Don't know how much time James'll miss, but without him the Cavs will fall from the rankings fast.
The Cavs are the defending Eastern Conference champs—and they're still the team to beat in the East.
LeBron leads the league in scoring, and is my top candidate for MVP. Daniel Gibson is a wonderful complement to King James at the point.
Larry Hughes has pretty much been a bust since coming to Cleveland—and the team seems to play a lot better without him.
8. New Orleans Hornets (10-6)
The Timberwolves upset the Hornets on Monday night. Chris Paul, Peja Stokajavic, and David West need to stay consistent and healthy for this team to be taken seriously.
New Orleans can't afford any more injuries, especially in the deep and talented Western Conference.
9. Houston Rockets (9-7)
Coming off an impressive 100-94 victory Wednesday in Phoenix.
Don't be fooled by their record—the Rockets lost a few games when Tracy McGrady went down with an elbow injury.
New head coach Rick Adelman has brought a more potent offense, and T-Mac and Yao Ming will continue to dominate if they can stay healthy. Also look for Bonzi Wells to play inspired basketball under Adelman, whom Wells is very fond of.
I see the Rockets making the Western Conference Finals.
10. Denver Nuggets (9-7)
George Karl has his team playing solid defense, and critics underestimate Denver's ability to score.
We know what Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson bring to the table—but it's the play of guys like J.R. Smith, Marcus Camby, and even Linas Kleiza that has the Nuggets looking like contenders.
The Nuggets are still waiting for Chucky Atkins to make his season debut—his contributions at the point guard will give Iverson more freedom on offense.
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