The southeast division has changed substantially over the past year with the recent rising of the three superstars in Miami, but the landscape of the division might take a turn for the worst if Dwight Howard gets his wish and departs from the Orlando Magic.
Since the 2004-05 season the division has belonged to the Heat and Magic. With Miami winning four division titles and Orlando not far behind with three, this division belongs to the state of Florida. The Washington Wizards have been close when Gilbert Arenas was actually relevant, the Atlanta Hawks have enjoyed recent success but have not been able to get over the top with Joe Johnson, and the Charlotte Bobcats since their birth have been a struggling franchise.
With LeBron and company signed for a few years it looks like the southeast division will be staying in Florida until that trio is dismantled. It is difficult to try and predict how the Magic will fare in the future because Dwight Howard’s future is up in limbo. Even with Superman on the roster, I do not see the Magic or any team in this division coming close to the Heat.
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The Bobcats have been improving but still need a lot of work. The Wizards are rebuilding and have John Wall to build around so they might be an interesting team to watch, but not for a few years. The Hawks have a good core of players, but have not yet proven to be one of the elite teams in the east. This southeast division definitely has potential to be one of the strongest, but as of now it remains controlled by the Heat and from the looks of it, that will not change anytime soon.
Division Standings Predictions:
1. Miami Heat (55-11)
2. Atlanta Hawks (40-26)
3. Orlando Magic (38-28)
4. Washington Wizards (30-36)
5. Charlotte Bobcats (22-44)
So, without further ado, let’s break down each team in the southeast division.
Next Page: Back for Revenge
Miami Heat (2010 Overall Record: 58-24)
The defending Eastern Conference champions are back with one year under their belt and have embraced their role as villains of the NBA. With some key additions to this years roster they are geared for another Finals run.
The Heat will have all their key players returning, but more importantly a healthy Udonis Haslem will be ready to go this season. In their first year together, although they faced much scrutiny and criticism they were still able to reach the NBA Finals. Their experience with playing with each other and their hunger for victory took them on the Finals journey.
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The addition of Shane Battier will provide more defense to an already stellar defensive team and also add another shooter to the perimeter. Erik Spoelstra has received an extension so they seem to be set for the next few years with this core group, so this year will be a great test for them once again.
Key Players: LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh
Key Additions: Shane Battier, and Eddy Curry
Key Departures: None
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiZaQkfL828
Next Page: Superman or No Superman?
Orlando Magic (2010 Overall Record: 52-30)
The Orlando Magic are a couple years removed from being in the NBA Finals and have not been able to reach that Finals level in the last few seasons. Their biggest concern right now is the future of center Dwight Howard. He is still adamant about being traded, so that really leaves the Magic in a tough position. If they do not trade him by the end of the trade deadline they run the huge risk of Howard just walking away as a free agent, especially since he has been very clear about not signing an extension and more importantly his continued frustration with Magic management.
With this crazy off-season it is hard to project how the Magic will look by the end of the season.
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Unfortunately for the Magic, even with Dwight Howard in the paint they still lack the talent to compete with their Florida neighbors and the rest of the powers in the east. While they are still a very good team, they are not quite strong enough to make a serious run at the NBA championship. They did add Glen “big baby” Davis from the Boston Celtics who adds some depth in the paint for the Magic. However, aside from Jameer Nelson and Dwight Howard the Magic are going to have to rely heavily on Jason Richardson, Hedo Turkoglu, and JJ Reddick.
Key Players: Dwight Howard, and Jameer Nelson
Key Additions: Glen Davis
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT-LLvrenpc
Next Page: Flying Hawks
Atlanta Hawks (2010 Record: 44-38)
The last few years the Atlanta Hawks have been an improving franchise. With Joe Johnson at the helm and a solid supporting cast they continue to be playoff contenders. After being sent home from the playoffs last year by Derrick Rose and the Bulls they come in this year with very few changes to their roster. The biggest setback is losing Jamal Crawford, who has been a 6th man of the year and a great scoring threat from the perimeter.
Jeff Teague, who emerged last year as a promising point guard, will be the starting floor general this season and has potential to be a very good player in the future. The rest of the team remains the same, from Josh Smith, Al Horford, Marvin Williams, and contributions off the bench from Zaza Pachulia.
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They have added a few veterans to the squad, Tracy McGrady, Jerry Stackhouse, and Vladimir Radmanovic. Although they did not make a splash in free agency or in any trades, they are geared to be very competitive and easily make the playoffs this season. It is highly unlikely, that the Hawks will win the division but this experienced and fearless group will give the Eastern Powers a run for their money.
Key Players: Joe Johnson, Al Horford, and Josh Smith
Key Additions: Tracy McGrady, and Vladimir Radmonivic
Key Departures: Jamal Crawford
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O37TP5J36_o
Next Page: MJ’s Bobcats
Charlotte Bobcats (Last Season Overall Record: 34-48)
The Charlotte Bobcats are coming off a losing season and seem to be headed towards that same direction this year. A young team led by Corey Maggette and DJ Augustin will try to remain competitive in a very good Eastern Conference.
With young players like Kemba Walker and Bismack Biyombo the Bobcats definitely have some potential, but that will not help them too much this season. Kemba Walker is coming off a National Championship with UConn and might be able to contribute right away, but we will have to wait and see.
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Boris Diaw, and Gerald Henderson should be solid contributions for the Bobcats, but they really don’t have a superstar to carry them night in and night out. The loss of Stephen Jackson will hurt, and although they have signed outside shooter Reggie Williams, the Bobcats will have a long season ahead of them.
Key Players: Corey Maggette, and DJ Augustin
Key Additions: Kemba Walker, and Reggie Williams
Key Departures: Stephen Jackson
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cf7r9esDVYk
Next Page: Wall and the Wizards
Washington Wizards (2010 Overall Record: 23-59)
The Washington Wizards bring back John Wall and company to try and improve on a 23-win season last year. Wall is coming off an impressive rookie campaign and is geared to continue that this season. The Wizards also have JaVale McGee, a promising young big man who will have Wall to work with for another year.
Besides their two bright spots they also have veterans Rashard Lewis and Jordan Crawford. However, they are still waiting on re-signing Nick Young. A restricted free agent, Young has been waiting to see if any other team offers him a deal and, more importantly, if the Wizards will match the offer sheet.
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With that in question it is hard to predict how good this team can be. They obviously do not have much depth and still have some holes to fill. They did have three draft picks this past year: Jan Vesely, Chris Singleton, and Shelvin Mack are decent rookies, but it’s still too early to try and predict their contributions. It looks like another rebuilding year for Washington, but they seem to have built a great foundation for the future with Wall and McGee, and now we must see how both of the players develop.
Key Players: John Wall, JaVale McGee, and Andray Blatche
Key Addition: Jan Vesely
Key Departures: None