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The Boston Celtics are coming off a disappointing 7 game series loss to the Orlando Magic in the second round of the 09′ playoffs. All things consider, the Celtics should be pleased with their playoff run given they didn’t have team leader Kevin Garnett.

In 09′ – while the Celtics didn’t repeat as champions – they did give all something would remember for a very long time, a thrilling 7 game series with the Chicago Bulls in the first round. The Celtics showed why they are champions, when it seemed the Bulls had them beat the Celtics would always come back.

The Boston Celtics hope that everyone on the roster can stay healthy – especially for another championship run this season. The Boston Celtics finished the season with a 62-20 record despite Kevin Garnett missing 25 games – that shows how good the Celtics are.

The “Big Three” for the Celtics – Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are not getting any younger so this could be one of the last seasons the Celtics have a legitimate chance at winning the title.

Originally the Boston Celtics had the “Big Three” with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen – points during the season last year it was the “Big Four” with Rondo included.

In is Rasheed Wallace. A seasoned veteran with playoff experience and enough talent to still play some highly effective basketball, Sheed will add a much needed lift to the Celtics, who will be forced to compete with a competitive set of teams.

Glen “Big Baby” Davis has his best season in 09′ making a game winning shot against the Orlando Magic in the second round. Davis will have to continue to improve his game if the Celtics expect to make another serious playoff push.

The clock is ticking until the start of basketball season. The Celtics can’t wait. Is this their year again?

For more hoops talk, check out the Celtics forums at RootZoo Sports. Make sure to play their free NBA pick ‘em game.

The Dallas Mavericks have maintained a steady presence in the NBA’s Western Conference. After years and years of disappointing seasons, Mark Cuban’s ownership of the franchise has resulted in many positive moves.

The 06′-07′ season proved to be one of the most disappointing seasons for a team that went 67-15 in the regular season. The Mavs lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Golden State Warriors.

The Mavs finished 3rd in the Southwest division in 08′-09′ with a record of 50-32. The Mavs were top 10 in scoring in the NBA averaging 102 points per game.

The Mavericks have had an extremely eventful off season, highlighted by some big name signings that may have a profound impact on the team.

Mark Cuban is a very unique owner in that he is seen just as much as his players are. Whether this hurts or helps his team win basketball games is uncertain – what is does show is that he cares a great deal about his team and tries to do what’s best for them.

Mark Cuban can’t suit up and play any games for the Mavs – what he can do is write big checks and bring quality players to the team.

Dirk Nowitzki is often forced to focus on rebounds, which takes away from his ability to do what he does best – score the basketball. He’s still put up big numbers over the years, but it’s been tough come playoff time. He’s been called out on his presence when it comes to playing under pressure.

As a result, this is a Mavericks team that the Lakers and Spurs have both publicly spoken praises for. Many pre-season power rankings have the Mavericks at #2 or 3 in the Western Conference, and with good reason. This is a talented team of experienced basketball players.

For more on the Dallas Mavericks check out the Dallas Mavericks forum at RootZoo Sports. RootZoo also offers free basketball trivia questions with thousands of questions!

The Detroit Pistons wish to forget the 08′-09′ season. They were under .500 for the first time in many years and were dominated in the first round against the Cleveland Cavaliers, it was an embarrassment.

Chauncey Billups is now in Denver (and playing great basketball). Allen Iverson, who was acquired in this trade, has also left town to sign with the Bobcats (so much for winning that championship anytime soon). Then there’s Rasheed Wallace, who opted to join the Celtics after the end of this season.

The Allen Iverson trade was a disaster and the Pistons played disinterested at times. The Pistons would go on long scoring droughts which essentially ended their season at the all-star break. They were wishing they had Billups back!

Ben Gordon should help their scoring issues. He put up some very respectable numbers in the past for the Bulls and even came up big in several playoff games.

The Pistons should have new life to them this season and should at least contend, if not more. Ben Gordon made his money in his playoff performance against the Boston Celtics – whether not resigning with the Chicago Bulls was a mistake or not, this should play out over this season.

There is no questions the Pistons have talent on their team currently – but how will all the talent mesh together for a successful season? We will find out.

