EASTERN CONFERENCE PREVIEW

In predicted order of finish by MARK HEISLER

1. MIAMI

* 2004-05 record: 59-23, 1st in East.

* Offense: 101.5 (4).

* Defense: 95.0 (8).

* Going: Eddie Jones, Keyon Dooling, Rasual Butler, Steve Smith, Malik Allen.

* Coming: Antoine Walker, Jason Williams, Gary Payton, James Posey, Andre Emmett, Jason Kapono, No. 1 pick Wayne Simien.

* Starters: G Williams (10.1 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 5.6 apg), G Dwyane Wade (24.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 6.8 apg), F James Posey (8.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.8 apg), F Udonis Haslem (10.9 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 1.4 apg), C Shaquille O’Neal (22.9 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 2.7 apg).

* Outlook: It was quite a summer for O’Neal, who got a five-year, $100-million extension and all of his wishes granted -- but one. The Heat picked up Walker and Williams because O’Neal wanted them. O’Neal says Williams is “a hip-hop Scott Skiles.” In Memphis, Williams was an $8.2 million-a-year player who wasn’t on the floor at the end of games. One last whim is unfulfilled. Riley set off a furor by saying he’d help Coach Stan Van Gundy, but has stayed out of sight since; there may be no way to put the imp back in the bottle. Talent isn’t a problem, but chemistry is. Meanwhile, O’Neal, who came in lean and mean last season -- and still had injury problems -- said it was time to bulk up. So now it’s the Return of the Dirigible.

* Comment: Can O’Neal get in shape and unseat Van Gundy fast enough for Riley to save the day?

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2. DETROIT

* 2004-05 record: 54-28, 2nd in East.

* Offense: 93.3 (24).

* Defense: 89.5 (2).

* Going: Coach Larry Brown, Elden Campbell.

* Coming: Coach Flip Saunders, Dale Davis, Maurice Evans, No. 1 pick Jason Maxiell.

* Starters: G Chauncey Billups (16.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 5.8 apg), G Richard Hamilton (18.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 4.9 apg), F Tayshaun Prince (14.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 3.0 apg), F Rasheed Wallace (14.5 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 1.8 apg), C Ben Wallace (9.7 ppg, 12.2 rpg, 2.4 bpg).

* Outlook: Coach Brown’s former teams typically suffer post-Larry fatigue. However, the Pistons were strong-willed enough to ignore the circus around him when he was there, so why should they fall apart now? Led by the backcourt of Billups and Hamilton, this is a tough, battle-tested team with five starters who average 28 years of age. Brown trusted only two reserves, Antonio McDyess and Lindsey Hunter, but Saunders is playing Darko Milicic and Carlos Delfino, whom Brown chained to the bench. And Milicic looked good in exhibitions when Saunders let him play facing the basket. “He’s going to play with a lot more freedom and confidence,” Billups said, “now that LB isn’t screaming at him every second.”

* Comment: After one title and two Finals appearances in two seasons, this is still the league’s most underrated team.

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3. INDIANA

* 2004-05 record: 44-38, 6th in East.

* Offense: 93.0 (T25).

* Defense: 92.2 (5).

* Going: Reggie Miller, James Jones, Dale Davis.

* Coming: Sarunas Jasikevicius, No. 1 pick Danny Granger.

* Starters: G Jamaal Tinsley (15.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 6.4 apg), G Stephen Jackson (18.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.3 apg), F Ron Artest (24.6 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 3.1 apg), F Jermaine O’Neal (24.3 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 2.0 bpg), C Jeff Foster (7.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 0.7 apg).

* Outlook: Regrets, they had a few after Nov. 19, when they were 13-4 and followed Ron Artest into the Palace of Auburn Hills’ stands in the brawl that, parenthetically, ended their title hopes. That made two consecutive seasons effectively ended by Artest. In 2004, they were eliminated after he drew a technical foul that put Detroit’s Richard Hamilton on the line for the winning free throw. Great defenders who can average 20 points are rare, so they brought Artest back with a carefully constructed support system -- after which he announced he’d play like a “caged wild animal ... out of control.” Now team officials concede they have no idea what he’ll do and note happily the presence of the impressive Granger. For the first time since 1987, they won’t have Miller. With Artest and Jackson, they’ll miss Miller’s leadership even more than his shooting.

