1. There are only 2 teams in the west that can win the NBA Finals
Mavericks and Thunder. These two are the only teams I can see with a legit chance of winning the NBA Title from the western conference. Cue the Lakers fans screaming at me. Mavericks are loaded and (despite their best efforts to get worse by adding Vince Carter) only got better by also adding Lamar Odom. Losing Chandler hurts, but not 58m worth of pain. Brendan Haywood is an underrated rebounder and defender and can make the most of his minutes in Big D. Meanwhile, Lamar will more than make up for the offense that Tyson provided. The Thunder are young, talented, and now have size with (a Slim) Perkins in the middle allowing Serge even more freedom to make plays on the defensive end with his athletic ability. Durant is a superstar, Harden has the potential to have a breakout season and if Westbrook can take his finger off the trigger every time he gets to the 3 point line this team has the potential to be a 1 seed. Lastly, Collison is one of the most under-appreciated players in basketball and routinely draws charges and pulls down offensive boards to create extra possessions.
2. The Knicks will win the Atlantic Division
The Celtics are older, thinner (losing Jeff Green doesn't help), and have no legit center. With a compact NBA season, the C's age and lack of depth will combine to create some rough losing streaks. The C's are still contenders in the eastern conference, but I don't see how they keep pace with the Knicks this year. With Melo & Amare running the floor, the Knicks will not be challenged to score points. Chandler fills possibly the biggest hole any NBA team (with hopes of a title) had this off-season, a defensive stopper. The post-season success of this team will hinge on which Baron Davis they get, but as far as the regular season goes, Knicks will win that division.
3. Dwight Howard will finish the season in ...
New Jersey. I've gone back and forth on how I feel about this, but when it comes down to it, if the Nets are serious about the number of 1st rounders they are offering alongside Brook Lopez, Otis Smith would be irresponsible not to take the deal. I understand right now he's concerned with ticket sales post-lockout and selling some more jerseys and merchandise, but come the trade-deadline he'll cave and move Dwight and start building for the future.
4. The Pacers will be good, like .. really good
I may be crazy, but this team looks like a team that will win 40+ games (shortened season; 50+ in a regular season) and have people scratching their head. Hibbert and Foster provide a nice rotation at the 5-spot for them, allowing them to control the paint against a lot of the teams they will face. With the acquisition of George Hill, they now have much needed depth at the PG position with Collison starting. Granger can go for 25 any given night and Paul George is poised for a real nice sophomore campaign. David West will finally solidify the PF position for them and should fit well with Collison's slash/dish style allowing for him to get a lot of easy 15-footers. Hansborough is a ball of energy off the bench and combined with Hill and Foster, provides a nice 8-man rotation for Frank Vogel. However, despite what Granger showed in the '09-'10 season, the Pacers don't have a legit superstar, which is something you need in this league to win championships. The Pacers will be good and will be a tough out in the playoffs, but that's about it.
5. LeBron James will win the MVP
He's settled in. He's got a year under his belt to get used to playing with Wade and Bosh. He's the most talented player in the world. He's pissed off. He's worked on his post-game. All this adds up to an MVP and ..
6. The Heat will win the NBA Championship
Not a popular call, I'm sure, but this team is the most talented team in the NBA bar-none. Nobody is even close. They are so talented that even Eddy Curry's diabetic body can't hold them back. They've had a year to play together, they've had a taste of the finals and were a lot closer to winning it than people give them credit for/remember. They add Shane Battier - classic rich getting richer move - which provides them with a better James Jones (who is also still there, likely setting up his tent behind the 3 pt line as we speak). They also get a fully healthy Mike Miller and a returning Haslem. This team has talent around its big 3 and I fully expect them to capitalize on that and get to, and win, the NBA Finals.
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