Eastern Power

1- Cleveland : The Cavs have been playing amazing basketball lately led by LeBron James. The guy gets 20 points in the first quarter against the Blazers the other night and somehow it's still a nailbiter down to the wire.
Definitely one of the best teams in the NBA right now and they will surely be more prepared for the playoffs this year with the addition of the all-time great Shaquille O'Neal. LeBron is sure to be hungry this year after losing last year but one guy can't do it all. He needs more support from the other big players on the team in the playoffs. If Mo Williams shoots in the playoffs like he does in the regular season, I expect the Cavs to make a strong run in the playoffs.

2- Boston: This team is still my favorite to win the Eastern Conference this year: not because they are my favorite team but because they are so well rounded and they have 4 superstars on their team. Rondo is having a career year and is obviously a leader on this team. Paul Pierce will continue to do his thing and finish games in the 4th quarter. KG is always a huge factor in the paint because of his shot blocking ability and intimidation and then theres Ray Allen, who in my opinion is the greatest 3 point shooter of all time. No disrespect to Reggie Miller either in saying this. Also, you have a huge addition since last year in Rasheed Wallace. He is a veteran in this league and can punish teams in so many ways. This team is a definite contender.

3- Orlando: Dwight Howard is unstoppable when he gets the ball in the paint. Every team has to double him as soon as he catches the ball in close and he is a valid MVP candidate this season because of it and the huge numbers he puts up. He's also not getting nearly as many touches per game as he should be so when Orlando starts dishing him the ball more they will only get better. With shooters like Rashard Lewis, Vince Carter, Jameer Nelson and Jason Williams it makes it hard for teams to double Dwight because Orlando is such an awesome 3-point shooting team. It would be hard for Orlando to top last years playoff run since they made it to the finals but they have the experience now and I look for them to be very hungry this year.

4- Atlanta: This is a team who has been to the playoffs for many consecutive years now, they haven't had the best of luck but this year they are showing that they can compete with any team in the league. Joe Johnson is having an outstanding year and he has lots of talent around him to help carry the load. With the addition of Crawford and the increased level of play from Josh Smith and Al Horford this team has a lot of options that can hurt teams down the stretch of the season. Joe Johnson has been hitting some rediculous shots lately and hes probably one of the best clutch players I've ever watched so I look for them to surprise some teams this year in the playoffs.