Atlanta Hawks: They are quietly one of the Eastern Conference's best teams. With primarily the same core group in place, their chemistry and team defense overcome their individual deficiencies. They are playoff-bound again this year, but they will need a breakout performance from someone--possibly the aging Tracy McGrady--in order to defeat the Heat, Bulls, or Celtics in the playoffs.
Boston Celtics: It is too early to panic regarding the Celtics' early season struggles. Paul Pierce is the heart of their offense and is a reliable matchup defender. The main change to their rotation should be to separate Kevin Garnett and Jermaine O'Neal--both big men can still rebound and block shots but lack speed and lateral quickness due to constant knee problems, leaving the Celtics weak against faster-paced play when they are on the court together.
Charlotte Bobcats: The Bobcats have a decent mix of veterans and young players with an experienced head coach in Paul Silas. However, they lack both a true point guard and interior scoring. Rugged team defense will keep them competitive, but more time and more personnel are needed to get them back to the playoffs.
Chicago Bulls: The Bulls did what they were supposed to do in the offseason: sign Rip Hamilton. Head coach Tom Thibodeau is one of the bright young defensive minds in the NBA; his defensive philosophy will continue to do wonders for this team. They may be better prepared to face the Heat in a playoff rematch, but they are still very beatable--the young players on the bench need to keep improving in order to help limit the starters' minutes.
Cleveland Cavaliers: They have an undersized, below average quickness starting lineup that is still trying to get acclimated with each other, with rookie Kyrie Irving running the offense. However, their bench is underrated with quickness and intensity. Although they are not looking to make the playoffs, they are laying the foundation for a competitive team in the next couple of years.
Dallas Mavericks: The Mavericks will have some trouble covering for the loss of Tyson Chandler via free agency. However, with versatile acquisitions Delonte West, Lamar Odom, and Vince Carter, the team can utilize dangerous offensive lineups. Look for Shawn Marion to play some center at some point (like his time in Phoenix a few years ago) to help take pressure off Brendan Haywood and Ian Mahinmi. Should the team be unsuccessful in defending the NBA championship this year, a lightened payroll now opens up huge possibilities via free agency in the offseason.
Denver Nuggets: They are doing their best to compete while key rotation players remain out of the NBA until March due to Chinese basketball contract restrictions. However, there is no guarantee that Kenyon Martin or J.R. Smith will be back with the Nuggets. In their place, a combination of veterans and young players, including point guards Andre Miller and Ty Lawson, will keep this team in contention for a low playoff seed.
Detroit Pistons: They are in transition right now. Head coach Lawrence Frank prefers gritty defensive play, but recent free agent signings Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon do not fit. Likewise, Rodney Stuckey may be auditioning for a trade to teams such as the Bobcats and the Warriors.
Golden State Warriors: The Warriors are another team that quietly has developed a strong core group. With intelligent rookie coach Mark Jackson at the helm, they may sneak back into the playoffs this year.
Houston Rockets: There are no clear expectations for the Rockets. They were expecting to pick up Pau Gasol via trade but instead were left with a strong group of players, including Luis Scola and Kevin Martin. They are a balanced team that will also be competing for a low playoff seed in the West.
Indiana Pacers: They may be the most underrated team in the NBA. With a deep rotation, they should make the playoffs and challenge for the 2nd round.
Los Angeles Clippers: Unfortunately for the Clippers, expectations by fans and analysts were set too high. The Clippers lack a post-up game, with Blake Griffin relying heavily on scoring off the dribble with face-up moves. Furthermore, Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups both need to handle the ball to be effective. To balance things out, they should consider moving Caron Butler to shooting guard, acquiring a small forward, and pairing Billups on the bench with Mo Williams--allowing Williams to play some shooting guard like he did with Delonte West in Cleveland.
Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers are not an overwhelmingly good team like in years past, but they remain a very solid team. Head coach Mike Brown and his staff have proven true to their words of studiously watching game tape of their personnel. As last night's game versus New York was an indicator, the coaches know what spots and situations are optimal for each Lakers player, meaning they will run plays and sets specific to this. If they can avoid injuries, Brown could be a surprise candidate for Coach of the Year.
Memphis Grizzlies: Everyone remembers the Mavericks and Thunder, but numerous people seem to forget about the Grizzlies. Having taken down the Spurs in the playoffs last season, the Grizzlies have kept their core in place. They may still struggle when the opponents have a superstar talent in his prime (i.e. Kevin Durant), but they are well-equipped to take on most teams in the NBA.
Miami Heat: No one can question their ability to win during the season--they are already 3-0. Dwyane Wade and LeBron James are two of the best raw offensive talents in the last twenty years; rookie Norris Cole is a good complement to this. As head coach Erik Spoelstra is a defensive mastermind, the Heat will continue to play an imposing team defense. Clutch shooting questions aside, the real test for them will be playing slower-paced matchup defense deep in the playoffs, as Wade and James thrive on playing help defense to force turnovers and create fastbreaks.
Milwaukee Bucks: Brandon Jennings is still young, but a number of his peers are not anymore. The Bucks must get acquainted quickly with Stephen Jackson and make a push for the playoffs now; any hesitation may mean another rebuilding effort.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Everyone knows their offense will flow much better this year with the additions of Ricky Rubio and J.J. Barea. If Derrick Williams, Michael Beasley, and/or Darko Milicic can develop alongside Kevin Love, they may become one of the league's best frontcourts.
