(listed in order of regular season records)
Atlanta Hawks (37-45), defeated by Boston Celtics, 4-3: The Hawks had acquired veteran point guard Mike Bibby in a midseason trade. Then, Coach Mike Woodson had survived a request from General Manager Billy Knight to have Woodson fired. Instead of Woodson watching the team from the crowd or on television, he helped lead them to the playoffs for the first time since 1999 and, in keeping his word, shaved his head to commemorate the accomplishment. After the near miss of a playoff berth, the Hawks put together a better first round than anyone would have expected. Despite losing 4 blowouts in Boston, they won all 3 games in Atlanta and forced an unexpected Game 7. Unfortunately, where they go from here is uncertain. GM Knight has announced his resignation, which goes into effect July 1st. The team has potential to grow, but they must outlast an Eastern Conference where some parity is developing. Plus, Mike Bibby is on the decline, so they need to have plans in place to succeed next year and beyond.
Philadelphia 76ers (40-42), defeated by Detroit Pistons, 4-2: The Pistons, their fans , and even some league analysts believed that the Pistons would make quick work of the Sixers. Yet, Philly carried its hot streak from the regular season into the playoffs and took a 2-1 lead in the series. This was another team that was not supposed to make the playoffs. Thankfully, Coach Mo Cheeks finally got a team that made him proud, even after a midseason trade of sharpshooter Kyle Korver. The 76ers seem to have a few more pieces in place than the Hawks. Andre Miller, Andre Iguodala, and Samuel Dalembert form a formidable core for the franchise. Miller is in his prime and still has some years left in him, while Dalembert continues to grow. Moreover, Iguodala has emerged as a rising star in the league. However, this core group will need help in order to combat a Conference filled with rising teams and underachievers. Despite the success this year, Philadelphia's future is up in the air.
Toronto Raptors (41-41), defeated by Orlando Magic, 4-1: The Magic took control of the series early, forcing a second-straight first round exit for the Raptors. The Raptors did have a second consecutive successful season, doing so away from the spotlight. Other teams, such as the New Jersey Nets and the Chicago Bulls, received more preseason hype and fanfare, but it was the Raptors that made the playoffs. Toronto has a solid coaching staff and solid roster in place, but rumors have surfaced that Coach Sam Mitchell may get lured away. Furthermore, GM Bryan Colangelo may look to bring in Mike D'Antoni, whom he had recruited to the Phoenix Suns. As was stated for the Hawks and the Raptors, the East could shift in power again next year, with non-playoff teams like the Indiana Pacers and the Milwaukee Bucks looking to enter postseason play next year. Thus, the Raptors must look for either internal development or one more player to help push them over the top in the East.
Washington Wizards (43-39), defeated by Cleveland Cavaliers, 4-2: The Wizards had successfully overcome the rocky Michael Jordan years with Coach Eddie Jordan at the helm. Coach Jordan has done a solid job leading the team into the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. However, the past 3 seasons have ended with first round losses to the Cavaliers. Injuries/health issues seem to have halted the progress of this franchise, although the late season trash-talking may have done them in. Continuity has kept the Wizards in the playoff mix, but the uncertainty of the situations with Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison could potentially bring the Wizards down a notch for next season. If they can keep Arenas and Jamison, they probably need to add one or two more contributors to their roster in order to re-establish themselves in the East. An intriguing addition would be Larry Hughes, who played his best pro ball while with Arenas in Washington's backcourt. Otherwise, internal growth is needed, as everyone other than the New York Knicks appears poised to challenge for a playoff berth next year.
Denver Nuggets (50-32), defeated by Los Angeles Lakers, 4-0: George Karl has promised at least one more year of coaching the Nuggets, who have some talented players. Unfortunately, the salary cap alone makes Denver's roster look unstable. Big money belongs to players Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson, Nene Hilario, Kenyon Martin, and Marcus Camby. The slowdown in Anthony's growth as a player and a person seems to reflect the slowdown of the team as a whole. Denver has seen playoff basketball every year since Anthony entered the league, but they have not advanced past the first round. Such a trend seems likely to continue unless the team improves its health and work ethic. They seem to have lost some of their character with the departures of Reggie Evans and Steve Blake, and they need to move forward or else face another first round exit, or even worse, no playoff basketball at all with the Golden State Warriors and the Portland Trailblazers looking to get into the mix.
Dallas Mavericks (51-31), defeated by New Orleans Hornets, 4-1: The team made its first move of the offseason by letting go of Coach Avery Johnson. Johnson had been the right solution when he took over for Don Nelson a few years ago. At that time, the Mavericks were a second or third round threat but could not get to the NBA Finals. Thus, Johnson brought the defensive mindset that the dominant offensive club had needed. Now, the team is stuck playing average defense and average offense, and they complicated things by getting older. That is, they made a franchise-altering move when they traded away Devin Harris to help land Jason Kidd. Kidd is still a good player, but he was clearly outplayed by a younger and faster Chris Paul of the Hornets. It is not Kidd's fault that the team is on the decline, but his own decline reflects the struggles that the team faces. Dallas must bring in some younger talent to supplement, if not complement and become, their star players. Otherwise, the presence of a new coach will do little to help the franchise move forward. As the Mavericks have seen, two teams have won the conference in eight of the past nine seasons: the Spurs and the Lakers. Within the next few weeks, that streak of dominance by the Spurs and the Lakers could increase to nine out of ten seasons.
