March 28-- Just when you thought you got rid of me I come back like your least favorite relative. There's no time to waste this week. I will preview the playoffs and continue my look at next year's rookie crop.

Eastern Conference Playoff Preview

I will split my preview into two parts. This week we will go with the east. Here is the 8 teams I see in the playoffs from the east,

1.Indiana Pacers

2.Detroit Pistons

3.New Jersey Nets

4.New Orleans Hornets

5.Milwaukee Bucks

6.Miami Heat

7.Cleveland Cavaliers

8.New York Knicks

ROUND 1

Pacers vs Knicks

Starting 5 Knicks-Pacers

PG-Stephon Marbury PG-Jamaal Tinsley
SG-Allan Houston SG-Reggie Miller
SF-Tim Thomas SF-Ron Artest
PF-Kurt Thomas PF-Jermaine O'Neal
C-Nazr Mohammed. C-Jeff Foster

EDGE-PACERS-The starting five of these two teams do not compare. The Knicks have a clear advantage at the point but that is it.The center match up is a push. Positions 2-4 are big advantages for the Pacers. 2 current all-stars and a future hall of famer vs. one solid defender and 2 guys who have never lived up to the hype.

KEY BENCH PLAYERS Knicks-Pacers

SG- Penny Hardaway F-Al Harrington
PG-Moochie Norris SG-Fred Jones
C-Mike Sweetney

EDGE-KNICKS-Penny can still get the job done. Moochie is a good backup PG. Sweetney has started to play well lately.Harrington is a super sub, but that is all they have. Fred Jones is young and explosive but very raw.

COACH- Knicks-Lenny Wilkins Pacers-Rick Carlisle

EDGE-PACERS-Lenny Wilkins is a great coach. I just believe that Carlisle is a greater coach. His team is starting to buy into his system.

My Pick-Pacers 4 games to 1.

Hornets vs Bucks

Starting 5 Hornets Bucks

PG-Baron Davis PG-Damon Jones
SG-David Wesley SG-Michael Redd
SF-Jamal Mashburn SF-Kieth Van Horn
PF-P.J. Brown PF-Joe Smith
C-Jamaal Maglorie C-Brian Skinner

EDGE-HORNETS-Mash should be back for the playoffs. Even if he isn't they still have a better starting five than the Bucks. The loss of T.J. Ford was huge. If he was in this series I could see the Bucks pulling off a upset. Van Horn is to unstable to be counted on in the playoffs. Ask the Nets.

KEY BENCH PLAYERS Hornets Bucks

SF-Stacey Augmon SG-Desmond Mason
SF-George Lynch F-Toni Kukoc
PG-Darrell Armstrong
EDGE-HORNETS-The Hornets win this cat because of the great D that Stacey and George can play. Mason will provide good O, but not enough to make up for what they will need.

COACH- Hornets-Bucks

Tim Floyd-Terry Porter

EDGE-HORNETS-Floyd is the better coach for one reason. That reason is experience. In three years Porter will be one of the best coaches in the league.

My Pick-Hornets 4 games to 2.

Nets vs Heat

Starting 5-Nets-Heat

PG-Jason Kidd PG-Dwayne Wade
SG-Kerry Kittles SG-Eddie Jones
SF-Richard Jefferson SF-Caron Butler
PF-Kenyon Martin PF-Lamar Odom
C-Jason Collins C-Brian Grant

EDGE-HEAT-The Heat have the type of starting lineup that could make a serious run. If Brian Grant can turn on the D like he has shown he can do the Nets will be in trouble. I am going on the assumption that Kidd will play. He will not be 100% if he does. Eddie Jones could put up 23 a game in this series.

KEY BENCH PLAYERS-Nets-Heat

PG-Lucious Harris F-C Udonis Haslem
PG-Zoran Planinic
PF-Aaron Williams

EDGE-NETS-The PG's are vital because these will be the guys picking up the minutes for Jason Kidd if he doesn't play. Aaron Williams always gives 100% and could wind up starting at center for them. Haslem also could find himself starting is Grant does not give them the rebounding edge they need.

