[Michael.S.Participant]

How many will there be next year? It seems like next year the winner of the championship will truly be the best team because they will have to go through an extremely tough path. Seems like sooo many teams have a legit shot to win the whole thing , but how many?

[Mr.Knick 32Participant]

I say 6

Boston, Chicago, Miami, Orlando, Los Angeles, San Antonio

[Tongue-Out-Like-23Participant]

Los Angeles, Orlando, Miami, Boston, Chicago, Mavericks.

I want to say Nuggets but an aging Kenyon and Billups, who knows.

[llperez]

east: miami, boston, orlando and chicago

west: lakers, dallas, denver, portland, houston

[Michael.S.Participant]

I don’t think Portland or SA are going to be championship contenders. I don’t see how they could beat a team like Mia. Orl. LA…ect

[llperez]

agree that san antonio is not a solid contender. Unless parker and manu play like stars again. But if portland stays healthy, they have so much depth and they are one of the best teams to match the lakers length. I defenitly see them contending if healthy.

[catoosanumber22]

THUNDER

[Mr.Knick 32Participant]

Thunder will not be a title contender. You must haven’t finished the sentence.

[dwat4444Participant]

Just 3 IMO: Lakers, Miami(if they play their roles right), and Orlando(carter will hav to step up). I don’t think Boston will be there, because they just don’t have the talent anymore. Pierce and Rondo are the only all-stars and they’ll be ridddled with injuries. Chicago needs 1 more year to contend. As well as the thunder. SA is too old. Dallas and Denver won’t beat the Lakers without a better front court.

[OllstarParticipant]

UTAH

[stanford hoops]

id say boston lakers orlando miami,spurs, dallas, houston, utah. i dont like boston but people keep counting them out. they wont have the best regular season record because they will rest there aging players but when the playoffs roll around its a different seasn. some people on here fail to realize that every year

[bmawhinney20Participant]

west: Lakers, Spurs, Mavs
east: Heat, Celtics, Magic

[Da1potParticipant]

Don’t count out the Spurs yet.. I agree with all of Quincey’s picks but i still think Chicago and OKC are a year away from doing anything major. However, the Heat, Lakers and Magic will be on a whole different level.

[nate_doggParticipant]

only a few teams can be considered GENUINE contenders.

Obviously the Lakers
Boston cause they are proven.
Orlando needs to be mentioned and Miami with their new roster.

but all the other teams are on the brink but not quite there.
i put chicago utah portland etc here.

i dont think the mavs will contend. they always have a great looking roster but cant get it done.

[NBAblogjobParticipant]

Lakers, Heat, Chicago. And maybe, only maybe Bos/Orl. The C’s window grows smaller by the day. It basically depends is KG can be relevent. The magic simply do not have “it,” Dwight Howards would rather entertain than win. A great team, but no rings headed towards Orl. Not to mentions, the should have never gotten rid of Turkoglu and Courney Lee.

[dwilks101586Participant]

Really Chi-Town? U actually think they can beat the Magics, or Even the Hawks they dont have enough maybe 2 years but not now.

Im a Mavericks fan and i think they’re ready because now that we got tyson wit haywood that defense all day and wit caron goin in training camp they will be better oh and u seen wat CP3 did for tyson because who was tyson before CP3 people knew of him but paul and him in the pick & roll beast and i see the same wit J.KIDD and him.

[Mr.Knick 32Participant]

Chicago could defeat the Magic. I think they have the advantage everywhere but Center. Even at Center- All you have to do is get Howard 4 ft away from the basket. I also think the Boozer/Rose combo will be scary next season.

Dallas could be a good 2nd round team but I don’t see title contender because they have no real #2 option

[dipt1982Participant]

The Mavs will not be a contender, they will have a good regular season like always, but fail like always. lol.

Portland is still a year away at least, IF they can get Oden back, they still have to mesh and put the teamwork together on the floor.

San Antonio is aging every year, and Duncan slows down just a tad every season, unless Parker and Ginobili can get back to All Star status, they will bow out quickly.

The Thunder are very, very good, but a year or two off from being serious contenders…

Boston is aging, and I think it will finally catch up to them next year. Garnett is becoming less relevant every season a la Tim Duncan, same goes for Ray Allen.

