Let’s be critical for a minute, shall we?

I’m no school teacher, but I’d like to offer up some post-season grades to each NBA team that made the playoffs.  Let is serve as a prequel to Nique’s exit interview questions, that is if we ever get a chance to see them.

Eastern Conference:

Atlanta Hawks: B

Let’s be real.  Nobody has expected the Hawks to fare well ever since Dominique Wilkins retired.  They’ve consistently been the cellar dwellers of the league.  Yet it finally looks like Atlanta finally has a product they can be proud of.  After taking the Boston Celtics to a seventh game, Atlanta fans should expect nothing less than playoff appearances for the next several years.  They have a respectable young nucleus of players in Josh Smith, Joe Johnson and Al Horford.  It will be interesting to see if they keep Mike Bibby and for how long.  The next step for Atlanta will be actually winning a playoff series, but it appears they’re on the right track.

Washington Wizards: C-

The Wizards are still a team without an identity.  Yes, they made the post-season, but is that enough?  They’ve also done so the past few years and it seems they’re now regressing.  The Wiz feature one of the league’s more dynamic players in Gilbert Arenas, but next year could be a critical one for both him and the franchise.  Can he stay healthy?  And if so, can he coexist with his teammates?  I have a gut feeling things are going to get worse for Arenas before they get better.  In this day and age, with the emergence of Deron Williams and Chris Paul, an NBA point guard cannot think shoot first and pass second and that’s not Arenas’ modus operandi.  Caron Butler had a great season when on the floor, but I’m not convinced the tandem of Brendan Haywood and Antawn Jamison are the bigs that can carry a team to the next level.  I predict Arenas will eventually play his way off this team and ultimately end up on a real contender.  The question is who and will they want to take a gamble on The Hibachi.

Philadelphia 76ers: B-

There are contenders and there are pretenders.  Nobody outside of the Philadelphia locker room gave this team much of a chance to win anything, yet this confident group of individuals gave the Detroit Pistons a run for their money.  Similar to Atlanta, this team has a young nucleus of talent to build around.  But they still have question marks.  I’m not sure what it will take this team to get to the next level, but I think they’re still several pieces away.  Andre Iguodala is a fine young player, but can he consistently be the go to guy for this franchise.

Toronto Raptors: D

In my opinion, the Raptors are at a crossroads.  They have talent to build around in Chris Bosh, but the top teams in the East have set the bar high.  The Celtics Big Three will be around for a few more years at least, LeBron isn’t going anywhere any time soon, the Magic have Dwight Howard and the Heat could eventually become a force with Dwyane Wade, Shawn Marion and either Derrick Rose or Michael Beasley.  This means, in order to keep up with the joneses, Toronto will have to add some pieces.  And it’s unlikely they’re going to be major players in the free agent market.  This team looked flat against an Orlando team they should have competed with.  Toronto has been surprisingly good over the past two seasons, but do their fans and ownership care enough to become a serious contender.  I’m not so sure.  Unfortunately, Sam Mitchell will ultimately take the fall for a team that nobody would be able to win with.

Cleveland Cavaliers: C

 The clock ticks loudly in Cleveland.  This poor city cannot sleep for rumors that King James will eventually leave this franchise for greener pastures.  Until then, they’ll have to keep him happy by surrounding him with talent.  While anything less than an NBA title would have been a disappointment for the Cavs, those goals were unrealistic.  They were the third or fourth best team in the East, and will probably be so again next season.  Both Detroit and Boston are clearly better than the Cavs.  Despite LBJ’s performance in Game 7, this team was not getting by Boston.  In the fire sale that was this NBA season, the Cavs added Ben Wallace (useless), Joe Smith (functioning), Delonte West (decent, but not a starter) and Wally Szczerbiak (white).  The experiment of starting two centers, Z and Wallace, failed miserably.  And at times, it looked like Mike Brown didn’t know who to play.  Should he put in Joe Smith for offense or Anderson Varejao for rebounding?  What Ben Wallace gives you defensively (which isn’t all that much these days), he takes away in offensive presence.  I mean the guy was four feet away from the basket and still didn’t shoot it.  I give credit to the franchise for making an effort, but those players were not what this team needed.  Next time, use some logic when making acquisitions.  Whatever they do in the off-season, they better do it quickly and wisely for that ticking clock is only going to get louder.  Every season the Cavs come up short will make playing in Madison Square Garden all that more palatable for King James.

