NBA Power Rankings: Early Pre-Season Rankings for All 30 Teams

Words can't even begin to describe how relieving it is to begin writing NBA power rankings again. It signifies the start of a new season and just what we can expect for the first time in the 2011-'12 campaign as we can foresee just who the contenders and pretenders could possibly be.

In only a short time following the conclusion of the lockout, we have already experienced more than we could have possibly imagined. With a blockbuster trade being nullified, other trades involving superstars coming to life and free agents being on the move, it's exactly what we've been waiting for since the start of July, which is usually the intended start of the offseason when teams can begin making moves.

Instead, it began on Dec. 9 and rather than the season starting in late October, it starts a few months later in late December. We're angry at the NBA for what they did to us by holding out for two months, but we can't stay mad for too long as we truly missed the NBA and all that it provided us in terms of his entertainment value.

Now we're back to business, and we start it off with the all too early preseason power rankings. Take note that these rankings are based on the current rosters and the state of the organization and what direction they plan on going in and not based on possible trades that may or may not happen.

Let's get the rankings that we've been waiting months for, shall we?

30. Charlotte Bobcats

Kemba Walker's expression says it all: Why did I have to get drafted by the Charlotte Bobcats?

I don't want to be harsh to the Bobcats franchise, but this is the same team who recently said that Corey Maggette is going to be the focal point of their offense. A 32-year-old who has spent the past four seasons with three different teams and averaged 12 points per game last year will be the focal point of the Bobcats offense next year.

Maggette was acquired via trade as the Bobcats sent out Stephen Jackson to Milwaukee.

This team better hope Kemba Walker pans out, or it's going to get really ugly in Charlotte. He's not too tremendous of a risk for the 'Cats though, a Walker does seem to be NBA ready after a high-profile career at the NCAA level, where he averaged 24 points per on 43 percent shooting to go along with five rebounds and five assists per. He's an explosive scorer and is a perfect fit for a team that could desperately use the offensive firepower.

Of course, it can't all be perfect as the team took a risk in the draft by trading for Bismack Biyombo. There isn't too much known about the 19-year-old, other than that he's a quality defender who managed to average two blocks per in only 17 minutes worth of action in his time overseas and that he also can't score very well.

Think Dikembe Mutombo, but not as good.

Drafting Walker and allowing him to run the point was a good start, but this team needs some help and fast.

29. Toronto Raptors

Sadly for the Toronto Raptors, that man in the picture, Jonas Valanciunas, will still be overseas this year and won't join the team until next year due to contractual obligations in Europe.

But, hey, at least you got Andrea Bargnani and DeMar DeRozan to look forward to. Those two represent the lone slivers of hope, at the moment, for a bright future in Toronto at the moment with 'Bargs' recently setting his career high in scoring at 21 points per and DeRozan doing the same with 17 points per. Both highs came as a result of the loss of Chris Bosh, but it does actually give the Raptors something to look forward to.

Bargnani may have already peaked as a shooting guard in the body of a center, but DeRozan still has plenty of potential and has showcased that in his unbelievable athleticism that has helped him to be featured in a few dunk contests. His jump shooting beyond the mid-range could use work, but there's still plenty of work to be accomplished for the 22-year-old who drew comparisons to Kobe Bryant out of college.

For now, the Raptors do not have that stellar of a lineup, as they still feature one of the worst defensive players in the league in Jose Calderon as well as developing players in Ed Davis, Amir Johnson and Jerryd Bayless.

28. Cleveland Cavaliers

Even in the most recent NBA draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers may not be making the smartest of moves by drafting Kyrie Irving with the first pick and Tristan Thompson with the fourth.

Both players seem like tremendous talents, but they both bring about a series of red flags. For one, Irving is highly unproven and had only 11 games to prove how much of a talent he was at Duke University. Scouts are claiming that he is NBA ready and does know how to lead an offense, yet there's just so little known that we have no idea how he's going to be ready to lead an inept Cavaliers team while also attempting to absorb the pressure of filling in the shoes of LeBron James.

As for Thompson, he's a solid player out of the University of Texas, who averaged 14 points and eight boards per in his final season, but he doesn't seem to be top five material. With players like Kenneth Faried and Kawhi Leonard available, you have to imagine that there might have been better options for a team looking to find statement players.

The two draft picks are solid nevertheless, and it's a great start to hopefully brighter days in Cleveland. The city surely could use it following the 19-63 season that featured the longest losing streak in NBA history, as well as tying for the longest streak of losses in sports history at 26 games.

27. Minnesota Timberwolves

I never thought I'd say this before, but the Minnesota Timberwolves are absolutely stacked in the front court.

