What the Experts Are Saying About Every NBA Team's Chances in 2011-'12

As I write this, we are only five days away from the start of the 2011-12 NBA season.

Rather than completely offering you with Bleacher Report's own ideas of each team, where they stand and how they could possibly finish, we offer the insiders and experts opinion and prediction of all 30 teams.

Our opinion and predictions are given as well, but we also take a look at what those with more information and insider sources could possibly predict about the team that we may not know about. With each team making their final cuts and signings to fill out the roster, we can begin to make honest predictions about how each team will fare on their ultimate quest of winning a title.

We offer you some of the best analysis we can here at Bleacher Report, but we'll give you a different look on these teams by adding in the experts analysis on each squad and their chances this season.

Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks are a team stuck between a rock and a hard place. They have the talent to make it into the playoffs as a four or five seed, but don't have the talent to make it anywhere past the second round. Against the likes of the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics, the Hawks don't stand a chance.

The Hawks have added Tracy McGrady and Vladimir Radmanovic over the offseason, but will be dealing with the loss of former Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford, who departed for Portland. Without the sharp shooter, the Hawks may find it a little more difficult than last season to make another postseason push.

Brett Pollakoff of probasketballtalk.com has the Hawks faltering. He claims that the team will, "Struggle to be as good as they were last season. Even if the obvious improvements that need to be made are taken into account, the loss of Crawford's scoring and the expected rise of the Knicks in the East are going to make it tough for Atlanta to remain in that four-to-five seed range."

Joel Brigham of hoopsworld.com offers a wise sentiment when declaring how Joe Johnson has held the team back. "Joe Johnson's gigantic contract has sort of put a hamper on what the team is able to do to improve itself,..."

Ball don't lie's Kelly Dwyer sets the record straight on the Hawks when claiming what type of team they are. "The Hawks will likely never challenge for a title, yes. Still, it's possible to extract some joy from the experience. Sometimes that's not enough."

Unfortunately for the Hawks, it truly is never enough.

Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics' time is coming to an end. With Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen over the ages of 34 and the athletic teams of the Eastern Conference beginning to reign atop the standings, the Celtics don't have much time to secure another NBA title in the Big Three era.

Since winning in 2008 in their first season together, the Celtics have made it back to the Finals once. They're coming off a five game series loss to the Miami Heat in the second round of the playoffs last year and don't appear ready to make a comeback after minimal moves being made in the offseason.

With a huge hole still at center that's set to be filled by the likes of Jermaine O'Neal and Chris Wilcox, the Celtics will continue to struggle after the loss of Kendrick Perkins. Now that Jeff Green is out for the season due to a heart condition, they'll only continue to show little depth and reliability in the front court.

The Celtics will fare well since they have a solid core that knows how to play the game, but their age is catching up to them quick.

Tim Legler of ESPN shares a similar feeling towards the Celtics by saying that the team, "could win it all, but I don't see them finishing higher than third in the East."

Boston has the talent, but it's tough to say that they're going to beat out a physical team like the Chicago Bulls and an athletic juggernaut like the Miami Heat.

Hoopsworld.com's Alex Kennedy has the Celtics finishing second in the Atlantic Division and offers a series of questions towards the team. "Who will play center for the Celtics after Shaquille O'Neal's retirement? Will Rajon Rondo continue to expand his game amidst trade rumors and aging teammates?"

Joel Brigham, also of Hoopsworld.com, claims that the season rides on their point guard. "So much will depend on how Rondo handles the trade rumors he's already been a part of, but if he can keep cool through it all, I expect Boston to make one more really serious push for a title."

Charlotte Bobcats

It's going to be an ugly season for the Charlotte Bobcats.

Even though the team picked up the offensive-minded Kemba Walker in the first round, they still feature a heavily-limited offensive arsenal that's set to revolve around Corey Maggette. With a player like Maggette set to lead the offense, it's only making it more obvious that the Bobcats are set to struggle.

In a tough division that features Miami, Orlando, Atlanta and Washington, the Bobcats are going to be left in the dust after another weak offseason that saw them trade away Stephen Jackson.

However, the Bobcats have always proven to be a scrappy team even with a sub-par roster. Curtis Harris of hardwoodparoxysm.com feels the same way by claiming, "They will lose almost all nights, lose miserably most. But how will they lose? That's what we just don't know."

The Bobcats will be fighters, that's for sure. Even with the losing history, they've always had an inspired bunch that's willing to play the full 48 minutes.

Brett Pollakoff of probasketballtalk.com actually feels different about the Bobcats and claims that they may actually be close to being a playoff team already. "The Bobcats will hover five or so games out of that final playoff spot, which is actually fine."

Fine? It's going to take a miracle for the Bobcats to do that well.

Chicago Bulls

After an impressive regular and postseason run was met with a disappointing thud in the Conference Finals, the Chicago Bulls made it a purpose to be on the lookout for players that could help address certain needs.

Sure enough, they addressed those needs. By picking up Richard Hamilton and having him become the starting shooting guard, the team now has a reliable scoring option to play next to Derrick Rose, as well as a player who can attract some attention off of the reigning MVP's prolific drivers.

