#8 The beasts in the East

Is is just me or does this season have some seriously revamped teams?

Playoff Contenders:

The Celts are refreshed with Fab Melo, Jared Sullinger (assuming he's healthy) and Jeff Green at 100%. The additions of Courtney Lee and Darko Milicic can't hurt either. If Darko is to truly stick to his quote of 'killing someone oncourt' to prove his worth to KG, then the C's are definitely the team to beat. Watch out Miami.

The Heat of course have Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis added to their already deep and seasoned roster.

Pacers are very much the same team as they were last season which means they can only up the chemistry and ready themselves to tackle the top-tier teams and making a bigger splash in the playoffs than last year.

The Knicks lost Jeremy Lin to the Rockets but picked up J. Kidd and Raymond Felton to fill in the PG position along with Melo and Stat to pad out the roster.

The Sixers lost Iguodala, their captain and most versatile starter capable of filling the cup and dishing the rock to the Nuggets, but gained the one of the best centers in Andrew Bynum. Spencer Hawes and Bynum now for the frontal core along with promising seasons from Evan Turner and Jrue Holiday looking to carry Philly deeper into the playoffs than last year.

Perhaps the greatest and most noteworthy acquisitions in the East is the complete overhaul of the Nets.

Their starting lineup now consists of.

PG: Deron Williams
SG: Joe Johnson
SF: Gerald Wallance
PF: Kris Humphries
C: Brook Lopez

Assuming Lopez is back to full strength and agility after his ankle injury, he is poised to cement himself back into talks of top 5 centers in the league. Humphries proved his worth and held his own in Lopez's absence, thus the two should form a formidable frontcount along with Wallace's tenacious defensive efforts on the wing.

The most curious then naturally becomes the chemistry between D. Will and Johnson. Neither of played with a respective position of each's caliber and should make for electrifying results on court. D. Will now has two adequate pick and roll big men who can also run the floor, along with Johnson who looks for more spot up shooting opportunities. Wallace who has a mild all round game can clean up the boards or draw contact on a dash to rim. Either way, the Nets are locked and loaded to take a legitimate shot at the title this season.

The Bulls have some serious issues to grind out in the absence of the former league MVP. D. Rose is likely to be out until mid-season which poses the question of who will be running the floor. A return to the Bulls by Kirk Heinrich along with the acquisition of Nate Robinson somewhat fills the void. However, the question of scoring rises; who will the the go-to guy? Many have pointed their fingers at Boozer who has yet to rectify the hefty contract that Chicago afforded him 3 years ago. Some say that Luol Deng should be the primary offensive force on the team. Why not have both? Deng's wrist has now become a non-factor, although Deng has considered undergoing surgery at the end of this season to prevent permanent damage.

Boozer is a capable rebounder and efficient post player given his track record back when he was with Utah. However it seems to some that Boozer has slacked off with the presence of Joakim Noah, vicious swatting flies and crashing the boards. Some post-play tweaking and defensive emphasis from Thibbodeau should carry Chicago into the first round of the playoffs. However, going beyond is a question that has yet to be answered along with Rose's knee.

The final spot is up for grabs really. Most teams have had significant upgrades and are poised to make some noise in the regular season.

Raptors added Landry Fields who left the Knicks for a multi-year deal. Kyle Lowry also joins the roster from the Rockets.

The Pistons are looking for career years from Greg Monroe Rodney Stuckey.

Bobcats picked up Kidd-Gilchrist in the draft 2nd overall along with Ben Gordon from Detroit. Sophomores Kemba Walker and Bismack Biyombo are looking to improve upon the undersized impact they had last season. Surely than can do better than 7-59 right?

The Wizards retained Nene, picked up Bradley Beal and are now looking at Wall to carry them into the playoffs for the first time Gilbert Arenas left.

The Cavaliers are very much the same team as last year. However, with Kyrie Irving return from injury and Varejao healthy, the Cavs are ready to make some noise through the pick and pop.

The Bucks with a healthy Andrew Bogut are very likely to take the final spot, given their record last season along with Monta and Jennings lighting it up from the backcourt.

The Hawks lost Joe to the Nets but retained J-Smoove and Horford who is back from this pectoral injury and are ready to reclaim their position in the playoffs.

Finally, the Orlando Magic. Honestly, I would love to say that they have a shot at the playoffs but even the catharsis that followed from the Dwightmare cannot save this ailing franchise without its franchise player. Only time will tell how hard Orlando will fall.