Chicago Bulls
Last Season
45-37 (sixth in East)
Additions
Mike Dunleavy, Tony Snell, Erick Murphy
Departures
Nate Robinson, Marco Belinelli, Richard Hamilton, Vladimir Radmanovic, Daequan Cook
Possible starting five
g - Derrick Rose
g - Jimmy Butler
f - Luol Deng
f - Carlos Boozer
c - Joakim Noah
The burning questions
1. Will Derrick Rose ever find his MVP winning form again?
2. Will Jimmy Butler continue to improve?
3. Can Tony Snell come in and contribute in his rookie season?
4. Could Mike Dunleavy provide the x-factor off the bench the Bulls need?
5. Is Carlos Boozer's body able to survive another full season?
Prediction
Will make the playoffs, but are going to find it hard to go all the way unless Derrick Rose can find his best form and the likes of Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer can stay injury free.
The Bulls will once again rely on their defence, but that might not be enough to get the job done against the best teams in the East at the business end of the playoffs.
Rose might be able to return and get back to close to his best form, but it is highly unlikely that will be enough to deliver the Bulls a Championship.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Last Season
24-58 (13th in East)
Additions
Anthony Bennett, Andrew Bynum, Jarrett Jack, Earl Clark, Carrick Felix, Sergey Karasev
Departures
Wayne Ellington, Omri Casspi, Shaun Livingston, Marreese Speights, Kevin Jones, Chris Quinn, Daniel Gibson, Luke Walton
Possible starting five
g - Kyrie Irving
g - Dion Waiters
f - Earl Clark
f - Tristan Thompson
c - Andrew Bynum
The burning questions
1. Just how good can Kyrie Irving be?
2. Can Andrew Bynum stay injury free?
3. Will Anthony Bennett make an impact in his first year in the NBA?
4. Can Jarrett Jack be relied upon to score and perform consistently?
5. Will Dion Waiters and Tristan Thompson take that next step?
Prediction
The Cavs have struggled badly ever since the days of LeBron James, but they are quietly building a decent roster and are certain to improve this season.
Whether they can improve enough to make the post-season remains to be seen and we think they will have to wait at least one more campaign before a return to the playoffs.
Kyrie Irving can only take this side so far, so the Cavs will be hoping to get Andrew Bynum fit and get some natural improvement from a promising bunch of players if they are to take that next step.
Detroit Pistons
Last Season
29-53 (11th in East)
Additions
Josh Smith, Brandon Jennings, Chauncey Billups, Kenatvious Caldwell-Pope, Luigi Datome, Josh Harrellson, Tony Mitchell, Peyton Siva
Departures
Jose Calderon, Brandon Knight, Jason Maxiell, Kim English, Viacheslav Kravtsov, Khris Middleton
Possible starting five
g - Brandon Jennings
g - Rodney Stuckey
f - Josh Smith
f - Greg Monroe
c - Andre Drummond
The burning questions
1. Will Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond continue to develop?
2. Can Rodney Stuckey provide some consistency?
3. Will the Pistons get the best out of Josh Smith?
4. Will it take long for Kenatvious Caldwell-Pope and Peyton Siva to fit in?
5. Is Chauncey Billups still a force in the NBA at 37 years of age?
Prediction
With the acquisition of Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings during the off-season, the Pistons really should be pushing for the playoffs this campaign.
But playoff berths in the East this season won't be easy to come by and they are going to need to produce on a consistent basis.
They will need Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond to continue to improve inside the key, but just how well Smith and Jennings gel is going to determine whether or not the Pistons can return to the playoffs.
We think they might just miss out, but don't be surprised if they are big improvers.
Indiana Pacers
Last Season
49-32 (third in East)
Additions
Luis Scola, C.J. Watson, Chris Copeland, Solomon Hill, Donald Sloan
Departures
Tyler Hansbrough, D.J. Augustin, Gerald Green, Miles Plumlee, Jeff Pedergraph
Possible starting five
g - George Hill
g - Paul George
f - Danny Granger
f - David West
c - Roy Hibbert
The burning questions
1. Will Danny Granger return from injury as good as he was?
2. Can Paul George continue to improve?
3. Is David West going to be a reliable commodity at 33 years of age?
4. Can Luis Scola provide consistent performances off the bench?
5. Is Solomon Hill good enough to come in and contribute in his rookie year?
Prediction
The Pacers will be confident of taking that next step this season, but questions still remain as to whether they are good enough to get past the Heat.
The Heat have been the Pacers' conquerors in the post-season during the two most recent campaigns and coach Frank Vogel will be hoping it is a case of third time lucky for his side this time around.
Just how well Danny Granger returns from injury could determine the Pacers' fortunes during the playoffs and don't be surprised if they can take that next step and represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals.
Milwaukee Bucks
Last Season
38-44 (eighth in East)
Additions
Caron Butler, O.J. Mayo, Brandon Knight, Gary Neal, Zaza Pachulia, Luke Ridnour, Carlos Delfino, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nate Wolters, Khris Middleton, Miroslav Raduljica.
Departures
Brandon Jennings, Monta Ellis, J.J. Redick, Samuel Dalembert, Mike Dunleavy, Luc Mbah a Moute, Marquis Daniels, Gustavo Ayon, Joel Przybilla, Ish Smith
Possible starting five
g - Brandon Knight
g - O.J. Mayo
f - Caron Butler
f - John Henson
c - Larry Sanders
The burning questions
1. Will O.J. Mayo be able to lead the Bucks' offence on a consistent basis?
2. Is Larry Drew going to get the best out of a Bucks' side lacking the big names?
3. Can Larry Sanders elevate his game and become one of the premier big men in the league?
4. Will the Bucks find the players to replace outgoing stars Brandon Jennings, Monta Ellis and J.J. Redick?
5. Can John Henson have a breakout season after some impressive performances in the
Prediction
It could be a year of transition for the Bucks with so many new faces at the franchise and lots of question marks surrounding them.
At their best they may be able to gel well and challenge for one of the last playoff spots in the East, but a couple of injuries and a bit of bad luck could see them drop very quickly.
Scoring might be tough for the Bucks and it could be a season without any playoff basketball for the team from Milwaukee.
Predicted division standings
1. Indiana Pacers
2. Chicago Bulls
3. Detroit Pistons
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
5. Milwaukee Bucks