With the new NBA season upon us, I wanted to let Shaq know the new ball is not an excuse for his inability to shoot. Anyway, here is how I feel the NBA will play out this year based upon preseason play and summer transactions.
East: \n1. Miami- Defending champs with basically the same team returning. How can you not put them No. 1 when the top East contenders are just swapping their best players?\n2. Chicago- Ben Wallace was not worth the money. He will not make 40 percent of his shots from the field (or from the free-throw line), and he's not the offense Chicago needs. Why No. 2 then? Head coach Scott Skiles.\n3. Cleveland- LeBron James. Enough said.\n4. Orlando- A shocking team with some young talented players. If Grant Hill stays healthy (which is about as likely as Wallace hitting a free throw) this team will contend for a title.\n5. Indiana- The Pacers will run and gun and will be really fun to watch. However, if Stephen Jackson goes to jail (very possible), Indiana as a state should just gear up for Eric Gordon Jr.'s Hoosier debut.\n6. New Jersey- Marcus Williams was a steal ... of a laptop (couldn't resist). This team could be really good in a really bad division, but it is still not quite a contender.\n7. Washington- If Gilbert Arenas plays like he did last year, this team is a deadly playoff underdog.\n8. Detroit- I don't blame you for not re-signing Ben Wallace, but Nazr Mohammed was not the answer. This team deserves to be in the top four or five, but as a Pacer fa,n I have no choice but to put it down here.\n9. Milwaukee- Trading T.J. Ford was a great deal for the team, but it's not enough to get it into the playoffs.\n10. Boston- Paul Pierce can keep the team competitive, but Danny Ainge needs to get him some role players.\n11. Toronto- Go watch hockey if you happen to get lost in Toronto.\n12. Atlanta- This is the worst team that is fun to watch. I keep thinking how great Josh Smith would have looked in that IU jersey.\n13. Philadelphia- Allen Iverson kept it from the bottom, but the team might surprise some people.\n14. Charlotte- Too young to be good but still excited to see what Morrison can do.\n15. New York- Isiah Thomas will coach this team into the ground and officially be the worst at everything associated with basketball -- except that whole playing part.
West: \n1. Dallas- Keep Dirk Nowitzki involved and this team has a shot at the title.\n2. Phoenix- Only if Amare Stoudemire stays healthy. Does anyone else think Steve Nash looks like Moocher from "Breaking Away?"\n3. San Antonio- They've dropped off the radar lately, but this team is still deadly.\n4. L.A. Lakers- Ever heard of this guy named Kobe Bryant?\n5. LA Clippers- I just want to see a Lakers versus Clippers playoff matchup.\n6. Houston- Best starting five with the worst bench. Expect to see a collapse after the break when its starters get tired of playing 40+ minutes a game.\n7. Memphis- Rudy Gay will help this team stay in the playoffs.\n8. New Orleans- They had the best offseason this summer, and if they click they can do some damage.\n9. Denver- I just want to see the advertisement where 6-foot-11 Marcus Camby stands side-by-side with 5-foot-5 Earl Boykins.\n10. Minnesota- Mike James puts it close to the playoffs, but Ricky Davis shooting at his own basket will keep it out.\n11. Utah- It could easily surprise some teams and steal the eighth spot, but I just don't see it happening.\n12. Sacramento- Grand Theft Auto 5: Ron Artest in Sacramento.\n13. Golden State- It will be fun to watch Don Nelson here.\n14. Seattle- It's raining losses for the not-so-Supersonics.\n15. Portland- With the first pick in the 2007 NBA draft, the Portland Trailblazers select ... Greg Oden!!!
