NBA Predictions 2011-'12: The 16 Teams That'll Make the Playoffs and Their Seed

We're just a few days away from the start of the regular season that we thought would never be.

Luckily for us, the NBA got the deal done, and we're now back to watching basketball. It seems as if we're in for hotly competitive year too. With the way these preseason games are being held in such high regard, we can only imagine that it'll transfer over to what is sure to be an entertaining and eventful regular season.

Now that every team has begun making their last moves and are beginning to cut down their rosters, we can begin to make previews of just how these teams fare. Aside from the Chris Paul deal shaking up the West and the possibility of the Dwight Howard deal occurring, there shouldn't be too much movement in the standings, so don't expect anything drastic.

While big changes shouldn't be in order (we'll wait until the 2012 offseason for that), we will be in for a terrific regular season that will feature a number of young and up-and-coming teams making significant pushes in the standings. These athletic teams will begin to overtake the veteran teams as we begin to see a major changing of the guard at the top.

Let's take a look at which teams will be lucky enough to make it to the postseason.

Eastern Conference: 8. Philadelphia 76ers

Finishing seventh in the Eastern Conference standings last season after a .500 year, the Philadelphia 76ers gave the Miami Heat a run for their money in just about every game of their first-round series from last year.

Aside from a Game 2 trashing where they lost by 24, the Sixers could have taken just about every game. However, while the Miami Heat had a few key closers in Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, the Sixers lacked that go-to-player and couldn't figure out a way to pull a game out.

Game 4 would be their only win, and it would come by way of a frantic comeback fueled by three-pointers from Louis Williams and Jrue Holiday.

Just because the Sixers find themselves in the eight seed, it doesn't mean they're going to regress. It only means that the Eastern Conference is actually improving, and no longer will they allow teams with records below .500 into the playoffs.

The Sixers didn't do much over the offseason, and they still lack a prolific scorer to put them over the top, but they do possess a strong balance on both sides of the court. With hopeful improvements to the likes of Evan Turner, Jrue Holiday and Thaddeus Young, the Sixers should only find themselves getting better with age as they develop their young talent.

They will also welcome their possible starting center of the future in Nikola Vucevic, who was taken in the first round. Current center Spencer Hawes is an abysmal defender, and he hardly provides anything on offense aside from the occasional mid-range jumper. By bringing in Vucevic, the Sixers get a strong post presence as well as another young player to add to an already youthful roster.

7. Indiana Pacers

Team president Larry Bird said he'd pursue players to help improve roster, and he turned out to be a man of his word after a successful offseason where he picked up a couple of key players.

By picking up former New Orleans Hornets power forward David West and former San Antonio Spurs guard George Hill, the Pacers have become an even more dangerous than before. Both players will allow even more spacing on the floor with West in the mid-range and Hill on the perimeter providing plenty of more room for drives, as well as easier shots from deep.

West joins the Pacers after signing a two-year deal that will net him $20 million. He had spent the first eight years of his career with the Hornets and became a two-time All-Star in the meantime. Averaging as much as 21 points and nine boards per with his former club, West became a prolific threat from the mid-range, as he proved to be one of the most automatic players from 15 to 20 feet out.

He'll step in to join a terrific front court that already includes perimeter specialist Danny Granger and developing project Roy Hibbert. West will replace Tyler Hansbrough and Josh McRoberts as the team's starting power forward, a significant upgrade if you couldn't already tell.

This season may go as far as 7'2" center Roy Hibbert takes them. The Georgetown alumnus has spent three seasons in the league and has quietly improved his game year by year. He just averaged 13 points, eight boards and two blocks per game, and while they might not seem like the most impressive stats, Hibbert has improved every aspect of his game since his rookie year and is also attempting to cut down on the foul trouble that has limited his playing time.

If Hibbert can produce at a consistent rate and the perimeter shooters hitting, the Pacers may be the last team you want to face in the first round.

6. Orlando Magic

Because of the current situation involving Dwight Howard and where exactly he'll be heading to, it's tough to gauge where the Orlando Magic would end up in the Eastern Conference standings.

By watching two preseason games, it doesn't seem like they'll be finishing any differently than they have been the previous seasons. The team continues to live and die by the three-pointer, while Howard continues to be largely ignored in the post. Even though he was going against the likes of Joel Anthony and Dexter Pittman in the post in the Magic's two preseason games against Miami, the Magic still took an absurd 58 three-pointers in the span of two games.

