Preseason has started and espnstar.com continues our journey around the NBA, this time previewing the Southeast Division.

Southeast Division

Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks have a starting unit that would make the playoffs, be it in the East or the West. In point guard Mike Bibby and swingman Joe Johnson, Atlanta have a backcourt duo that provides excellent ball handling, a feathery shooting stroke and the overall savvy to run a team efficiently.

The eighth seed of the East last season boasts a good (but not great) frontline, with Josh Smith easily the player with the most star value. The 6'9" forward can run the floor like a gazelle, jump out of the gym and swat shots with the best of them. Smith can finish well in transition as well, and if he can extend his range beyond 15 feet, the 23-year-old is easily an all-star pick this season. Small forward Marvin Williams and center Al Horford round out the starting five, with Williams providing top-notch perimeter defence and shooting, and Horford proving to be a force on the glass and an unmovable pillar down low.
However, the problem with the Hawks is its bench.

With the departure of sixth man Josh Childress to Greece, Atlanta are left with Zaza Pachulia and Maurice Evans as their only capable backups. Speedy Claxton will be a serviceable backup at the point if he can shake off his knee injury, which has sidelined the guard for much of last season.

This team is young and has potential, but may need to obtain quality backups via the draft to get into the playoffs on a consistent basis.

Charlotte Bobcats

The Bobcats have a great team on paper, owing to the team drafting NBA-ready players and trading for capable players in key positions.

Charlotte are basically an perimeter oriented team, depending on their long range shooting in the form of Jason Richardson, Matt Carroll and Adam Morrison, as well as the slashing ability of Richardson, Raymond Felton and Gerald Wallace. They can even occasionally pound the post with Emeka Okafor and Sean May.

So why has the team ended up being the doormat of the NBA for so many seasons?

There is only one reason: Health.

Morrison and May have had their careers blighted by severe knee injuries, while their only reliable inside presence Okafor has had back problems since his rookie year. Wallace is a high-wire act and pretty much the crowd favourite in Charlotte, but his daredevil style of play has rendered him a concussion away from retirement.

His Airness, Michael Jordan's team is too talented and too deep to keep losing like this.

Here's to the Bobcats' health, and the hope that rookie DJ Augustin and experienced coach Larry Brown can turn the perennial losers of the East into a capable playoff entry for seasons to come.

Miami Heat

The Heat are still very much a work in progress this season, with Dwyane Wade being their only untradeable asset.

They have no point guard, unless you count playmaking liability Marcus Bank, crocked prodigy Shaun Livingston or rookie Mario Chalmers as your starting point guard. I'm not even going to include D-Leaguer Chris Quinn into the equation.

The Heat do have a couple of exciting ‘tweener' forwards, players who can create mismatches on small forwards and power forwards, in the form of Michael Beasley and Shawn Marion. But both players are painfully non-existent when factoring in their lack of weight.

In addition to all this, Miami's starting center is slated to be 6'8" Udonis Haslem. The undrafted rebound specialist out of Florida has the strength to man the post down low, but lacks the size, length and shot-blocking ability to do much else.

All this points to the Heat playing ‘small ball' in the coming season, with rookie head coach Erik Spoelstra making his team run real hard on each and every possession. ‘Cause without the speed game, Dwyane Wade and co. are going to be devoured by the Dwight Howards and Yao Mings of this world.

Orlando Magic

The Orlando Magic have a ‘Big Three' of their own that can rival any other.

They have Dwight Howard at center, who is as big and as powerful as they come. ‘Superman' may lack a few post moves down low, along with his frustrations at the freethrow line, but the best pure center since a fellow named Shaquille O'Neal can dunk, rebound and block all those weaknesses away. He'll even add a few dance moves to go.

Other than D-Howard, the Magic also have a pair of sweet-shooting 6'10" forwards named Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu. Both can shoot from long range and get to the rim at will with their slashing ability. Turkish delight Turkoglu will even throw in some minutes at the point as a bonus.

Now if only they can get a point guard in the mould of a Rajon Rondo or Jordan Farmar...

Washington Wizards

Every team needs a hero with an ego.

The Wizards have theirs and he is the great ‘Agent Zero', Gilbert Arenas.

Much of the success of Washington's offering to the NBA hinges on ‘Hibachi' and his two sidekicks, Agents Three and Four, Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison respectively.

Together they account for more than 60% of Washington's scoring. Butler also contributes massively to the other end of the floor, being known as a lockdown defender. Jamison is versatile enough to score, rebound and assist in crunch time.

This much can be said about the Wiz. Their fortunes lie in the health of Arenas' rehabilitating knee this coming season. Without the Zero, the Wizards are lottery bound.

With the Hibachi, Washington are a borderline playoff team.

A breakout season from a fourth player such as Andray Blatche, Nick Young or Dominic McGuire will be the key that will elevate the Wizards to the upper echelons of the League.

Vincent Lai