Seriously, take a look at the Wolves front court, and it's one of the deepest in the league as they feature a prolific scorer in Michael Beasley and the league's top rebounder in Kevin Love. Darko Milicic wasn't too bad either, as he averaged over two blocks per and was actually leading the league in that category for a majority of last season.

The Wolves now have a serious decision to make on what to do with the draft's most athletic player in Derrick Williams. The second pick in last year's draft averaged 20 points and eight rebounds per in his lone season at the University of Arizona and also managed to show off some impressive range, as he shot 57 percent from deep while converting on one three-pointer per game.

Don't be fooled by Williams size either, at 6'9", he claims that he is a small forward that can also play at the four which greatly assists the Wolves since it is much easier to replace Beasley instead of Love. If Williams has the rookie of the year performance that many anticipate, a starting job could be well within grasp.

Let's also not forget about the arrival of point guard Ricky Rubio who will finally grace the NBA with his presence since playing overseas after being drafted in 2009. The Wolves are excited to get a new point guard to lead the way, and they anticipate having a crafty player such as Rubio to help lead the way back to relevance.

26. Detroit Pistons

It may seem like it every year, but the Detroit Pistons appear to be heading in the right direction after a dismal season last year, where the players managed to stage a boycott of former coach John Kuester.

The Pistons finished 30-52 last year, while missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season and finishing below .500 for the third consecutive time. Prior to then, the Pistons hadn't missed two consecutive playoffs or finished below .500 for three consecutive times since 1995.

Changes had to be made in Detroit and sure enough, they're being made, and it started off with the smart move of drafting Brandon Knight out of the University of Kentucky with their first-round pick. Knight, who averaged 17 points and four assists in his lone season with the Wildcats, is a proven point guard who is NBA ready as he can lead an offense from a passers stand point as well as from a scorers.

Knight should be running the point at the start of the season as the starting lineup could feature a number of changes. The team just waived Richard Hamilton, which means that a new starter at shooting guard is needed. The Pistons should be expected to make a move in order to replace him, but if not, it's either going to be Ben Gordon or current restricted free agent Rodney Stuckey.

The Pistons also brought back Tayshaun Prince and Jonas Jerebko with both expected to start alongside Greg Monroe in the front court.

25. Denver Nuggets

Nene Hilario could be on the way out after voicing displeasure with ownership. J.R. Smith, Kenyon Martin, and Wilson Chandler are stuck in China until March. Arron Afflalo represents the only chance of this team having a star.

In other words, the Denver Nuggets are in serious trouble. Their roster is extremely limited with three key players currently stuck in Asia and with their star center possible on the move, which means that the team will have to rely on Afflalo getting re-signed or Morehead State's finest, Kenneth Faried, will have to pan out to be the scoring, rebounding and defensive specialist that the team hopes him to be.

Faried was a force in college and proved that in his senior season at the NCAA level when he averaged 17 points, 14 boards and two blocks per. He'll be set to replace Martin, who is an unrestricted free agent, and should be an enormous upgrade as he can score, rebound and check his attitude, with all three being problems to Kenyon during his time with Denver.

With Faried, Andre Miller, Ty Lawson and Danilo Gallinari representing the only players that we know for certain will be on the team and play a significant role, it's obvious to see that the Nuggets could be in dire straits come opening day.

24. Phoenix Suns

Sorry, Phoenix, but it's going to take more than acquiring Shannon Brown and Sebastian Telfair to make this Suns team relevant once again.

It's even more significant that this team starts improving as the Lakers will continue to reign supreme atop the Pacific Division while teams like the L.A. Clippers, Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings are all expected to improve. The Suns have remained stagnant aside from re-signing Grant Hill and acquiring two insignificant players, and it could mean the team could be looking from the bottom of their division this season.

It's a shame for a player like Steve Nash, and Hill as well, that they might be ending their careers on a cellar dweller franchise. The reason why I find a once near dynasty like the Suns this low in the preseason rankings comes as a result of the insignificant moves they've made and their unwillingness to openly pursue big name players to help replace the loss of Amare Stoudemire. Phoenix still hasn't found a replacement, and they continue to play by the live by the three, die by the three rules.

However, there's still a chance for relevance as Marcin Gortat panned out to be quite the Robin to Nash's Batman. Gortat played in 55 games with the Suns following a mid-season trade and averaged 13 points and rebounds per while shooting 56 percent from the field.

Perhaps the most impressive sight was seeing just how talented Gortat was off of the pick and roll, despite being featured as nothing more than a back-up to Dwight Howard in Orlando for three-and-a-half seasons.

