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Early NBA season observations:

-- The Heat have issues, and none of them have to do with Shaq, who will be back soon enough for them. Miami is staring down early point guard issues, and did you notice, in every game except the one against the Bucks, Jason Williams was on the bench in the fourth quarter in favor of veteran Gary Payton? J-Will has done a terrible job of getting the ball to Dwayne Wade, who should be the focal point of the Heat offense with Shaq on the shelf. And if Wade can play the two, why can't Williams? He is a spot up shooter, and inconsistent as a point guard, while Wade can pass and shoot. The Heat reached the Eastern Finals last year with him running the point.

-- Detroit has steamrolled through their first three games, struggling a bit in Boston, but waxing both the Sixers and Raptors and Kings, on their way to a 4-0 start. I picked Miami to win the East, but with seemingly everybody picking Indy or the Heat, it seems we're forgetting about the Pistons. They have the same team as last year, and they're adapting to a new coach very well. Detroit, just like they have the last few years, will be there until the end, and may be the last ones standing - at least in the East.

-- The bad teams this year are totally awful so far. Portland, Atlanta and Toronto are three of the worst teams I have ever seen. The only win between the three was Portland, who beat, you guessed it, Atlanta, in a close, horribly played game. The Raptors and Blazers are a total mess. Toronto has dropped to 0-4 after their loss to Cleveland, and they show no signs of getting any better. The Blazers at least have a chance to improve a little this year, but I don't see them doing anything either. If either the Raps or Blazers don't get it in gear fast, they could be looking at the 9-73 mark the Sixers set back in 1973.

Let's take a look at some underrated and overrated teams:

Overrated

- Philadelphia: The most underrated piece of news of this offseason was the season ending injury to Sixers point guard Willie Green. Starting the year with Iverson at point didn't work, and having a mish-mosh of Kevin Ollie, Kyle Korver and the kitchen sink trying to bring it up isn't working either. It takes Philly 15 seconds to get into their offense, and with that, Chris Webber gets no time to create or re-post on a set. Philly is in desperate need of a point guard, so somebody tell Miami to send one of their headaches there.

- Cleveland: Sure, the Cavs will make the playoffs, but a title contender? C'mon, that's nonsense. LeBron took 27 shots the other night in Memphis, far too many for the team "distributor." The team needs to develop into more of a team before they're ready to compete for a title.

Underrated

- Chicago: The Bulls just took the Spurs to overtime, and still, they'll get no respect. Since they moved Eddy Curry, a few of these brilliant experts say they can't win without a fat lazy bum with a bad ticker. They say the Bulls are too small, and you can't win if you're undersized. That is wholly untrue. What most people equate a lack of size with is being too soft. This Bulls team may be small, by they are by no means soft. Nocioni, Deng, Chandler, Hinrich and company will beat you down, and pressure you from all angles. This team, as long as they play hard and defend, is a legit playoff contender, Eddy Curry or not.

- Utah: Why can't the Jazz get any respect? They had a bunch of injuries last year, and I think everybody is overlooking this team. They have great, mobile size with Okur, Boozer (once he actually plays) and Kirilenko all over 6-9, and under Jerry Sloan, they'll play defense. Utah is tough, they play the right way, and they now have a group of guys, led by Deron Williams, that Jerry Sloan likes and trusts on the floor. If this Jazz team stays healthy, I see no reason why they can't take a weak Northwest division, even with the Nuggets and Sonics. Utah is not a title or conference title contender, but they're not a walk-over by any sense of the imagination. They could go a round or two into the playoffs if somebody takes them lightly.

I love feedback. Send your questions and comments to gurt14@comcast.net

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