Orlando Magic: C+

 And yet we have another Eastern Conference team at a crossroads.  Perhaps Orlando should play Cleveland in a seven-game series for the Eastern Conference’s bronze medal, because neither of these two teams was going to get any closer than that.  The Magic will ultimately have to find themselves a point guard to play alongside Dwight Howard.  Carlos Boozer has Deron Williams.  Tyson Chandler has Chris Paul.  Even Bosh has TJ Ford.  The jury is still out (or is it) on whether Jameer Nelson is their point guard of the future.  Additionally, Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu are offensive minded, non-rebounding machines.  Howard needs help on the blocks and he’s not getting it.  While this team has gotten better in recent years, in order to compete with the Clevelands, Detroits, and Bostons of the world, the Magic still have to add pieces to their puzzle.

Detroit Pistons: C (if they lose to Boston); A (if they beat Boston) 

Another season… another Eastern Conference Finals appearance for Detroit.  That wasn’t good enough for Atlanta Braves fan (fourteen division titles, one World Series championship) and it’s likely not good enough for Pistons fans either.  It’s unclear whether Flip Saunders is capable of winning a title with this team and unfortunately for him, he’ll always be living in the shadow of Larry Brown, who may have only won his title by running into a dysfunctional Lakers team at the time.  However, this Pistons team did not lose BECAUSE of Saunders.  You can’t point to any specific coaching blunders that justify him losing his job.  If anything, they’ll lose (again) in the Eastern Conference Finals because of an unhealthy Chauncey Billups, but it’s more likely that Boston is just the better team.  Joe Dumars will have some questions to answer in the off-season.  Does he keep this team intact and what’s needed to get this team back to where they need to be?

Boston Celtics:  A- (if they beat Detroit); D (if they lose to Detroit)

Danny Ainge’s bold off-season moves paid off in more than just a GM of the Year award.  Along with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen have the Celtics one win away from the NBA Finals.  The pieces of this franchise fit nicely together.  Ainge didn’t just look at whoever was out there and land players that didn’t match, a la Cleveland.  Boston’s bench is capable and complementary to their core unit.  And Rondo has proven he’s more than capable of leading this team.  The only question that remains is whether they’ll be able to beat the purple and gold.  While anything less than a title will be disappointment for those in the Boston locker room, a Finals appearance should still be considered a successful season.

2007-2008 was supposed to be different.  The National Basketball Association which in recent years has been characterized by Western Conference dominance (seven of the last nine titles reside in the West, as well as the last six MVP’s) was supposed to see a rise in Eastern competitiveness.

The New York Knicks after a promising first half last season appeared to have turned things around.  The Nets behind Jason Kidd, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson were poised to contend for a title.  After winning the Atlantic Conference last year, the Toronto Raptors, behind Chris Bosh and TJ Ford, were to become an up-and-coming and consistent force in the league.  The Cleveland Cavaliers made the NBA Finals last year and many felt LeBron James had turned the page into becoming the best player in the game.  The upstart Chicago Bulls were expected to give the more veteran teams in the league quite a challenge.  And the Miami Heat, who only two seasons ago were hoisting the O’Brien Trophy, were to once again be led by their dynamic duo.

Currently, only one of the aforementioned teams is above .500.  Meet the new boss, the same as the old boss… the Western Conference.

There have been a few pleasant surprises in the East.  The Celtics Big Three look like potential NBA champions.  The Orlando Magic behind man-child Dwight Howard raced off to a hot start.  And the Detroit Pistons are still the Pistons.  But questions even lie within these rosters.  Will the Celtics add a veteran back-up point guard to provide support for young Rajon Rondo when it matters most… in June?  Does anyone expect Rondo to contend with the likes of Tony Parker, Steve Nash or Deron Williams, never mind Chauncey Billups?   Despite the hot start, the Magic have dropped seven of their last ten, are playing sub-.500 ball on their home floor and are allowing 100 points a game.  And although steady, does Detroit have enough in their tank for one more title run.