In both of those games, the Magic shot 30 percent. If the Magic were attempting to convince Howard to stay, this wasn't the way to do it. They should be creating an even larger emphasis on getting the ball to Dwight if anything. Even if he is losing by the trade deadline or the offseason, you would think that the Magic would want to get everything they can get out of Howard before he departs.

Alas, it seems that the Magic are stuck in their old habits and usual ways. They won't play team defense, they'll continue to throw up ill-advised perimeter shots and they'll continue to ignore arguably the league's most dominant player in the post.

Nothing has changed in Orlando, but Howard's zip code could change by the middle of March.

5. Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks may have lost out on 2010 Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford, but we can give them credit for at least attempting to replace his presence.

By adding the likes of Tracy McGrady, Vladimir Radmanovic and Jannero Pargo on the bench alongside Kirk Hinrich, the Hawks were able to somewhat make up for the loss of their perimeter specialist. They don't get the volatile and dangerous shooting touch of Crawford, but they do make up for it with a solid wingman, a decent three-point threat and a solid back-up in the back court.

Due to Joe Johnson's bloated contract, the Hawks weren't able to make too much of a significant approach towards re-signing Crawford. He was going to command too much money, and the Hawks just don't have that type of leverage to spend, with $20 million per season going to a shooting guard who specializes in shooting 30 percent from the perimeter.

The Hawks will have their strong core of Johnson, Al Horford and Josh Smith returning, but they will also welcome a new addition to the lineup in point guard Jeff Teague, who is set to replace Hinrich. The third-year guard didn't received that much playing time in his first two years, but was granted the start in the second round of the playoffs after Hinrich went down with an injury.

Going head-to-head against MVP Derrick Rose, Teague showed no signs of backing down, as he lit up the Bulls defense for 21 points in three out of six games. He would also finish with double-digits in points in five out of the six games while pretty much being the only bright spot in a six-game series loss to Chicago.

With the Hawks showing no signs of significant improvement, they'll continue to be a middle of the pack team that will most likely be second-round fodder for an elite team.

4. Boston Celtics

Surprised to see the Boston Celtics not in one of the top three seeds? Well, you really shouldn't be, since their initial decline back into mediocrity began last year.

By losing 4-1 in their second-round series against the Miami Heat, the Celtics truly began to show their age. With the talented and athletic likes of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh running them ragged for 36 minutes and then using the final 12 minutes to begin their final flurry, the Celtics Big Three weren't able to keep up.

A 36-year-old Ray Allen, a 35-year-old Kevin Garnett and a 34-year-old Paul Pierce just won't cut it against physical, athletic and aggressive teams like Chicago and Miami. They managed to dominate the Eastern Conference because of their chemistry, but with opponents catching on and building around athleticism, the Celtics core is looking as old as ever.

The team that won a title in 2008 and made it to the NBA Finals in 2010 may have one more shot at making a significant championship run, and this upcoming season should be that year. With that in the mind of each member of the Big Three, there's no doubt we're going to see the "Boston Three Party" giving it their all in order to compete with the top teams of the East.

It's tough to believe that the Celtics are going to have enough juice left in the tank even if they do make it as far as the Conference Finals. The Big Three already mentioned how a 66-game schedule is going to provide a negative influence on the team, and we can only imagine that it will carry on into the postseason.

The Celtics may have chemistry and veteran experience on their side, but they still lack have a domineering figure in the post since losing Kendrick Perkins. Without a defensive presence in the middle, the Celtics may find themselves out of the playoffs by the semifinals.

3. New York Knicks

This isn't your New York Knicks of old. This team actually has somewhat of an idea on what it's doing.

It may not be the right idea, but it is an idea and that's always a good jump-off point. By bowing out of the race for Chris Paul and instead focusing on picking up Tyson Chandler, the Knicks made one of the top signings of the free agency period by stealing away the former Dallas Mavericks center.

He'll replace Ronny Turiaf in the middle and will help to form the most dominant front court in the league with himself, Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire. The Mavericks loss turned out to be the Knicks gain, as Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki gives high praise towards Chandler and what he did for the team throughout their 2011 postseason run.

