Wednesday Chatstravaganza and Pollage: Who's Winning the East?

Yesterday y'all did a romping, stomping great job breaking down the Western Conference race among teams not named the Lakers. In assessing who presents the greatest threat to the purple and gold this year, the Oklahoma City Thunder were the runaway winner with well over half the vote. Today we look at the East - or as I prefer to think of it, the conference to which Amare Stoudemire fled in shame after Pau Gasol humiliated him in the Western Finals to the point he started crying like a little baby right there on the court.*

(* = not at all an embellishment. This actually happened.)

There aren't too many plausible options when it comes to the East in 2010-11. The Boston Celtics, Miami Heat and Orlando Magic are three superpowers with ICBMs pointed at each other. The Chicago Bulls lurk as a thorn-in-the-side insurgent force. Beyond that, there's... what? The Atlanta Hawks? The Milwaukee Bucks? The New York Knicks and little crybaby Amare Stoudemire, who likes to cry on the court? Sorry, bromigos. I don't think so.

Personally, I've not yet picked a horse in the Eastern Conference race. I'm leaning toward the Heat, but not with any high degree of certitude. So please do give me and your fellow sexy readers the benefit of your intellect by voting in the poll and articulating your rationale in the comments.

You've remained silent long enough!