Pete Rizzo of isportsweb.com offers a statement as to why the Bulls faltered in the ECF. "...the Bulls got bounced by Miami as we all remember in a disastrous playoff series that showed their inexperience as well as their flaw… the only go to player is Rose"

The Bulls will be sporting one of the league's most well-rounded starting lineups, as well as possibly the best defensive bench we will see in the league. With the likes of Taj Gibson, Omer Asik and Ronnie Brewer coming off the bench, Chicago should have no trouble making a serious championship push this year.

Aaron Glazer of insidepulse.com feels the same way. "Omer Asik is a mobile freak who’s injury turned the entire conference finals on its head last year.  He’s terribly offensively, but so shut down on defense that, as a backup, it hardly matters.  Then you add in Taj Gibson, and it just gets mean.  Both fast and strong, Gibson is a game changer on defense.  He blocks and rebounds, helps on bigs and guards, and is even reasonably capable offensively when set up.  These two simply shut down the offense of whoever they’re matched up against."

John Krolik of probasketballtalk.com feels that the Bulls are going to face another exit due to the lack of a strong scoring option next to Rose. Krolik even goes on to mention, "Until proven otherwise in a key playoff series, Carlos Boozer does not count."

He is right in those statements as Boozer failed to support Rose on offense in the Conference Finals while also allowing the Miami Heat's Chris Bosh to go off.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The 2010-'11 campaign was one that the Cleveland Cavaliers would like to forget. As if losing LeBron James on national television wasn't enough, the Cavaliers were just embarrassed at all aspects of the game throughout the year.

Not only did they finish the season 19-63, but they also had to deal with an NBA record 26-game losing streak, losing by 55 points to the Los Angeles Lakers and by 28 points to James in his first trip back home to Cleveland.

The Cavaliers would get a little compensation for their troubles with the first and fourth pick in the NBA draft. Cleveland used those picks to select point guard Kyrie Irving and power forward Tristan Thompson. A lot is expected out of both players, as the team expects Irving to begin filling in the mammoth-sized shoes that James left behind.

Perhaps those shoes are a little too big? Kelly Dwyer of Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo.com claims that the franchise and its fanbase is putting a little too much faith in Irving.

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"I'm worried that the most optimistic of Cavs fans -- those good, kind, decent people who look at Kyrie Irving and see Derrick Rose -- might think that momentum has shifted, that the team's luck has turned, that anything can happen in a short season and that hey, these young guys might catch some teams by surprise!"

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If only it worked that easy for a team like the Cavaliers.

Other analysts see a bright future for the Cavs, and that includes hoopsworld.com's Bill Ingram. He claims that, "Plenty of excitement ahead for the Cavs, even if the wins are far and between."

The Cavaliers do have a terrific fanbase, but I don't see how finishing at the bottom of the Central Division is going to offer any sort of excitement.

John Krolik of probasketballtalk.com is less forgiving. He has a dark preview for the Cavaliers by claiming that Irving will struggle on offense and that they'll regret taking Tristan Thompson over Jonas Valanciunas.

Dallas Mavericks

It's going to be a tough one without Tyson Chandler holding down the fort, but the Dallas Mavericks should still be in prime position to defend its title for the first time in franchise history.

The Mavericks finally broke through after over a decade's worth of quality regular season basketball. With Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry hitting timely shots and Chandler playing stellar defense, the Mavs were able to best the Miami Heat in six games for their first championship.

That loss of Chandler could hurt, however, and Kurt Helin of probasketballtalk.com is in full agreement. "But more than likely they revert to form, bow out in the second round or conference finals, then stare longingly at what Tyson Chandler is doing in New York."

Most analysts feel the same way about losing Chandler, and that includes hoopsworld.com's Bill Ingram, who claims that, "...if the Mavs can't land a starting center better than Brendan Haywood they're going to have a hard time repeating as champs."

Another analyst from hoopsworld.com feels differently about the Chandler situations and claims that the team's offseason pick-ups should be enough to tide the team over while they recover. Yannis Koutroupis argues that, "Chandler’s defensive presence will be missed, but their frontline as a whole remains versatile and imposing."

We'll just have to see if the Mavericks miss him or not once the season gets going.

Denver Nuggets

With Nene Hilario returning and Wilson Chandler set to return from China in March, the Denver Nuggets suddenly find themselves in a far better position than they were in a few weeks ago.

They have a strong core consisting of Hilario, Ty Lawson and Arron Afflalo as well as a few key role players in Danilo Gallinari, Al Harrington and Andre Miller, which should be enough to keep the Nuggets in the playoffs.

John Krolik of probasketballtalk.com claims that the Denver Nuggets losing their best talent overseas for the first half of the season will be too much. "You can't keep losing talent-your best talent-and still win."

Truer words couldn't be spoken about the Nuggets, as the losses of Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, J.R. Smith, Kenyon Martin and Wilson Chandler will continue to hurt this team.

Joel Brigham offers similar sentiments to Krolik when claiming that the loss of Chandler will be too detrimental to the teams success.

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"This is an organization that played way above its means last season, and the loss of Wilson Chandler, who may have been the team’s best shot at an All-Star had he re-upped in Colorado rather than heading for China, isn’t going to make repeating that success any easier."

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While most have the Nuggets faltering because of the loss of their top talent, Bill Ingram of hoopsworld.com claims that the team should actually become better than last year thanks to their offseason moves.

