Eastern Conference:

Atlantic Division:

1. Boston Celtics

2. New York Knicks

3. Philadelphia 76ers

4. New Jersey Nets

5. Toronto Raptors

Central Division:

1. Chicago Bulls

2. Milwaukee Bucks

3. Indiana Pacers

4. Cleveland Cavaliers

5. Detroit Pistons

Southeast Division:

1. Miami Heat

2. Orlando Magic

3. Atlanta Hawks

4. Washington Wizards

5. Charlotte Bobcats

Western Conference:

Northwest Division:

1. Oklahoma City Thunder

2. Portland Trailblazers

3. Utah Jazz

4. Denver Nuggets

5. Minnesota Timberwolves

Pacific Division:

1. LA Lakers

2. Golden State Warriors

3. Sacramento Kings

4. LA Clippers

5. Phoenix Suns

Southwest Division:

1. Dallas Mavericks

2. San Antonio Spurs

3. New Orleans Hornets

4. Memphis Grizzlies

5. Houston Rockets

Conference Standings:

Eastern Conference:

1. Miami Heat- The new superstar trio is just too tough to make the Heat anything less than the best team in the conference. Lebron has individually taken a team to the number one spot in the conference and with Dwyane Wade, who single-handedly won an NBA Championship for his team, there really is no way to bet against the Heat leading the conference.

2. Orlando Magic- With every year that goes by, Dwight Howard gets better and better. Accompanied by a healthy Jameer Nelson, Howard and the Magic are one of the strongest and most athletic teams in the league.

3. Boston Celtics- With age comes experience. The Celtics are without a doubt the oldest team in the NBA, but as they proved last year, experience counts for everything. Since Rondo has developed into one of the best point guards in the league, and the team consists of future hall of famers at every position on the floor, their experience will bring them up in the Eastern Conference.

4. Atlanta Hawks- The Hawks have consistently been a high caliber team that contends for the playoffs, at least at the end of the regular season. As their young players mature, the Hawks should be back to where they were at the conclusion of last season.

5. Chicago Bulls- The Bulls didn’t end up with the superstar lineup that they wanted, but picked up a valuable veteran player in Carlos Boozer. Along with the dynamic Derrick Rose and defensive powerhouse Joakim Noah, the Bulls should have their best season since their last championship dynasty.

6. New York Knicks- The Knicks had an interesting off-season. Of course, Amare Stoudamire will be a great offensive asset, but will have to adjust after leaving the fast paced scoring offense in Phoenix. Point guard Raymon Felton is one of the fastest players in the game, and the duo could supply the offensive power that the Knicks have lacked in the past few years. With opponents focusing on those two, sharpshooter Danillo Gallinari will play a role similar to that of Hedo Turkoglu when he was on the Magic. Felton can drive or Stoudemire can kick it out from the paint to give Gallinari wide open threes. And yes, he will knock them down.

7. Milwaukee Bucks- Brandon Jennings is quick, smart and a savvy offensive player. Like last year, he will run an offensively strong Milwaukee Bucks team. Along with John Salmons in the backcourt, the Bucks have one of the most talented guard pairs in the league. When center Andrew Bogut returns from his elbow injury, he will be one of the league’s strongest inside presences. Their strong inside-outside attack should take the Bucks far this year.

8. Philadelphia 76ers- The 76ers have a somewhat weak inside game, especially since Elton Brand has never quite gotten back to the level after he left for the Clippers. But point

guard Jrue Holiday has proved that he can lead a team. Shooting guard Andre Iguodala is maybe the most athletic guard in the NBA and consistently puts up double-double figures. Also, watch out for rookie Evan Turner. Of all the rookies, he is arguably the most experienced and should translate smoothly to the NBA.

Western Conference:

1. LA Lakers- You cannot bet against the defending champs, especially when they are led by Kobe Bryant. The Lakers made no changes over the offseason, and they didn’t need to. They will do what they have been doing for the past three years-tearing up the Western conference.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder- The Thunder have the best player in the NBA: Kevin Durant. He single-handedly led them to the playoffs last year where they almost upset the Lakers in the first round. The young guys on this team have learned what it takes to succeed in the NBA, and prospect Cole Aldrich finally filled the hole they had down low. Other teams just won’t be able to keep up with the Thunder.

3. Dallas Mavericks- The Mavs always do well in the regular season. Veterans Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki know how to take teams far. With the addition of former Wizards Brendan Haywood and Caron Butler, the Mavericks will have more offensive talent and a stronger defensive presence. When you have a guy as talented as Jason Terry on the bench, you know your team is going to go far.