There’s some talented youth in Rodney Stuckey, and he’ll finally have the opportunity to shine at the point guard position. Additionally, Jason Maxiell will continue to develop, and Chris Wilcox will provide the team with some solid minutes at the forward and center positions.

Head coach John Kuester will definitely have his hands full this season trying to acclimate the new talent with the old. Will Kuester be the coach to help the Pistons return to the top of the Eastern Conference? That’s why they play the games.

For more on the Detroit Pistons, head on over to the Detroit Pistons forum at RootZoo Sports. Enjoy free sports trivia questions and much more.

They came oh so close in 2007. Having made their first NBA finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers appeared to be destined for greatness.

It was great to make the finals, but they were swept by the Spurs that season, LeBron James was young and constantly improving his game. Standards are set really high in Cleveland and this isn’t acceptable anymore.

2008 came around, and the Boston Celtics had a bolstered roster that was simply too strong for the Cleveland Cavs. They nearly defeated them, but Boston marched on and captured an NBA title under the leadership of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen.

The last few seasons the Cavs have been a great regular season team – 08-09′ 66-16 – winning the Central division by more the 25 games. The regular season gives teams the chance to build chemistry and acquire home court advantage – the Cavs seemed to have excellent chemistry during the regular season (taking fake photos during the pre-game introduction).

Shaq may not be the player he use to be but will add experience and a presence in the middle. Shaq also brings championship experience with 4 championships, 3 with the Lakers and 1 with the Miami Heat. Lebron is still looking for his first ring and Shaq wants to be the man to help him get it.

Shaq should bring a fun atmosphere to the Cavs because that’s his nature. When it comes time to put on the poker face in the spring Shaq will and should contribute a tremendous amount to the Cavs making it deep in the playoffs.

There’s a lot on the line, and the Celtics and Magic have both made some big moves themselves during the off season. The changes by both the Magic and Celtics should have big impacts in the East, but the Cavs have made their power moves as well.

With Lebron’s contract coming to an end, the time is now for Cleveland. If they have any hope, it’s only going to be while Lebron’s in town. There’s a chance he stays in Cleveland, but there are going to be some real hefty offers from some major market teams, which Cleveland may not be able to match.

Check out the Cleveland Cavaliers forum at RootZoo and stay up to date with the latest fantasy basketball news.

The Denver Nuggets had a very successful season in 08-09 despite losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.

Not many expected the Denver Nuggets – who were notorious for losing in the first round it seems – to make it to the Western Conference Finals. The Nuggets were out manned and out played against the Lakers but that still doesn’t take away from the excellent season they had.

Having already lost Marcus Camby, one of the best rebounders and shot blockers in the NBA, it seemed like the Denver Nuggets were simply throwing in the towel. However, other players stepped up.

The addition of point guard Chauncey Billups essentially changed their season for the better once he arrived in town. Billups brought a defensive mentality from the Detroit Pistons who were one of the best defensive teams of the decade.

Then there’s Carmelo Anthony, one of the most natural point scorers in the league. With the arrival of Billups and his defensive skills, this only helped Melo on the defensive side of the ball.

Birdman, also known as Chris Andersen stepped up off the bench and had a huge year. He’s become one of the best shot blockers in the league.

As a result, the Nuggets ended up beating the Hornets in five games, before easily defeating the Mavericks in round 2 of the NBA playoffs. Then it was on to the Western Finals against the Lakers.

After a hard fought series versus the Lakers, their season was cut short. Still, it was a beautiful run in Denver, one they hope to repeat.

For more Nuggets talk, check out the Denver Nuggest forum at RootZoo Sports, the most exciting sport forums online.

The Chicago Bulls are coming off one of their best seasons this decade despite losing in the first round against the Boston Celtics.

The Bulls are a very unique team in that when they play their best they seem as if they can beat anyone. There are also times when the Bulls play down to their competition and look awful.

If the Bulls want to challenge for the East title any time soon they will need to more consistent and beat the teams they should. It’s great to step up for the big games, but consistency is crucial.

The Bulls have one of the more exciting players in the NBA with Derrick Rose. Rose had a great rookie year and should improve even more this season.

