Hope for the lowly NBA East

By John DeCosta Sports Central Columnist

Their fall from power was fast. With the retiring of the incomparable Michael Jordan and the subsequent decision to begin the gradual rebuilding process by the Chicago Bulls, along with the emergence of the renowned Shaquille O'Neal, and the youthful Jordan-esque prodigy, Kobe Bryant, the West quickly became masters of the East.

But it was not solely the rise of the LA Lakers, as other forces were forming on the West Coast, while the chief competitors in the East began to breakdown.

With a rare difficult season due to injuries, the San Antonio Spurs managed to draft the seven-foot, now two-time MVP Tim Duncan. Duncan and the Spurs, with another adroit center, David Robinson, have already managed a title in 1999, and are now looking for their second in 2003.

The Portland TrailBlazers and Sacramento Kings began to ascend thanks to the mismanagement of the Washington Wizards. In an effort to add veteran leadership to their squad, the Wizards dealt Chris Webber to the Kings for Mitch Richmond, and Rasheed Wallace to the Blazers for Rod Strickland. Now, Webber and Wallace are the finest players on their respective teams, while Strickland is a nomadic backup point guard and Richmond has since retired.

The Dallas Mavericks rise can be partly credited to Mark Cuban, whose level of enthusiasm for his team is easily matched by his bank account. But spending for talent is not all they have accomplished. They have also out-drafted everyone and pulled of a trade that they have been boasting about ever since, when they dealt the hefty, underachieving Robert Traylor for Dirk Nowitzki and Pat Garrity.

Outside of poor player moves, the East has also suffered from the demise of key superstars in Grant Hill, Alonzo Mourning, Shawn Kemp, Patrick Ewing, and Reggie Miller. While other stars have come into view, the East has been unable to match the overall talent of the impressive teams of the Western Empire, specifically in the frontcourt.

This season, the Eastern Conference appeared to almost hit bottom, with a conference winner struggling to attain 50 victories, and parity that made it difficult for experts to even discount the Cavs in the preseason. But now, after five years of suffering as the whipping boys, the clear inferiors of the Western Conference, the East finally has reasons for hope.

With the Nets rising into the NBA elite after raging through the playoffs with 10 consecutive wins, and the likelihood of Jason Kidd staying with the team increasing upon every victory, combined with LeBron James in a Cavs uniform next season and Darko Milicic on the already-potent Pistons, and you begin to believe the dark ages in the East may be over. Not to mention the development of four young potential all-stars in Chicago, and a youthful and gifted Indiana team.

This offseason will determine the immediate fate of the East. They are already assured the first and second pick in a very deep draft, but if Jason Kidd or Jermaine O'Neal sign with the Spurs, the balance of power may not swing as rapidly. But with the West weakening, as evidenced by the early depatures of the Lakers and Kings, this summer could be the perfect opportunity for the East to reclaim their status lost in what seems so long ago.

Article courtesy of Sports Central.