* Comment: As Artest goes -- or when -- so go they.

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4. NEW JERSEY

* 2004-05 record: 42-40, 8th in East.

* Offense: 91.4 (29).

* Defense: 92.9 (6).

* Going: Brian Scalabrine, Ron Mercer.

* Coming: Marc Jackson, Jeff McInnis, Lamond Murray, Scott Padgett, Linton Johnson.

* Starters: G Jason Kidd (14.4 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 8.3 apg), G Vince Carter (24.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 4.2 apg), F Richard Jefferson (22.2 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 4.0 apg), F Jason Collins (6.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.3 apg), C Nenad Krstic (10.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.0 apg).

* Outlook: Last fall on media day, Kidd and Alonzo Mourning ripped the organization for dumping Kenyon Martin. With Kidd out, they started 2-11 while he dreamed of going to the Lakers, or anywhere. They’re b-a-c-k. Net boss Rod Thorn beat the Knicks to Toronto’s Vince Carter, who turned back into Vince Carter and the Nets closed on a 30-16 run. Now Jefferson is back after playing a handful of games with Carter. With their move to Brooklyn still years off, the lame ducks managed to sell some tickets to their mausoleum with a vigorous marketing campaign, even opening a sales office in Manhattan. Over the last four seasons, counting playoffs, they’re 17-3 against the Knicks. However, there’s no truth to the rumor they’re changing the name to “The New Jersey Nets of New York.”

* Comment: By any name, this is a better team than their 2002 and 2003 East champions.

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5. CLEVELAND

* 2004-05 record: 42-40, 9th in East.

* Offense: 96.5 (17).

* Defense: 95.7 (11).

* Going: Coach Paul Silas, GM Jim Paxson, Jeff McInnis, Robert Traylor, DeSagana Diop, Dajuan Wagner, Scott Williams.

* Coming: Coach Mike Brown, GM Danny Ferry, Larry Hughes, Donyell Marshall, Damon Jones, Alan Henderson.

* Starters: G Eric Snow (4.0 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 3.9 apg), G Hughes (22.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 2.9 spg), F LeBron James (27.2 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 7.2 apg), F Drew Gooden (14.4 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 1.6 apg), C Zydrunas Ilgauskas (16.9 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 2.1 bpg).

* Outlook: The old regime lost Carlos Boozer but was 34-21 at the All-Star break before new owner Dan Gilbert arrived, fired Silas and Paxson and watched the Cavaliers plunge while James went off on his own. Then Gilbert was turned down by Larry Brown and Phil Jackson. Gilbert had a choice between having cap space and Ilgauskas, but James wanted Ilgauskas. Hughes, Marshall and Jones make them deeper. Since everyone now knows who the boss is -- James -- there will be less confusion. Teams are already saving cap space for James, who can be an unrestricted free agent in 2008 and is bristling at talk that he’ll leave, but hasn’t said he wants to stay.

* Comment: Can they do more than just make the playoffs? Will James be OK with it if they don’t? Stay tuned.

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6. MILWAUKEE

* 2004-05 record: 30-52, 13th in East.

* Offense: 97.2 (15).

* Defense: 100.2 (T20).

* Going: Coach Terry Porter, Desmond Mason, Zaza Pachulia, Calvin Booth.

* Coming: Coach Terry Stotts, No. 1 pick Andrew Bogut, Jamaal Magloire, Bobby Simmons, Ervin Johnson.

* Starters: G Michael Redd (23.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.3 apg), G T.J. Ford (2003-04 stats, 7.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 6.5 apg), F Simmons (16.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 2.7 apg), F Joe Smith (11.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 0.9 apg), C Magloire (11.7 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 1.3 apg).

