In the NBA the eastern conference may be better then the western conference this year because if you just look at all the teams on the west coast and look at all the teams on the east coast you would say that the east coast is better, and that they are playing better basketball right now. All eastern teams have good records starting out this year, and they are beating some of the west coast teams. About this time couple years ago everybody would be paying attention to the west coast teams. Now basketball has gotten better. Basketball fans can almost look at any game from west coast to east coast it will be a good game.

I think the Celtics are the best team in the league right now. They have the best starting five in the league. I think their five is better then the Detroit Piston five from two years ago. They could win the playoffs this year because I don’t see anyone who can stop them from winning it right now. The only teams that I thought would be able to beat them this year was Pistons or the Heat, but the Heat are in last place right now and they have lost 11 games straight. This year Detroit did get the win against the Celtics, but when they meet up again, I think the Celtics will win the game easily.

Considering how the Heat is playing now, almost any team in the NBA can beat them. I don’t see how a professional basketball team can go from one of the best team in league to almost the worst team in the NBA. I understand that the Heat don’t have that many healthy players right now, but some one on the team has to step up before they miss the playoffs this year. I think Shaqu is ready for retirement because he is not like he used to be -- the most dominate player in the league. Previously, teams playing the Heat would have to practice hard and plan how they were going to stop Shaq. Now you see people just stopping Shaq, or he will be hurt and can’t play to the middle of the season. Another team is improving in the east is the Atlanta Hawks.

Since Atlanta Hawks picked up Al Harford, they have been I pretty good team. Last year when they were losing like that, all they needed was a big man and Harford has given them that. Now that the Hawks have a big man everybody on the team is starting to play better. Joe Johnson, he is one of the best players in the league also. I think that he will go to the all star game this year; I also think that he will lead his team to the playoffs this year. As long as Joe Johnson and Josh Smith play well this year, I know that they will go to the playoffs.

The team that I think is playing the best right now is the Cleveland Cavaliers; Lebron James is leading his team to some good wins right now. I think Lebron James is just like Michael Jordan back in his prime or better. Right now he is doing it all, like making other people on his team play better, Daniel Gibson for example. Now Gibson is one of the best three-point shooters in the league, and when James is being double teamed he is one of the people who will step up and hit some big shots.

If basketball fans look closely at the teams they will realize that the eastern conference is better than the western this year. The teams from the east coast are playing really well right now, and there are a couple teams from the west that are playing satisfactory, but not better than any of the east coast teams. Out of all these good teams in the NBA right now I think that the Celtics will win it all.