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New Jersey Nets: Say this for Rod Thorn; he did what he had to do. How Kidd decided to stay in New Jersey, where he's never going to win a title, and diss San Antonio, where he could have won a title, remains the big mystery. But he did it. And he got Zo to come along in a $22 million sidecar. The Nets are stronger, but only, really, if Mourning gives them anything. And we all know that the last time Zo played, he wasn't the menacing Zo of yore. But he is an upgrade, and you have to think Thorn might have one more move up his sleeve, dealing one of his surplus bigs. The Nets have ruled the conference the last two years -- remember, they won 10 straight playoff games heading into the NBA Finals. Kidd is the difference maker, and they have him. There are two potential sore spots, however, both involving contracts. Kenyon Martin's agent went to Thorn on Aug. 1 and asked for a maximum extension. The response: not so quick. Let's see K-Mart make an All-Star team in the power forward-bereft East first and then, well, maybe. The other is Byron Scott. Not many organizations that want their coach to stick around allow him to go into the final year of a contract. But that's where Scott is right now. Maybe there are shaky relationships and sour grapes, but how do you let this happen? Especially with power-behind-the-throne Eddie Jordan off to Washington.

2. Detroit Pistons: We'll give the Pistons their due, even though the status of Darko Milicic is anything but clear. But, really, is there any way you don't expect to see him in a Detroit uniform next fall? The Pistons have insurance up the middle with the addition of Elden Campbell to back up Cliff Robinson and Ben Wallace. That's plenty in the East. Detroit basically has the same crew back from last year, but with Larry Brown at the helm instead of Rick Carlisle and with valuable reserve Jon Barry still out there. All we know is that Carlisle's Pistons took care of Brown's 76ers in the playoffs last spring. And the Pistons aren't the type of team Brown traditionally chooses. Usually, he gets a team on the bottom and then takes it upwards. These guys were regular-season conference champs last year. How much more can they grow? Well, they have Milicic, Tayshaun Prince and Rip Hamilton, all youngsters with a lot to learn. Brown will have an impact on them. (If you're Darko, is there a better situation for you than to have Larry Brown as your first head coach?) Is this team ready to take the proverbial next step? That's why Brown is there.

	Tim Floyd finally has some talent to work with, something he didn't have in Chicago.

3. New Orleans Hornets: Now, it gets dicey. The only reason the Hornets aren't higher -- on paper, they may have the best lineup -- is because we're still not sure why, with all the possibilities out there, they hired Tim Floyd. There is still a sizeable contingent of reputable basketball people who think Floyd is a top-notch coach who never had anything close to a full deck in Chicago. There are others who will tell you he was simply over his head in Chicago no matter who he coached, evidenced by the rebellion of some veterans as well as the fact that the team got better once he left. Floyd inherits a pretty good team whose main trouble the last two years has been injuries to its two best players. If Jamal Mashburn and Baron Davis can somehow stay healthy, these guys have most of the bases covered. They re-signed P.J. Brown and then got a veteran presence in the backcourt in Darrell Armstrong. They just re-upped good guy George Lynch. There's really no reason why Floyd can't get a lot of Ws out of this group. But until it happens, there is always going to be that question. No one has lost like he has lost in the annals of the NBA. In fact, he might win more games in one year here than he did in three-plus years in Chicago. Really, only he can mess this thing up.

4. Indiana Pacers: The Pacers were the No. 3 team in the East at the end of last season (after being No. 1 for much of the first half) and then flamed out big-time in the playoffs. Isiah Thomas' coaching was brutal, no one made shots except for O'Neal, and Indy was lucky to win two games against the Celtics. But the Pacers' only real loss since then has been Brad Miller, although Scot Pollard seems to be a more than adequate replacement. As new hoops chief Larry Bird noted, "He's won everywhere he's been. He plays hard and he doesn't complain." Reggie Miller remains unsigned, but that shouldn't be seen as a crisis. Where else is he going to go? And despite Miller's reputation as a big-game performer, he was awful in the Boston series. The big unknown for Indy is the status of Thomas who, like Scott, is on the last year of his deal. The arrival of Bird cannot be construed as good news for Thomas; Bird recommended that Indy hire Carlisle to succeed him three years ago. Thomas has taken Indy into the playoffs the last three years. Each time, they've been bounced in the first round. The first two years could be written off to youth, or so the Pacers said. Last year was flat-out inexcusable. The big personnel questions remain the same as before: Who is going to be the point guard and when will some of the kids ever start to develop into consistent, solid NBA players? Al Harrington disappeared against the Celtics. Jonathan Bender barely played. O'Neal will take them a long way, and Ron Artest is coming off a breakout year of sorts. On paper, anyway, the Pacers still look reasonably solid. But isn't it time for them to go a little further?

5. Orlando Magic: The Magic have the best player in the conference. At long last, they also have some talent around him. That should help Tracy McGrady and maybe get Orlando into the second round of the playoffs. McGrady is the Kevin Garnett of the East. But the Magic finally got some help for him, starting with the acquisitions of Drew Gooden and Gordan Giricek last season and continuing over the summer with the drafting of Reece Gaines and the free-agent signings of Juwan Howard and Tyronn Lue. They still could use a big body -- is Steven Hunter going to be ready to play every day? -- but, then again, who couldn't in the East? Orlando also is going into this season without the distraction of Grant Hill, who is not going to play. As much as coach Doc Rivers might have said otherwise, it had to be tough with Hill being an unknown most of the time. Now, it's a known -- he's going to be like Bob Dylan at Woodstock. (He ain't here and he ain't coming.) Gooden and Giricek will have a full camp behind them when the bell rings, and Lue should help offset the loss of the popular Armstrong. Howard gives them an inside option they haven't had for a while, although it remains to be seen how he and Gooden will mesh. Gaines can score and distribute, and Rick Pitino generally has his guys ready for the NBA. But it still all hinges on T-Mac. If he stays healthy, the Magic could be a fun team to watch -- and a not-so-fun team to play.

Peter May, who covers the NBA for the Boston Globe, is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.