This has been one of the most exciting offseasons in the NBA ever. A lot of drastic changes have been made and should be very exciting to see how this seasons pans out. Here are my predictions how both conferences will shake out.
Eastern Conference
1.Miami Heat-I think it's pretty obvious this team is going to succeed, I still don't like their bench depth and Mike Miller being hurt for a long period of time only makes their depth worse. Still James/Bosh/Wade is going to be a hard trio to stop.
2.Orlando Magic-The Magic are still a great force to be reckoned with, Dwight Howard is a monster in the paint. I like their supporting cast with Rashard Lewis, Jameer Nelson and Vince Carter as well. They just need to buckle down in the playoffs and a title is not out of the cards.
3.Boston Celtics-My hometown squad has pretty much the same team in place that went to the finals last year. I don't really think Shaq or Jermaine O'Neal bring much to the table except for a veteran presence. They do have the talent, but age is a big factor and I think it will hinder them come playoff time.
4.Milwaukee Bucks-The Bucks are scary good. Their youth held them back a little bit last year, but they are pick for a surprise team this year.
5.Chicago Bulls-The addition of Carlos Boozer should pay off big time for the Bulls. He is a great bigman and that was something was sorely lacking last year. Derrick Rose is also getting better and better. The Bulls are a pretty damn good team, but I don't think they have enough to be a serious title contender.
6.Atlanta Hawks-Their trainwreck of an ending last season really knocks them down a few notches in this conference. The Hawks still have plenty of talent and re-signing Joe Johnson was a great move. On the other end the beatings they took from the Magic in the playoffs last year show off some serious flaws this team has.
7.New York Knicks-The Knicks are pretty much a lock for the playoffs simply by adding Amare Stoudemire. He is an aboslute monster and an elite power forward that makes everyone around him better. Raymond Felton is also a nice pick-up the point guard. Still, The Knicks are only a decent team and will need to bring in another big player if they want to contend
8.Charlotte Bobcats-The Bobcats made it to the playoffs last year and showed some maturity. I think this year they will make it back. They still have a good enough team even with the couple of players lost to be a playoff team.
9.Cleveland Cavaliers-I think the Cavs aren't going to do much without Lebron, I mean there best player now is Mo Williams. They have an average team and that should be enough for a .500 record and just missing the playoffs.
10.Washington Wizards-John Wall is the next superstar in this league and if Gilbert Arenas steps up they could have a respectable season. Give the Wizards another year to figure it out and they could be a playoff team.
11.Indania Pacers-Darren Colision should help them out a bit, but the Pacers still need a lot of help before they are a factor in this league.
12.Detroit Pistons-This team is still in shambles and I don't see that going away this season.
13.New Jersey Nets-At least they have Jordan Farmar now and won't be quite as bad as last year.
14.Philladelphia 76ers-The Sixers now have an impressive backcourt with Evan Turner and Jrue Holiday, but I don't see them leaving the basement of this conference for a while.
15.Toronto Raptors-Once Chris Bosh left, and Hedo Turkoglu got traded Toronto became the worst team in the conference. Lenardo Barbosa is their only hope and he can't do it by himself.
Western Conference
1.Los Angeles Lakers-The two time defending champs, still have their core in place. With Kobe still in his prime, The Lakers are hard to beat. Throw in Pau Gasol,Lamar Odom,Ron Artest,Shannon Brown and new addition Steve Blake, the Lakers could get their 3rd straight.
2.Oklahoma City Thunder-I have really high hopes for this team. Kevin Durant had an MVP-calibur year last season and I except that to continue this year. James Harden,Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook are dangerous and big contributors. Their youth might still be an issue though. They are without a doubt a serious contender for a title this year.
3.Dallas Mavericks-The Mavericks are a veteran team with alot of chemistry. New additon Tyson Chandler only adds to the mix. The only issue the Mavericks have is their play in the playoffs, if that improves, they could be lethal.
4.Portland Trail Blazers-The Trail Blazers are still young, but they have a ton of talent. I expect them to improve from last year and be a very good team in the tough Western Conference.
5.Utah Jazz-Losing Carlos Boozer hurts. The Jazz brought in Al Jefferson to help fill the void, but he doesn't match Boozer production. Deron Williams is still a forced to be reckoned with at point guard and The Jazz still have a good amount of talent.
6.Phoenix Suns-Even though the Amare Stoudemaire loss is big, I still think the Suns are a good squad. Steve Nash is still an elite point guard and can run this team. Josh Childress and Hedo Turkoglu are good pickups and should be nice assets to the team. Tbe Suns won't be going back to the Western Conference finals this year, but I think alot of people will be surprised how well they do.
7.Houston Rockets-The Rockets really don't have a superstar player. They play well as a team though and I can see them making the playoffs this year.
8.New Orleans Hornets-Trevor Ariza is a great addition to this Hornets team. His presence boosts them into the playoffs. Chris Paul is still great and the rest of their supporting cast has enough talent to help them into the playoffs.
9.Memphis Grizzlies-Still too young, but they have talent and Rudy Gay is seriously underrated.
10.San Antonio Spurs-That's right, I have the Spurs not making the playoffs. I think they are really getting up there in age and don't have enough to get back to the playoffs this year. Unless someone helps Tim Ducan alot, I don't see them being effective this year.
11.Denver Nuggets-I don't see Melo staying in Denver too much longer and I think it is a serious distraction that will hurt them big time. They could surprise me, but I don't really like the odds.
12.Los Angeles Clippers-Blake Griffin has lot to prove this year. The whole team is riding on his play. Vinny Del Negro was a great choice at coach and should bring steady improvement to this team. I see the Clippers being better than usual, but they don't really that much going for them to be in the playoff hunt.
13.Golden State Warriors-David Lee brings in a bigman presence that was sorley lacking this year. Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry should be fun to watch and continue to play well. Golden State does have talent, they just need to find chemistry.
14.Sacramento Kings-Demarcus Cousins is my pick for the bust of the draft, which really hurts the Kings. Tyreke Evans should continue to progress, which brings a ray of hope for the Kings. Still, The Kings are pretty fucking awful.
15.Minnesota Timberwolves-Another year in the cellar for the Timberwolves. On the plus side, Michael Beasley's numbers should be quite good.
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