Last time on The New Millennium, the Kings got their franchise centerpiece in point guard Chris Paul, while teams like the Cavaliers, Celtics and Jazz spent big money in free agency. Will these moves help these franchises move up the standings? How will the defending champion Houston Rockets fare? Let's find out.
Eastern Conference
1. Chicago Bulls(58-24)
2. Milwaukee Bucks(50-32)
3. Orlando Magic(49-33)
4. New Jersey Nets(44-38)
5. Indiana Pacers(44-38)
6. Toronto Raptors(42-40)
7. Washington Wizards(42-40)
8. Atlanta Hawks(42-40)
9. Philadelphia 76ers(41-41)
10. Cleveland Cavaliers(39-43)
11. New York Knicks(38-44)
12. Charlotte Hornets(34-48)
13. Miami Heat(33-49)
14. Boston Celtics(22-60)
15. Detroit Pistons(21-61)
Yet again, the best team is in the East, and yet again, that team is the Bulls who almost had another 60 win campaign. They still lack star power, but did have six players average double digit scoring, leading them to the best point per game team in the NBA. Tracy McGrady managed to carry his Magic back to the playoffs for yet another match-up with Vince Carter and the Raptors, as did young LeBron for his Hawks. The logjam at the bottom of the playoffs saw talented teams in Philly and Cleveland miss out, and the Detroit Pistons round out the standings, the only team in the entire league to average under 100 points a game.
Western Conference
1. Los Angeles Lakers(53-29)
2. Phoenix Suns(52-30)
3. Vancouver Grizzlies(51-31)
4. Minnesota Timberwolves(50-32)
5. Portland Trail Blazers(49-33)
6. New Orleans Pelicans(48-34)
7. San Antonio Spurs(46-36)
8. Sacramento Kings(43-39)
9. Utah Jazz(41-41)
10. Golden State Warriors(38-44)
11. Houston Rockets(38-44)
12. Denver Nuggets(36-46)
13. Dallas Mavericks(28-54)
14. Los Angeles Clippers(28-54)
15. Seattle SuperSonics(25-57)
The West is stacked this year, as the Lakers just managed to stay ahead of the pack, as Kobe Bryant(29.4 ppg) won his second MVP. The Suns added Ben Wallace and moved up to second, and the Grizzlies learned the art of defense to get back to the playoffs. Minnesota got a crazy year from Wally Szczerbiak(16.7 ppg) to also make the playoffs, and take a look at who's in sixth. That's right, after years of losing, the New Orleans Pelicans are a playoff team! I feel like a proud father, what an awesome turnaround. Perennial losers like the Spurs and Kings also made it, and all this new talent, saw Denver and defending champs Houston capsize and fall down the standings. All this change still can't get the Clippers into the playoffs, despite possessing two legitimate superstars in Dwayne Wade and Pau Gasol, as they had the worst defense in the league.
Awards
MVP: Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
Rookie of the Year: Chris Paul, Sacramento Kings
Sixth Man: Richie Jackson, Denver Nuggets
Defensive Player: LeBron James, Atlanta Hawks
Most Improved: Yao Ming, Cleveland Cavaliers
Coach of the Year: Scott Skiles, Chicago Bulls
Can the Bulls actually win a championship this year? Will any of these new young teams be able to make a serious playoff push? Find out next time on The New Millennium!
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