Carmelo Anthony is arguably the best scorer in the NBA, if he brings his defensive talents to New York as well the Knicks could possibly be a contender as early as this year. With that trade the Knicks are definitely one of the top 5 teams in the east and will force matchup problems at the 3 and 4 positions every night.
The Boston Celtics lost their identity by trading away the anchor of their defense in Kendrick Perkins. But, with the news of his mcl injury surfacing recently that explains their trade to get Jeff Green a young athletic small forward. Although, they lost a defensive presence with Perkins, Jeff Green will be able to guard the other teams top perimeter players and force them to guard him on the other end. In my opinion the Boston Celtics are still the team to beat in the east.
The OKC Thunder improved their roster by getting Perkins because a true center was a key piece missing for them to take that next step to defeating the Lakers. If Perkins will be plagued with his mcl injury trading away one of their young potential star players would be a mistake. If Perk is healthy I place the Thunder as the only team that matches up well enough with the Lakers to possibly beat them in a 7 game series.
The Utah Jazz parted ways with possibly the best point guard in the league, but got a lot in return with future picks along with Favors and Harris. Deron Williams relationship with the Jazz seemed strained after reports came out that he was one of the reasons for Jerry Sloan's abrupt departure. Deron Williams is to the Nets what A'mare was to the Knicks, only if they can secure a second big piece to play alongside him.
The Atlanta Hawks traded Mike Bibby and received Kirk Hinrich...
It seems as if the Atlanta Hawks are satisfied with just being relevant and scared to make big moves to shake things up. Joe Johnson is their star player but in my eyes he would be better as the second option to improve a team. With him being their go to player alongside young players I believe they have reached their ceiling with this current roster 3 years ago. Reports have stated the Atlanta Hawks are too laid back and were looking for leadership and stability at the point guard position, so they get Hinrich? A move for Deron Williams would have been exactly what they needed, but that is probably too much for the Atlanta. Look for the Atlanta Hawks to make a big move this summer after an early exit in the playoffs by the Knicks most likely.
The Portland Trailblazers just have bad luck and add yet another athletic forward to a team full of the same type of players. To give them credit they consistently do the most with the least because of injuries. They are in a tough position because they put so much of their future on Greg Oden and he has yet to play a full season in the NBA. Gerald Wallace would have been better off in New Jersey's rebuilding plan in my opinion.
With the recent trades and the apparent shift in power to the east, the Orlando Magic naturally have dropped behind the Celtics, Heat, and Bulls. The Orlando Magic have the most dominant big man in the NBA, but their trade to get Hedo, Arenas, and Jason Richardson will keep them on the same path: Live by the 3, and eventually die by 3.
The front runners in the west made no moves and all have rosters that could possibly reach the Western Conference Finals. Spurs are playing the best, but I am not a believer just yet. Injuries and age will catch up to the Spurs even though this is the first time Manu has been healthy in a few years. Tony Parker just went out with a strained calf muscle and will be out 3-4 weeks and will be coming back during a crucial part of the season when the team is preparing for their playoff run. Tim Duncan has also went down a few times this season with knee and ankle injuries. This will force Manu Ginobili to carry the team for the rest of the regular season and could slow him down for the playoffs.
The Dallas Mavericks are one of the deepest teams in the league, but they under achieve every season. This season is one of the best shooting wise for Dirk and they appear to be serious contenders this year. They are still a jump shooting team, and jump shooting teams never reach the finals.
Lakers are the favorites, but their recent struggles have allowed doubt to creep up in the mind of those looking for them to be dethroned. The Lakers have reached the NBA Finals the past 3 years and are built for the playoffs clearly. Kobe Bryant also wanted to make a point by going out and scoring almost 40 points and leading the west to a win in the All-Star game to show their has been no shift in power.
I look for the Lakers to be a collision course with the Celtics yet again...#staytuned
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