If the playoffs were to start today, what would your seedings be?

[zerophase]

With all the offseason moves, how would you predict seedings for the playoff teams next year?

East:

1. Celtics
2. Pistons
3. Cavs
4. 76ers
5. Wizards
6. Orlando
7. Toronto
8. Atlanta

Wildcard: Miami; depending on how healthy they all are, and who they trade Marion for.

If you look at the East, those are some tough tough teams to beat. The conference is definitely a lot stronger than years past.

West:

1. New Orleans
2. Lakers
3. Utah
4. Dallas
5. Clippers
6. Suns
7. San Antonio
8. Portland

Wildcard: Houstin; Will they make a trade with Detroit? Will TMac and Yao stay healthy? The only reason why they were seeded so high last year is because of their 22 game winning streak. That won't happen next year.

The Western conference actually looks weaker to me than the East.

[wdleehi]

East
1) Boston
2) Pistons
3) Cavs
4) magic
5) Raptors
6) 76ers
7) Wiz
Heat



West
1) NO
2) Spurs
3) LA
4) Utah
5) Phoenix
6) Portland
7) Houston
Dallas

[BudweiserCeltic]

East

1. Boston
2. Detroit
3. Washington
4. Philly
5. Cleveland
6. Orlando
7. Toronto
8. 3-Way battle between Milwaukee, Miami, and Indiana.


West

1. New Orleans
2. Los Angeles Lakers
3. Spurs
4. Utah
5. Dallas
6. Phoenix
7. Portland
8. Minnesota (lol, my dark horse)

[silvershamrocker]

East:
1. Boston
2. Detroit
3. Cleveland
4. Orlando
5. Philadelphia
6. Toronto
7. Washington
8. Miami

West:
1. New Orleans
2. Los Angeles
3. Utah
4. San Antonio
5. Phoenix
6. Portland
7. Houston
8. Dallas

The West was very hard to do.

[D Dub]

....The Western conference actually looks weaker to me than the East.

I have been thinking this very thing for the last couple of weeks.  

IMO, the East has the two best teams in Boston and Cleveland, and 3 really solid teams in Detroit, Orlando, and now Philly.

The West has gotten weaker with Phx & Dallas nose-diving after bad trades last year.  GS disapearing completely and the Lakers getting softer up front (without Ronny) makes for a more watered down conference next season.

I look for NO or SA to lead the pack and Portland to surprise with 45-50 win season.  I don't see the Lakers making the Finals again next year.

[Rondo2287]

maybe the reason the west looks weaker to him is beacause he has the clippers as the 5 seed?

[PRIDE]

East:
1. Boston
2. Detroit
3. Philadelphia
4. Cleveland
5. Toronto
6. Orlando
7. Washington
8. Miami/Chicago

West:
1. New Orleans
2. Los Angeles
3. Utah
4. Portland
5. San Antonio
6. Houston
7. Phoenix
8. Dallas

[Nasty Nas]

East
1. Boston
2. Detroit
3. Cleveland
4. Washington (slept on every year)
5. Philadelphia
6. Orlando
7. Toronto
8. Miami

anyone else excited that the atlantic division isn't a laughing stock anymore?

West
1. Los Angeles (Lakers)
2. New Orleans
3. Utah
4. Portland
5. San Antonio
6. Phoenix
7. Dallas
8. Los Angeles (Clippers)

i don't think houston will be able to keep mcgrady and yao healthy long enough to make the playoffs this year, which lets baron davis work his magic in another 1-8 matchup. also, portland is going to be scary this year. and the 10 years after this year.

[rondofan1255]

I seriously hope we only have to play 1 of Cleveland and Detroit, and they have to run into each other first.

Then again, maybe it's better for experience to have to play both. Eh. I prefer the non-latter.

East:

1) Boston
2) Detroit
3) Orlando (D. Howard is underrated in some aspects to me.)
4) Philadelphia
5) Cleveland
6) Washington (Depends on Arenas)
7)
??/ (I honestly don't think it matters who the 7th and 8th teams are, as they are not elite anyways. Also, I would not like to hazard a guess )

West

1) Utah
2) LA
3) New Orleans
4) San Antonio
5) Portland
6) Dallas
7) Phoenix
? (IDC, and IDK)

[jaketwice]

I think if you listed Detroit as second seed in the East you're going to be eating your hat: Toronto got Jermaine O'Neal for basically candy, and The Sixers are a necessary interior weapon to an already athletic young team.

Orlando, admittedly, did not get that much better, but Pietrus is a nice pickup.  Still, with Howard another year older, they're going to be better also. EC:

1). Boston
2). Sixers
3). Cavaliers
4). Raptors
5). Magic
6). Pistons
7). Wizards
. SLEEPER: Chicago

WC:

1). LA
2). NO
3). UTAH
4). PORTLAND
5). SAN ANTONIO
6). PHOENIX
7). HOUSTON
. DALLAS

[Evantime34]

East
1. Celtics
2. Pistons
3. Magic
4. Cavs
5. Sixers
6. Raptors
7. Hawks
8. Wizards

West
1. Lakers
2. NO
3. Utah
4. Houston
5. Phoenix
6. Spurs
7. Portland
8. Dallas

[Birdbrain]

East

1. Ceatles
2. Detroit
3. Cleveland
4. Orlando
5. Toronto
6. Washington
7. Philly
8. Hawks

1. Fakers
2. Utah
3. NO
4. Phoenix
5. SA
6. Houston
7. Dallas
8. Portland

A question to the ' NO is coming out of the West ' crowd.  Did you think they would win the West prior to Posey signing with them?

[D Dub]

A question to the ' NO is coming out of the West ' crowd.  Did you think they would win the West prior to Posey signing with them?

I wouldn't put $ on them coming out of the West, but Posey certainly makes them much better.  Now they have someone who can contain Kobe 1on1 and also take those big shots that Paul will create with his penetration.

They looked scared last year in the big moments, reduced to Pargo going 1 on 1 --- Big Game James will change that. 

San Antonio and NO should be the top two out west.  I am predicting a Laker colapse that gets them knocked out in round 1 next season.

[Birdbrain]

While I would love the Faker collapse it would even be better to beat them a second time.

I have this funny feeling that Posey will be asked to do more than he's capable of and things won't go as well.  He's like the Spurs he plays well every other year.

[wahz]

yes i thought NO had a chance to come out without posey. now i give them a clear edge as i think some of their competitors didn't improve or got a little worse.

1. NO
2. lA
3. Utah
4. sa
5. dallas
6. Houston
7. portland
8. Suns

1. Celts
2. Pistons
3. Cavs
4. Toronto
5. Philly
6. wiz
7. Orlando
8. atl