A Team by Team Breakdown of the Upcoming NBA Season.

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

Boston Celtics: I don’t know where to start. Kevin GarnettKevin Garnett is fully healthy, Rondo has developed into a top-tier point guard, Kendrick PerkinsKendrick Perkins is finally living up to his draft day status, Glen Davis is paying huge dividends off the bench, and then there’s Rasheed, a guy that can open up the offense, a la James PoseyJames Posey in 2007-08. When healthy, this is the best team in the East. Boston is walking away with the division.

New Jersey Nets: Devin HarrisDevin Harris is very good, and Brook LopezBrook Lopez is rapidly making a name for himself. But that’s it. If the Nets are to succeed this year, second year two guards, Chris DouglasChris Douglas-Roberts and Courtney Lee need to step up and become a viable scoring option to fill the gap left by Vince CarterVince Carter. Unless of course, you think Yi JianlianYi Jianlian can be that guy. But don’t hold your breath. Expect New Jersey to fight for mediocrity, which, in this conference, means about 38 wins.

New York Knicks: well, its that time of year again. David LeeDavid Lee is good, right? And maybe Mike D’Antoni can turn Duhon into a Steve NashSteve Nash-like point guard. And maybe Nate RobinsonNate Robinson will develop a consistent passing game. And maybe Al HarringtonAl Harrington will start rebounding like he should be. If all of these things happen, the Knicks will be playing meaningful games down the stretch. But then again, Darko Milicic is the backup center. Here’s my prediction: Knicks fans will bitch all year.

Philadelphia 76ers: The starting five is pretty decent. Lou Williams, Andre Igoudala, Thaddeus Young, Elton Brand, and Samuel Dalembert. Here’s the problem, though. This is their second squad: Royal Ivey, Willie Green, Jason Kapono, Jason Smith, and Marreese Speights. Yikes. Losing Andre Miller was bad, but the silver lining here is this is Igoudala’s time to shine, and to be honest, he’s going to have to drop 30 a night if this team wants to compete.

Toronto Raptors: Like the 76ers, Toronto has a strong starting squad, but no bench. However, Jose Calderon has a little more talent around him this year, with the addition of Hedo Turkoglu, and you know Chris Bosh is going to do what Chris Bosh does. Really, if this team wants to make the playoffs, rookie two guard DeMar DeRozan will have to play above his talent level. Big picture, I don’t see much to look forward to in Canada and I wouldn’t be surprised if by the All-Star break, rumors of a Bosh trade aren’t floating around. And if that happens, its game over.

Central Division

Chicago Bulls: After a tough game 7 loss to the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs last year, the Bulls are coming into this season with something to prove. Derrick Rose is insanely talented. That we know for sure. But can Joakim Noah handle the pressures of guarding Dwight Howard and Shaquille O’Neal? Will Tyrus Thomas gain some stability with his game? There are a lot of questions with this team. But the talent is definitely there. They’ve got wily veterans Kirk Hinrich and Brad Miller coming off the bench, and starting 2 guard, John Salmons has a proven jump shot. Under the right system, this team can be a huge threat in the playoffs, assuming they can answer those questions…

Cleveland Cavaliers: LeBron & Mo & Delonte & Varejao & The Cavalanche. Better than last year. Only problem is, so are the Celtics and Magic. Prediction: #2 seed.

Detroit Pistons: The Pistons spent the entire off-season trying to make the world forget about their disappointing year. They spent big money to bring in Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva, two players on the cusp of All-Stardom. Stuckey is taking the reigns as THE guy at the point, now that AI is gone. He’s still developing his game, which is exciting to watch. Plus, the staples of the team, Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince are great leaders on the floor and will be the backbone of Detroit’s success. Their weakest spot is at center, where the duties will be split between the returning Ben Wallace and draft day bust, Kwame Brown, who can be a great rebounder when he wants to be. If they can come together in a cohesive unit and play like the Pistons of a few years ago, this team could sneak up on a lot of people and end up back in the Eastern Conference finals. I see them as the #4 seed this year, just edging out the Hawks for home court advantage.