4. Portland Trailblazers- The Blazers face the same issue every year…Greg Oden. When he is healthy, he is one of the biggest presences in the NBA. If he can stay healthy all year along with Brandon Roy, the Blazers could be one of the top teams in the Western

Conference. Veterans Andre Miller and Marcus Camby will bring leadership to a relatively young team.

5. San Antonio Spurs- The Spurs are getting older, but they still have some of the best players in the game. Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli still light it up every game with their speed and athleticism. Tim “Mr.Fundamental” Duncan is without a doubt one of the greatest big men to ever play the game, and since entering the league, his style of play has not changed. He never depended on athleticism, but his fundamentals of the game make him great. Although he has aged, he has not lost those fundamentals. These three proven veterans will take the Spurs back to the playoffs without much trouble.

6. New Orleans Hornets- The Hornets have debatably the best point guard in basketball in Chris Paul. Like many other star players, he seems to face numerous health issues. When he’s fully healthy, he’s the best player there is at running a team. In recent years he has lacked the company to take the Hornets far. But with defensively dominant big man Emeka Okafor and skilled scorer Trevor Ariza accompanying him, Paul has the support he needs to take the team far. All-Star David West also has been a consistent offensive threat in his years with Chris Paul, so look for him to continue producing solid numbers.

7. Golden State Warriors- The Warriors have one of the most dangerous backcourts in the league with Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis. Curry is one of the best sharpshooters in the game and Ellis’ athleticism allows him to take the ball inside and go over defenders. Both players should average well over 20 points per game this season. The addition of forward David Lee makes this team a playoff contender. He gives them the inside presence on offense that they need. Defenses won’t be able to focus solely on Curry and Ellis, but will also have to watch out for Lee, who is one of the best fundamental big men in the game.

8. Sacramento Kings- Tyreke Evans reminds me of a young Tracy McGrady. Although he is not seen as an All-Star yet, he is an incredibly dynamic scorer and can run circles around defenses. His size at the point-guard position also gives him a huge advantage over defenders. Carl Landry and Samuel Dalenbert give the Kings a solid forward combination. The player to watch for though is rookie Demarcus Cousins. Cousins showed in summer league just how dominant he can be.

Playoff Matchups:

East:

First Round:

Miami Heat vs. Philadelphia 76ers-Heat in 4

The 76ers will simply have no way to stop the Heat. This should be an open and shut series. Look for Bosh to take Philadelphia’s weak inside players to school.

Atlanta Hawks vs. Chicago Bulls-Bulls in 6

The Hawks have had playoff issues for the past few years. They have enough talent to put up a fight, but Bulls veteran forward Carlos Boozer and dynamic point guard Derrick Rose will take control of what should be a competitive series.

Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks- Celtics in 5

Five years ago, a Celtics squad with these players would sweep through the first round, but they are an old team. Rondo will run circles around the Knicks defense, but the veterans will tire and the men in green will give up a game to the Knicks.

Orlando Magic vs. Milwaukee Bucks- Magic in 4

It will be interesting to see Andrew Bogut try to guard Dwight Howard. But even if he does a reasonably good job on him, Vince Carter will start dropping shots. The problem the Magic will likely face will be Rashard Lewis, who was horrible in last season’s playoffs and basically became just another body on the floor. If Rashard is hitting his shots, the Magic will have no trouble sweeping the Bucks.

Second Round:

Miami Heat vs. Chicago Bulls- Heats in 5

The Heat’s big three should cruise through most of this series, but watch for Derrick Rose to break out in one game and pull out a win for the Bulls. This series should be four blowouts with a narrow victory for the Bulls at one of their home games.

Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic- Celtics in 6

The Celtics have been the team that the Magic just cannot get past. With Shaq bodying up Dwight Howard for a good 20 minutes per game and Jermaine O’Neal for the other 28, the Celtics should have no problems containing Howard. With Howard contained, the Celtics will have no trouble shutting down the Magic offense. Vince Carter will have two breakout games for the Magic, but eventually the Celtics will win the series.

Eastern Conference Championship:

Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics- Heat in 7

After cruising through the playoffs, the Heat will face a tough opponent in the Celtics. The Celtics have been successful against all of the Heat’s stars and are always a great defensive team. The one thing that raises an issue again though is the age of the Celtics. They simply will not be able to match the athleticism of Lebron and Wade for so long. Kevin Garnett has also shown some slowing down and Chris Bosh will take advantage of that. It will be a great series, but eventually the Heat will be heading to the NBA championship.

West:

First Round:

LA Lakers vs. Sacramento Kings- Lakers in 6

The Kings will fly under the radar this year. Evans will light it up every night, while Cousins will do a solid job of locking down Gasol and Bynum. But eventually it will come down to Kobe not letting his team lose. This will be a surprisingly competitive 1-8 matchup for the first round, much like the 1-8 showdown last year between the Lakers and the Thunder.

