rank teams with best chance to win(currently)

[ragingbull]

Spurs( turk sucked last year, theyll have everyone back, plus barry, who is a damn good player)

t-wolves(have made no moves, but with a year of experience will be in it)

pistons( milicic fills in for okur, the champs bring back same team)

tie for fourth pacers and kings

pacers had best record last year, but wont get by pistons.

peja disappears in playoffs, but bibby is twice his regular season form. with webber finally back to 100 % they should be in it.

[Bulldog]

You have to put Miami in the mix now. Dwyane Wade is for real. Him and Eddie Jones are a very good backcourt with Dorrell Wright as a wild card off the bench. Udonis Haslem is a very solid PJ Brown type defender/rebounder and there is Shaq Daddy in the middle. Now Martin has gone West there are only 3 teams worthy of a mention from the East - Pistons, Pacers and Heat.

The Pistons have the edge (if they re-sign Sheed) and I would put the Heat after them.

I think the Spurs will be very dangerous with barry too. That is a great pick up. He does it all and is a crafty vet. they have to start favourites.

So:

1 Spurs 2 Pistons 3 Twolves 4 Kings 5 Heat 6 Pacers 7 Nuggets 8 Suns 9 Mavs 10 Grizzlies

[ragingbull]

even if shaq goes off like never before, the heat are not a top 5 team, theyd be in a fight for top ten. even if a duo of a shaq on a mission and wade were better than kobe and shaq, WHICH THEY ARE NOT, miamis supporting cast is still worse than the lakers of last year. idk y everyone is so high on miami. they remind me of the people who think carter is a top 5 player.

[ragingbull]

there is also zero chance the suns are a top 10 team.

[Packfill]

Problem is, other than Indiana and Detroit what Eastern team is better than Miami? NJ and Cleveland likely will take steps backwards because of the loss of Martin and Boozer respectively. New Orleans moved to the west. I think Miami is the clear choice right now for third best team in the east.

As for Phoenix, they could be real good if the Clips don't match the over to Richardson and the Suns are subsequently able to ship off Matrix or Johnson for a center.

[andycard69]

Mia does have a better cast. One reason Eddie Jones. He is that third scorer that the Laker were always missing. They will sign a couple of players to fill in their missing peices.

[ragingbull]

thats a big if because marion has a HUGE contract. also even if the heat were 3rd best in the east that would not make them top 5 in league which was my point. theyd be in a fight for to crack top ten with a lot of teams tightly bunched together.

[ragingbull]

who will they sign with their mle? eddie jones,btw is not nearly the player he once was. have u been watching baskteball the past few years?

[andycard69]

Thats why i said the Jones was the 3rd option! Name one player on the lakers last year who you could count on for 17 a game as the 3rd option. They will also be able to sign players with the MLE and the Vet Exc. Look fo rToni K to sign with them to play limited minutes as well as some other FAs to make a run.

[cyman3]

1)Detroit... they get all their core players back except OKUR. he wont be missed much. Darko + McDysse should cover Okur's production.

2)Wolves... had the Wolves beaten LA, i think they could have given DET a good fight for the title. rumor says that McHale just wants all his players back and now that Shaqs gone, he thinks he has a good shot.

2)Spurs... Duncan + role players = far in the FINALS. now that Shaq left, he can dominate more.

3)Kings... a great regular season team who didnt play as well in the playoffs... however, they should recover..

4)Pacers... they're still a talanted TEAM all-around.

5)HEAT (replaces NEW JERSEY)- if and ONLY IF, they upgrade their SF + PF spots. keep in mind, they're the only team who can say they're the best "in their division" w/o creatin any controversy/debate. the fact they play in the weakest division is definitely an advantage.

[Packfill]

I agree with that top 5. Every other team has major question marks.

[Weez]

Eddie Jones, in his diminishing years...is still the perfect third option, with some quickness left in him, a desire and ability to play decent D...and the most important thing, the ability to hit the open J from a kickout/double team pass from Shaq or Wade.

that said, they're still very thin. Almost like we were last year...lotta minutes headed the starter's ways....

[ragingbull]

so miami is a top 6 team? messed up ur numbering johnny. miami, too has just as many question marks as denver, memphis, the mavs, rockets.

not too sure about miamis free agency options. theyll try to get malone, they already signed doleac for a huge contract(considering what hes worth, even in an inflated market).

wade looks nice, but he only had one very good series. i just dont see even the most possessed shaq making this team anything other than top ten at best.

well have to wait and see.

[cyman3]

they're going to play us 4 times, bobcats 4 times, orlando 4 times, and washington 4 times...

thats almost 16 guarantee WINS (im sure they'll lose a game in each series, so lets just say 12 automatic wins). since our division is so weak, they are SIGNIFICANTLY better than any other team in their division. they have the best PG in the division (well, u can make an argument about francis being better). but u have hands down, the best C + SG in that division.

teams like DALLAS has to play SPURS, HORNETS, GRIZZLES, and ROCKETS (all playoff temas last year) 4 times each. therefore, higher competition means a more even distibution.