"Re-signing Nene was huge, and adding pieces like Andre Miller, Kenneth Faried, and Corey Brewer will make them even more exciting in 2011-12."

Detroit Pistons

An interesting team that's now in a full on re-building stage, the Detroit Pistons won't be causing any damage or noise any time soon.

By picking up Brandon Knight to play alongside Greg Monroe and Jonas Jerebko while dropping Richard Hamilton, the Pistons are obviously going in a new direction that's set to focus on the young talent of this team. Tayshaun Prince represents the only veteran in the projected starting lineup at the three, with 26-year-old Rodney Stuckey is set to start at the two.

However, not all feel the same way, as some cynics even point out the questionable moves made by Pistons president Joe Dumars.

Kelly Dwyer of Ball Don't Lie claims that Dumars, "doesn't actually have a plan for rebuilding the Pistons."

Dwyer continues on to say that, "The worry is that maybe Joe D's organizational philosophy is to pursue positional versatility whenever possible, at whatever cost."

An interesting point by Dwyer, as it is completely true that Dumars does look out for players with the versatility to play multiple positions. Perhaps the most disturbing fact, however, is that Dumars doesn't have a plan built for a team that needs the guidance.

John Krolik of probasketballtalk.com feels the same way in regards to where the Pistons are going. Like Dwyer's case for the Pistons having no plan, Krolik feels that the team will be heading nowhere this season as well.

"The team aimlessly wanders through the season, winning just enough games to not embarass themselves but never seriously competing for a playoff spot", is his claim, which is probably the right preview to make.

Golden State Warriors

With a rookie head coach in Mark Jackson set to guide the NBA's youngest team, the Golden State Warriors either see this as a positive or a plan that could backfire due to the roster possibly needing a strong veteran leader at the helm.

Either way, the Warriors have the talent to stay afloat in a tough Western Conference that features a number of young teams, just like them, attempting to make a statement as well. With Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis leading the way in the back court on the offensive end, these two should be the ones to help determine how their teams' season pans out.

Brett Pollakoff of probasketballtalk.com claims that these two, combined with coach Mark Jackson, will help to make or break the season.

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"Additionally, they’ll need to buy what Mark Jackson is selling, and with no NBA head coaching experience under his belt, it’ll be very interesting to see how the Warriors’ two star scorers relate to their new coach."

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Pollakoff is exact with his claim, as the franchise is truly riding on their two star players and whether or not they buy into the philosophy of their rookie coach.

Alex Kennedy of hoopsworld.com feels the same way in how the team responds to Jackson. Defense is set to be preached as claimed by Kennedy who states, "While the Warriors still have the high-scoring backcourt of Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis, it’ll be interesting to see if the team buys into new head coach Mark Jackson’s focus on defense." 

If the Warriors buy into playing defense, we might have something special on our hands.

Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets have the scorer (Kevin Martin), the crafty mid-range shooter (Luis Scola), and the playmaker (Kyle Lowry), but there is one key part that's missing and will possibly keep the team out of the postseason again.

They still have no post presence. None at all. After the retirement of Yao Ming, losing out on Nene Hilario, Pau Gasol, and Chuck Hayes, and possibly losing Samuel Dalembert, the Rockets will be forced to rely on the likes of Jordan Hill and Hasheem Thabeet as their primary post threats.

Don't think that's a good idea? That's because it isn't. The Rockets suffered tremendously last season on defense because of the lack of a post threat and are going to go through the ordeal again after striking out on all of their targets. James Herbert writes that the nullified deal that would have sent to Pau to Houston would have been the key to keeping playoff hopes alive in Houston.

A man can only dream at this point as Herbert writes, "Pau and Nene would have given the Rockets one the best frontcourts in the league and made them an immediate contender. If not for the veto, I’d be dreaming of Gasol-to-Nene interior passes. I’d be giddy over pictures of McHale working with his two new post players in training camp."

I'm not the type to use the word giddy to describe how I feel about basketball, but to each his own.

Kurt Helin claims that the Rockets will continue to be a middle of the pack team due to their lack of a star, which is a completely true statement. "They need a star, a franchise anchor. Right now they are living in the league’s middle ground, not bad enough to totally rebuild and not good enough to really be a threat."

Without Yao Ming or Tracy McGrady, the Rockets suddenly don't look as entertaining as they used to be.

Indiana Pacers

Look out, Chicago, you actually have competition in your division!

After finishing eight games below .500 and somehow coming away with the eighth seed, the Indiana Pacers will attempt to make the Eastern Conference appear to be a lot stronger than they actually are.

With solid pick-ups in David West and George Hill, the Pacers will begin making their push towards being a perennial postseason contender. They certainly added some quality pieces with West and Hill joining the fray, and had a solid roster prior to then, as the two will be joining Danny Granger, Roy Hibbert and Daren Collison.

Larry Bird said big moves would be made, and sure enough, they were. The acquisition of West fills in a huge gap at power forward that was previously occupied by Josh McRoberts and Tyler Hansbrough.

John Krolik has the Pacers making it into the postseason, but also goes on to say that the team's lack of talent will cost them against the elite teams of the Eastern Conference.