23. Washington Wizards

There are still a lot of questions left to be answered (Young or Crawford, possible Lewis amnesty, etc.), but there's one thing we know for sure and that is the Washington Wizards are going to become the Los Angeles Clippers of the East in regards to their athleticism and potential.

There's no Blake Griffin, but there is a JaVale McGee who can sky with the best of them and is easily one of the most athletic big men we have ever set our eyes on. McGee is that talented of a scorer, but he knows how to defend and is already one of the league's most effective shot blockers at the age of 23.

McGee doesn't have to worry about creating his own offense either as he can rely on point guard John Wall for that type of support. Wall would have a certain rookie of the year if not for Griffin, but still proved to be quite the floor general in his short time with the Wizards, and is having high hopes on what is sure to be a terrific season for an improved Washington team that just hasn't been the same since the Gilbert Arenas fiasco.

He'll have another athletic, high-flyer on his squad as well with Czech Republic import Jan Vesely joining the fray. On a team with Wall, McGee and Vesely, as well as talents like Nick Young, Jordan Crawford and Chris Singleton, the Wizards are set to make their return to the postseason, with this year being a strong possibility.

22. Sacramento Kings

They're not the Chris Webber and Peja Stojakovic Sacramento Kings, but Tyreke Evans and crew do have the potential to be just that and then some as long as they continue to progress as the players we expect them to become.

Who do we expect them to become? Superstars and All-Stars of course, and we speak of the likes of Evans, rookie Jimmer Fredette and the myriad of other young potential stars in the waiting in DeMarcus Cousins, J.J. Hickson and Marcus Thornton.

Each of those players have the potential to make something of themselves, and it starts out by making this Kings team into something that they've haven't been in awhile: relevant.

The 2011-'12 campaign will be utilized as an experimental phase as the team looks to move Evans to shooting guard with the sharp shooting Fredette taking over at point. I see the direction that the Kings are going in, but it seems that it would be a lot more of a practical move to continue utilizing Evans as a 6'5" point guard that could see over opposing defenses better than any other point guard today.

We'll just have to see what coach Paul Westphal has up his sleeve.

21. New Orleans Hornets

Where do we even begin? Do we start with the trade that didn't happen or the one that did?

I suppose we'll start with the latter since it actually happened. Agreeing to a deal with the Indiana Pacers, power forward David West will re-join former teammate Daren Collison in a completely new setting as he joins a team that's making the necessary moves to improve, as opposed to his former situation where his team nearly reached the peak before setting up base camp and not moving any further.

I suppose a warm welcome is in order for Carl Landry, who will be the expected starter to replace West if the team re-signs him.

Obviously, the one thing on everybody's mind is where Chris Paul is actually going to end up landing. The chances are still extremely high that he's leaving New Orleans, especially with West gone, even with the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks have backed out. Word is that the Los Angeles Clippers have thrown their hat in the race again and are listening to offers from the Hornets.

To put it in a few sentences, the Hornets franchise is done. They just lost out on their second best player, and they're about to lose out on their first, which means that Trevor Ariza and Emeka Okafor could be the new dynamic duo in New Orleans.

20. Milwaukee Bucks

Once again, injuries plays an enormous part in the progression of the Milwaukee Bucks season.

Following a stellar 2009-'10 campaign where the Bucks became one of the last teams you wanted to face near the end of the season, injuries took a toll on the team throughout the 2010-'11 campaign.

Among those injuries include Andrew Bogut sitting out 17 games, Brandon Jennings benched for 19 games, Carlos Delfino missing 33, Drew Gooden only playing in 35, Ersan Ilyasova missing 22, and Michael Redd, once again, missing out on a large chunk of the season. Just about every player that carried any significance on this team had to deal with some sort of injury that impeded their progress.

If injuries don't play too large of a factor in the 2011-'12 season, the Bucks could easily be a playoff team as they now feature a high-octane scorer in Stephen Jackson to help relieve some of the pressure off their third-year guard in Brandon Jennings. Jackson, who spent the past two years with Charlotte, averaged 19 points per last year and has converted on two three-pointers per game over the past two seasons.

On a team where offense is extremely limited, Jackson is the perfect pick up as he can help stretch the floor and drive when needed. It could also mean a higher shooting percentage for Jennings, who has shot under 40 percent in his first two NBA seasons.

The player who scored 55 points in his rookie season has been wildly inconsistent since and could be a solid player now that there is a second reliable scoring option on the team.