* Outlook: There was already new excitement after they won the lottery for Bogut, re-signed Redd, signed Simmons -- even if $9 million a year was too much -- and saw Ford, who missed last season because of a spinal injury, restart his career. Then GM Larry Harris, Del’s son, beat everyone -- including the Lakers -- in the Hornets’ fire sale for Magloire. In a season or two, when Bogut makes the transition, the Bucks’ front line will be as good as anyone’s. The 6-11 Bogut should become one of the league’s 10 best centers. Happily, they can bring Bogut along slowly. Magloire already is one of the 10 best centers.

* Comment: If the inexperienced Stotts can hold up his end, they should be a playoff team this season and this is just the beginning.

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7. PHILADELPHIA

* 2004-05 record: 43-39, 7th in East.

* Offense: 99.1 (10).

* Defense: 99.9 (19).

* Going: Coach Jim O’Brien, Marc Jackson, Aaron McKie.

* Coming: Coach Maurice Cheeks, Steven Hunter, Lee Nailon.

* Starters: G Allen Iverson (30.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 7.9 apg), G Andre Iguodala (9.0 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 3.0 apg), F Kyle Korver (11.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.2 apg), F Chris Webber (19.5 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 4.7 apg), C Samuel Dalembert (8.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 1.7 bpg).

* Outlook: They didn’t know what to do with Webber, who arrived at midseason, but the worst problem was O’Brien, who arrived before the season and fell out with everyone from Iverson down. A former St. Joseph’s Hawk and the son-in-law of local legend Jack Ramsay, O’Brien was coming home after a stint as Celtic coach, but his arrogance turned everyone off. He was fired and replaced by Cheeks, a beloved former 76er. Webber isn’t what he was but can still come close to 20 points and 10 rebounds if they run the offense through him -- something else O’Brien wouldn’t do. With Iverson mellowing at 30 and a solid supporting cast, this isn’t a bad team and now won’t be such an unhappy one.

* Comment: Everything depends on Webber’s old legs, but making the playoffs is still doable.

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8. WASHINGTON

* 2004-05 record: 45-37, 5th in East.

* Offense: 100.5 (6).

* Defense: 100.8 (23).

* Going: Larry Hughes, Kwame Brown, Laron Profit, Juan Dixon.

* Coming: Chucky Atkins, Caron Butler, Antonio Daniels.

* Starters: G Daniels (11.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 4.1 apg), G Gilbert Arenas (25.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 5.1 apg), F Butler (15.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.9 apg), F Antawn Jamison (19.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 2.3 apg), C Brendan Haywood (9.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.7 bpg).

* Outlook: The Bulls’ rise eclipsed one almost as spectacular by the Wizards, who jumped 20 wins in the standings with a young, high-scoring team, led by 20-point scorers Arenas and Hughes, with Jamison at 19.6. Then they came from down two games to upset the Bulls in the first round before Miami spanked them, 4-0. Hughes left, but firepower wasn’t the problem. The Wizards’ defense was so bad, they averaged 100.5 points with the league’s No. 6 offense ... and were outscored. Arenas, a second-round pick from Arizona and Van Nuys Grant High, averaged 25.5 points and became an All-Star in his fourth season. Now he has to settle in and become the leader they need. Eddie Jordan is a good young coach and there is plenty of talent.

* Comment: Good as they are, it gets tougher from here.

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9. CHICAGO

* 2004-05 record: 47-35. 4th in East.

* Offense: 94.5 (21).

* Defense: 93.4 (7).

* Going: Eddy Curry, Antonio Davis.

* Coming: Michael Sweetney, Darius Songaila, Malik Allen, Tim Thomas.

* Starters: G Kirk Hinrich (15.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 6.4 apg), G Chris Duhon (5.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 4.9 apg), F Luol Deng (11.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.2 apg), F Sweetney (8.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 0.6 apg), C Tyson Chandler (8.0 ppg, 9.7 apg, 1.8 bpg).

* Outlook: After their young team came of age, improving by 24 wins, their organization almost came apart at the seams. Volatile Coach Scott Skiles spurned a $4 million-a-year extension, went on the radio to charge that owner Jerry Reinsdorf would try to blacken his reputation, then re-signed. Then there was the Curry problem, with the club demanding he take a DNA test to check his heart problem and finally donating him to the Knicks. Even before that, team officials said they knew they couldn’t expect to repeat last season, when their Baby Bulls went on an extended roll through a weaker East. There is a lot of talent, and Skiles is a tough defensive coach, but Chandler, Hinrich, Duhon, Deng, Andres Nocioni and star reserve Ben Gordon are all 25 or younger.