Phoenix Suns (55-27), defeated by San Antonio Spurs, 4-1: At the middle of this season, Phoenix appeared to be in the same position that Dallas had been in a few years ago, when Nelson resigned and handed the coaching reins to Johnson. Seeing this, President of Basketball Operations and GM Steve Kerr made a bold decision, trading Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks for Shaquille O'Neal. Although the Suns lost speed and perimeter scoring, they gained the immovable O'Neal, who only two years ago helped lead the Miami Heat to an NBA title. Although the trade received mixed reviews, the addition of Shaq brought an inside presence (both offensively and defensively) that the Suns sorely needed. As Kerr and others had noted, the team needed an answer for Tim Duncan and the Spurs. Unfortunately, the move did not work this year; they failed to obtain home-court advantage in the first round, then fell at the hands of Duncan and the Spurs. Philosophical differences between Kerr and Mike D'Antoni could lead to a coaching change. Although D'Antoni has brought much regular season success to the franchise, his style of 'fast, faster, and fastest' has proven to fall short in the playoffs. The Suns should remain a championship contender in terms of regular-season record next year, but they still need to find a way to make it back to the Finals for the first time since 1993.
Houston Rockets (55-27), defeated by Utah Jazz, 4-2: For the seventh time in seven tries, a Tracy McGrady-led team has failed to advance out of the first round of the playoffs. Health again was a problem for the Rockets, who have not had a healthy roster since their two NBA Championships with Hakeem Olajuwon in the middle. Yao Ming and TMac are both talented players, and they have played as well together as Houston could have hoped. Plus, the team went on a remarkable 26-1 run this season. Regardless, the results remained the same: out in the first round for the second year-in-a-row against Utah. The Rockets have talent, with Shane Battier, Luis Scola, Rafer Alston, and Luther Head as steady role players. Still, they need to bring in some players that can stay healthy, as one of their healthiest players--Dikembe Mutombo--intends to retire. Otherwise, they will again get lost in the mix in the West.
Atlanta Hawks (37-45), defeated by Boston Celtics, 4-3: The Hawks had acquired veteran point guard Mike Bibby in a midseason trade. Then, Coach Mike Woodson had survived a request from General Manager Billy Knight to have Woodson fired. Instead of Woodson watching the team from the crowd or on television, he helped lead them to the playoffs for the first time since 1999 and, in keeping his word, shaved his head to commemorate the accomplishment. After the near miss of a playoff berth, the Hawks put together a better first round than anyone would have expected. Despite losing 4 blowouts in Boston, they won all 3 games in Atlanta and forced an unexpected Game 7. Unfortunately, where they go from here is uncertain. GM Knight has announced his resignation, which goes into effect July 1st. The team has potential to grow, but they must outlast an Eastern Conference where some parity is developing. Plus, Mike Bibby is on the decline, so they need to have plans in place to succeed next year and beyond.
Philadelphia 76ers (40-42), defeated by Detroit Pistons, 4-2: The Pistons, their fans , and even some league analysts believed that the Pistons would make quick work of the Sixers. Yet, Philly carried its hot streak from the regular season into the playoffs and took a 2-1 lead in the series. This was another team that was not supposed to make the playoffs. Thankfully, Coach Mo Cheeks finally got a team that made him proud, even after a midseason trade of sharpshooter Kyle Korver. The 76ers seem to have a few more pieces in place than the Hawks. Andre Miller, Andre Iguodala, and Samuel Dalembert form a formidable core for the franchise. Miller is in his prime and still has some years left in him, while Dalembert continues to grow. Moreover, Iguodala has emerged as a rising star in the league. However, this core group will need help in order to combat a Conference filled with rising teams and underachievers. Despite the success this year, Philadelphia's future is up in the air.
Toronto Raptors (41-41), defeated by Orlando Magic, 4-1: The Magic took control of the series early, forcing a second-straight first round exit for the Raptors. The Raptors did have a second consecutive successful season, doing so away from the spotlight. Other teams, such as the New Jersey Nets and the Chicago Bulls, received more preseason hype and fanfare, but it was the Raptors that made the playoffs. Toronto has a solid coaching staff and solid roster in place, but rumors have surfaced that Coach Sam Mitchell may get lured away. Furthermore, GM Bryan Colangelo may look to bring in Mike D'Antoni, whom he had recruited to the Phoenix Suns. As was stated for the Hawks and the Raptors, the East could shift in power again next year, with non-playoff teams like the Indiana Pacers and the Milwaukee Bucks looking to enter postseason play next year. Thus, the Raptors must look for either internal development or one more player to help push them over the top in the East.
