The Eastern Conference is something serious nowadays. Aside from the Lakers, ain't nobody talkin' about no Western teams. I know everybody's on the Celtics and Heat, and to a lesser degree, Orlando... but there really isn't an easy out for either team down the stretch. Let's not forget about:
1: Chicago Bulls: Let's face it, this team is never an easy out in the playoffs. They led led the L in rebounding last year, but were damn near dead last in interior scoring. Now with 18-10 Carlos Boozer added to the already best club on the glass, and the best 3 pt% guy in Kyle Korver, it's gonna be hell trying to beat them in 7 games. {Bold prediction: Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer, and Derrick Rose will all be All-Stars next season.}
(*** BTW: Derrick Rose is an all-star and top 5 PG in the NBA. For those who still seem to be asleep on that.)
2: Milwaukee Bucks: Even with a Bogut injury at the end, they still gave what seemed to be a much better Hawks team major problems in the playoffs. They've added Corey Maggette to an already good backcourt featuring an emerging playmaker in Brandon Jennings. If they're healthy (ahem... Michael Redd), they can be a big disruption going foward.
3: Atlanta Hawks: They virtually have the exact same team as last year, which isn't really a bad thing. They boasted a gaudy record going into the playoffs, but their inexperience killed them. Now, with the pups Josh Smith and Al Horford with a little more experience gained, they too will cause major problems, especially with older teams like the Celtics.