Which Teams Will Make the Playoffs in 2011?

For and basketball fan such as myself, there is no month more dreaded than the month of August. It's that time of year when the playoffs are over, summer league is done, and most of the important free agents have signed. Basically, nothing is happening. Fortunately, it's never to early to start dreaming about the next season, and the hopes that each team has of making the most of it. With a potential lockout looming following the upcoming season, teams will want more than ever to make the most of this opportunity and take home the big prize. This slideshow details which teams are going to be playing for the championship next post season, first from the Western Conference and then from the East.

1. Los Angeles Lakers

Unfortunately for everyone else, the best team in the league last year only maintained itself and then got better over the off-season. Convincing Phil Jackson to come back was priority number one, and was followed up by the acquisition of veterans Steve Blake and Matt Barnes. They are the no. 1 team until someone shows otherwise, no matter how vulnerable they will look at times.

2. Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks are a team full of veteran talent that is built for regular season success, and this year will be no different. They are deep at every position, and their bench has improved with the trade for Tyson Chandler. The emergence of guard Rodrigue Beaubois is an intriguing subplot for the upcoming season, but it remains to be seen if these team can compete with the younger, albeit less experienced teams, come playoff time.

3. Portland Trail Blazers

After a second consecutive disappointing first-round exit, the Blazers will look to discover whether or not their current group is good enough to bring a championship to Portland. Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge continue to improve, and the addition of Wesley Matthews in free-agency would seem to improve the teams perimeter defense alongside Nicolas Batum. However, the big story, as has become commonplace among Blazer fans, will be whether former no. 1 draft pick Greg Oden can finally remain healthy and live up to his potential as an NBA player.

4. Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder are a rising team and a trendy pick to challenge the Lakers for Western Conference supremacy.  Last season's group made a surprising run to the post-season and gave the Lakers about all they could handle in one of the years more memorable first-round series.  They have lots of talent, centered around superstar Kevin Durant, but not a lot of size in the middle.  They will continue to rise, but it's possible that without another move or two, this team as is may have nearly reached it's ceiling already.

5. Houston Rockets

Another team which has it's hopes placed on the shoulders of an injury-plagued big man, Houston looks ready to jump back into the ever-tightening playoff race in the Western Conference this year.  The Rockets have become know as a scrappy team with great defense but lacking in offensive firepower.  This year things look to be different, with Kevin Martin, Aaron Brooks, Trevor Ariza, and Luis Scola all coming back, along with the hopeful return of a healthy and productive Yao Ming.

6. San Antonio Spurs

Fans are used to seeing the Spurs among the NBA's elite, but after this past years humbling second round sweep at the hands of the Phoenix Suns, age may finally be catching up to this group.  Tim Duncan is still an elite player but is slowing down, and Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili have both struggled with nagging injuries in recent seasons.  Young talents George Hill and Tiago Splitter may help to slow the decline, but it's not likely that this season will end with much playoff success for the Spurs.

7. Utah Jazz

Of all the potential playoff teams in the West this season, only the Phoenix Suns (who didn't make this list) have experienced more changes to their roster than the Jazz.  How well the new pieces fit together will determine the success of Utah's season.  The return of Jerry Sloan as coach will help maintain a sense of consistency, but this is a very different team last year.  Losing three keys players from last seasons playoff squad (four, if you count Mehmet Okur, who will start the season on the injured list) is a hard pill to swallow, and overall the Jazz don't seem to have the depth to make a serious playoff run this time around.

8. Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets are difficult to predict, mainly because at times they seem unstoppable, and at times, well, they're not, to say the least.  Losing coach George Karl seemed to have a lot to do with their shortcomings last season.  Hopefully he will be back and healthy this year, but that remains to be seen, and without him, this group doesn't seem to know it's identity.  The additional injury problems of their front line don't help, and with all the uncertainty surrounding them, it's hard to see the Nuggets making another strong run towards the finals and returning to the point they reached two seasons ago.

1. Miami Heat

LeBron James may have changed teams, but his new team is likely to find itself in a familiar place: at the top of the Eastern Conference.  I don't know if the Heat will go all the way this year, but I couldn't find a reason not to put them in this top spot for the playoffs.  Aside from the new trio of superstars, they have actually managed to assemble a quality roster which looks good enough to challenge anybody else. Even at their weak points (point guard, center), they have players who are experienced as starters in the NBA, and who, at the very least, won't mess things up.

2. Chicago Bulls

The Bulls look like another team ready to make the leap from fringe playoff hopeful to championship contender in just one season.  While retaining the same strong core from a year ago, they have also added Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver, and C.J. Watson, among others.  How far Chicago is able to advance will depend largely on the continued progression of Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, the health of newcomers like Boozer that have a history of injuries, and the ability of Tom Thibodeau to smoothly transition in as the new head coach.

3. Orlando Magic

Orlando may see it's reign over the southeast division come to an end this year, but it won't be without a fight.  Barring any trades in the upcoming weeks, this team will be very similar to the one that went to the Eastern Conference Finals last season.  The Magic made some slight upgrades to their bench but lost forward Matt Barnes in free agency.  All things considered, this is still a young team with room to grow and progress, Dwight Howard especially.  However, in order to make it out of the East again, Vince Carter will be the one who really has to step up, more than we have seen from him in the past.

4. Boston Celtics

The Celtics earn the fourth spot in these rankings because of the lesson the taught us last season: home court advantage doesn't really determine who will win a series.  This team won't wear itself out in order to procure a top seed because they know they can win without it, and really, they are just as capable of winning the East as any other team.  The main issues will be the loss of Kendrick Perkins for the first few months of the season and how well the veteran players can hold up for the playoffs.  However, if last season is any indication, they will still put up quite a fight.

5. Milwaukee Bucks

While still not on the level of the other elite teams in the East, Milwaukee goes from being the surprise of last season to a legitimate playoff team this year. Added depth (Corey Maggette, Drew Gooden, Chris Douglas-Roberts), along with the re-signing of John Salmons, make this team stronger than the one that took Atlanta to seven games last season.  They will be exciting to watch and a potentially scary first round match-up, especially as young players continue to develop.

6. Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks were a first round disappointment last season, and this year doesn't look to be any different.  They bring back essentially the same group that got blown out in four games by the Orlando Magic, with exception of their new coach, Larry Drew.  After Joe Johnson's massive contract signing this summer, the pressure will be even greater on him, and the team, to reach a level that up to this point, they haven't shown themselves capable of reaching.  It's hard to say where the difference will come from.

7. New York Knicks

Finally, New York will be back in the playoffs this year.  However, Amar'e Stoudemire, as good as he is, is not enough to lift this team any higher than the fringe of the playoffs.  The supporting cast may be better than we think, but it looks weak and lacks depth and defensive ability.  On the bright side, they may actually be fun to watch this year, something that hasn't been true of the Knicks for several seasons.  It will also be interesting to watch how future free agent signings in New York actually play out.

8. Philadelphia 76ers

This last spot is pretty much up for grabs, but I give it to Philly for a couple of reasons.  First, their mix of young talent seems to have a lot of potential, and last season showed some signs of pulling things together.  Second, the competition is extremely weak, and somebody has to be the eight seed, right?  We can't just give Miami a first round bye, can we...