2010-2011 NBA Southeast Division Preview, Predictions Picks & Odds | Sportsbookbuzz.com

2010-2011 NBA Southeast Division Preview, Predictions Picks & Odds

2010 NBA Southeast Division Preview Welcome to the best and most complete 2010 NBA Southeast Division Season Preview available online. The teams that make up our 2010-2011 NBA Southeast Season Preview are the are the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Bobcats, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic and Washington Wizards.

This will be a three-way battle between the Heat, Magic, and Atlanta Hawks. Larry Brown and the Charlotte Bobcats will be happy if they are somehow able to secure a playoff spot in this epic division battle. With arguably the best center in the league, Dwight Howard, the Magic has transformed itself from division creampuffs to juggernauts having won the division title the past two years. Besides Howard, they are loaded with talent and are headlined by Vince Carter and Rashard Lewis. But as incredible as that line up may be, it may not be enough to contend with the Heat who has gone into supersize mode with the addition of that LeBron and Bosh. As the battle of Florida rages, keep your eye on the Atlanta Hawks. With five double-digit scorers returning, along with the always-dependable Mike Bibby, it is hard to count then out of the running.

2010 Atlanta Hawks Season Preview

The Hawks won 53 games last season and entered the playoffs as the third seed in the East, but Atlanta struggled to beat a shorthanded Milwaukee team in the first round, then got swept in ignominious fashion by Orlando in the conference semis. So, a season full of promise ended with an ugly thud. The Hawks ranked 11th in shooting at 47%, 16th in FG defense at 46% and 16th in rebounding, and they went 48-34 ATS. Also, even though Atlanta games averaged the league median 199 points, they ended up 48-34 on the totals. Despite their relative success, the Hawks dumped Coach Woodson, replacing him with longtime pro assistant Larry Drew; and he inherits last year’s top six players. GJoe Johnson (21 ppg/5 apg) is an All-Star, G Jamal Crawford (18 ppg) provides pop off the bench, F Josh Smith (18 ppg/9 rpg) was an All-League defensive second-teamer and F Al Horford nearly averaged a double-double. Atlanta’s biggest concern, though, is the hole in the middle, which Magic C Dwight Howard took advantage of last May. So while the Hawks should again make the playoffs, they still need more to get by the big boys in the East.

Atlanta Hawks Odds: +5000 to win the NBA Championship at BetUS

Atlanta Hawks 2010 Season Preview – Atlanta Hawks 2010 Season Schedule

2010 Charlotte Bobcats Season Preview

Charlotte made a nine-win improvement last year, going 44-38, and made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, although their stay there was short. Nonetheless, the Bobcats’ progress seems like proof enough that Coach Larry Brown is one of the best. Charlotte ranked just 22nd in FG shooting at 45%, but sixth in FG defense, holding foes to less than 45% shooting, and 10th in rebounding at +1.2 per game, all of which helped them go 44-37 ATS. While Bobcats games averaged 189 points, fewest in the league (as no team allowed fewer points than Charlotte), they went 42-38 on the totals, because their O/Us were often among the lowest on the board. The big news personnel-wise for Charlotte is that they allowed PG Raymond Felton, a five-year starter for the ‘Cats, to leave for New York, and are now left depending on DJ Augustin and Shaun Livingston to run the show. Charlotte has a nice scoring combo in G Stephen Jackson (21 ppg) and F Gerald Wallace (18 ppg/10 rpg), and Brown is a near-miracle worker, but he needs more talent here if the Bobcats want to go further than the first round of the playoffs.

Charlotte Bobcats Odds: +10000 to win the NBA Championship at BetUS

Charlotte Bobcats 2010 Season Preview – Charlotte Bobcats 2010 Season Schedule

2010 Miami Heat Season Preview

Miami went 47-35 last year and made the playoffs but quickly got ejected. The Heat ranked second in the league in FG defense (holding opponents to less than 44% shooting from the floor), 17th in shooting at 46% and 11th in rebounding at +11 per game, all in going 43-37 ATS. As Heat games averaged 191 points per, second-fewest in the league, they went 36-45 on the totals. However, what Miami did last year should have no effect on how we view them this season, because this is no longer the same team-not after the Heat made the biggest free-agent haul in years, signing both two-time defending league MVP LeBron James and F Chris Bosh (24 ppg/11 rpg with Toronto last year). They’ll combine with Dwyane Wade (27 ppg) to form the new really Big Three in the league. Throw in 3-point man Mike Miller and one of LeBron’s buddies from Cleveland, C Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and Miami is the new favorite in the Eastern Conference. There’s always a chance the new guys will have trouble meshing, and they might need an upgrade at point guard. Other than that, though, it’s championship or supreme disappointment for the Heat this season.

Miami Heat Odds: +160 to win the NBA Championship at BetUS

Miami Heat 2010 Season Preview – Miami Heat 2010 Season Schedule

2010 Orlando Magic Season Preview

Orlando won 59 games for the second straight season last year and claimed a third straight Southeast Division title. The Magic then swept through Charlotte and Atlanta in the playoffs, but came up short in defense of their Eastern Conference crown when they got punked by Boston in the conference finals. Orlando led the league in FG defense, holding foes below 44% from the floor, ranked fourth in rebounding at +3.2 per game, seventh in FG shooting at 47% and third in 3-point shooting at 37.5%. That’s how a team goes 45-33 ATS. Also, while Magic games averaged a very normal 198 points, they went 34-47 on the totals, which means their O/Us were regularly overestimated. Orlando remains a threat in the East. C Dwight Howard, who led the league in blocks again, can be a monster; Jameer Nelson runs a good point; G JJ Redick has upped his game; and they might expect better years from both Vince Carter and Rashard Lewis. Not to mention they’ve got a solid bench. It should be fun to watch the Magic and Heat go at it four times this season, and maybe even again in the playoffs, say, in the East Finals.

Orlando Magic Odds: +1000 to win the NBA Championship at BetUS

Orlando Magic 2010 Season Preview – Orlando Magic 2010 Season Schedule

2010 Washington Wizards Season Preview

Under the cloud of the Gilbert Arenas mess, Washington struggled through a 26-56 campaign last season, missing the playoffs for the second straight year. The Wizards ranked 24th in shooting at less than 45%, 17th in FG defense at more than 46% and 19th in rebounding, which is how they went 36-46 ATS. As Washington games averaged 197 points, ninth-fewest in the league, the Wizards played more Unders (51) than any other team. Washington has caught its share of lousy breaks in recent years, but they got lucky this summer and won the NBA draft lottery, which gave them the ticket to choosing G John Wall at No. 1 overall. So he’ll now run the point for a team that gets Arenas back after his adventures of last year, and that also now includes Fs Yi Jianlian and Al Thornton and C Andray Blatche, who’s coming off his most productive season as a pro. Wall is a great talent, but not necessarily a great ball-handler or passer. While the Wall and Arenas combo in the backcourt should cause some excitement around DC, the Wizards probably don’t have enough to contend for a playoff spot this year.