<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Netted @ Aug 13 2008, 06:27 PM)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (lukewarmplay @ Aug 13 2008, 06:09 PM)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Nearly every team is better than it was last year (which is kind of weird)- this is not true for the hawks, despite the continued improvement of Horford and Law and a possibly rejuvenated Zaza, simply because they lost a huge component.
It'd be interesting to separate the teams out that way- which got better, which got worse, which is hard to tell- but I've got to go to dinner, so I'm not going to do that now.</div>
Josh wasn't that big of a loss. They'll have a full season with Bibby and a more experienced Horford. I don't see how the Pacers improved. Let alone improved to the point they are better than the Hawks.
I don't think the Bobs improved either.
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One of the Bobcats problems last year was the coach. I'm not Brown's biggest supporter, but if he hits this team right, they've got the talent to be much better.
Childress is much better than Evans and a different player- it's not like Evans replaces Childress, who played 30 mpg. Yeah, Bibby is better than the point guard by committee they had, but they were at 23-30 when they got him last year and finished at 37-45. That's not bad, but it's not like Bibby's really the type of pg that makes his teammates better. If Law had worked out, that would have been better for them. I don't know, I see them treading water while everyone else improves at best.
Obviously, the sixers, knicks and heat improved. The cavs maybe just got better today, and the picture just got murkier for the bucks- even though I think overall they improved as well. My opinion is that charlotte, orlando, the nets, indiana, detroit all got a little better, while the wizards and chicago are treading water, atlanta and boston are a little worse off, and i have no clue as to whether JO will work out for toronto.
Clearly, this is more important for some cases than others- like it doesn't matter much that Boston got a little worse or the Knicks got better. But the conference overall is stronger, and the playoff race will be difficult and even frustrating- in the sense that many fans will see an improved team that would have made the playoffs last year.