19. Indiana Pacers

Call me crazy, but I'm liking what the Indiana Pacers are expected to bring out on to the court next year and that was only heightened by the recent acquisition of former Hornets power forward David West.

Bringing in West fills out a huge need in the front court as the team was forced to rely on Tyler Hansbrough and Josh McRoberts last season at the four. Hansbrough did show signs of having a future with the team, but only off the bench as West helps to stretch the floor and provide some versatility thanks to his driving ability as well.

West will fill out one of the league's more formidable front courts as he'll join sharp shooter Danny Granger and center Roy Hibbert.

Speaking of Hibbert, the 7'2" center continues to progress as a force in the paint as he can establish himself as a low post presence that can throw down anywhere near the basket thanks to a freakish wingspan. Accompany that with a solid 10-foot jumper, and you have a center that could cause some serious damage in a league that's limited when it comes to offensively talented centers.

The Pacers also feature newcomer George Hill from the San Antonio Spurs who adds another three-point threat to a team that could use it following the loss of Mike Dunleavy to the division rival Bucks.

18. Golden State Warriors

With a new coach and possibly a new philosophy on the way as well, the Golden State Warriors may be able to look towards consistent success for the first time since the RUN TMC era.

There's certainly a lot more to be worked out before we can even begin comparing this Warriors team to the teams of the early-1990's, but they are improving and bringing in rookie head coach Mark Jackson was a tremendous step in the right direction. Jackson replaces Don Nelson, who had been the Warriors coach since 2005 and led the team to only one post season appearance in that span.

Jackson takes over a young team with loads of potential, including point guard Stephen Curry, shooting guard Monta Ellis, small forward Dorell Wright and too many other young players to name as the roster only has one player over 30 years old, with that exception being the seldom-used Charlie Bell.

There are too many youthful, talented players on this squad, and they fill out a projected starting lineup where the oldest player is the 28-year-old David Lee at power forward. The Warriors are a team built for the long-term as they possess the offensive firepower to become ranked amongst the highest scoring teams in the league once again.

However, it's going to take more than outscoring your opponent in order to break into the playoff chase. Defense is going to have to become preached to this team as the Warriors will look towards Andris Biedrins to hold down the middle, while Mark Jackson attempts to lead this team into a new direction.

17. New Jersey Nets

Are they officially Brooklyn or should I just keep calling them New Jersey until Jay-Z says otherwise?

Whether they're in a borough of New York or in the state of New Jersey, big things are possibly in order for the Nets franchise, and that includes possibly acquiring All-Star center Dwight Howard. The Orlando Magic center recently demanded a trade out of the franchise and requested that he be sent to the Nets, which means that Brook Lopez and a few other players should be sent over in return.

The team won't need any of those players, however, as Howard could be set to join All-Star point guard and arguably the top floor general in the league in Deron Williams, who was acquired via trade near the end of the 2010-'11 season. In the 12 games that he played in, Williams averaged 13 assists and had a 20 assist game, which is saying something when considering that his top teammates were Brook Lopez and Anthony Morrow.

In this particular piece, we're ranking the Nets on what they consist of now and not if they have Howard. The trade has yet to happen, and if this offseason has proven anything, it's that nothing is certain especially when it comes to blockbuster trades that takes a franchise player out of a small market.

Still, the pieces are set, and the Nets are a trade away from becoming relevant and exercising the demons of a past that includes a 12-70 record.

16. Utah Jazz

I can only begin to ponder on what the Utah Jazz starting lineup will look like next season. We'll most likely see Devin Harris and the developing C.J. Miles in the back court, but what about a front court that features a number of players on the bench who could very well be starting?

Currently, the team features Andrei Kirilenko, Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson as their starters in the front court. It's a formidable lineup, but is subject to change with Kirilenko testing free agency. The main reason we wonder about what's set to happen next year is due to the fact that the team just utilized their No. 3 pick in the recent draft on a center in Enes Kanter.

Unless Paul Millsap is on the move and Jefferson is moved down to power forward, the No. 3 pick is set to come off the bench. Even then, there are still a number of questions left unanswered on what exactly is going to happen with the recently acquired Derrick Favors, who happens to be an athletic freak that can rebound at an exponential rate.

With the team looking to possibly move Millsap and Kirilenko being on the move as well, this front court could feature an entirely new lineup that could feature three new players entirely.

As for what the team looks like now, they have a long way to go following the departure of coach Jerry Sloan and point guard Deron Williams, but they have the roster and the pieces to begin making a run back to the playoffs.

15. Philadelphia 76ers

I have no idea how, but Andre Iguodala is still on the team and isn't even at the center of trade talks.