Nowitzki states, "His positive energy, his defense I think is really what turned this whole thing around and what really won us the playoffs. Every big game down the stretch we did it with defense. I never played with a center that's as athletic and as quick and able to cover that much ground and play with his energy. He was a pleasure to play with."

It's no coincidence that the Mavericks won a title in Chandler's only year with the team. He helped to instill a defensive philosophy that the team never saw before, and they caught on to the idea really quick.

Doing the same with the Knicks, however, might take a miracle. With a coach like Mike D'Antoni and lackadaisical defenders in Anthony and Stoudemire, defense being preached seems like a far fetched idea. D'Antonio has been coaching for nearly two decades, and it seems doubtful that he'd switch up his philosophy just for Chandler.

Among other notable newcomers will be Baron Davis, who will look to replace Chauncey Billups as the team's starting point guard. This could work out, since Davis is a high-octane scorer who is also athletic, but it can also backfire since he also enjoys taking ill-advised shots. On a team where shots already come sparingly between 'Stat' and 'Melo, Davis may not fit in with his unorthodox of running an offense.

Either way, the Knicks should snatch up the Atlantic Division with only a game lead over the Boston Celtics.

2. Chicago Bulls

Dealing with a tough situation after their 4-1 Conference Finals loss to the Miami Heat, the Chicago Bulls had to be on the lookout for a scorer that could support MVP Derrick Rose in the back court.

The Bulls attempted to go after Jason Richardson and Caron Butler, but saw both of those players choose elsewhere. It appeared that they might have had to dip into the catacombs of the free-agency pool, but a blessing was sent from a division rival in the Detroit Pistons. Waiving shooting guard Richard Hamilton, the Bulls would be the team to pick him up.

Hamilton has been widely known as one of the league's most volatile mid-range threats. Even at the age of 33 and dealing with injury problems over the past two seasons, Hamilton is still able to rely on an offensive game that has him running around through the offense in an attempt to shed himself of his defender in order to get open.

Even if "Rip" doesn't post up the same stats that he's been averaging for his career, it's still a significant upgrade over the likes of Keith Bogans, who was a defensive stopper and not much else. Don't think that the Bulls are downgrading on defense, either, as they still possess the league's top defensive bench, with Ronnie Brewer set to back up Hamilton.

The other members of the "bench mob" include Taj Gibson, Omer Asik, Kyle Korver, C.J. Watson and the legendary Brian Scalabrine. Each player plays a huge role on the team whether it is for defensive, three-point shooting or towel-waving purposes.

The Bulls will continue to sport the same lineup as before, except with Hamilton now at the two. The deal to bring him in not only adds a reliable source of points that won't falter in the postseason, but also aims to help Rose get more open opportunities on his drives.

When the team had Bogans at the two, defenders could sag off of him without any consequence. Now that the team has Hamilton, defenders will have to focus on their assignment.

1. Miami Heat

Early-season struggles and a momentary lapse in March caused the Miami Heat to miss out on the No. 1 seed last year, but they shouldn't miss out on it this season.

Call the 2011-'12 campaign for the Miami Heat the year of no excuses, because there truly are no excuses if they don't win the Eastern Conference and then the title. The Heat were somewhat excused last year for a lack of cohesion between their Big Three and losing out on their top two producers off the bench, but they have no excuse this season now that Udonis Haslem has returned from an injury and Shane Battier joins the team as a free agent.

Since there's so much already known about LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, let's take a look at the role players that could possibly propel this team to the next level.

Missing Miller (he'll be out until the end of January) last season hurt the Heat, but it didn't nearly carry the same negative effects that losing Haslem caused. The eight-year veteran was lost in late November due to a torn ligament in his foot, and they wouldn't get him back until Game 2 of the Conference Finals, where he would continue to be hampered by the injury.

The Heat basically put him at that point for desperate measures, since they needed the inspiration and physicality to go against a physical team like Chicago. Miami now gets their top rebounder, post defender and hardest worker back, as well as adding some much-needed depth. Without Haslem last year, Miami was forced to play Joel Anthony and Juwan Howard for extended minutes.

Battier was an excellent pick-up for the Heat as well, since they continue to add on to a team that has the league's top perimeter defenders. With Wade and James already controlling the tempo of the offense and defense with what they do along the perimeter, Battier will only reinforce these two while also giving them needed rest.

Compare that to last year, when the Heat's top perimeter defenders outside of Wade and James was Mario Chalmers and an injured Mike Miller.

