my opinion hasn't really changed- i don't expect to lose in the playoffs to anyone other than cleveland and detroit. we'll probably see one of them in the first round but if we don't, maybe someone else can take them out for us and clear the path.
seriously, i still don't think too much of our team but at the end of the day, the finals are not totally out of the question. after all, we're sharing a playoff bracket with philadelphia, atlanta and washington. someone has to make the finals. if you throw in an upset somewhere, it almost makes it
likely that the EC finals rep is going to be a mediocre group in the middle of a rebuilding plan. sort of funny, sort of not.
i like the idea that we play detroit to see where we stand. but honestly, i already believe in the potential of this team. if we can find a way to sneak into the finals (think of how ridiculous that sounds) i expect players like kapono, bargnani, calderon, moon and parker to be coming to the court imposing their will on teams on account of simply playing in the finals. whether we 'deserve' to be there or not, it'll surely be a confidence boost. and all this team needs is confidence, imo. we won't be able to see where we stand until we begin to play with it.
peace