He claims, "The Pacers do their best and win more games than they lose in the regular season, but end up not quite having enough talent or enough defensive chemistry to get past teams like the Celtics, the Heat, the Bulls, or even the Knicks or Magic..."

However, not all share the same feelings as Krolik, as a few analysts believe that the Pacers could be on the upset radar.

Joel Brigham takes note of the Pacers strong first round series against the Bulls last season by noting, "Anybody who watched the Pacers in the first round of last year’s playoffs knows that this is a young team ready to cause some problems in the East."

Bill Ingram takes the time to reflect on Roy Hibbert's progress and how he could provide the extra boost to make this team a serious contender with the statement, "If Roy Hibbert takes the next step Indiana could be scary good."

Los Angeles Clippers

I'm not one to make any assumptions about a preseason game, but the Los Angeles Clippers looked really good against the Los Angeles Lakers.

In a blowout victory, Chris Paul showed why the Clippers are going to be known as "lob city," as he threw up a number of alley-oops to teammate DeAndre Jordan, while Chauncey Billups threw an alley-oop pass off the glass to Blake Griffin. The Clippers athleticism was too much for the Lakers, as Paul's facilitation was too much to handle.

Of course, don't forget that it's only preseason. Effort's lacking from key players, and teams will try a lot harder once the regular season rolls around. Even then, the Clippers still appear to be a dangerous and volatile team, and many of my analyst counterparts will agree.

Brett Pollaokoff is a bit skeptical of the Clippers new team and points out that the organization must surround Chris Paul immediately.

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"There will be a lot of pressure on the Clippers front office to put pieces around Paul to enable the team to compete with the big names in the West, but that’s a season or two away."

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Unless they want another New Orleans Hornets dilemma, the Clippers will continue to bring talent to the team.

Many analysts have high hopes for the Clippers heading into the 2011-'12 season as Bill Ingram even claims that, "They are at least contenders for home court advantage."

Alex Kennedy even goes as far as to deem the Clippers an elite team by saying, "Now, with so many talented players surrounding Paul, the Clippers have to be considered one of the elite teams in the Western Conference."

The Clippers, elite? Didn't think I'd hear that in this lifetime.

Los Angeles Lakers

After one preseason game, so many are already claiming that the Los Angeles Lakers ship is sinking.

Let's get it straight: it's preseason. We are reacting over a preseason game that carries to merit whatsoever into the regular season. All we know is that the Clippers will certainly be "lob city" and that the Lakers will definitely have to watch out.

Still, take note that it is just preseason. Until the Clippers start beating the Lakers senseless in the regular season, then I would give the L.A. Lakers faithful something to worry about. Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol will continue to lead this team to the playoffs, but will have some competition along the way from the Clippers and a few other rising teams in their division.

However, life is going to be tough without Lamar Odom. With Matt Barnes and Steve Blake set to come off the bench as the primary members of the supporting cast, the Lakers could be in trouble.

Bill Ingram already has the Lakers finishing second in their division, and claims that losing Odom has left a huge gaping hole in the rotation.

He also goes on to say, "Add to that a new head coach, a new system, and sky-high expectations from fans who don’t forgive losses and this could be a really difficult year for the Lakers."

Not all are ready to jump ship, however, as Yannis Koutropis claims that "With Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant they’ll once again be serious competitors for a championship."

While I do agree that the dynamic duo will continue keeping the team in contention, a championship seems a bit far fetched without a solid bench.

Brett Pollakoff also has the Lakers staying atop the division by claiming that, "...their descent into mediocrity as Kobe Bryant plays out his final few seasons as angry and disgruntled as ever? Not just yet."

Memphis Grizzlies

The cinderella story of the NBA postseason, the Memphis Grizzlies managed to create history without their star player, Rudy Gay.

With Gay sidelined by an injury, Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol would help propel the Grizzlies to a stunning upset over the San Antonio Spurs to become only the fourth eighth seed in NBA history to beat a No. 1 seed. Unlike the past three teams to perform the feat, the Grizzlies made it look easy with a 4-2 victory.

They would lose to the Thunder in seven games the next series, but the statement had already been made. Randolph and Gasol played unbelievable basketball near the rim, and it led to them dominating opposing front courts. Already, Memphis is being labeled as a potential contender now that Gay is returning.

However, let's not get too head of ourselves. Kurt Helin claims that the team will, "be good, but not as good as advertised."

He claims that the team will win a series against the right opponent that can't match up with their front court, but is skeptical about how the team will fare against a proven elite squad.

Not many analysts are in agreement with Helin, as Bill Ingram is going as far as to crown the Grizzlies as Southwest division champions.

Ingram claims that, "Keeping Marc Gasol was huge, and having Rudy Gay healthy and back in the lineup means the Grizzlies will be even better than last year,.."

Gasol and Gay will be tremendous, but better than the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs? That's pushing it.

The fact that we're in a 66-game season will also benefit the Grizzlies, according to Alex Kennedy.

He argues that, "The Grizzlies will also benefit from the 66-game schedule, since it’ll be much easier for their young team to play on consecutive nights compared to veteran squads such as their division-rival Dallas Mavericks or San Antonio Spurs."

High expectations or not, the Grizzlies are going to be the team to watch this season.