While the Heat still don't have a center to rely on, they should still find themselves at the top of the Conference thanks to the efforts of the Big Three, the returns of Haslem and Miller and the acquisition of Battier.

Western Conference: 8. Denver Nuggets

They didn't look good at all at the start of the offseason, but the Denver Nuggets have managed to recover thanks to a few signings.

Despite Nene Hilario appearing to be certain to leave the team after nine seasons, the Nuggets were able to secure him to a deal worth $67 million over the next five years. The 29-year-old center was given high praise last season after leading the Nuggets to the postseason despite the team losing Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony at the same time.

Instead of being devastated by losing their top two players, the Nuggets persisted, with Nene leading the way to a 50-win season that would result in a sixth seed. Hilario was the main reason for Denver's success post-Melo and would average 15 points and eight boards per while leading the league in field-goal percentage at 62 percent.

While the Nuggets do get Hilario back, they will be without the services of sharp shooter J.R. Smith and the developing Wilson Chandler. Both players are stuck in China until the league's season that they are currently playing in comes to an end in March. The Nuggets will do doubt miss both of these players, but they are fortunate enough to have a deep and balanced team to make do for the next two months.

The Nuggets still have plenty to look forward in the development of Ty Lawson as their starting point guard and their first-round pick in Morehead State's finest, Kenneth Faried. In his final season at the NCAA level, Faried averaged 17 points on 62 percent shooting to go along with 14 boards per.

With Kenyon Martin most likely to depart from the team, Faried will hope to serve as his eventual replacement at the power forward position.

The team does have a number of quality players, but they're missing out on a true leader, and that will cost them in the long run.

7. Portland Trail Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers might have made one of the bigger signings of the free agency period by picking up Jamal Crawford, but they also had by far the most depressing offseasons due to two key losses.

A born leader and taking the control of this Portland Trail Blazers franchise, Brandon Roy was one of the league's brightest talents. Unfortunately for him and the entire Blazers organization, he was forced to retire at the age of 27 due to a nagging injury in his knee. Roy had his knee operated on a total of six times before his doctor told him, "You can't do this. You might end up not walking."

After an unbelievable series against the Dallas Mavericks where he had one of the most memorable performances of the postseason, Roy came in with high hopes for the 2011-'12 campaign and was even listed as the Blazers starting shooting guard ahead of Wesley Matthews. However, his knee would continue to pain him despite the surgeries and he'd call it quits.

Roy leaves behind a career where he averaged 19 points, five assists and four boards per. He was the 2007 Rookie of the Year, a three-time All-Star and a member of an All-NBA Second and Third team.

The pain doesn't stop there for the Blazers, as it has been reported that Greg Oden has suffered another setback on his road to recovery. Oden was projected to return in December, but is now dealing with another ailment that might not even have him playing this season. If he misses this year, it will be the third time in his career that he has missed an entire season's worth of basketball.

Enough negativity, though, let's take a look at some positives.

A huge positive to come out of the Brandon Roy mess was the progression and development of LaMarcus Aldridge. The 26-year-old power forward quickly jumped to the rescue in the absence of Roy and would have a career season last year, averaging 22 points and nine boards per. Aldridge's post play and mid-range game is among the tops in the league amongst all big men.

Playing alongside him will be newcomer Raymond Felton, perimeter specialist Wesley Matthews, athletic forward Gerald Wallace and the ageless wonder, Marcus Camby, at center.

6. San Antonio Spurs

If the Boston Celtics aren't looking forward to a 66-game season, then you can only begin to imagine how the San Antonio Spurs core are feeling about it.

With Duncan failing to average a double-double for the first time in a career that started in 1997, we knew that the initial descent of the Spurs dynasty was sadly upon us.

Composed of a three-man core that consists of 35-year-old Duncan, 34-year-old Manu Ginobili and 29-year-old Tony Parker, the Spurs don't appear to have too old of a core, but you could tell from last season's second half and the postseason that they were winded by the duration of the season.

After a 35-3 start to the year, the Spurs played average basketball the rest of the year and would succumb in the first round by way of a first-round upset to the eight-seeded Memphis Grizzlies.

