Top Five Seeds in Eastern Conference for 2012-13 NBA Season (Part 1) – NBA Feature
As the 2012-2013 regular season approaches, teams are busy with their practice and preseason schedules, working hard to get everything right before opening day and start the season on a high note. The coming season is expected to be full of surprises and excitement, with the competition as tough as ever before. While there are as many as eight teams fighting for the top five seeds in the Western Conference, the Eastern Conference will have a relatively easier year this time with the Chicago Bulls out of the championship picture.
The Bulls, who led the Eastern Conference each of the past two seasons, lost their All Star point guard Derrick Rose to ACL injury in the playoffs last season, and he is not expected to return before the All Star Break. His loss means that the Bulls will not be in the top five seeds this year, allowing other teams to make full use of the opportunity.
The Eastern Conference looks difficult to predict still, with a number of teams having the capability and talent to land within the top four or five seeds. However, with the help of past experience and player analysis, the top five seeds of the Eastern Conference for next season are given below.
Miami Heat – Seeded 1:
The defending champions have everything working in their favour now. Having won their first championship in the LeBron James era, the pressure is off them. Furthermore, all the media attention has now shifted to the Los Angeles Lakers, who added Steve Nash and Dwight Howard to the team in the offseason and became the new super team of the NBA.
Miami will be glad to have some respite from the constant media attention and the psychological barrier of winning an NBA championship. Now that they have won it, they know it can be achieved and they also know how to achieve it. Moreover, after back to back NBA Finals appearances the past two seasons, Miami are now experienced in playoff basketball and play much better under pressure than thetwo years ago.
The Heat have one of the best starting rosters in the NBA, with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. James continues to improve season after season and inspire and amaze the NBA with his skills and talent. Last year, he won his third regular season MVP title, first NBA championship, first NBA Finals MVP award and an Olympic Gold Medal. Hence, he is riding on an all time peak at the moment and will play the upcoming season with confidence and purpose. Dwyane Wade still looks as good as ever in the Heat line-up, and Chris Bosh is an important member of the team who ensures that the Heat are not completely dominated in the paint and under the post against teams with superior centre players.
The biggest improvement for the Heat next season would be that they now have a player in the backcourt who can make plays and shoot from the perimeter, and for a team like the Heat, that is a valuable player to add to the roster. Ray Allen decided to join the Heat in free agency after playing for the Boston Celtics for the past five seasons. Allen is a great perimeter shooter and three point specialist. With his addition, the Heat can spread the defence next season and allow James and Wade to drive into the paint and get good looks. In the NBA Finals last season, Shane Battier and Mike Miller gave the Heat the perimeter shooting they were looking for, and it made them almost an unbeatable team. With Allen coming in, the Heat will be looking to further exploit the opponent's defence.
Along with Allen, Miami also brought in Rashard Lewis to the team, who like Allen is a three point specialist and a quality veteran guard. Miami’s weakness since 2010 has been their backcourt, and with the addition of Lewis they could perhaps improve that area of their game and allow LeBron to focus on small forward, his natural position. Although the Heat do not have one of the strongest benches in the league, they have a few good pieces who can contribute towards the success of the team. With a championship under the belt and a new back court, the Heat are looking like the favourites to rule the Eastern Conference next season.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article do not represent Bettor.com’s editorial policy.
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