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NBA Season Preview - The Southeast Division

Bookmark and Share by Charles Jay

The Orlando Magic made it to the NBA Finals last year, but they were not content to move forward with the roster they had when they lost to the Lakers. New people were added, including Vince Carter, as the Magic feels it has secured the pieces that can make it an NBA betting champion.

To Win Southeast Division


  • Orlando Magic -350
  • Atlanta Hawks +700
  • Miami Heat +650
  • Washington Wizards +1000
  • Charlotte Bobcats +5000


ORLANDO MAGIC (-350) -- I know a lot of people are excited about Vince Carter coming aboard in Orlando, but I would reserve my glee. Carter is a great scorer, as we know, but this team had guys who can score. What Carter doesn't do might be more important. He doesn't pass. He doesn't play defense. He sulks when things aren't going well. He watches to see if he gets his "numbers." How close has he ever gotten to a title?

Hedo Turkoglu's loss will really be felt. At least he is the type who created for other players. He could rebound, He could shoot from the outside. He could pass, to the point where he was referred to as a "point forward." On a team with a lot of one-dimensional players, he was invaluable. Jason Williams is here - is he an upgrade from Rafer Alston? I don't think so. On the positive side, Jameer Nelson is back in action, and he's an energetic leader. There are role players in Matt Barnes and Ryan Anderson who have joined up. Brandon Bass, to me, is the critical addition, because at last he gives Orlando a guy who can bang up front an help Dwight Howard in that regard. Orlando is the favorite in this division, but I don't think it will be a walk to the finish line.

ATLANTA HAWKS (+700) -- The Hawks have a chance to continue the progression that brought them 47 victories last year. There's some nice scoring balance in the starting lineup, and Joe Johnson, who averaged over 21 points a game last year, isn't a bad guy to key the offense around. Al Horford is not a guy who plays with a lot of offensive imagination, but he's a rock down low.

Mike Bibby? Well, he might be a little shaky, but he's a veteran, and that is what this young team needed. There's an explosive scorer off the bench now in Jamal Crawford. Joe Smith is a new addition who won't hurt them either coming off the pines. How can you not like the athleticism of Josh Smith? These guys have a nice little thing going here.

MIAMI HEAT (+650) -- I'm not so sure about the Heat. Miami isn't going to be a championship contender with Dwyane Wade as a 30-point scorer. It gets to the point where if you throw him off, the whole team goes off kilter and doesn't have a Plan B. I have never really liked Michael Beasley; oh sure, he has skills, but he is not as big as advertised in college and therefore not strong enough to be a power forward. How good can Mario Chalmers possibly be? Any better than a second-tier point guard? There were no significant upgrades to this team in the off-season.

WASHINGTON WIZARDS (+1000) -- Gilbert Arenas is back, and even though I see him as a "numbers" player (good for fantasy leagues), when he is scoring big he brings an energy to this team that makes them very hard to deal with. Antawn Jamison starts the season with a shoulder injury, but it won't keep him out all that long. Caron Butler, like Jamison, is a 20 ppg guy.

When all three (Arenas, Butler, Jamison) are starting together, the Wizards are 67-48 over the last four seasons. There is the addition of Mike Miller, who will be at one of the guard positions, and Randy Foye. Throw Nick Young into the mix, and you've got an offense that's in overdrive. Fabricio Oberto comes on board to do some dirty work, and new coach Flip Saunders is trying to move this team toward more responsibility on defense, This is a genuine darkhorse in the division.

CHARLOTTE BOBCATS (+5000) -- Larry Brown has been tweaking this roster, and now he has role players like Raja Bell and Boris Diaw, a staunch defender in Tyson Chandler, and a rookie (Gerald Henderson) who might actually make Brown play him, not to mention one of the better all-around players you'll find in Gerald Wallace. DJ Augustin will probably take over the #1 point guard slot, but Ray Felton doesn't offer bad depth at the position. If they had a real inside scoring threat, they'd be ticketed for the playoffs.