2013-14 NBA Picks and Odds: Eastern Conference Division Favorites

2013-14 NBA Picks and Odds: Eastern Conference Division Favorites: The 2013-14 NBA season tips off in just a couple of weeks, and before the season officially kicks off, it’s time to take a closer look at each division in the Eastern Conference. Of course, everything in the East, and the NBA for that matter, has to start with the two-time defending champion Miami Heat. The Heat have won the Southeast Division every year since LeBron James come to South Beach, and they took the crown in convincing fashion last season. While Miami is once again the clear frontrunner in its division, the other two divisions in the Eastern Conference should be very competitive after several teams made major upgrades in the offseason. With that in mind, here is a closer look at the favorites to win each division in the Eastern Conference for the 2013-14 NBA season.

Atlantic Division: Brooklyn Nets

While the New York Knicks won the Atlantic division last year, a busy offseason has the Nets poised to take the crown from their in-state rivals. Brooklyn snagged veterans Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett in a trade, and not only does the duo fill the team’s two biggest needs, but they will bring a proven level of toughness and experience to the mix. Adding Pierce and Garnett to a lineup that welcomes back Deron Williams, Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez gives the Nets one heck of starting five. Meanwhile, Jason Terry, Andrei Kirilenko and Andray Blatche aren’t terrible options off the bench either. After finishing five games back of the Knicks last season, Brooklyn has upgraded its roster in just about every area. Some growing pains are to be expected as all the new parts develop chemistry, but in the end, the Nets just have too much firepower and depth for the rest of the Atlantic Division.

Central Division: Chicago Bulls

Although the Indiana Pacers won the Central last year and nearly won the Eastern Conference, the return of Derrick Rose is going to tip the scales back in Chicago’s favor. Don’t forget, the Bulls not only won their division in 2010-11 and 2011-12, but they recorded the best record in the NBA in both of those seasons. Even without Rose last year, Chicago finished just five games back of the Pacers in the Central. With coach Tom Thibodeau’s defensive philosophy, the defensive presence of Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer in the paint and the length of Luol Deng and Jimmy Butler on the perimeter, the Bulls are a lock to have one of the toughest defenses in the NBA yet again this year. Meanwhile, the return of Rose will give the Bulls an offensive weapon that can create his own shot and create open looks for others. We are talking about a former MVP and proven closer in close games, and Rose is the type of player that will turn a playoff-caliber Chicago team into a championship-caliber and division-winning squad.

Southeast Division: Miami Heat

The two-time defending NBA champs won the Southeast by a massive 22 games last year, and with the core of its championship-winning team still intact, Miami should cruise to another division title in 2013-14. The trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh alone gives the Heat enough firepower to control the Southeast, and having role players like Ray Allen, Mario Chalmers, Shane Battier and Chris Anderson just makes things unfair. Not to mention the fact that the Heat added former No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden and former No. 2 overall pick Michael Beasley to the mix in the offseason. If Miami gets anything in the way of positive contributions from either player, it will just be icing on the cake for an already-loaded team. Keep in mind that the heat went 15-1 against division opponents last year so the rest of the teams in the Southeast will be lucky to win a game in 2013-14, let alone the division.

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