NBA preview: Southeast Division

Teams listed in projected order of finish:

1. Miami Heat
This team was within 90 seconds of the NBA Finals last year. So why all the changes?
Out goes Eddie Jones and Damon Jones, in comes Jason Williams, Antoine Walker and Gary Payton. Certainly, as long as Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade are present and healthy, this team is a threat to be playing in June, but the formula that worked so well last year has been blown up in the name of more star power. Two of the new acquisitions, Williams and Walker, might be among the most flighty players the league has ever seen. Williams has never met a pass he didn't like, and Walker has never met a shot he wouldn't take.
If the shots are dropping for Walker, it will take some pressure off Shaq, who isn't getting any younger, but if the shots aren't dropping, the only thing Walker will succeed at is alienating his teammates.
Stan Van Gundy gets the nod for "head coach on the shortest leash." If Miami stumbles out of the gate, how long do you think Pat Riley will be able to restrain himself from coaching again?

2. Washington Wizards
Luckily for the Wizards, Larry Hughes was probably only their third-best player.
While Hughes bolted for Cleveland, the state of Washington baskteball remained generally strong thanks to the continued presence of Antawn Jamison and Gilbert Arenas. Washington made a signifcant score by pawning off colossal bust Kwame Brown on the Lakers for the noticeably-more-proven Caron Butler, who should replace Hughes' offense, if not his defense.
Factor in the signing of Antonio Daniels, and the Wizards had about as good an off-season as you can have after losing a starter who put in 22 points per game last year.

3. Orlando Magic
The Magic are a team loaded with x-factors. The maturation of Dwight Howard. The health of Grant Hill.
Factor No. 2 is already off to a bad start, as Hill will miss the first three to six weeks of the season with more leg problems.
Not to place too much pressure on Howard, last year's No. 1 pick, but he might have to find a way to become Orlando's Kevin Garnett as a matter of necessity. Other than Hill and Howard, the Magic have Steve Francis, who is quite adept at finding his own shot. Getting his teammates involved is another issue.
The Magic have enough talent to at least make the playoffs. Anything more than that is questionable.

4. Charlotte Bobcats
That fact that a second-year expansion team is something other than a last-place pick is a testament to A) the early draft job the team's general manager has done and B) the sad state of the last-place team (see below).
GM/head coach Bernie Bickerstaff is, slowly but surely, amassing a pool of quailty talent in Charlotte. Last year brought the low-post game of Emeka Okafor. This year, the Bobcats netted point guard Ray Felton and forward Sean May. All three have been on NCAA title teams.
The supporting cast is not great, but far from dead weight. The re-signing of Brevin Knight will give the Bobcats a veteran point guard to help groom Felton. There is ample athleticism in Gerald Wallace and Kareem Rush.
The Bobcats should crack the 20-win plateau this year, and could be a fringe playoff contender as early as 2007.

5. Atlanta Hawks
Only the Hawks could create an ownership coup by trying to trade for Joe Johnson. One owner got oustered for unsucessfully trying to stop the team from trading for Johnson, who just went from being a great supporting cast member on the playoff-bound Phoenix Suns to the best player on the lottery-bound Hawks.
Other than the Johnson fiasco, the only other news the Hawks made this off-season was the shocking death of center (and former Ohio Mr. Basketball) Jason Collier from an apparent heart attack.
This team is lousy, and will likely remain lousy for a long time to come, unless Dominique Wilkins finds the fountain of youth.

Up next: the Northwest Division