By this point in his career, the team might as well stick with him and look towards another player to shoulder the scoring load. The only player who has the potential to do so could either be point guard Jrue Holiday or guard/forward Evan Turner. The latter didn't get too much of a chance to prove himself and was mostly utilized as an eighth man off the bench behind Louis Williams and the recently re-signed Thaddeus Young.

Turner averaged seven points and four rebounds per in 23 minutes per off the bench and should be expected to play a much larger role as they attempt to incorporate the No. 2 pick into the primary rotation.

The Philadelphia 76ers don't have that one player that has a name that sticks out, but rather a number of players that all play their own significant part. The team has an excellent well-rounded lineup that features a point guard with potential out the roof, a shooting guard in Jodie Meeks who is more designated as a spark off the bench, one of the league's top perimeter defenders at small forward, the recently revived Elton Brand and a solid rookie in USC's Nikola Vucevic.

Not to mention that this team sports one of the NBA's top benches with players like the perimeter specialist in Williams and the athletic Young among others such as Marreese Speights and Andres Nocioni

14. Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets need to find a center and fast. They've already missed out on signing Tyson Chandler, which means the only legitimate options to finding their next center will either be Nene Hilario or Samuel Dalembert.

It's either they look towards free agency or else they will be forced to depend on either rookies Marcus Cousins and Donatas Motiejunas or the likes of busts in Jordan Hill and Hasheem Thabeet. None of these four players have shown any sort of promise or potential towards becoming the next starting center for the long-term, and it could mean the Rockets continually getting scored on in the paint once again.

Attempting to only outscore your opponents doesn't win games, and the Rockets learned that last year when they finished last in the Southwest division. Even with the likes of excellent scorers in Kevin Martin, crafty post players in Luis Scola, and a stellar young point guard in Kyle Lowry, the Rockets just don't have the physicality down low to become playoff contenders in a Western Conference that's filled with up-and-coming teams.

The Rockets will have a long road their way as their limited front court presence is forced to take on a division chock full of teams with endearing post players. If they expect to take on Tim Duncan and the Spurs, Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks, or Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol and the Grizzlies, a post presence will have to be acquired.

13. Orlando Magic

If the Orlando Magic fanbase wants to cheer up, it should go and take a look at the New Orleans Hornets and realize what losing a superstar is truly like.

The Magic are going to be devastated when they lose Dwight Howard to either the New Jersey Nets, Los Angeles Lakers or Chicago Bulls, but they'll have time to recover unlike the Hornets who could see their franchise on the move due to the organization's complete state of disarray. Not only that, the Magic still have several pieces in Jameer Nelson, the recently re-signed Jason Richardson, Glen Davis and the players that will come over via trade who are sure to be quality players all-around.

The Hornets? They have a team that's set to be led by Trevor Ariza and Emeka Okafor. Try swallowing that pill.

However, with nothing set in stone, we're still judging this based on the team with Howard. Nothing is certain in this NBA, as you have clearly noticed, and we're not going to predict what could possible happen. Don't forget that the Chicago Bulls were this close to bringing in Kobe Bryant a few years back before the Bulls pulled back and the Lakers signed Pau Gasol.

At the moment, the Magic are still a team that needs a new offensive philosophy that doesn't revolve around shooting from 25 feet out as well as a defensive philosophy where defense should actually become a concern.

12. Atlanta Hawks

Hey Atlanta, it's going to take more than acquiring Vladimir Radmanovic and Tracy McGrady if you expect to make yourself a contender in the Eastern Conference.

At all costs, the Atlanta Hawks are attempting to fight their way out of a confusing position in the East, where they find themselves in that awkward position of not being elite or being average. Instead, they're the team constantly finishing with 45 to 50 wins and ending up with a fourth or fifth seed before they bow out of the playoffs in the second round to one of East's few elite teams.

Atlanta wants to beat Chicago, Miami and Boston, but they're going to need to begin making the right moves if they plan on doing so.

The team still features one of the more efficient big three's in the league in Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and Al Horford, but lack much depth elsewhere besides their sixth man in sharpshooter Jamal Crawford. Aside from these four, however, there isn't much to look forward to as they can only hope that the production of Jeff Teague pans out at the point.

The Hawks still struggle greatly in terms of production from the center as well with Jason Collins providing little to nothing and showcasing how defensive-minded he was when he allowed Dwight Howard to go off for 27 points and 15 boards per in their first-round matchup last year. Atlanta continually finds itself struggling on both sides of the ball in the paint, as well as overall depth with a severe drop-off following Crawford.

