlando on the offensive boards. Coach Doc Rivers has finally decided to prepare for a season with no intention of including Grant Hill on his active roster, though Hill is not yet ready to give up. This team could be a real sleeper in the East. McGrady is unguardable, and this is the best team he has ever had around him. They may take time to gel in the first few months, but they should be very dangerous down the stretch. That is as long as McGrady's back holds up to the rigors of the season. Hopefully the inclusion of so many swing players and forwards on the team will alleviate some of TMac's minutes and leave him fresh for the final push. Without him the team collapses.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

Off-Season Summary:

The good news is that the team scored a legitimate center in Marc Jackson and their first legitimate second scoring option since Hersey Hawkins left in Glen Robinson. The bad news is that they lost the best coach in the conference. Re-signing Derrick Coleman keeps size and experience in their frontcourt. The team spent a lot of money to retain Kenny Thomas. Now he needs to step up at both ends of the floor. Losing Brian Skinner may be a painful reduction in their frontcourt depth. Iverson displayed some very point guard-like tendencies in the Olympic qualifiers this summer, but does he have anybody to run with, and can anybody else on the team really play the shooting guard position? The team's only major loss from its player roster was Keith Van Horn whose 16 points and 7 rebounds the team will have to replace.

Probable starters:
PG - Eric Snow
SG - Allen Iverson
SF - Glen Robinson
PF - Kenny Thomas
F/C - Derrick Coleman

Key Reserves:
G/F - Aaron McKie
C - Marc Jackson
G - John Salmons
F - Monty Williams
G - Greg Buckner

Others: F/C - Amal McCaskill; C - Samuel Dalembert; G - Willie Green; F - Kyle Korver

2003-04 Projection:

The Sixers are a difficult team to predict because there is no telling how traumatic the loss of head coach Larry Brown may be. Sliding Brown's assistant Randy Ayers into the head coaching vacancy was a savvy move by the front office, because this is a veteran squad who can succeed in the current system. The starting talent of this team may have improved with the addition of Glen Robinson whose quick release jumper, post-skills, and clutch shooting should lift some of the scoring burden from Iverson's shoulders. Robinson's defensive intensity has been notoriously absent throughout his career, and that may hurt team chemistry. Depth is also an issue with a career-threatening nerve disorder sidelining former starting center Todd MacCulloch. Kenny Thomas will have to be more of a force on the boards to make up for the rebounding discrepancy between Robinson and Van Horn. The 76ers are still a playoff team, but they may have slipped a little this off-season.

MIAMI HEAT

Off-Season Summary:

Pat Riley lost Alonzo Mourning and all of his point guards, but he improved his team nevertheless. Rookie Dwyane Wade may be the least heralded of the top five draft picks, but he has the potential to steal the Rookie of the Year award from the big three. Then there is Lamar Odom. He could be the franchise savior, or he could be three strikes and out of the league. How he plays will determine the success or failure of the Heat's off-season.

Probable Starters:
PG - Dwyane Wade
SG - Eddie Jones
SF - Caron Butler
PF - Lamar Odom
C - Brian Grant

Key Reserves:
SG - Rasual Butler
PF - Samaki Walker
C - Loren Woods
PG - Rafer Alston
PG - Bimbo Coles

Others: PF - Malik Allen; F - John Wallace; SF - Sean Lampley; PF - Jerome Beasley

2003-04 Projection:

Overall, the Heat have the most talent, the best coach, and best health left in the Atlantic Division. It's doubtful any of that will earn them a playoff berth, but in the Eastern Conference, who knows? Riley's gamble to pick up Lamar Odom was probably the right thing to do, because at this point it is abundantly clear that Eddie Jones is not a franchise player. Admittedly this is a rebuilding year for Miami, but the infusion of youth and talent in the team may be enough to pull them over the hill. Antonio McDyess's knee may have more to do with their post-season chances than anything else. Hailing Wade's rookie year, Caron Butler's sophomore year, and Odom's first year out of Clipperdom, this season may be a sign of things to come in Miami.

WASHINGTON WIZARDS

Off-Season Summary:

The team lost Michael Jordan, but, ironically, this may be a turning point in the right direction. The team also lost point guard Tyronn Lue and power forward Charles Oakley. The team gained point guards Gilbert Arenas, who is a budding star, and Chris Whitney and rookies Jarvis Hayes and Steve Blake.

Probable Starters:
PG - Gilbert Arenas
SG - Jerry Stackhouse
SF - Jared Jeffries
PF - Kwame Brown
C - Brendon Haywood

Key Reserves:
SG - Larry Hughes
PG - Chris Whitney
C - Jahidi White
PF - Christian Laettner
G - Juan Dixon


Others: F/C - Etan Thomas; F/G - Jarvis Hayes; G - Steve Blake

2003-04 Projection:

Upon signing with Washington, Arenas predicted playoffs for the Wiz, but barring a breakout season from most of their frontcourt, the former Most Improved Player of the Year will have to wait to see the post-season. While Christian Laettner will probably start at first, Kwame Brown, provided he earns it, should eventually take over. This already young team replaced veterans with youth. The advantage the team will have over last season is a coach who is allowed to coach without ownership, players, and Michael Jordan all over him and a healthy team. Last year the Wizards suffered a multitude of injuries that kept them from playing consistent ball, and hopefully this season will be different. If Haywood and Brown ever become the starting caliber players many predicted them to be, the Wizards will have excellent size top to bottom. For the Wizards to fight their way into the top eight in the East, they'll need Eddie Jordan to prove that he truly was the mind behind the Nets, Kwame Brown to prove that he belonged in that number one draft slot, Jared Jeffries to prove that he's ready to start in the NBA, Jerry Stackhouse to prove that he can still carry a team, and Gilbert Arenas to prove that he's worth the hype. They've got a lot to prove.

NEW YORK KNICKS

Off-Season Summary:

They lost their best player. (Then again, Detroit lost their best player last year and went to the Eastern Conference Finals.) Allan Houston is coming off of arthroscopic knee surgery. Antonio McDyess never finished coming back from his arthroscopic surgery before he needed patella surgery, and now he's coming back from that. They did pick up Keith Van Horn and two rookies who play pretty much the same positions as Keith with similar skills. At least they trimmed some excess swingmen away.

Probable Starters:
PG - Howard Eisley
SG - Allan Houston
SF - Keith Van Horn
PF - Antonio McDyess
F/C - Kurt Thomas

Key Reserves:
PG - Charlie Ward
SG - Shandon Anderson
PG - Frank Williams
PF - Clarence Weatherspoon
C - Michael Doleac

Others: F/C - Othella Harrington; C - Travis Knight; F - Maciej Lampe; F - Mike Sweetney; C - Slavko Vranes

2003-04 Projection:

In a perfect world, all players would be healthy, and New York would be fighting for the seventh or eighth seed in the East. Unfortunately most the players on the team not coming off surgery are either new to the franchise or old. Just old. The season hinges on the hinged joints of Houston's and McDyess's knees. If those two are healthy, the Knicks have a great chance at stealing the eighth spot in the playoffs, otherwise this will be a good opportunity to see if Scott Layden got a gem in Lampe so late in the draft. The team defense may suffer in the absence of Latrell Sprewell, but Van Horn will improve their rebounding. The Knicks desperately need someone to stand up and provide some direction.