With the Bulls and the Heat staking claim to the top two seeds, the rest of the Eastern Conference playoff picture remains up in the air as the season winds down. The Celtics, currently the fourth seed, are in action tonight against the lottery-bound Nets while the Pacers, a surprising three seed at the moment, battle the Bucks, still in the mix as the ninth seed. Let's check in with the rest of the conference to see what other stories are making headlines.
- Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld considers what the Raptors should do as a franchise after suffering through a disappointing season. Team general manager Bryan Colangelo has cleared a great deal of cap space to build around the team's young talent but still has many holes to fill heading into next season. Brotherston identifies Steve Nash as a potential free-agent signing for the Raptors that would provide the team with a buzzworthy star they have been lacking the past few seasons.
- It may have taken awhile, but LeBron James and his family have finally reached a level of comfort where they feel at home in Miami, writes Ethan J. Skolnick of the Palm Beach Post. The former Cavs superstar may not know how to speak Spanish or how to get around Miami without a GPS, but James is enjoying being able to raise his two sons in South Florida for the majority of the year. James' affinity for Florida living has positively impacted his game as he is currently averaging 26.8 PPG and 7.9 RPG on the season.
- A. Sherrod Blakely of Comcast SportsNet tweets Gerald Green would prefer to re-sign with the Nets, but would consider signing with the Celtics. Green, originally taken in the first round of the 2005 draft by Boston, had been out of the league since the 2008/2009 season before signing the first of two 10-day contracts with the Nets in February, where he has made the most of his opportunity. The forward from Gulf Shores Academy in Houston should attract significant attention this summer given his 13.0 PPG and 3.3 RPG in 25 games with the Nets.