ATLANTIC DIVISION Boston pg- Banks sg- Pierce sf- Williams pf- Walker c- Battie - I think by the end of the season one of Kedrick Brown or Jurmaine Jones will be starting over Eric Williams. If Vin Baker stays in shape he could be starting at center over Tony Battie by the end of the season. Miami pg- Wade sg- Jones sf- Odom pf- Walker c- Grant - It will change when Butler is healthy. Odom will move to power forward. Butler will start at small forward. New Jersey pg- Kidd sg- Kittles sf- Jefferson pf- Martin c- Collins - New Jersey will work in Mourning slowly. I say around the all star break or maybe sooner Zo will be starting. Harris could see 10 or more starts at shooting guard and will be pushing Kittles for the starting spot. New York pg- Eisley sg- Houston sf- Van Horn pf- Sweetney c- Thomas - Frank Williams could be starting and I think he will by the end of the season. When Mcdyesse gets healthy Sweetney will be coming off the bench. Orlando pg- Lue sg- Mcgrady sf- Giricek pf- Gooden c- Howard - Gaines will be battling with Lue for the starting spot all season. Against bigger teams (portland, dallas, golden state) One of Hunter, Zaza, Declerq will start at center and Howard will move to small forward and Giricek will come off the bench. Philadelphia pg- Snow sg- Iverson sf- Robinson pf- Thomas c- Coleman - The only battle will be between Marc Jackson and Coleman at Center. Thomas might come off the bench against some teams with really big power forwards and Jackson might take his spot. Washington pg- Areanas sg- Hughes sf- Stackhouse pf- Brown c- Haywood - This starting lineup is almost ingraved in stone. I dont see Dixon or Jeffries starting. Kwame and Haywood should start over White and Laetner.
Good stuff! A lot of spots are up for grabs this year, hopefully it elevates the teams in the East. I think it will be hard for the Knicks to keep Lampe on the bench, I could see him transitioning to play center. I'm also curious to see how New Jersey deals with Zo.
Lampe is way better then sweetney if DICE will be out I think Lampe will start at PF!! If lampe did not have contract trouble he would be a top 10 pick!!!
Nice predictions, the only players that will change the Celtics lineup are Kedrick Brown and Vin Baker. KB if he stays healthy will probably be starting at SF by midseason. Also if Vinny can keep the weight off and work hard he may move to PF and the Celtics could have a lineup of: Pg: Banks SG- pierce SF- Walker PF- Baker C- Battie This wouldn't be a regular lineup but it would work against some teams, mostly WCF. Also I agree 100% with your Nets, they shouldn't rush mourning into anything. With the Knicks I think Sweeteny is more of a SF but besides that very nice
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting BC:</div><div class="quote_post">Nice predictions, the only players that will change the Celtics lineup are Kedrick Brown and Vin Baker. KB if he stays healthy will probably be starting at SF by midseason. Also if Vinny can keep the weight off and work hard he may move to PF and the Celtics could have a lineup of: Pg: Banks SG- pierce SF- Walker PF- Baker C- Battie This wouldn't be a regular lineup but it would work against some teams, mostly WCF. Also I agree 100% with your Nets, they shouldn't rush mourning into anything. With the Knicks I think Sweeteny is more of a SF but besides that very nice</div>I could Walker playing some small forward. Like against Rasheed Wallace, Jamison or Dirk, Dunleavy or Robinson, Glenn Robinson, Lammond Murray, Mashburn I cant think of any other big small forwards.
