NBA Preview.

Although there has been a lot of player movement the three best teams in the NBA didn't change that much. And the Spurs, Mavs and Suns are still the three best teams. Who will win it all? That won't chnage either - the Spurs will repeat. And the east still sucks.

Eastern Conference

1. Detroit Pistons 52-30

This team is another year older but they are still the best team in the east. Rasheed Wallace may be volatile but he is also one of the smartest players in the NBA. He and Tayshaun Prince form the best defensive frontcourt in the league. And they still have Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton, both all-stars in the backcourt. Their bench isn't great but they all know their roles. This will likely be their last year at the top though.

2. Boston Celtics 49-33

Can three guys carry a team to a division title? They can when the three guys are Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce and the division stinks. Garnett is going to rip through this conference because there isn't a forward who can match him on the boards and Allen will hit jumper after jumper coming off screens. It will be interesting to see who winds up taking all the big shots because Garnett has never really been that guy. I say it will be Pierce. There are a lot of questions about whether Rajon Rondo can run this team but I think he can. He just needs to figure out where the big three like to get the ball and then get it to them. Doc Rivers brutal coaching and lack of depth on the bench will kill them in the playoffs though.

3. Chicago Bulls 48-34

Many people are calling them the best team in the east but I don't see it. Ben Wallace is useless on the offensive end and they want to run. Tyrus Thomas is useless in the half court when other teams will slow them down. So they are going to rely too much on the scoring of Luol Deng (who is going have a huge year), Ben Gordon and the inconsistent Kirk Hinrich. They are going to win a lot of games by 20 points - and lose a lot by 25.

4. Miami Heat 47-35

Dwayne Wade is still the best player in the NBA because he has a killer instinct LeBron doesn't have and a selflessness Kobe doesn't have. And he's healthy. I think he is going to have an insane year and carry this team back to the top of the conference. Shaq is also motivated but his minutes will be limited because he is 35 now. Trading Antoine Walker was a good move but getting Ricky Davis in return was strange. Having that guy running around South Beach is going to be huge on the unintentional comedy scale.

5. Toronto Raptors 47-35

Everything here comes down to Chris Bosh's health. If he plays 75 games they can win 50, if he misses a big stretch they will miss the playoffs. Sam Mitchell still panics in tight games and gets outcoached regularly. Andrea Bargnani will be an all-star by next year and should be good for 17 points a game this year. Jose Calderon and TJ Ford are still a great point combo (though I think Jose should be getting more minutes becasue he plays more under control). Jason Kapono was a nice pickup and Anthony Parker will continue to be a great glue guy and vastly underrated. Ultimately a lack of rebounding will be the kiss of death in the playoffs.

6. Cleveland Cavaliers 45-37

The Cavs made it to the finals last year and then did pretty much nothing in the off season, which was stupid. They got hot and beat a couple of teams that played poorly and they are not that good. Outside of LeBron they have no other player who even comes close to front line and they will rely too much on 2nd year guard Daniel Gibson. Their defense is bad and their bench is bad. Coach Mike Brown is also a poor tactician. These guys are taking a step back.

7. Washington Wizards 43-39

Gilbert Arenas is absolutely my favorite palyer but I sometimes wonder how serious he is about winning. He's just a little too goofy at times. He can socre though, and so can running mates Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison which will make them competitive and entertaining to watch. Defensively however, they are god awful. Brendan Haywood is a complete seive and guys like Shaq and Garnett, hell even Drew Gooden, will kill them.

8. New York Knicks 41-41

I hate Isiah Thomas more than anyone in sports but I will be the first to admit the guy can coach. If Zach Randolph can stay out of trouble in Manhattan, a big if, he will carry them to the playoffs. He will free up room for Eddy Curry. David Lee rounds out a good front court with his hussle and rebounding. Quentin Richardson will give them the three point shooting they need and Stephon Marbury is still a decent point guard, as long as he is allowed to shoot his team out of games a couple times a month.

9. New Jersey Nets 39-43

The Nets are getting old fast. Jason Kidd is now 34 and has a lot of mileage. Vince Carter is terrified to get hurt so he rarely goes to the rim anymore, which is ridiculous because he should lead the league in free throw attempts. Richard Jefferson and Nenad Krstic have both been injured the last couple of years and may not be 100%. They are also really weak in the frontcourt despite the toughness that Jamaal Magliore will provide.

10. Orlando Magic 37-45

The only reason I can think of for the outrageous contract they gave Rashard Lewis was so that he could free up Dwight Howard on the blocks. Howard is an absolute beast and reminds me a hell of a lot of Moses Malone only more athletic. But he still needs to learn to switch on defense and pick his shot blocking spots. The Magic are to oweak in the backcourt to really be a oggd team though. Jameer Nelson is a backup on a top team and JJ Redick is little more than a catch and shoot guy because he can't create his own shot. New coach Stan Van Gundy will be great for this team but they are still two years away.