John Salmons has his best season to date scoring’ points per game for the Bulls last season, the Bulls will need all the points they can get from him.

Teams in the Bulls division – Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons (w/ the exception being the Cleveland Cavaliers and maybe the Detroit Pistons) are not better then the Chicago Bulls.

The Bulls potentially are a 46-49 win team; in the Eastern Conference the Bulls should get a few easy wins. The Bulls won’t beat the Cavs for the division title – but the Bulls can make the Cavs work for their wins against them.

There’s plenty of talent to go around in Chicago. As the season continues, they will only get better with time. Here’s to hoping that head coach Vinny Del Negro does the right things with it.

Head on over to RootZoo Sports for the most active Bulls forums online. Enjoy your own custom sports polls and more, all at RootZoo.

The Charlotte Bobcats are an interesting team entering the 09′-10′ season. Why is this so? The Bobcats played well at the end of the 09′ season and hopefully they can continue their end of the season momentum.

The Bobcats have a very young team – one of the youngest teams in the NBA. The Bobcats played some of their best basketball towards the end of the season; this gave fans of the Bobcats hope that there are just a few steps away from making the playoffs for the first time.

While there’s a decent amount of talent on the team, much of the credit has to go to Larry Brown, who joined the team as its head coach last season. Brown has a storied resume that includes stints in Detroit (where he won a championship), Indiana, Philadelphia (where he made the NBA finals), and other teams around the league.

What gives the Bobcats some advantage is that they play in the Eastern Conference. The lower quality teams in the East are not as good as the lower quality teams in the West – therefore, the Bobcats are fortunate they play in the East.

The Bobcats in the 08′- 09′ season were a pretty good team at home, 23-18 – but the road record is what prevented them from making the playoffs, 12-29. If the Bobcats can maintain a good home record like a season ago and improve their road record, they will be close to a .500 team.

One of the questions the Bobcats will have to answer is who is their go-to man. When the game is on the line who will the Bobcats give the ball to in order to make something happen.

The x-factor on this team is Gerald Wallace, whose hustle, versatility, and sophisticated floor presence give the team a serious weapon that many teams would love to have themselves.

The Bobcats have improved every season since they have been in the league, 2004. Their lowest win total was 15 games but those days should be well past the franchise. It is very possible the Bobcats can make the 8th seed in the East and give Cleveland, Orlando, or Boston fits in the first round match up. Charlotte is a good sports town and they want a winning basketball team to cheer for.

Lets hear your thoughts on the Bobcats forum at RootZoo Sports, the most active NBA forum online.

The Atlanta Hawks were one of the more efficient teams in the NBA Eastern Conference during the 08-09 basketball season. Having built upon the modest success of the season before, the Hawks were a solid regular season team that showed potential to break through in the playoffs.

The Hawks advanced through the first round of the playoffs, defeating the Miami Heat in round one, before meeting the Cleveland Cavs in the second round. The Cavs pounced on the Hawks, easily defeating them and putting an end to what was otherwise a successful season for the Atlanta Hawks.

Much of the team’s success in 2008-2009 can be attributed to Joe Johnson and Al Horford, two talented individuals who have had a profound impact upon the success of this team.

The Hawks did improve on their previous season – many feel the Hawks took a step backwards in 09′. Not being able to win 50 games in the Eastern Conference isn’t very impressive by many accounts. If a team is a serious playoff threat -winning 50 games should be accomplished.

It will be very tough to over take the Orlando Magic in the Southeast division this season. While the Magic have some new pieces in place surrounding Dwight Howard – they are still the favorites.

Rounding out the team are other valuable pieces, which include the ever so talented Josh Smith, point guard Mike Bibby, newly acquired Jamal Crawford, rookie Jeff Teague, and others.

The Eastern Conference has many championship quality teams such as the Boston Celtics, Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers, the Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers should be improved.

Coming out of the East won’t be easy and the Hawks will have to fight and claw their way through the upcoming season.

For more Atlanta Hawks chatter, check out the Atlanta Hawks forums at RootZoo Sports, where you can also check out thousands of NBA trivia questions.

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