Miami Heat

A disappointing end to the 2010-11 season that will be met with what is sure to be an unbelievable 2011-12 campaign, the Miami Heat are ready to make a second consecutive run towards securing an NBA title.

If not for the mental capacities of a certain two-time MVP letting the team falter down the stretch, we might be talking about the Heat as the defending champions. Alas, that is not the case, however, as the Heat will be looking to avenge a disappointing Finals loss with a follow-up run that ends in an NBA title.

With the core Big Three having more experience playing together, the return of Udonis Haslem and the signing of Shane Battier all set to play a large part in the team's success, the Heat should be poised to win a title by the end of the year.

Brett Polakoff agrees as he too believes that the Heat will end up winning a championship.

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"With a season under their belt, and a shorter schedule in place that should allow for Spoelstra to make the necessary tweaks along the way with his core from last year intact, Miami should be able to get back to the Finals, with a better chance this time to take home the league’s ultimate prize."

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There isn't too much resistance from elsewhere either, as many other analysts agree with the writer from probasketballtalk.com.

Joel Brigham is one of them as he claims, "With the competitive fire under the bellies of that much star power, it’s hard to pick anybody else, even though they still are nowhere near the deepest team in the league."

It's completely true that the Heat still suffer with depth, especially at center, but they possess more talent than any other team in the league, and that's what should help them be a surefire pick in the East.

Alex Kennedy even adds that pressure will be taken off of Miami thanks to the busy offseasons of the Knicks and Clippers.

He claims that, "Teams like the Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks have taken some of the attention and pressure off of Miami. After the lockout and recent departures of Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul, there’s less vitriol directed at Miami."

Maybe a little less pressure is all this team needs to make it to the Finals and then come away with a title.

Milwaukee Bucks

Long gone are the days of "Fear the Deer."  Injuries have taken too much of a toll on his defensive-minded team, and it greatly impeded the momentum and progress that the team had gained and made from the 2009-10 season.

The Milwaukee Bucks now face being mediocre once again. They're are a number of up and coming teams in their division that are threatening to leave them behind at the bottom of the Central, and it's going to take a change of pace in order to make things different.

Kelly Dwyer points out one of their main problems that has been a persistent issue over the past few years.

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"I'd worry that the trade that brought Jackson to Milwaukee -- along with Shaun Livingston, Beno Udrih and the 19th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, which the Bucks used to take Tobias Harris from Tennessee -- doesn't really solve the problem that Scott Skiles' team has had for the last three seasons, which is scoring points."

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Dwyer is exactly right with the Bucks. Even with a scorer like Jackson on the team, the Bucks still lack so much firepower on offense and have consistently suffered with games where they scored under 90 points.

John Krolik is also highly critical of the Bucks offense and the trade to bring in Stephen Jackson to play alongside Brandon Jennings.

He claims, "The Bucks’ offense improves, but not significantly. Stephen Jackson and Brandon Jennings take far, far too many ill-advised jumpers."

Not all are critical of the Jackson acquisition, as Alex Kennedy lauds over the move.

"After a failed Corey Maggette experiment, the Bucks have added Stephen Jackson. He’s exactly what Milwaukee needs: a strong leader, reliable scorer and tough defender",is the claim made by Kennedy, who has much higher hopes than other analysts.

Minnesota Timberwolves

There's actually a lot to look forward to in the Minnesota Timberwolves 2011-12 campaign.

For the first time since the days of Kevin Garnett, the Timberwolves fanbase actually has a season worth looking forward to. After strong showings by Kevin Love and Michael Beasley to go along with the acquisitions of Derrick Williams and Ricky Rubio, the Wolves have a bright future ahead of them with a strong front court and a crafty passer.

Yannis Koutroupis brings up new coach Rick Adelman as a key piece by stating, "The addition of Rick Adelman is huge. He brings stability and credibility at the head coaching position that they lacked when Kurt Rambis was at the head of the bench."

This Wolves team lacked a lot of guidance during the post-Garnett era, and Adelman could be the one to make this team a cohesive unit.

Alex Kennedy also looks forward to a quality season from the Wolves.

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"The Timberwolves have been the laughing stock of the league for a few years, but they’re now stacked with young talent and appear to be heading in the right direction. It’s unlikely that they’ll compete in the Northwest Division this season, but they may be competitive down the road."

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John Krolik's analysis, on the other hand, differs, as he expects to be disappointed by Rubio and the heavy talent focused on only a few positions. He claims, "The Timberwolves are a complete mess full of players with overlapping skills that don’t play defense, and Rubio’s rookie season is disappointing due to his inability to score against NBA defenses."

A bit harsh, but true. Rubio has struggled on offense against Euro League defenses, and with NBA defense being far more physical, he might face difficulties in getting it going on that end.

New Jersey Nets

They don't have Dwight Howard (yet), which means that the New Jersey Nets will continue to struggle until they receive a formidable scoring and defensive option to play alongside Deron Williams.

The Nets certainly aren't as bad as the 12-70 team from a few years back, but they're still not good enough to make a significant push towards the playoffs until they receive Howard. They're still lacking in depth and defense in the post, but Williams will attempt to make due until Dwight does arrive to save the franchise from obscurity.