Speaking of Crawford, the Hawks are still attempting to re-sign him with a number of potential suitors waiting to hear word of what Jamal's decision with the team will be.

11. Los Angeles Clippers

Not only do they have the quality players, but the Los Angeles Clippers have actually attempted to pursue quality players as they have made legitimate pushes towards acquiring Chris Paul and Dwight Howard.

While neither of those two could be on their way anytime soon, we should still expect the Clippers to begin make a postseason push after finishing 30-52 last season, which was good enough for their best record since 2007. The team can thank 2010 No. 1 overall pick Blake Griffin for the assistance as he averaged 22 points and 12 rebounds while taking home Rookie of the Year honors.

Griffin became the NBA's new poster child, thanks in part to the number of defenders he put on posters. His athleticism was none like we had ever seen before from a power forward, and it was even more surprising to see when you consider that he's just coming off an injury in his knee that kept him out what was supposed to be his rookie season.

He still has his faults when it comes to defense and a jump shot, but that's no reason to fret as he's only 22 years old and still has a long way to improve.

One of the more underrated Clippers last season was shooting guard Eric Gordon who draws a lot of comparisons to Dwyane Wade in terms of being a relatively undersized player at the two. Much like Wade, Gordon has the athleticism to make up for any height issues as he constantly finds himself exploding and attacking the rim at all costs.

With Gordon and Griffin being assisted by the likes of DeAndre Jordan and the recently acquired Caron Butler, the Clippers could very well have a 6-8 seed by the end of the 2011-'12 campaign.

10. Portland Trail Blazers

Give this team a healthy Brandon Roy and a healthy Greg Oden, and the Portland Trail Blazers suddenly become the team to beat in the Western Conference.

Sadly, that's not how things work out for the Blazers franchise. Not since drafting Sam Bowie has their been his most disappointment with the shocking retirement of Roy and another setback suffered by Oden after signing a $9 million deal over one year that was given by Portland a few days before.

Yet this team continues to survive, thanks in part to an extremely deep bench and one of the league's most complete starting line-ups that features a newcomer at the point in former Bobcat and Knick Raymond Felton. He'll be joining former Charlotte teammate Gerald Wallace in the Blazers starting lineup and is sure to establish that same chemistry with him that he once had in dimmer days with the Bobcats.

Perhaps the biggest stories outside of Oden and Roy has been the progression of the likes of LaMarcus Aldridge and Wesley Matthews, who is proving many wrong after signing what was thought to be a ridiculous deal last offseason.

It turns out that his doubters were incorrect of their assumptions as Matthews showcased terrific consistency from deep by nailing two three-pointers per game, while still managing to convert on 41 percent from beyond the arc.

Aldridge has been an unbelievable bright spot in a dark time for Portland as he helped to ease the pain of the loss of Roy last year. He'll have his hands even more full now that Roy is retired and the weight of the franchise is solely placed upon him.

9. San Antonio Spurs

Utilizing the amnesty clause on Richard Jefferson made the NBA world right again, as we feared that the San Antonio Spurs had finally lost their senses by making the wrong move for once. Instead, the organization can now look back at it as  "what were we thinking" type of move.

The Spurs are still set to rely on their big three that consists of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker even after the disappointing first-round loss to the eighth-seed Memphis Grizzlies. However, unlike the Boston Celtics who are sticking with their aging veterans, the Spurs are preparing for the future and have made a series of moves to one day replace the big three that features a 34-year-old Ginobili and a 35-year-old Duncan.

With players like DeJuan Blair, James Anderson, Tiago Splitter and Kawhi Leonard set to come off the bench, these four could represent future starters as the Spurs look to build up a team for the future. If we know the Spurs organization, it's that they know how to make the correct moves in a draft. Aside from Leonard who was traded for on draft day, the other three were all taken in the draft directly by the Spurs.

As for this year, we should expect a decline from that miracle 61-win season from last year where the team used a hot start to create a great deal of breathing room from their conference foes. The Spurs will be in championship condition, as usual, but it's going to take solid production from the future starting lineup in order for this team to make another significant run at the championship.

8. Memphis Grizzlies

Would you have ever guessed that the Memphis Grizzlies would become a top 10 team? Possibly. But what if I said that the Grizzlies star players would end up being Rudy Gay, Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph?

That's what I thought.

The Grizzlies sent tremors throughout the NBA world last season by becoming only the fourth No. 8 seed in NBA history to best a No. 1 seed by beating up on the 61-win San Antonio Spurs. This only became possible following the loss of Gay near the end of the regular season and the post play of Randolph and Gasol stepping up and leading the way to the team making the postseason.