Portland Trailblazers vs. San Antonio Spurs- Trailblazers in 7

With a healthy Greg Oden and Brandon Roy, the Blazers have a great young offensive squad. Oden and Marcus Camby will do a respectable job of guarding Tim Duncan, but he will get his numbers no matter what. Since the Blazers have a bit of inexperience, the veteran filled Spurs will really push them, but in the end the more talented team will win.

Dallas Mavericks vs. New Orleans Hornets- Hornets in 7

The Mavericks just haven’t been able to perform in the playoffs. This is probably the easiest upset to predict. Paul will run circles around the Mavs with Trevor Ariza putting up solid scoring numbers. Emeka Okafor and David West inside will make Nowitzki fight for his points and will start grabbing rebounds over Brendan Haywood.

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Golden State Warriors- Thunder in 6

Kevin Durant will carry the Thunder through this series with relative ease. Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry will pull out a few wins for the Warriors, but eventually the Thunder will push on to the next round.

Second Round:

LA Lakers vs. Portland Trailblazers- Lakers in 4

Kobe should shut down Brandon Roy, while Bynum and Gasol take care of Oden on the inside, if he is not injured or busy sexting. This series should be a breeze for the defending champs.

New Orleans Hornets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder- Thunder in 7

Durant and Westbrook will tear up the New Orleans defense. Okafor will do all he can to stop Durant inside, but his long arms and 6”9 body will allow him to maneuver around the big center. Westbrook’s speed will keep him guarding Chris Paul very close and will frustrate Paul. It will be a competitive series, but Durant will have a big game to finish the Hornets out.

Western Conference Championship:

LA Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder- Thunder in 7

Although the Lakers are considered the favorites, after watching the Thunder nearly upset the Lakers last year, there’s no reason why they couldn’t beat the defending champs this year. The Thunder have matured and many of their players received valuable playoff experiences last season. Cole Aldrich will put up a good fight against Bynum and Gasol on the defensive side of the court. No one on the Lakers besides Lamar Odom has the athleticism and size to guard Durant, but the younger Durant will find ways around Odom’s defense and take the Thunder to the NBA Championship

NBA Championship:

Miami Heat vs. Oklahoma City Thunder- Heat in 5

The Thunder can try and think they can pull off an upset, but there’s really no way. At every matchup, the Heat players win. Dwyane Wade will outshine Westbrook and Lebron will shut down Durant. Without those two weapons, the Thunder will have no hope of winning the series. Durant should pull out one amazing game at home, but the Heat will eventually take the series.

Regular Season Individual Awards:

MVP- Kevin Durant

Since Lebron is on a team full of superstars, his chances at the award are low this season. Since he has so many weapons on his team, Lebron will easily put up the same numbers that he did last year. Aside from Russell Westbrook, Durant really does not have a strong supporting cast around him. Durant will have to make up for the weakness of his team. He will get down low and grab rebounds, while taking on double teams and dishing out assists. He should also improve on his scoring champion season and average numbers, which will be much higher than his competition. He will single handedly lead his team to 2nd place in the Western Conference and show that without him, the Thunder are nothing but a team full of draft picks.

6th Man of the Year- Ben Gordon

Gordon should be starting over “Rip” Hamilton, but Hamilton has spent his long career in Detroit. His coach will not take away his starting job as long as he produces reasonable numbers. Gordon showed in his years with the Bulls that he can be the most explosive player on the court. Jamal Crawford will as always be up there in the running, but Gordon will get more playing time and therefore produce higher numbers.

Rookie of the Year- John Wall

Wall dominated the summer league and showed that he will be a superstar in the NBA. Wall is going to be the next Derrick Rose. If he works on his shot, he will even prove to be a more valuable player. Since he is on a team with weak offensive talent aside from Arenas (who is busy faking injuries), Wall will have a lot of opportunities as a starter to put up big numbers.

Defensive Player of the Year- Dwight Howard

Howard is still the most athletic player in the NBA. Every year he dominates the paint, and runs away with the rebounds per game average for the league. There is simply no way to bet against Howard doing what he does best blocking shots and grabbing boards. Josh Smith should put up a good fight for the reward, but there simply is no substitute for Howard.

Most Improved Player- Michael Beasley

Beasley has shown in preseason games that when he is the primary scorer on the court, he can take that role and run with it. Watch him start pulling out double-doubles on a regular basis.

Coach of the Year- Paul Westphal, Sacramento Kings

The Kings have been a train wreck for the past few years. This year they will be in the playoff run and Westphal’s coaching of this young team will probably be the biggest reason.