Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

The New Jersey Nets (3) will run away with this division, fueled by the sensational play of Vince Carter in a contract year.  The two rookies from UConn will lead to a deeper bench, which will allow Jason Kidd some much needed rest throughout the season.  Richard Jefferson is the best third option in the league and would be the featured star on most teams.  The Toronto Raptors (11) have improved their talent base but will compete with the Warriors for the distinction of the worst defensive team in the league.  Number one overall pick Andrea Bargnai will look like a number seven from time to time, making plays that remind NBA diehards of a young Toni Kukoc.  The Boston Celtics (9) return once again as a confusing mix of veterans and youngsters.  Danny Ainge was an extremely emotional player, and is relying too much on that attribute as GM.  The New York Knicks (14) will win more games this season than last, but not enough to save either of GM/Coach Isiah Thomas' jobs.  The Philadelphia 76ers (15) have some long term problems on the horizon, and will rest at the bottom of the Atlantic (with the Knicks) until they are free from the weight of all those terrible contracts.

Central Division

By sliding Rasheed Wallace to center and inserting Antonio McDyess at power forward, the Detroit Pistons (1) will offset the loss of Ben Wallace and continue to boast the league's best starting five.  The Chicago Bulls (4) have deftly cleansed their roster of underachievers and replaced them with hard-nosed veterans and no-nonsense young talent.  The Bull's depth, defensive intensity, and lack of a superstar provide an interesting contrast to the Cleveland Cavaliers (5).  The Cavs are a playoff team so long as they have LeBron James, yet lack the supporting cast, consistency, and defensive commitment to lift Cleveland to elite team status.  The Milwaukee Bucks (8) have a chance to sneak in to the playoffs if the trio of Michael Redd, Andrew Bogut, and Charlie Villenoeyebrows can gel early.  The Indiana Pacers (10) added as much talent as anyone in the off-season and Rick Carlisle is as good a coach as there is.  But the franchise has been stymied too much in recent years by injuries, knuckleheads, and a deliberately slow tempo to turn things around in one off season.

Southeast Division

The Washington Wizards (2) will trump the Heat during the regular season, since there is zero chance Miami will find their superstar tandem healthy for anything even approaching the grueling 82-game campaign.  The Wizards are fairly deep, and led by a superstar guard in Gilbert Arenas who is nearly as dynamic as Dwayne Wade.  The Miami Heat (6) remain the defending champions, however, and will likely stumble through another season half heartedly until dialing up their intensity come playoff time.  Wade is as special a player and personality as the NBA has seen in decades, accomplishing both on his own merits . . . which makes it that much more of a shame that the officials continue to give him such an advantage late in games.  The Orlando Magic (7) might have a brighter long term future than any of their peers in the division, thanks to the sensational talent of Dwight Howard.  The Atlanta Hawks (12) are such a mess that it took court intervention to determine their ownership structure.  High flyer Josh Smith is a better prospect than last year's number two overall selection Marvin Williams, making it extra puzzling that the club skipped over future Hall-of-Famer Chris Paul with the pick.  Shooting guard Joe Johnson might be the most underrated All-Star in all of sports.  Charlotte Bobcats (13) owner Bob Johnson lured Michael Jordan back in to management after years of effort, and Jordan has done nothing since to better the franchise.  The community has not embraced the team as anticipated, despite the presence of Jordan and a few building block type players.  The long term success of both Jordan and the Bobcats may hinge on rookie Adam Morrison's ability to draw fans and elevate the team from lottery mainstay to playoff contender.     

Western Conference

Northwest Division

The Denver Nuggets (7) have one of the deepest frontcourts in the league, albeit the most overpaid and injury prone.  Management ignored the need to bring in some outside shooters, and Kenyon Martin is not the only high priced Nugget player to have lingering differences with Coach George Karl.  The Utah Jazz (8) finally have enough talent to reestablish themselves as a playoff regular, but it is hard to anticipate both Andrei Kirilenko and Carlos Boozer staying healthy.  The Minnesota Timberwolves (9) will struggle early working two new guards in to their rotation (Mike James and Randy Foye).  But the duo also has the potential to grow in to the best backcourt Kevin Garnett has played with since Sam and Spree left town.  The early play of last year's midseason acquisitions (Mark Blount and Ricky Davis) will determine the fate of GM Kevin McHale.  The Portland Trail Blazers (14) are years away from contending, so you have to wonder why they keep guys like Zach Randolph and Darius Miles around with so many young and impressionable players.  The Seattle Supersonics (15) have the least talent of any team in the conference, and unresolved stadium issues are sure to extinguish the little community support the franchise still had.

