NBA Stretch Run: The Beasts of the East
It's been a long haul, this 82-game NBA regular season, but it's winding down, which means the playoffs are just around the corner. Next week we'll take a look at the best of the West, the conference that has won seven of the last nine NBA titles. This week, it's the best of the East. Only two teams in the East have won a title since Michael Jordan retired, the Pistons in 2004 and the Heat in 2006.
Pistons: Last stand for the old warriors? The Pistons have great depth, talent and balance. The strong backcourt of Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton lead in scoring, while the front line features Tayshaun Prince, Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess. They started off as a run-and-gun team under coach Flip Saunders, but the defense has been more of a priority, even with Ben Wallace gone.
They are allowing 90.4 ppg, second in the NBA. Detroit is third in the league in opponents shooting, allowing less than 44%. They are 21-14 under the total at home allowing 88 ppg. Age might be a concern, with Billups and Hamilton in their 30s and Wallace and McDyess each 33. They are 6-8 SU, 6-7 ATS as a dog.
Celtics: Talk about a transition of the century! Boston had the second worst record in the league a year ago, and now has a juggernaut with the NBA's best record. Paul Pierce (20 ppg) had had to carry the team for years, but was delighted to get help outside in Ray Allen (18 ppg) and inside with Kevin Garnett (19 ppg, 9.4 rpg). The improved defense has been the biggest story, ranking No. 1 in points allowed (90 ppg) and shooting (41.9%). They are 21-16 under the total at home.
They also have outstanding young role players in Rajon Rondo and Tony Allen, joining veterans James Posey and Sam Cassell. Boston is 8-5 SU, 9-4 ATS as a dog and a sizzling 28-9 SU, 25-11 ATS on the road. If you're anticipating a Boston/Detroit showdown in the East, the Celtics are 2-1 SU/ATS during the regular season, winning 90-78 and 92-85, with the Pistons winning at Boston, 87-85. All three games went under the total.
Cavaliers: So what about last year's Eastern Conference champs? Well, that was last year. They still have LeBron James but almost everything else has changed. James is a remarkable talent, averaging 30.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.3 assists. Don't forget he just turned 23 Xmas week. Outside of 7-foot-3 Zydrunas Ilgauskas, he isn't surrounded by the kind of supporting talent Boston and Detroit have.
That prompted a mid-season trade to shake things up, bringing in Wally Szczerbiak, Joe Smith and Delonte West to help the offense and defensive force Ben Wallace to help on the boards. Since March 1st the Cavs are just 9-7 SU, 7-9 ATS. They are also 3-4 straight up against the Pistons and Celtics and have a losing road record. You've got to win on the road in the postseason.
Magic: Orlando certainly looks like a young Wild Card team. Who wouldn't want a talent in the middle like Dwight Howard? The 22-year old center averages 21.2 points and 14.5 rebounds per game. In a recent loss to San Antonio, Howard scored 24 points and grabbed 21 rebounds. It was his eighth 20-20 game of the season! Newcomer 6-foor-10 Rashard Lewis (18 ppg, 5.4 rpg) has upgraded the offense.
However, they lost power forward Tony Battie to a regular-season-ending shoulder injury in October and have had shoddy defense and inconsistent backcourt play. Despite this, they've been a remarkable 25-14 SU/ATS on the road and 14-6 ATS as a dog. They are also 13-7 over the total as a dog, relying too much on offense to try and pull upsets.
Raptors: Toronto has assembled a nice young team, with 6-10 center Chris Bosh (22.5 ppg, 8.8 rpg) and playmaking guard T.J. Ford. Bosh turned 24 last week while Ford just turned 25. The Raptors continue to be a strong team at home but struggle on the road (16-21 SU, 17-19 ATS).
There is not a lot of defense or rebounding muscle. Toronto allows 45.8% shooting by opponents, in the middle of the pack in the NBA. The Raptors struggle on the boards, ranked 28th in the league in rebounding -- only the Clippers and Heat are worse. Toronto is not playing its best ball at the right time, on a 6-12 SU, 5-13 ATS run.
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