Memphis would go on to the second round and would come a game short of making it to the Conference Finals. Coming from a team that had previously won zero postseason games and was 0-12 overall in three postseason appearances, last year's playoff run was easily the top moment in the history of the franchise, and it should lead the Griz to possibly a few more highlight moments in the future.

Randolph and Gasol give the majority of the league matchup problems, as it is a rare occurrence for a team to feature two quality post players on the offensive side as well as the defensive end.

With Gay returning and showcasing a solid mid-range jumper and an excellent ability to get to the rim, the Grizzlies are no one-hit wonder as they are here to stay for awhile as they look to inch their way up to the top of the West.

7. New York Knicks

How's this for a change, the New York Knicks are actually making the right moves instead of signing overweight centers and self-centered point guards.

By dropping out of the race for Chris Paul and signing Tyson Chandler instead, the Knicks did themselves a favor by showing that they're capable of making the right deals and are planning on building a team rather than another big three. The Knicks could have easily put all of their eggs in one basket with Paul, but decided that it would be better to have a stellar defensive mind to set the tone on a new era of Knicks basketball.

Chandler will replace the departed Rony Turiaf and will help to form one of the NBA's top front court between himself, Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire. Unlike 'Melo and 'Stat', however, Tyson prides himself on defense and is even accredited by Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki that he brought about a defensive philosophy that the team had never possessed before, and that it ultimately resulted in a championship.

With a strong defensive mind and two prolific scorers in the front court, the Knicks are only moving their way to the top as they have made a number of smart moves. However, with every reaction there comes an opposite reaction, and as a result of the team signing Chandler, they were forced to amnesty Chauncey Billups in order to clear enough cap space.

Apparently, Mike D'Antoni says that the ball will run through Anthony, but that is something that may not work out as much as the team hopes for.

6. Boston Celtics

As the years pass by, we can only begin to wonder of what type of situation the Boston Celtics would be in when Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce all begin to see their production decline.

The Celtics brought those three players in for short-term success and a win now type of attitude. They were all over 30 years old by the time they came to Boston, and they certainly weren't brought in for a decade's worth of success. They completed their goal of winning a title in 2008, and in 2011 the team must now begin making moves as a means to replace these three.

Attempting to trade Rajon Rondo isn't helping. The team just traded away Kendrick Perkins last year, and it cost them any sort of deep post season run as the Miami Heat entered the paint and scored around the rim as well. Boston did just sign former Detroit Pistons forward/center Chris Wilcox, but I don't expect him to carry the same influence that Perkins did.

Boston has already been active in this year's offseason by attempting to move Rondo and completing one of the largest trades made thus far by trading sixth man Glen Davis to the Orlando Magic for Brandon Bass. It's a questionable move as it seems that the team downgraded by trading for a similar power forward with an inferior offensive game that's limited to mid-range jumpers.

Recently, the Celtics lost out on the chance to obtain New Orleans Hornets power forward David West via a sign and trade.

Unless younger quality players are brought in, the future is looking bleak for basketball in Boston once again.

5. Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls are an elite team, but exactly how elite are they?

Sure they have the reigning MVP in Derrick Rose, a terrific bench and a great defensive philosophy, thanks in part to second-year coach Tom Thibodeau. That's all good, but what is it going to take to beat the Miami Heat? The Bulls had all three of those aspects working at full force against the Heat, and it resulted in a five-game series beating in the Heat's favor.

It was obvious that the team needed offensive help next to Rose. Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng couldn't respond in the postseason (again), and it was up to the MVP to shoulder the offensive load of the team, while Boozer and Deng allowed their assignments to score at will. Rose can get to the rim at will, but only for so long before teams begin to pack the paint and force him into utilizing his inconsistent jumper.

The team needed a shooting guard, plain and simple. Keith Bogans and Ronnie Brewer are solid defenders, but they can't provide anything on offense. The team has its defenders, they need scorers now to help keep up with teams like the Heat. Boozer is notorious for not showing up in the playoffs, and the Bulls now realize that, which means obtaining a shooting guard this off season is a necessity.

Rumors are pouring in around the team that they recently signed the waived Richard Hamilton, so we'll have to see what pans out. The team will have to remember, though, that Hamilton isn't the greatest defender, and that's not a good idea if they intend to swap purely defense for purely offense.

Rose will get one of the game's most solid mid-range threats to play alongside in the back court, but this may speak volumes about the team's defense if they do meet up with the Heat in the postseason.

4. Los Angeles Lakers

How awkward must the Lakers locker room have been following the nullified deal that would have brought in Chris Paul and sent out Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol?