Pacific Division

The Los Angeles Clippers (3) built on their impressive playoff run with a strong off season.  The addition of Tim Thomas added to an already stellar bench, and extending Chris Caveman to a long term deal was another shrewd move.  But the key to the Clippers' future hinges on Sam Cassell's ability to lead and contribute while grooming Shaun Livingston to take over.  The Phoenix Suns (4) have become league wide darlings, but they lost a huge x-factor in Tim Thomas who fit their scheme perfectly on both ends of the floor.  Amare Stoudemire is not fully recovered from his knee injury, and it will be interesting to see what approach the organization takes to getting him back on the court in what is now year two of rehab.  The Los Angeles Lakers (5) will stay in the western playoff picture so long as Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant can coexist.  The Sacramento Kings (11) took a shortcut back to contending through last season's sage acquisition of Ron Artest.  But the same volatility that makes Artest such a disruptive force on the court rips apart franchises behind the scenes.  Coach Don Nelson is back in control of the Golden State Warriors (12) and is sure to pick up where he left off, meaning fans in Oakland can look forward to a string of first round playoff exits very soon.  Starting Troy Murphy at center and Mike Dunleavy at power forward is the latest in a long line of "what were they thinking" type decisions that this franchise always seems to make.

Southwest Division 

The San Antonio Spurs (1) are likely to regain their standing as the class of the Western Conference, so long as Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili can get some early season rest and recuperate from their off-season work at the World Championships.  The Dallas Mavericks (2) have the quickest backcourt in basketball, which should alleviate some of the pressure off Dirk Nowitski to carry as much of a regular season load as he did last year.  The Houston Rockets (6) have surrounded Coach Jeff Van Gundy with the most talent he has had during his tenure with the club.  The New Orleans Hornets (10) have the best young point guard in the league and not much else.  Pau Gasol's broken foot is as crippling to the Memphis Grizzlies' (13) playoff chances as it is to the grande bearded one himself.

Awards

MVP:  LeBron James is a lock for this award but keep your eyes on Clippers forward Elton Brand, who silently does more for his team night in and night out than any other player in the league.

Rookie of the Year:  The Land of 10,000 Lakes moniker might as well be changed to The Land of 10,000 Mistakes to describe Kevin McHale's tenure as GM in Minnesota.  But there is no chance that drafting Randy Foye will be remembered as one of them.  Foye will go through some shooting slumps, but emerge as a late game assassin in the mold of a more physical Ben Gordon.

Coach of the Year:  Lawrence Frank is entering his fourth season with the Nets, and deserves some credit for juggling two of the league's biggest prima donnas (Jason Kidd and Vince Carter) and winning with a frontcourt that that is thinner than his hair.      

Breakthrough Star:  In a league where all the hyperbole goes to a guy named LeBron, Clippers youngster Shaun Livingston has the potential to play offense like Magic Johnson and defense like Scottie Pippen.   If the lanky playmaker can overcome an ugly injury history, expect to hear Livingston listed with James, Wade, Paul, and Anthony as the future of the NBA.    

Highlight Hijackers:  Chicago rookie Tyrus Thomas is going to send you to YouTube once or twice a month to see that block or dunk that all the guys at the gym were talking about.  Orlando forward Dwight Howard is going to post a game or two that leaves you convinced the stat sheet is full of typos (>30 points and >20 rebounds).  And once fully recovered from knee surgery Amare Stoudimire will flash reminders that two-time MVP Steve Nash is the Suns second best player.

Most Improved Player:  Expect Milwaukee to overcome early injury trouble and sneak in to the playoffs, largely due to the near All-Star star play of unheralded point guard Maurice Williams.