Indiana Pacers: This team has been looking for an identity since Reggie retired. The past few years have been murky and forgettable for the Pacers. But now there’s hope, in the form of scoring machine Danny Granger. He’s got big market talent, which is scary. If the Pacers don’t start winning, Granger is going to ditch that one horse town. On paper, this is a playoff team. Troy Murphy is a great rebounding shooter, and Roy Hibbert is poised for a breakout year. The problem is, their backcourt is thin. If T. J. Ford can take his game to the next level, The Pacers should be a contender for the #8 seed, if not the 7 spot.

Milwaukee Bucks: Brandon Jennings looks good so far. So there’s that. Oh, and Michael Redd is healthy. Umm… let’s see… Andrew Bogut is decent. You know what? This team is going nowhere fast. I just can’t see a team with Ersan Ilysova in the starting lineup doing anything noteworthy. So if I were Redd, I would use this opportunity to my advantage and just shoot every time I touch the ball.

Southeast Division

Atlanta Hawks: These are exciting times in Atlanta. They just won their first playoff series in ten years and they’ve signed big time scorer Jamal Crawford to come off the bench. But this team isn’t strong at the 5 spot, and you can’t compete seriously without a true big man, which Al Horford is not. They’re still a playoff team, but I see them sliding into the #5 seed and possibly upsetting the Pistons.

Charlotte Bobcats: Yuck.

Miami Heat: As long as Dwyane Wade is healthy, the Heat will be in the playoffs. But it might be too early to consider the Heat serious contenders. Chalmers and Beasley are still trying to figure out their roles. When they come into their own, this team will be great, but Wade, Haslem, and an aging Jermaine O’Neal just aren’t enough to put them over the hump, into that category with the Cavs, Magic, and Celtics.

Orlando Magic: So you’re All-Star point guard Jameer Nelson. You’re dribbling down court and this is what you see: The best center in the league is posting up Zaza Pachulia with ease, as Vince Carter, Mickael Pietrus and Rashard Lewis all wait around the perimeter. You drive into the lane and:

a) Dump it off to Dwight for the easy two.
b) Kick it out to Rashard, who bangs the three from the corner.
c) Find the slashing Pietrus for the layup.
d) Hit Vince at the elbow and watch him create.
e) Take it yourself because you’re one of the best shooters in the league.

Answer: All of the above. Scary.

Washington Wizards: Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison are a three headed monster. And Randy Foye is an up-and-coming guard, who will see significant playing time this year. Mike Miller can still shoot the lights out and Deshawn Stevenson has moments of greatness, but all of that aside, I just can’t imagine this team in the playoffs. I could be wrong, Flip Saunders could get them there. But it doesn’t matter anyway, Flip will find a way to screw it all up.

Western Conference

Northwest Division

Denver Nuggets: As long as they’re healthy, the Nuggets will be competing for home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. J.R. Smith is now in the starting rotation, which weakens the second unit, but the addition of Ty Lawson will pay huge dividends down the line as he can lighten the load on Chauncey Billups. I see them as the 4, possibly the 3 seed.

Minnesota Timberwolves: No team has more potential than the Wolves. Al Jefferson has slimmed down and is playing great. Kevin Love is progressing rapidly, and Jonny Flynn has been spectacular this summer. Plus they’ve got a great passing two guard in Ramon Sessions. But if this team wants into the playoffs, their starting five is going to have to play some extensive minutes, because their bench is real short on talent. I think Minnesota is one piece away from being contenders in the division.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Durant, Westbrook and Green are the go-to guys on the team. Each has tremendous offensive abilities, but the Thunder are incredibly weak on D, and lack the experience needed to win close contests. There’s one thing you can look forward to this year: Durant will break the record for the most times scoring 30 points in a losing effort.