Rob Mahoney of probasketballtalk.com feels the same way about the Williams being an average team due to the lack of talent surrounding Williams by stating, "The Nets should have a pretty mediocre season in the meantime, as even a year’s worth of Deron Williams can’t make up for the dearth of capable wing players on the roster."

Bill Ingram points out the Nets' inability to secure a big-time free agent for the second year in a row.

"This was supposed to be New Jersey’s big year, but after missing out on Tyson Chandler and Nene they are scrambling to find their way into the playoff picture."

The Nets now have a surplus of funds left over, but are still without that strong post presence that could help deter opponents in the lane.

Among others that also discuss the Nets need for improvement is Alex Kennedy, who claims, "MarShon Brooks and Shawne Williams are nice additions, but this team will need drastic improvement from young players like Brook Lopez, Anthony Morrow and Damion James if they want to make any noise come playoff time."

It doesn't take an analyst to know it; the Nets need Dwight Howard.

New Orleans Hornets

Trading Chris Paul away was the best thing the New Orleans Hornets could have possibly done.

Rather than letting their franchise player walk during free agency next season, the Hornets now have a solid core to build around with Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu and Chris Kaman. Couple that with a conditional first-round pick that should be in the top five, and you end up having a decent looking team for the future.

Kurt Helin acknowledges that the team will fare poorly, but also recognizes that the team will also start beginning its rebuilding phase. Utilizing expiring contracts should also play well as Helin claims, "The Hornets can fight the good fight on the court and try to make the playoffs, but they are better off trying to flip Kaman’s contract (and Okafor’s, if they can find a taker) for young players and picks."

It would be the smartest idea to shop Kaman throughout the regular season to secure some pieces before he leaves next offseason.

New York Knicks

Picking up Tyson Chandler was the right idea. Giving him $15 million per season and then bringing in Baron Davis, on the other hand? Not so much.

The New York Knicks made one of the NBA's most significant pickups this offseason by bringing in the defensive-minded Chandler, but also managed to drastically overspend. I understand that Chandler was a main cog in the Dallas Mavericks championship run, but $15 million for a center with no offensive game? Seems like a bit much.

The acquisition of Baron Davis could work out in two ways. He either adjusts to being a third option and shoots only when he has the shot, or he goes for the more popular route and jacks up shots early in the shot clock, thus resulting in any sort of rhythm and flow in the offense being destroyed.

Chandler's influence will help the team, but Rob Mahoney expects too much will be asked from the center.

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"Chandler will be killing himself to thwart pick-and-rolls and challenge drives to the hoop, but the various defensive sieves on the roster (Anthony and Bibby being the prime offenders) could create more turmoil than he could ever hope to counter."

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NBA.com is also critical of Mike D'Antoni's coaching techniques by claiming, "D'Antoni has coached nine seasons in the NBA, and the highest any of his teams ranked defensively is 13th. He may be an offensive genius, but he's never put much of an emphasis on defense and never been able to get his team to get stops consistently."

With a coach that doesn't focus on defense and several key players that don't either, the Knicks could in trouble on that end of the floor.

However, there's no need to worry about offense. The Knicks have too many pieces to rely on with two excellent scorers in Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire, as well as solid scorers in Davis, Toney Douglas and Landry Fields.

Oklahoma City Thunder

A lot is expected out of the Oklahoma City Thunder this season. After a 2010-11 campaign that abruptly ended in the WCF, the Thunder will now be looking forward to making a strong push towards the Finals.

With Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook leading the way, it seems that a trip to the Finals could be imminent. The team possess a great deal of young balance in the starting lineup and bench with offensive and defensive superstars in each unit.

John Kroliks shares a similarity in my predictions, as he also has the Thunder making it as far as the NBA Finals. He predicts, "...the Thunder come close to a championship, but don’t quite make it past either the Lakers or the Mavericks (or maybe the Heat or the Bulls), but still have perhaps the brightest future in the NBA to look forward to."

However, many are critical of the situation between Durant and Westbrook, as it seems that there might even be a power struggle between the two squads.

Kelly Dwyer points out, "It's easy to see how the situation could correspond to that of Durant and Westbrook — they're both uber-talented players who would each claim an alpha-dog role on most every team in the league. It just so happens that they play together and find themselves on roughly parallel career paths. At some point, it might blow up."

Making a superstar take a backseat to another is one of the most difficult things a team can do. It needs to be taken delicately and one step at a time as not to anger or frustrate one or both of the players. With two young players in Westbrook and Durant, this could be more difficult than molding two experienced players like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.

Orlando Magic

Much like the New Orleans did with Chris Paul, it would be in the best interest of the Orlando Magic to allow a trade to happen involving Dwight Howard.

Stopping a trade to the New Jersey Nets certainly doesn't help. Rather than risk Howard leaving in free agency with no compensation given to the Magic, the organization needs to realize that Dwight wants to play somewhere else, and it would be for the best that they trade him and get some pieces to build around in return.

Howard's making it obvious that he doesn't want to be with Orlando. Why not let him get his wish and then start over with a few solid pieces to build off of?

It's difficult to make a prediction on this team since we don't know what the team is going to do with Howard, but Brett Polakoff claims that, "...the Magic’s roster as is can’t contend for a title, and Dwight Howard can leave after this season as an unrestricted free agent if he so chooses."