* Comment: The real question mark is Skiles, who’s 41.

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10. NEW YORK

* 2004-05 record: 33-49, 12th in East.

* Offense: 97.3 (14).

* Defense: 99.7 (18).

* Going: Coach Herb Williams, Allan Houston, Kurt Thomas, Tim Thomas, Michael Sweetney.

* Coming: Coach Larry Brown, Eddy Curry, Matt Barnes, Quentin Richardson, Jerome James, No. 1 picks Channing Frye, David Lee and Nate Robinson.

* Starters: G Stephon Marbury (21.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 8.1 apg), G Jamal Crawford (17.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 4.3 apg), F Quentin Richardson (14.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 2.0 apg), F Malik Rose (7.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 0.8 apg), C Curry (16.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 0.6 apg).

* Outlook: The Knicks, who weren’t even coming close to making the playoffs with their $100-million payrolls, kept drumming up desperate reasons for optimism before bagging an elephant. Brown has never failed to reach the postseason. What could be missing now? Oh, right, a team. It took until July for Brown to wriggle out of Detroit, too late to help put together his kind of roster. Now Brown, a veterans’ coach, is talking up his rookies and trying to turn gunner Crawford into a point guard, pouting Marbury into a leader, and to awaken Curry, who’s now a $10 million-a-year player with a career rebounding average of 4.9.

* Comment: Good luck, Larry.

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11. ORLANDO

* 2004-05 record: 36-46, 10th in East.

* Offense: 99.5 (9).

* Defense: 101.8 (28).

* Going: Coach Johnny Davis, GM John Weisbrod, Doug Christie.

* Coming: Coach Brian Hill, co-assistant GMs Otis Smith and Dave Twardzik, Keyon Dooling, Bo Outlaw.

* Starters: G Steve Francis (21.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 7.0 apg), G DeShawn Stevenson (7.8 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 1.3 apg), F Grant Hill (19.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.3 apg), F Dwight Howard (12.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 0.9 apg), C Kelvin Cato (7.0 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 1.3 bpg).

* Outlook: Amway magnate Rich DeVos was lost from the moment he bought the team in 1991 and joined a timeout huddle. After losing Shaquille O’Neal and years of struggle after Grant Hill was hurt, DeVos brought in former NHL executive Weisbrod, who lasted one full season. Now there’s no GM, with assistants Twardzik and Smith reporting to DeVos’ son-in law, team President Bob Vander Weide. Starting slowly, they drafted Fran Vasquez, who decided to stay in Europe. They were still imposing with Hill, Francis and superstar-in-the-making Howard, the one thing Weisbrod did right. Now Hill, who finally made it back last season, just went out for a month after requiring groin surgery.

* Comment: Does this sound familiar?

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12. BOSTON

* 2004-05 record: 45-37, 3rd in East.

* Offense: 101.3 (5).

* Defense: 100.4 (22).

* Going: Gary Payton, Antoine Walker.

* Coming: No. 1 pick Gerald Green, Brian Scalabrine, Curtis Borchardt.

* Starters: G Dan Dickau (12.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 4.9 apg), G Paul Pierce (21.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 4.2 apg), F Scalabrine (6.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.6 apg), F Al Jefferson (6.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 0.3 apg), C Raef LaFrentz (11.1 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 1.2 apg).

* Outlook: All is forgiven after last spring’s debacle in which Paul Pierce almost gave Game 6 in Indiana away with a technical foul, before the Celtics came home and lost Game 7 by 27 points. They insist they’re building around Pierce, who says he wants to be a Celtic for life. Translation: Pierce could go anytime now. GM Danny Ainge was relieved to dump Walker and get Green, a high school guard, who fell from a projected No. 4 pick to the Celtics at 18. However, the moves make it clear that this is a rebuilding project. Their future depends on Green (age 19), Al Jefferson (20), Tony Allen (23) and Delonte West (22). Pierce and Rivers kept falling out and patching it up, but by midseason it should be clear to Pierce he’s better off elsewhere.