11. Milwaukee Bucks 34-48

This could be the sleeper team in the east because I think Andrew Bogut is capable of really becoming a top center and rookie Yi Jianlian may be good (he may also be a complete stiff). You know Michael Redd is going to score 25 a game and Charlie Villaneuva could be an all star if he ever decided to work at it. They are decent defensively so they can stay in some games that maybe they shouldn't. There are just too many ifs.

12. Atlanta Hawks 30-52

Their front office actually showed signs of having a clue at the draft when they got Acie Law and stud Al Horford. Their frontcourt is lousty so Horford, the next Karl Malone, should be starting by December and with Speedy Claxton slowing down a lot Law should be starting by January. Marvin Williams still stinks and has shown no signs of having a clue how to play and Josh Smith isn't much better. Joe Johnson is still around to score points when they need it. They are still bad but at least their fans have some hope now.

13. Indiana Pacers 29-53

It's going to get real ugly real fast if these guys stumble out of the gate. Jermaine O'Neal clearly does not want to be there and his supporting cast is not that good. Jamaal Tinsley is erratic and Mike Dunleavy is too timid. Troy Murphy is serviceable but he's not a starter. And the bench is really thin. Coach Jim O'Brien is a good one but it will take a while to build here.

14. Charlotte Bobcats 27-55

Poor Jason Richardson. He goes from the run and fun of Golden St. to this club. He's going to have to score about 30 a game to make this team competitive. Gerald Wallace is a solid player as is Emeka Okafor but there is pretty much nothing after that. Raymond Felton is too slow and can't shoot at point. Rookie Jared Dudley will be the only contributor off the bench.

15. Philadelphia 76ers 22-60

Philly fans better show a patience they are not known for because this team is awful. Samuel Dalembert and Andre Igoudala are exciting but they are overmatched against frontcourts like Boston's or Toronto's. Andre Miller is a good point but he needs scorers around him. Kyle Korver will hit some threes off the bench but that is all they will get from the bench. This team will play hard for Mo Cheeks but they are just overmatched.

Western Conference

1. Phoenix Suns 65-17

I fully expect the Suns to rip off another 25-2 run at some point this year because they can just run teams off the court. They also have to get home court advantage in the playoffs. Grant Hill was a great addition because he can handle the point for Steve Nash in blowouts because Nash needs to play fewer minutes. Amare Stoudemire will score a ton but is still not a great defender which is why the loss of Kurt Thomas will kill them in the playoffs. Thomas was the only guy they had who could slow down Tim Duncan. Shawn Marion is miserable but that won't hurt the SUns because he is always miserable.

2. San Antonio Spurs 61- 21

Suns fans don't want to hear this but Tony Parker is now every bit as good as Steve Nash. He's also a much better defender and hell to lay against. But this is still Tim Duncan's team. He is the smartest player in the league and hardly ever makes a bad decision. Manu Ginobili is the perfect third guy because he doesn't care if he scores 5 or 50 as long as helps them win. Michael Finley can still play and Bruce Bowen is still around to drive everyone he guards batty. And don't forget Robert Horry hitting all the clutch threes. Or that Gregg Popovich is the best coach in the league. All of which means repeat.

3. Dallas Mavericks 58-24

The Mavs are in a no win situation. No matter how many games they win the regular season it won't matter because they can only prove themselves in the playoffs. Which is why I think they will pace themselves a bit better during the regular season. They are still loaded with guys like Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry and Josh Howard starting and underrated Devin Harris distributing. And Jerry Stackhouse and Desagana Diop add a lot off the bench. It's just too bad for them that they are in the same conference as the Spurs, who kill them in the half court, and the Suns who kill them in the full court running game.

4. Utah Jazz 56-26

I really like this team. They just play their asses off and never quit. Deron Williams is a great point guard and has become the team leader they really need. Carlos Boozer always defends the other teams top forward and still gets his double double. Mehmet Okur can spread the defense with his perimter shooting. The reason they won't climb into the discussion with the top three teams in the conference is because they don't have a great bench and Andrei Kirilenko looks lost in their offensive scheme and Jerry Sloan looks ready to throttle him.

5. Houston Rockets 54-28

Bringing in Rick Adelman was a smart move but I am not sure Yao is going to function to well at the top of the key where Adelman likes his big men. I also wonder about Tracy McGrady. He just looks like he checks out a lot in big games. I have never been a big fam of Rafer Alston but he fits this team. Shane Battier is a great team guy who does whatever he needs to. The key to them advancing in the playoffs is going to be Luis Scola. If can defend guys like Boozer or Duncan and give Yao some space they can win the conference.

6. Denver Nuggets 53-29

Theese guys will certainly be a hell of a lot of fun to watch and I think Carmelo Anthony finally figured out his legacy will be based on winning not scoring. Allen Iverson already learned that so he will feed Melo all day. Kenyon Martin will be a question mark but marcus Camby will still be a defensive force. This is a make or break year for George Karl. If he doesn't get out of the first round this year I think he'll be fired. If this yeam was in the east they would win the conference, here they are 4th at best.