Chicago is a year or two away, they need to get the chemistry of the new line up in tact, but they have a lot of talent and can make some noise.

Atlanta is in the same position they were last season, a mess of talent, but they can’t make it work in the post season. No real go to guy, sorry Joe Johnson.

That’s why I’m left with the Lakers, the Magic, and the Heat…

Not too high on the Heat, just because I really don’t think they will mesh well together, but only time will tell if they can put it together on the court, and brush aside the ego’s.

Early prediction, Lakers over Magic in 6 games…just like in 2009

[dipt1982Participant]

KnicksBoy, let me ask a question, how far did the Boozer/D. Williams combo ever get in the playoffs? And Deron Williams is a much better point guard than Derrick Rose. They have a lot of talent, but they won’t be a contender this year, too many new pieces…

[Mr.Knick 32Participant]

KnicksBoy, let me ask a question, how far did the Boozer/D. Williams combo ever get in the playoffs?

Not far, but all they lost to were the 2 time Champs…

[dipt1982Participant]

So what’s your point? They still lost, if that such a good combo, which is actually better than what Rose/Boozer will be, how did they not succeed? That’s all I’m saying…not only did they lose, they got swept last year…expectations are a little too high for the Bulls…in time we will see

[Mr.Knick 32Participant]

Your also forget the West to East difference.

In the East, there’s only 1 real big man threat like a Gasol or Bynum. Chicago should win 50-55 games next season.

I don’t buy the ” new pieces” idea because then MIA wouldn’t win it all on that logic. Brewer, Korver and Boozer are good additions and Rose in year 3 should be putting up 22-8.

[dipt1982Participant]

I don’t think Miami will win it all next year anyways, so the new pieces part is true, it takes time to gel together with new teammates. if Shaq goes to Atlanta, Orlando with Dwight, and Boston with Perkins/KG, there are better teams with big men already in place. Boozer is good, but he’s not going to make that drastic of a difference on this team. And as good as Rose is, he’ll never be the full package PG that Deron Williams is. It’s good for argument, but I believe there are 3-4 teams better than Chicago in the East alone…

[dipt1982Participant]

And yeah, I totally agree, 50-55 regular season wins they can get, easy. But that doesn’t equate to winning in the post season…Go see, Atlanta Hawks…

[Mr.Knick 32Participant]

So how did Boston win 08?

The New Pieces things is bogus to me. Add new pieces in the middle of the season is something I believe is the thing that hurts team. I think Chicago really doesn’t have too many weaknesses.

I feel Miami vs Chicago or even Chicago vs Orlando? Chicago could win both series.

[omphalosParticipant]

Chicago would get destroyed by Miami. Wade could defend Rose, Bosh would get beaten by Boozer, but LeBron would decimate Deng. Rose needs to develop his jump shot more before they get past Miami. I do like their chances against Orlando though, Noah plays an energy game against Howard, Rose kills Nelson, Brewer guards Carter who chokes in Playoffs as usual, and Boozer monsters Lewis (who just hasn’t been the same since 09).

Only legitimate title contenders are Lakers, Celtics and Heat. If I were to be forced at gunpoint to add a second in the West I’d say the Thunder because really, they came the closest to beating the Lakers and will only get better with age.

[ilike.panochasParticipant]

No one has mentioned this team yet, but I think Oklahoma Thunders could be a better team this season. I expect Westbrook, Durant, Green to even get better as players, and I also expect James Harden to take on a bigger role and be the starting SG. They still have a weakness at Center, but if Sergei Ibaka continues to improve that could be enough to beat anyone specially with their “fire power” on offense.

[dipt1982Participant]

Boston won because all three of those players were older and maturer than the Bulls, that’s just plain to see. Rose is still very young, Boozer has never performed at the highest level in the post season, in fact he’s under performed in the playoffs, just go look at last season. And all they did was add a few role players. Point being, they haven’t proven anything. Time will tell…they have gotten better, but the Hawks have just as much talent, if not more, and they can’t find a way to beat the big dogs either (Orlando, Boston, and now Miami)…

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