COACH- Nets-Heat

Lawrence Frank-Steve Van Gundy

EDGE-PUSH-To close to call. This is the first head coaching job for both men.

MY PICK-Heat 4 games to 3.

Pistons vs Cavs

Starting 5-Pistons-Cavs

PG-Chauncey Billups PG-Jeff McInnis
SG-Richard Hamilton SG-LeBron James
SF-Tayshaun Prince SF-Eric Williams
PF-Ben Wallace PF-Carlos Boozer
C-Rasheed Wallace C-Zydrunas Ilgauskas

EDGE-PISTONS-2 positions make the difference here. While McInnis has played well he is not near the level that Billups is at. Carlos Boozer has had a wonderful year and made great strides towards being one of the better PF's in the league. The problem is he is going to be playing against the best defender/rebounder in the league. Maybe next year Cavs.

KEY BENCH PLAYERS-Pistons-Cavs

F-C-Melmet Okur SG-Dajuan Wagner
SF-Corliss Williamson C-Tony Battie

EDGE-PUSH-The days of the alternators are over and the Cavs bench excites no one.

COACH- Pistons-Cavs

Larry Brown-Paul Silas

EDGE-PISTONS-Brown has been to the finals before and Silas has not. Silas does have my vote for coach of the year though.MY PICK-Pistons 4 games to 3.

ROUND 2

Pacers vs Hornets Starting 5 Edge-HORNETS-The Pacers have the two best players in O'Neal and Artest, but the Hornets have the better all-around team when healthy. Maglorie will have his way with Jeff Foster. Barron Davis will be the star of this series. There is not a Point Guard on the Pacers roster that can stop him.KEY BENCH PLAYERS-EDGE-HORNETS-The Hornets bench provides great D. That will get you a long way in the playoffs.COACHING EDGE-PACERS-You are a idiot if you think Floyd is a better coach than Carlisle.MY PICK-Pacers 4 games to 2.At some point in the series Mash and or Davis will get hurt again and cost the Hornets their chance.

Heat vs Pistons Starting 5 Edge-PISTONS-The Pistons have way to much D to. The offensive Heat can not score on them.KEY BENCH PLAYERS-EDGE-PISTIONS-Neither team has much much to offer, but the Pistons are better.COACH-PISTIONS-This is to big of a stage for the first year coach and Brown knows exactly what to do in the playoffs.MY PICK-Pistons 4 games to 1.

Eastern Conference Finals

Pistons vs Pacers Starting 5 Edge-Pistons

BENCH-Pacers

Coach-Pistons

My Pick-Pistons 4 games to 2.There you have it.

Draft Preview:Centers

Seniors: 1.Rafael Araujo-BYU-Big man had a nice game against Syracuse. Has a nice overall game. He will be a second round pick in the NBA. Might need some grooming in the NBDL.

That is all for the seniors. This is really weak. The best center in this class may not ever make it to the NBA.

Juniors.

1.David Harrison-Colorado-Reminds people a lot of Jamaal Maglorie.

2.Channing Frye-Arizona-Why not? In the small east he could start at the 5 spot.

Nothing to write home about here either. Harrison is a late first round pick.

Sophomore's-No Prospects worth mentioning.

Freshman-1.David Padgett-Kansas-It must run in the family.

2.Shagari Alleyne-Kentucky-He is 7-3. That is all you need to know.

High School/International

1.Martynas Andriuskevicius-Lithuania-He is a 7-2 bruiser who can pass the ball.

2.Pavel Podkolzine-Russia-He was the talk of the NBA for about two weeks last year before he pulled out. He has great size at 7-5 and is very raw. He will be a top 8 pick this year.

P.S. If you have anything to say about this or any of my articles email me at T_MAC2345@yahoo.com