Portland Trail Blazers: If healthy, the Blazers might be one of the toughest teams in the west. Andre Miller is exactly what this team needed, a point guard that can defend the likes of Tony Parker and Chris Paul. Oden and Pryzbilla are a strong duo to contend, and Lamarcus Aldridge is pushing hard for an All-Star spot. Oh yeah, did I mention that they have the second best two guard in the west? Brandon Roy is almost flawless. Plus, their second team can light it up, with the combination of Blake, Rudy, Martell Webster and Travis Outlaw, teams are going to have a hard time matching up with a team as deep as Portland. They’re my pick to win the division.

Utah Jazz: Another squad, that when healthy is a huge threat. Deron Williams is awesome, Boozer is a 20 and 10 guy, Okur can drain the three with consistency, Millsap is a freak, and C.J. Miles is looking pretty solid. There’s definitely a lot of talent around the ball, but their success is dependant on their health. Too many injuries and they’ll find themselves meeting up with the Lakers in the first round again.

Pacific Division

Golden State Warriors: Hey, do you love offense, but hate defense? Are you into shooting, but can’t stand teamwork and passing? Well, do I have the team for you! They’ll drop 110 on you but give up 112. If nothing else, they’ll be fun to watch. Plus, can think of a better fit for Stephen Curry?

Los Angeles Clippers: Every year, it seems, the Clippers should be a 50 win team on paper, but somehow they find a way to lose. At least they lose well. This could be the year they turn things around, though. The expectations are higher this year, with the addition of Blake Griffin. And if Chris Kaman stays healthy, he and Marcus Camby should make for a solid rotation. But don’t fool yourself, the Clippers are still bad.

Los Angeles Lakers: You know.

Phoenix Suns: Now that they’ve put the Terry Porter experiment behind them, the Suns will finally be able to go back to the run-n-gun style that made them the best in the west a few years back. No Shaq means guys like Channing Frye and Robin Lopez will have to step up. Amar’e wanted this to be his team, well now he’s going to get that opportunity. Everybody is going to have to play their best if they want to compete with the Lakers and Spurs, and this might be their last year to do it, with Nash not getting any younger. They have the potential to be a 4 seed, but they could also miss the playoffs completely again. My money is them getting in at the 5 spot.

Sacramento Kings: What are the Kings trying to do here? Their roster is a joke. Do they really think Kevin Martin can single-handedly turn the team around? This is probably the worst team in the league… actually, no, it IS the worst team in the league.

Southwest Division

Dallas Mavericks: The window is closing on Dallas; I know it, you know it, they know it. But a desperate team is a dangerous team. Kidd is still one of the best floor generals in the NBA, Dirk can still put up big numbers, Shawn Marion is still a stat sheet filler. But will they have anything left in the tank in May? They’re still a playoff team, but they’re no longer the threat they once were.

Houston Rockets: No Yao, no success. Heart will only get you so far. Plus, McGrady doesn’t necessarily have a great track record in the playoffs. It’ll be a long, tough year for Aaron Brooks and Co.

Memphis Grizzlies: A lot of young talent on a team still a few years away from being a playoff caliber team. With the right coaching, the Grizzlies could be a serious contender for quite a while. But as it stands now, they’re still fighting to get out of the cellar. Expect a small improvement from last year.

New Orleans Hornets: Swapping Tyson Chandler for Emeka Okafor was a huge move for the Hornets. Chris Paul should have another big year, as well as David West. They slipped a little last year, but I see them bouncing back strong this year and fighting with the Spurs and Mavericks for the division championship.

San Antonio Spurs: They may be boring, they may be old, but the Spurs are still the tightest unit in the league. Nobody works better together than Parker, Ginobili and Duncan. And with Richard Jefferson in the mix, he can take some of the scoring pressures off of Tim and provide that solid option the Spurs have needed. But Antonio McDyess and Matt Bonner are the centers. Can they play big enough to get the Spurs back to the Finals? Probably not. A mid-season trade for a guy like Sean May wouldn’t surprise me. It all comes down to who can win the division. If the Spurs pull it out, they’ll be a 2 or 3 seed.