Sounds about right. Even with Dwight, this Magic team looks the exact same as the one that lost to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round last year.

Kelly Dwyer raises an interesting point about the team and how it all revolves around Howard. He states, "If Howard leaves (along with one of those bad contracts, likely Turkoglu), the shell of the Magic will remain. Howard will still define the team even as they miss his production."

Sadly, this is true. Dwight Howard is the Magic, and they're going to be hit hard once he departs.

Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers need to make a significant move.

They have the young talent locked up in Jrue Holiday, Evan Turner and Thaddeus Young, but they're missing the go-to scorer that would put this team over the top. With Andre Iguodala still be a key trade chip, the Sixers need to make a trade for a strong producer on offense so that the team can get a reliable source of offense, as well as a chance for Turner to have a larger role.

As Rob Mahoney points out about the teams' young and old talent, "The Sixers are hardly encapsulated by yin and yang, but there does seem to be a strange universal balance to their team by nature of its awkward timeline. Every day that Holiday creeps toward his prime, [Elton] Brand spends by falling further from his."

For the Sixers to get past the first round and become a better team, they need a superstar to help lead them the way. There is a great balance amongst all the mature, young players, but there needs to be more of an initiative by one of the players to begin taking over.

Aaron Glazer shares the exact same sentiments by claiming, "The 76ers are a talented bunch who play hard, but lack the franchise talent to really get to the Heat/Bulls/Celtics level."

Compared to each of those teams, the Sixers lack the dynamic game changers that can take over. There's no veterans capable of leading the team, and there certainly isn't an MVP, which means that changes are going to have to be made.

Phoenix Suns

It was quite the surprise to see Grant Hill re-sign with the Phoenix Suns. It was even more of a surprise to see Steve Nash deny any trade rumors and claim complete allegiance to the organization that drafted him in 1996.

For two veterans who are nearing the end of their careers without a championship, it's incredibly strange to see neither of those players go ring chasing. Both of them would continue to play a significant role on a contender, but they're deciding to possibly end their career on a team that could be located near the bottom of the Pacific division.

The Suns did little to improve aside from signing Shannon Brown as their starting shooting guard, and now face potentially face the bottom of the Pacific due to the improvement of the L.A. Clippers, Warriors and Kings.

Brett Pollakoff is willing to disagree with me, however, as he sees the Suns playing well and finishing near the top of the Pacific. He claims, "Simply put, the Suns need to keep their continuity and be wise about Nash’s minutes as the season progresses. If the team can do that, and find some consistency in some other areas, a return to the playoffs is not at all out of the question."

Unless Marcin Gortat pans out to be the next Amare Stoudemire, I don't see how the Suns are going to have a good enough team to make it back to the postseason.

Portland Trail Blazers

In a perfect world, Brandon Roy is playing at shooting guard, and his knees aren't hurt in any way. The Portland Trail Blazers small forward happens to be Kevin Durant, who the team wisely took over the injury-prone Greg Oden. These two, combined with LaMarcus Aldridge at power forward, help lead the Blazers to the NBA Finals and an eventual championship.

If only the Blazers had any bit of luck and remembered their past mistakes. With the team now without Roy after his retirement and Greg Oden suffering another setback, the Blazers still have the roster to make a postseason push, but lack several key parts that would have helped them to the next level.

Luckily for Portland, Aldridge was able to fill in for Roy as team leader and would help lead them to the postseason. With Gerald Wallace, Wesley Matthews and Jamal Crawford by his side, there be no problem in expecting this team to be a dangerous competitor in the playoffs once again.

John Krolik has a different idea for the Blazers, as he suspects them to win 40 games at best. He also adds that injuries will play a key part by predicting, "Portland is unable to overcome all the injuries, and once again ends up calling it a season after the first round of the playoffs, and once again has to hope that Greg Oden will be healthy for the 2012-13 season."

Kelly Dwyer offers a different view with a positive outlook on the team. He claims, "Matthews will never approximate Brandon Roy's gifts, but he'll be able to use more possessions this season with Roy stepping aside, and the long-armed tandem of Nic Batum and Gerald Wallace (assuming he stays) will disrupt to no end."

The Blazers are sure to be a dangerous team, and with Crawford now on the team, they can look forward to having an even more volatile game from the perimeter.

Sacramento Kings

Be thankful, Sacramento Kings fanbase; you should be happy that you even have a team this season.

While many suspected that the Kings would be based in Anaheim or Kansas City by this point, the franchise continues to reside in Sacramento as the team is given a new lease on life.

There should be a bigger turnout from fans as well. With Tyreke Evans returning from a nagging injury and NCAA sensation Jimmer Fredette set to become the next starting point guard, anticipation for the new Kings season is growing amongst the fanbase. They actually have something to look forward to this year instead of obscurity, which will be replaced by hope and a future.

Brett Pollakoff points towards one specific power forward that holds the key to potential success if he can control his emotions. That power forward happens to be DeMarcus Cousins, who managed to finish fifth in technical fouls last season despite being a rookie.

Pollakoff goes on to say, "The raw talent is clearly there with Cousins, and the only thing that will prevent him from turning into something special is his own emotion."