* Comment: To quote Billy Idol, it’s a nice day to start again.

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13. CHARLOTTE

* 2004-05 record: 18-64, 14th in East.

* Offense: 94.3 (22).

* Defense: 100.2 (T20).

* Going: Jason Kapono, Jason Hart, Malik Allen.

* Coming: No. 1 picks Raymond Felton and Sean May, Jumaine Jones.

* Starters: G Felton (stats at UNC 12.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 6.9 apg), G Kareem Rush (8.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 1.4 apg), F Gerald Wallace (11.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.0 apg), F Emeka Okafor (15.1 ppg, 10.9 rpg, 1.7 bpg), C Primoz Brezec (13.0 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 1.2 apg).

* Outlook: The Bobcats had a nice inaugural season. They didn’t set the world on fire, but they already have a nice front line with 6-foot-9 Okafor, who averaged 15 points and 11 rebounds as a rookie, and 7-0 Brezec, who averaged 13.0 and 7.4. On the discouraging side, the town turned out at 14,374 a game, 29th in the league, in the Hornets’ 23,000-seat arena. Whether to please local fans or not, Coach-GM Bernie Bickerstaff chose Tar Heels Felton and May with the No. 5 and 13 picks. That was about where May was projected, but high for Felton, not yet a great playmaker. On the plus side, they have a lot of cap space and are moving into their new downtown arena, hoping for a few more wins and a lot more fans.

* Comment: And they’re already better than Toronto and Atlanta!

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14. TORONTO

* 2004-05 record: 33-49, 11th in East.

* Offense: 99.7 (7).

* Defense: 101.4 (25).

* Going: Donyell Marshall, Lamond Murray.

* Coming: No. 1 picks Charlie Villanueva and Joey Graham, Mike James.

* Starters: G James (11.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3.6 apg), G Morris Peterson (12.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.1 apg), F Jalen Rose (18.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.6 apg), F Chris Bosh (16.8 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 1.9 apg), C Loren Woods (3.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 0.9 bpg).

* Outlook: Little was expected of them before they became the first NBA team to lose an exhibition to a club team, Maccabi of Tel Aviv. GM Rob Babcock, who won the prize for zaniest pick in the 2004 draft, taking Brigham Young’s Rafael Araujo at No. 8, gambled again, taking the flighty Villanueva at No. 7. Unlike Araujo, who was at least a center, Villanueva is a slender power forward ... like Bosh, their best player. Outspoken and endangered Coach Sam Mitchell spurned the convention that everything is hunky dory in the preseason, railing about their rebounding. “We have to find somebody,” he said. “If they’re not in the locker room, hopefully there’s somebody walking around somewhere that wants a job rebounding. It just blows my mind.”

* Comment: The big question is who will get Bosh, an ’08 free agent.

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15. ATLANTA

* 2004-05 record: 13-69, 15th in East.

* Offense: 92.7 (28).

* Defense: 102.5 (29).

* Going: Boris Diaw, Obinna Ekezie.

* Coming: No. 1 pick Marvin Williams, Joe Johnson.

* Starters: G Johnson (17.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 3.5 apg), G Josh Childress (10.1 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.9 apg), F Josh Smith (9.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.9 apg), F Al Harrington (17.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 3.2 apg), C Zaza Pachulia (6.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 0.8 apg).

* Outlook: The tragic death of center Jason Collier at 28 was the latest misfortune to befall this woebegone franchise. They have posted six losing seasons in a row, going 152-340. It took one season of management paralysis to consummate the sale to the present owners, who then spent another season squabbling over things like who got the good All-Star game tickets. Finally, co-owner Steve Belkin pulled a power play last summer and was ousted by the others. At this point, change can only help. Or not. They gave Johnson $14 million a year, and he’s not that good. Williams is talented but young, with only his freshman season as a reserve at North Carolina between him and high school. There’s little else to build on. Smith is still just a spectacular dunker. * Comment: What’s the record for most seasons at square one?