The remaining Eastern Conference teams have been nothing less than tremendously disappointing…

Toronto Raptors (15-14):  This team is waiting for someone to step up and become a third scorer.  Bosh and Ford are talents but the rest of their roster is devoid of consistent, clutch scoring.  Top draft pick Andrea Bargnani is averaging less than 10 points per game and is being outscored by teammate Jason Kapono.

New Jersey Nets (12-15):  Is it any wonder that we hear weekly rumblings about Jason Kidd’s trade demands?  For years, the Nets have failed to land an inside presence to help their backcourt.  Show me a team where the point guard leads the team in rebounds and I’ll show you a team destined to get bounced in the second round of the playoffs, if they make the post-season at all.  Can anyone even name the Nets starting power forward and center?  I didn’t think so.

New York Knicks (8-19):  On paper, the Knicks actually look like they could be a contender:  Jamal Crawford, Zach Randolph, Stephon Marbury, David Lee, Quentin Richardson.  Unfortunately for Knicks fans, Isiah Thomas is still their coach and James Dolan is still their owner.  With off-court problems casting a heavy shadow over the franchise, it’s unlikely the Knickerbockers will emerge and pose a serious threat in the Atlantic Division.

Cleveland Cavaliers (13-16):  Ultimately, LeBron’s decision to re-sign with Cleveland when his contract is up will make or break this franchise.  Their inability to surround him with top caliber talent might make his decision to bail easier.  The front court of Drew Gooden and Anderson Varejao is formidable, but they’re no Carlos Boozer.  Daniel Gibson is a spark, but the Larry Hughes experiment has been a total failure.  There’s only so much one man can do, even if he is the chosen one.

Chicago Bulls (9-16):  Chicago’s inability to get it together just cost Scott Skiles his job, but the Bulls’ fate may have been sealed when they signed Ben Wallace to a long-term contract.  I know Big Ben was acquired for his defense presence, but he may very well be the highest-paid player per point scored to ever play the game.  He’s making $15 mil this season and averaging fewer than five points per game.  You do the math.  Kobe trade rumors may have distracted the team, but at this point, Chicago should have pulled the trigger.  They couldn’t be playing much worse.

Miami Heat (8-20):  Hampered early by Dwayne Wade’s health problems and currently by Alonzo Mourning’s, the Heat look hard-pressed to make the playoffs.  Shaquille O’Neal is averaging career low numbers and looks considerably older than 35.  If anyone other than Pat Riley were coaching this team, he would have already been relieved of his duties.  Even Stan Van Gundy, who’s now having the last laugh in Orlando, didn’t lead the Heat to an 8-20 record.

There have been some pleasant surprises in the East.  The Atlanta Hawks are playing .500 ball and their young talent may be enough to bring this team into the post-season.  But winning a playoff series is beyond anyone’s legitimate expectations.  Indiana and Washington are mediocre at best.  And nobody expected Charlotte or Philadelphia to be any good this season… and they’re not.

Contrast that to the Western teams who most thought would be average.  The Lakers have shown renewed life and are playing among the best of the West.  The young Portland Trailblazers have now won 11 straight.  And there’s always the Jazz, Spurs, Suns, Nuggets and Mavericks.

Come June, we’re bound to hear even louder rumblings for Commissioner Stern to revise the league’s playoff structure, co-mingling the Eastern and Western teams in early rounds to weed out the lesser talent.  As least hoops junkies can take solace in the fact that the Eastern Conference Finals between Detroit and Boston will be a series worth watching and the winner should pose a legitimate threat to whichever team comes out of the West.  The rest of the Eastern teams might as well combine their rosters to form an All-Star team to contend with the top two.  After all, that’s what Pistons and Celtics management has done and it seems to be working fairly well for them.