It was only the fourth time in NBA history that a No. 1 seed lost to an eighth seed, and it wasn't even close this time around. In fact, the Spurs were a Gary Neal miracle away from losing the series in five games. The Grizzlies had too much size and athleticism for the Spurs and their patented chemistry to matchup with.

The Spurs come into the 2011-12 season a little older, but a little wiser as well. We should expect to see Duncan, Ginobili and Parker continuing to take up the majority of the scoring load, but we should also begin to see the emergence of the numerous youthful players on this squad that currently ride the bench.

Players like the athletic James Anderson, forward/center DeJuan Blair and center Tiago Splitter should all see an increased role this season, with Duncan and Ginobili showing their age.

5. Memphis Grizzlies

Why does Zach Randolph look so sad? Sure, he got beat by the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7, but it was only a few weeks prior when the Memphis Grizzlies didn't even appear that they were going to make it in the postseason.

After losing Rudy Gay late in the season and in the middle of a race to the last seed, Randolph and Marc Gasol picked up the slack and immediately went to work. The duo would propel the Grizzlies into the last spot of the Western Conference, where they would have a date with the 61-21 San Antonio Spurs.

While the Spurs had the experience of being in a postseason setting, the Grizzlies were riding momentum and were hot at the right time. Randolph and Gasol would dominate in the paint, and it would eventually lead to a monumental upset by way of a 4-2 series win over the No. 1 seed.

The two would nearly lead the Grizzlies into the Conference Finals, but would fall in Game 7 to the Thunder to conclude a highly emotional series.

It didn't even matter that they lost. The Grizzlies made their statement to the NBA that they are a legitimate team and this won't be the last postseason push you see. In his first postseason appearance since 2003, when he was still with Portland, Randolph averaged an outstanding 22 points and 11 boards per.

His front court partner in Marc Gasol averaged 15 points, 11 boards and two blocks in his first ever playoff appearance.

With Gay returning and Randolph in the best shape of his life, the Grizzlies are set to make another significant run in the playoffs and may even challenge for the Southwest Division title.

4. Los Angeles Clippers

One of the toughest picks I had to make, it was an awfully difficult decision to choose who won the Pacific Division.

In the slimmest of margins, the Los Angeles Lakers sneak by to take the Pacifc, but it won't mean anything to the Los Angeles Clippers who are built for the postseason. The Clippers have youth, the league's top facilitator and athleticism on their side in what is sure to be an action packed playoffs that has this team making it as far as the Conference Finals.

The only thing that will come into question is whether or not the numerous young Clipper players would be ready for the playoffs at such an early stage in their careers. Chauncey Billups is the only member of the starting lineup that has any sort of experience deep in the playoffs, and that may cost a young team who has key players who have never been as far as the second round.

However, I wouldn't look too much into it. With Chris Paul facilitating this offense, anything is possible and anyone can happen to go off at anytime. Even if opposing teams attempt to pack the paint to limit DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin, CP3 will find ways to get them involved and have them contribute in positive light.

This is the first time that we will ever see Paul with a quality team surrounding him. He has been surrounded by mediocrity his entire career and has had to make the best of it. Now on a team composed of players that have talent, athleticism and a desire to win, Paul is going to get the best out of this young team and will have them make some serious noise in the playoffs.

Improvements across the board for this Clippers team aside from the shooting guard position where they replaced Gordon with Billups. As solid a veteran as Billups is, I have a hard time believing that he's going to be ready to step up to the occasion and be able to limit the likes of Kobe Bryant or Manu Ginobili.

Either way, this team will rival the Heat as the most entertaining in basketball.

3. Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers may reign supreme over the Clippers in the regular season, but I can see the Clippers getting the last laugh in the long run.

The Lakers still have a solid roster that has the NBA's top inside-outside duo in Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. That gives them a tremendous advantage over every one of their opponents, with both players being extremely smart at knowing how to play their position and how to play the game. They complement each other well with Bryant's perimeter and driving game and Gasol's mid-range and post game.

Bryant has had too much success when he has been a dominant post presence. He won three titles when accompanied by Shaquille O'Neal, and he's already won two with Pau Gasol. You may think the Lakers are done after two preseason games, but I am still a believer that this team has the commitment, drive and ambition to make another significant title run.

However, these two can't do it all. Without Lamar Odom, the Lakers need a third player to step up in place, and that player is going to have to be Andrew Bynum. Faced with high expectations as an 18-year-old, Bynum has yet to make the Lakers front office look like geniuses for picking him before anyone else realized the mistake they were making when passing him up.