Nets are my team but they need to improve at the 2 guard spot. Kittles is to hit or miss. He either has a real good game or a game where you didnt even know he was on the court, they will Win the east again pretty easily but even with Zo at the center spot they dont have the scoring need to get over the hump of winning the finals. They need another half court scorer. A one on one player at the 2 guard but not a nut. EJ would be a good player if the Heat would trade him. The nets should have try to use Deke as trade bait to the before they waived him. Deke and Harris or Kittles(they are on the same level of skill except Kittles might have an edge in the open court) for EJ and a scrub to be named later.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Henacy:</div><div class="quote_post">Nets are my team but they need to improve at the 2 guard spot. Kittles is to hit or miss. He either has a real good game or a game where you didnt even know he was on the court, they will Win the east again pretty easily but even with Zo at the center spot they dont have the scoring need to get over the hump of winning the finals. They need another half court scorer. A one on one player at the 2 guard but not a nut. EJ would be a good player if the Heat would trade him. The nets should have try to use Deke as trade bait to the before they waived him. Deke and Harris or Kittles(they are on the same level of skill except Kittles might have an edge in the open court) for EJ and a scrub to be named later.</div> Unless the Nets move to New York, they'll remain a small market team and probably won't want to go after Eddie Jones and his huge contract. Nets probably don't like the fact that he only played 47 games last season.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Henacy:</div><div class="quote_post">Nets are my team but they need to improve at the 2 guard spot. Kittles is to hit or miss. He either has a real good game or a game where you didnt even know he was on the court, they will Win the east again pretty easily but even with Zo at the center spot they dont have the scoring need to get over the hump of winning the finals. They need another half court scorer. A one on one player at the 2 guard but not a nut. EJ would be a good player if the Heat would trade him. The nets should have try to use Deke as trade bait to the before they waived him. Deke and Harris or Kittles(they are on the same level of skill except Kittles might have an edge in the open court) for EJ and a scrub to be named later.</div> This certainly something the Nets should have looked at the Lure of Deke may have been to much for Pat Riley and with glut of wing players on his roster mooving one would of been nice but I dont think that the Nets (who are looking to sell) would of like to of taken on Jones's contract.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting BAKAJ:</div><div class="quote_post">Lampe is way better then sweetney if DICE will be out I think Lampe will start at PF!! If lampe did not have contract trouble he would be a top 10 pick!!!</div> I think that Lampe will be this years steal. He will take a will to develop but with time could become a real scoring big man at the 4 or 5 in the East and witht he protection of Deke he will now have time to develop. If Mcdyess can return look for Thomas to be moved before the season is out for a point guard. If Sweetney can prove himself Weatherspoon should also be moved to allow the yougsters to develop. Basically if all was to pan out for the Knicks the end of year would resemble a healthy Mcdyess a listed below. 5 - Deke 4 - Mcdyess 3 - Van Horn 2 - Houston 1 - Eisley with Lampe playing big minutes of the bench at the 5 and sweetney at the 3 and 4. Thus leaving Shandon Anderson, Weatherspoon, Harrington and Thomas as potential trade bait. Maybe say package Eisley or Ward with Thomas and Spoon for a guy like Troy Hudson giving the Knicks a sparkplug at the point and. This deal would also helo the wolves allowing them to go big and play KG at the 3 as well as add some much needed bench depth. Lets wait and see
I cant see golden state giving up nick the quick for someone like Thomas as he would really struggle playing the 5 permanently in the west. Perhaps the only thing that might get Nick the quick on the move would be a deal for say Houston and Thomas for Van Excel and Richardson
I think that maybe just maybe the Heat may have a starting cetner named Austin by the end of the year.Although many things point to this not happening but Isaac Austin was a force when he last played under Riley he was fit and motivated and powerfula nd in a conference with very little inside presence he could be a god send allowing the heat to go big and use Butler as a sparkplug off the bench or maybe even move Jones on for an established point.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting uqlangel:</div><div class="quote_post">I think that maybe just maybe the Heat may have a starting cetner named Austin by the end of the year.Although many things point to this not happening but Isaac Austin was a force when he last played under Riley he was fit and motivated and powerfula nd in a conference with very little inside presence he could be a god send allowing the heat to go big and use Butler as a sparkplug off the bench or maybe even move Jones on for an established point.</div>Are you sure? Isaac Austin looked downright out of shape and awful when he was in Memphis about a year ago. I was very releaved when the Grizzlies dropped him. I wouldn't call him starting material. They should have re-signed Ken Johnson or made a move for Drobnjak.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Wave:</div><div class="quote_post">Are you sure? Isaac Austin looked downright out of shape and awful when he was in Memphis about a year ago. I was very releaved when the Grizzlies dropped him. I wouldn't call him starting material. They should have re-signed Ken Johnson or made a move for Drobnjak.</div> I am certainly not sure but it is definitely an interesting signing given Roleys success with him i the past