New Jersey Nets: Sadly, the Nets are caught in the intertwined pending free agencies of Deron Williams and Orlando's Dwight Howard. Ideally, they will acquire Howard and sign both players to contract extensions. If not, any progress made this year will be set back by the loss of Williams.
New Orleans Hornets: Head coach Monty Williams is definitely earning respect in New Orleans. While David Stern and the NBA front office pushed Williams and GM Dell Demps aside in the Chris Paul sweepstakes, Williams remains a talented young head coach with a hungry group of players. If the team can continue to develop chemistry, they may compete for a playoff berth.
New York Knicks: The Knicks might be the strangest franchise in the NBA today. Head coach Mike D'Antoni is an offensive guru who likes his teams to run; however, stars Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire fare better in slower-paced offensive sets and isolation plays. In Phoenix, D'Antoni benefitted from the defensive versatility of Shawn Marion and Boris Diaw; in New York, D'Antoni's best defenders are Tyson Chandler and Renaldo Balkman--neither of whom can guard all five positions. Without the right personnel in place, D'Antoni will have to finetune his game-to-game tactics in order to make the Knicks a true Eastern Conference contender.
Oklahoma City Thunder: The Thunder are one of the favorites to win the NBA Championship; a 4-0 start has further justified these expectations. They have defined roles and can play well on both sides of the court. Head coach Scott Brooks needs to continue to take advantage of the team's athleticism while helping his players further improve upon their weaknesses. At the same time, Brooks needs to help the team ignore the media's criticism of Russell Westbrook. As long as they stay focused, they should at least return to the Western Conference Finals.
Orlando Magic: Now that Chris Paul has settled down in Los Angeles, Dwight Howard may be the most powerful and the most coveted player in the NBA. He is a clear-cut superstar talent that stays healthy and stays out of trouble. The problem is, the Magic senses his departure and is now in flux until they can resolve this matter. As it stands, Ryan Anderson and Glen Davis seem poised to put together career years in order to keep the Magic in contention for the championship.
Philadelphia 76ers: Head coach Doug Collins silenced a number of critics last season, proving that young talented players will still listen to him despite his age. The 76ers remain an athletic team that likes to convert turnovers into fastbreaks. They have not made any major changes or improvements since last year, so players such as Andre Iguodala and Evan Turner need to take their play to the next level in order to keep pace with the other Eastern Conference powers.
Phoenix Suns: Despite an 0-2 start, the Suns still have as good of chemistry as any team in the NBA; the problem is that their deficiencies are too obvious now. They have added Michael Redd to gain leadership and steady outside shooting, but they need to add a veteran big man that can rebound and hit midrange jump shots to help Marcin Gortat and Robin Lopez develop. Head coach Alvin Gentry is well-respected around the league but otherwise underrated by fans and the media; he has 64 more games to get the team back on track. Stay tuned.
Portland Trailblazers: The Trail Blazers kept most of their core in place but lost Brandon Roy via career-ending injuries. They are still one of the best teams in the West, but they could greatly benefit from the recovery and return of Greg Oden. Oden's defensive presence in the paint could power the team into the later rounds of the playoffs.
Sacramento Kings: Head coach Paul Westphal now has Jimmer Fredette, Chuck Hayes, and J.J. Hickson to help him run his fast-paced offense. If all of the young players can continue to develop, keep a positive attitude, and limit careless turnovers and fouls, they could be a surprise qualifier for the playoffs this year.
San Antonio Spurs: Barring the injury to Manu Ginobili, last year's Spurs were poised for a deep playoff run as the West's #1 seed. However, just like last year, San Antonio is heavily reliant on the health of Ginobili, Tim Duncan, and Tony Parker. This year, the Spurs replaced combo guard George Hill with pure point guard T.J. Ford, meaning that second-year player James Anderson and rookie Kawhi Leonard will need to learn on the fly in order to keep the rotation strong and allow Richard Jefferson to focus more on defense at this stage of his career.
Toronto Raptors: Head coach Dwane Casey may be just what the doctor ordered for the Raptors. With mostly the same team in place, Casey's defensive genius--which helped the Mavericks win the NBA championship last season--could bring basketball relevance back to Toronto. If not, Casey will be prepared to work with an evolving roster in the years to come.
Utah Jazz: Head coach Tyrone Corbin is dealing with the transition of a system (Jerry Sloan's) that has been around Salt Lake City for a long, long time--a stretch in which Corbin started at small forward alongside John Stockton and Karl Malone. After trading franchise point guard Deron Williams last season, the team traded away key post player Mehmet Okur and did not re-sign top defender Andrei Kirilenko. The Jazz have a number of fundamentally-sound players but are a work in progress. As the Jazz are not expected to challenge for the playoffs this year, fans need to be patient to allow the front office and Corbin to re-shape the franchise.
Washington Wizards: The Wizards remain a young team, although they did bring back clutch shooter Roger Mason Jr. While hype has surrounded young players John Wall, Nick Young, JaVale McGee, and Andray Blatche, the team should spend some time developing swingman Jordan Crawford. If given a chance to play major minutes this season, Crawford has the scoring ability and versatility to be a franchise cornerstone with Wall. Regardless, the Wizards are still at least a couple years away from a return to the playoffs.