He's a solid defender and rebounder, but attitude problems and injury concerns have constantly regressed his progress, as he will actually miss the first five games of the season due to purposely throwing an elbow into an airborne J.J. Barea in a game where Dallas was up by 30 and was a few minutes away from a sweep.

This wouldn't be the first time this has happened, as he also punctured Gerald Wallace's lung in a similar play.

This season rides on the play of Bynum. Bryant with a torn ligament in his right wrist won't be able to carry the load as much as he's accustomed to, and Gasol regressed heavily last postseason. Bynum is going to need to step it up if he wants to push the Lakers to the top of the division.

2. Dallas Mavericks

A roller coaster of an offseason has the Dallas Mavericks a lesser team from the year before, where they won their first ever championship.

In a series against the favored Miami Heat, the Mavericks persevered through scrutiny and a possible 2-0 hole by hitting big shots in the clutch and getting inside the head of LeBron James. Thanks in part to the defensive skills of Shawn Marion, DeShawn Stevenson and Tyson Chandler, and the timely shooting ability of Jason Terry and Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavericks were able to win the series 4-2

Nowitzki would take home Finals MVP honors and would exact revenge of a previous loss to the Miami Heat, in which Dallas squandered a possible 3-0 lead.

The main reason to the Mavericks' title victory was the fact that they eliminated LeBron James from the game. While Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh were playing on all cylinders, James was a completely different player who would average 17 points per, as well as scoring a career postseason low eight points in a game decided by a minimal margin.

The Mavericks knew how to play James by having him post up, and they got inside his head with trash talk, and it paid off this time. Dallas will now have a significant chance to defend their title crown after acquiring the versatile swingman Lamar Odom and the always-dangerous Vince Carter.

However, we have to think if these two gains were worth three significant losses. By losing out on Tyson Chandler, the Mavericks lost their top defender whom Nowitzki accredited with being the main factor as to why they even won the title in the first place. Without Chandler in the middle, the team will now rely on Brendan Haywood as their starting center.

The other losses include Caron Butler and J.J. Barea. Butler only spent half a season with the Mavericks before getting injured early in the season, but was still a versatile threat that could have been utilized on a team as versatile and balanced as Mavericks are.

Barea isn't too significant of a loss when considering that Rodrigues Beaubois is a more capable point guard, but J.J. provides a great spark off the bench that the team will miss nonetheless.

Even with the losses, the Mavericks will still be the team to beat in the West until another team proves otherwise.

1. Oklahoma City Thunder

Why didn't the Oklahoma City Thunder make any moves over the offseason, you ask?

Because they don't need to. They had all the pieces to win a title last season and they have all the pieces to win a title this year. All of it will be based on how they conduct themselves at the later stages of close games and if they can all co-exist as a single unit. That means their cannot be any sort of debate for who leads this team.

If you want to know who leads this team, the answer is pretty obvious that it's Kevin Durant and not Russell Westbrook. As good a player as Westbrook is, he needs to realize that the two-time scoring champion is the true leader of this team. There shouldn't be a debate about who gets the final shot; unless he's guarded, it should be Durant every time.

Durant is coming off another stellar season where he became the youngest player in NBA history to win back-to-back scoring championships with 28 points per game. His postseason production matched his regular season totals, but his Thunder couldn't come through against the Dallas Mavericks in the Conference Finals.

The Thunder lost that series, 4-1, but had a lead in the fourth quarter of every loss. There was too much indecision on every key player's part because even if Westbrook was taking the crucial shots, Durant should have been there to say that he was going to take the final shot. Kevin needs to continue to improve on his assertiveness and his mental strength if he wants to lead this team.

This team is easily the most complete roster in the NBA. Just in the starting lineup, you address every aspect of the game. Westbrook is the facilitator, Harden is the perimeter threat, Durant is the pure scorer, Ibaka is the shot blocker and Perkins is the imposing threat in the middle.

Off the bench, the team features a strong defender in Nick Collison, a three-point threat in Daequan Cook and a solid point guard in Eric Maynor.

There is so much versatility and completeness to this team that there shouldn't be any reason as to why they don't make it to the Finals. They had their experience and made their mistakes last postseason, and it's now time for the team to grow up and take it to the next level.