Washington Wizards (43-39), defeated by Cleveland Cavaliers, 4-2: The Wizards had successfully overcome the rocky Michael Jordan years with Coach Eddie Jordan at the helm. Coach Jordan has done a solid job leading the team into the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. However, the past 3 seasons have ended with first round losses to the Cavaliers. Injuries/health issues seem to have halted the progress of this franchise, although the late season trash-talking may have done them in. Continuity has kept the Wizards in the playoff mix, but the uncertainty of the situations with Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison could potentially bring the Wizards down a notch for next season. If they can keep Arenas and Jamison, they probably need to add one or two more contributors to their roster in order to re-establish themselves in the East. An intriguing addition would be Larry Hughes, who played his best pro ball while with Arenas in Washington's backcourt. Otherwise, internal growth is needed, as everyone other than the New York Knicks appears poised to challenge for a playoff berth next year.
Denver Nuggets (50-32), defeated by Los Angeles Lakers, 4-0: George Karl has promised at least one more year of coaching the Nuggets, who have some talented players. Unfortunately, the salary cap alone makes Denver's roster look unstable. Big money belongs to players Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson, Nene Hilario, Kenyon Martin, and Marcus Camby. The slowdown in Anthony's growth as a player and a person seems to reflect the slowdown of the team as a whole. Denver has seen playoff basketball every year since Anthony entered the league, but they have not advanced past the first round. Such a trend seems likely to continue unless the team improves its health and work ethic. They seem to have lost some of their character with the departures of Reggie Evans and Steve Blake, and they need to move forward or else face another first round exit, or even worse, no playoff basketball at all with the Golden State Warriors and the Portland Trailblazers looking to get into the mix.
Dallas Mavericks (51-31), defeated by New Orleans Hornets, 4-1: The team made its first move of the offseason by letting go of Coach Avery Johnson. Johnson had been the right solution when he took over for Don Nelson a few years ago. At that time, the Mavericks were a second or third round threat but could not get to the NBA Finals. Thus, Johnson brought the defensive mindset that the dominant offensive club had needed. Now, the team is stuck playing average defense and average offense, and they complicated things by getting older. That is, they made a franchise-altering move when they traded away Devin Harris to help land Jason Kidd. Kidd is still a good player, but he was clearly outplayed by a younger and faster Chris Paul of the Hornets. It is not Kidd's fault that the team is on the decline, but his own decline reflects the struggles that the team faces. Dallas must bring in some younger talent to supplement, if not complement and become, their star players. Otherwise, the presence of a new coach will do little to help the franchise move forward. As the Mavericks have seen, two teams have won the conference in eight of the past nine seasons: the Spurs and the Lakers. Within the next few weeks, that streak of dominance by the Spurs and the Lakers could increase to nine out of ten seasons.
Phoenix Suns (55-27), defeated by San Antonio Spurs, 4-1: At the middle of this season, Phoenix appeared to be in the same position that Dallas had been in a few years ago, when Nelson resigned and handed the coaching reins to Johnson. Seeing this, President of Basketball Operations and GM Steve Kerr made a bold decision, trading Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks for Shaquille O'Neal. Although the Suns lost speed and perimeter scoring, they gained the immovable O'Neal, who only two years ago helped lead the Miami Heat to an NBA title. Although the trade received mixed reviews, the addition of Shaq brought an inside presence (both offensively and defensively) that the Suns sorely needed. As Kerr and others had noted, the team needed an answer for Tim Duncan and the Spurs. Unfortunately, the move did not work this year; they failed to obtain home-court advantage in the first round, then fell at the hands of Duncan and the Spurs. Philosophical differences between Kerr and Mike D'Antoni could lead to a coaching change. Although D'Antoni has brought much regular season success to the franchise, his style of 'fast, faster, and fastest' has proven to fall short in the playoffs. The Suns should remain a championship contender in terms of regular-season record next year, but they still need to find a way to make it back to the Finals for the first time since 1993.
Houston Rockets (55-27), defeated by Utah Jazz, 4-2: For the seventh time in seven tries, a Tracy McGrady-led team has failed to advance out of the first round of the playoffs. Health again was a problem for the Rockets, who have not had a healthy roster since their two NBA Championships with Hakeem Olajuwon in the middle. Yao Ming and TMac are both talented players, and they have played as well together as Houston could have hoped. Plus, the team went on a remarkable 26-1 run this season. Regardless, the results remained the same: out in the first round for the second year-in-a-row against Utah. The Rockets have talent, with Shane Battier, Luis Scola, Rafer Alston, and Luther Head as steady role players. Still, they need to bring in some players that can stay healthy, as one of their healthiest players--Dikembe Mutombo--intends to retire. Otherwise, they will again get lost in the mix in the West.