An extremely true statement by the analyst, as Cousins does have the potential to be a 20-10 player. It all comes down to whether he can keep his emotions in check while also getting back on the good side of the Kings organization.

San Antonio Spurs

There isn't much time left for the San Antonio Spurs dynasty.

As much as I wish there was more time, the Spurs' chances at making a significant run towards a championship are reaching their end. With Tim Duncan already being hampered by knee injuries and his stats steadily declining, it's obvious to see that better days are going to be behind San Antonio.

Still, that doesn't mean we shouldn't see the team to make a push. They still have a terrific three-man core with Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker and also have a solid bench that consists of young talents in DeJuan Blair, James Anderson and Tiago Splitter.

Kurt Helin also brings up an interesting point about Duncan's current situation with the team and how he will be handled. He explains, "The other question out there is how this older team deals with the condensed schedule. They used to rest Tim Duncan on one end of a back-to-back, can they do that this year? How will Popovich deal with the minutes?"

We originally thought that the condensed schedule could possibly help these older teams, but according to the Boston Celtics' Big Three, it's only worse, as there's less time to rest with back-to-back-to-backs, which is helping no team that has a core with a median age of 33.

Toronto Raptors

It's going to get circus ugly for the Toronto Raptors this season.

Aside from not having their draft pick, Jonas Valanciunas, not joining the team until next season, the roster in general is still horrendous. Their leading scorers are Andrea Bargnani, a shooting guard in the body of a center, and DeMar DeRozan, who shot less than 10 percent from beyond the arc last season.

Their supporting cast is hardly worth mentioning either, with Jose Calderon, Ed Davis and Leandro Barbosa being lone bright spots.

It's not all bad for the Raptors, however, as DeRozan seems to be shaping up to a quality player that could be an All-Star in the near future. With a jump shot paired up with that athleticism of his, the Raptors could have another Vince Carter on their hands that won't leave this time around.

Danny Chau of hardwoodparoxysm.com, however, offers a different look at the positives of the Raptors organization.

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"The Raptors will play hard this season. They’ll have to – the organization didn’t hire Dwane Casey as head coach for nothing. They’ll scrap, swarm, and generally show more discipline on defense than last year, where they were the worst defense in the league."

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Chau is correct about the defensive philosophy, but there are just so few strong defenders on this team that it seems impossible. As long as Calderon and Bargnani are starters, the Raptors will never be a strong defensive team.

Rob Mahoney, on the other hand, doesn't look at it like that. He sees a horrific season for the Raptors, as he claims that the time for rebuilding begins now. He states, "This isn’t a team trying to scrap toward 35 wins with the books as forfeit, but a team being mindful of its future as it attempts a slow rebuild. It can be an arduous process, but barring a Draft night home run, it’s what must be done."

It's going to be a long next five seasons.

Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz are stacked in the front court. They're so stacked that the backups to the small forward, power forward and center could all be starters and the team would still play well.

Dare we say that this team is too stacked?

With Gordon Hayward, Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson already in the starting lineup, it's going to be interesting to see how the team plays Mehmet Okur and the two young potential stars in center Enes Kanter and forward Derrick Favors.

Favors certainly has the athleticism and Kanter has the potential, so look at this season as an experiment to see what direction the team will go in 2012-'13 with their starting front court.

KSL-TV looks at it in a similar way as Jarom Moore sees the potential that the squad possesses and looks at it as a surefire way to make it to the postseason. He states, "The team has depth, youth and experience. If the talent comes together and the minutes can be spread this could be a great team."

Utah has a lot on their plate to replace Deron Williams and Jerry Sloan, but may not have to worry about either of those losses with the amount of potential they possess.

John Krolik sees the Jazz differently and thinks that the team will miss out of the playoffs. His prediction includes, "Harris and Kirilenko continue to be relatively underwhelming. Kanter and Jefferson have inefficient offensive seasons, Jefferson continues to be perhaps the worst defensive player in basketball, and Kanter struggles with the athleticism of NBA centers and power forwards as well. The team never really threatens a playoff run."

Krolik may be a little too critical, but I could see the Jazz making somewhat of a postseason run.

Washington Wizards

The Los Angeles Clippers may have already claimed the moniker "lob city," but that doesn't mean they should rightfully possess the name.

For you see, there's a Washington Wizards team that would beg to differ. With John Wall leading the way and the athletic likes of JaVale McGee, Jan Vesely, Jordan Crawford and Nick Young, the Wizards could have the East coast version of "lob city" as they attempt to make a statement that includes making a strong postseason push.

Aaron Glazer claims that the success of the team will ride on the progress of their point guard, who was guaranteed a Rookie of the Year if not for Blake Griffin taking up the attention.

Glazer states, "This team’s success will be all about John Wall and if last year is any indication, this is a team that could get into competition quickly. Wall is fast, strong, can shoot and create."

Glazer is correct in his assumption about Wall, as he does possess the capabilities to turn this team into a playoff contender.

Brett Pollakoff offers a different sentiment on the situation as he claims that it rides of head coach Flip Saunders and how he can rally his young team. He states, "Flip Saunders has to get some control over his young players, and get his guys to buy in to a team concept of playing smart basketball on both ends of the floor."

The Wizards have the potential, but it will certainly be up to the team in the end if they want to see success by buying into Saunders proven system.