Only for a little as Odom was recently sent out to the Dallas Mavericks, the same team that had swept the L.A. Lakers last year. It was the first time that the Lakers had been swept out of the postseason since losing to the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs in 1999. To say the least, Kobe Bryant must be waiting on the edge of his seat for a chance at redemption.

It's not like he'll have too many more chances either. Bryant's 33 years old, has played in the NBA for 15 years and acquired 40,000 minutes over that time frame. Some will say that Bryant may be beginning to lose his touch, but I wouldn't go around saying that as I've learned to never doubt Kobe or else he'll pull miracles like this against your team.

With Bryant still in full force and playing alongside a front court composed of power forward Pau Gasol and center Andrew Bynum, the Lakers are a threat to take the West once again. Even after an embarrassing loss at the hands of the Mavericks in last year's second round, there's still plenty of reason to believe that the L.A. Lakers still have a number of legitimate title runs in them.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder

A young team that might have gotten a bit overzealous in the Conference Finals last season, the Oklahoma City Thunder are expected to accomplish great things over the next decade.

Of course, that's all going to rely on the shoulders of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook and if they can learn to decide who gets the last shot. There were too many instances in the playoffs last year where it was Westbrook taking the final shots in crucial moments, when it should have been the proven clutch player in Durant. Westbrook will either have to realize his role as a second option, or the team will have to ultimately find a pass first point guard.

Nevertheless, the Thunder are one of the league's most complete teams as far as starting lineups go. Westbrook is basically the Derrick Rose of the East, James Harden is one of the league's top sharp shooters, Durant is a beast in his own right whether he's driving or shooting, Serge Ibaka dominated on defense in his rookie season, and Kendrick Perkins has the title experience to help assist this young lineup back to WCF and, hopefully for them, to the Finals.

The team hasn't made any moves this offseason aside from re-signing perimeter specialist Daequan Cook, but it's only because the team doesn't have to. They have all the pieces to become a champion; they just need to find out how they fit into place.

2. Dallas Mavericks

As far as I know, the Dallas Mavericks took themselves out as the league's No. 1 team the second they allowed Tyson Chandler to walk to the New York Knicks.

It's no coincidence that the Mavericks were able to win an NBA title in the one year that Chandler was on the team. He's one of the greatest defensive minds in basketball—Dirk Nowitzki will vouch for me—and was a key component to the teams championship victory. The defensive philosophy and the post presence that he provided to Dallas was exactly what the team needed on that end of the court in order to reach the next level and he brought them there.

Now, it's Brendan Haywood or bust. A 32-year-old who played in 19 minutes per game and averaged four points and five boards per will represent the defensive anchor to this team's front court. The Mavericks can only hope that the $50 million contract they signed him to last offseason will translate to on-the-court success, but history tells us that it usually doesn't.

Oh, and not to mention that Caron Butler is on the way out after signing a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers to become their next small forward. He didn't play any part in their championship run due to an injury, but he is an unbelievable multi-dimensional threat on both sides of the court that no team should be ready to give up without a fight.

Even without those two, the Mavericks should be ready to make another impressive run at a title with Dirk Nowitzki still leading the way, a 39-year-old Jason Kidd running the point, the always solid Shawn Marion at small forward and the perimeter threat in Jason Terry.

The team has also made quite the impressive acquisition by bringing in Lamar Odom, only a few days after a trade that was supposed to send Odom to New Orleans was nullified.

1. Miami Heat

They might have been the No. 2 team judging by their disappointing Finals loss to the Dallas Mavericks, but with Dallas losing out on Tyson Chandler and Caron Butler and the Heat adding Shane Battier and still possessing the big three, they take the No. 1 spot in the earliest of early preseason rankings.

It's tough to argue against them, too. The Heat struggled in instances throughout the regular season on account of not being able to finish out games, but quickly dispelled of those theories as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh led the way in a number of huge moments in their three postseason series against the Eastern Conference's best.

They even managed to come through on one occasion in the NBA Finals courtesy of a three-game winner by Chris Bosh.

We recognize that James choked in the Finals, but he has shown maturity over the course of the offseason by staying out of the news and asking retired legends for help on how to improve a weak aspect of his game in regards to his work in the post. For someone that many claim to be a self-centered ego-maniac, it sure does show a lot of maturity to reach out for help to improve on an inferior part of your game.

James is once again joined by the always deadly Wade and the suddenly muscular Bosh, who took advantage of the offseason by bulking up.

By the way, a lineup that features Wade, James, Battier, Joel Anthony and Mario Chalmers is easily going to be recognized as one of the top defensive lineups in the game today.