In the Eastern Conference, you could conceivably have any of four different teams advancing to the Finals. The emergence of Atlanta has the big boys in the east checking their rear-view mirror as they’ve been able to handle teams like the Celtics all year.

Last year's champions, the Orlando Magic , who are priced at +350 to win the conference title and +800 to win the NBA title, have the benefit of a mentally-tough coach in Stan Van Gundy and a force in the middle with Dwight Howard. But I don't like what was essentially the trade-off between Hedo Turkoglu and Vince Carter. Turkoglu did so any different things well and could be a real complement to other players, while Carter has always come off as a "me-first" guy to me. He's never helped make any team into a legitimate contender, and I've never seen him as the missing ingredient in Orlando.

The Cleveland Cavaliers (+350 to win the NBA title) are a team that both benefits and suffers from the presence of LeBron James. What I mean by that is, James has great assist stats and offers a lot of tremendous lip service to setting up his teammates, etc., but in a playoff series, opponents know that he is going to dominate the ball all the time in important situations and they are able to develop a defensive scheme to slow that down.

It has happened in each of the last couple of seasons, and will happen again. Forget Shaquille O'Neal; if the guy can't play 40 minutes a game he's not the difference-maker, and then you've got a gimpy Zydrunas Ilgauskas in the middle after that. There is no "Plan B" with Cleveland, and Mo Williams doesn't suffice in that way. The Lakers have a Plan B with Gasol, as well as better component parts, and the other difference - a big one too - is that at least Phil Jackson can rein in Kobe from time to time. With the Cavs, LeBron coaches Mike Brown, rather than the other way around.

I'd love to see the Boston Celtics (+300 to win the title) be able to put up one last great defensive stand, because I know they are the only team from the East that is really capable of beating the Lakers. But that task will have to be on their best day, and they will have to have fresh legs. Saying that, you have to worry about people like Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace and Paul Pierce, who have all spent some time in the trainer's room lately, and you know Ray Allen isn't getting any younger. If they can remain one of the top two seeds in the East, I like their chances to get through the conference, for which they are +150.

There is a "wild card" here, and if any team is going to suddenly grow up in the playoffs, it is going to be the Atlanta Hawks (+900 in the East), who are still in striking distance of the #1 spot and will likely host at least one playoff series. Two years ago, they all of a sudden showed something against Boston, taking it to seven games, and they are capable, but only if Joe Johnson doesn't disappear. He's really got to come to play.

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