New ball, new players, new season-with the Bulls set to take on the Heat at 8 pm ET on Halloween, NBA 06-07 is ready to get underway! With two weeks until tip-off, here’s how I see things falling into place.
Eastern Conference:
1. Miami: With D-Wade, Coach Reilly and Shaq back, the Heat have a good shot at a repeat.
2. Cleveland: The Cavs have improved steadily over the last several years. Veteran acquisitions Scott Pollard and David Wesley provide added depth, and with LeBron leading the offense, expect big things.
3. New Jersey: Kidd, Carter, and Jefferson consistently put up numbers last season-if all stay healthy, they’ll do it again this season, too.
4. Chicago: Newly acquired Ben Wallace solidifies the Bulls’ D, paving the way for Chicago’s fairly young team to make things happen on offense.
5. Detroit: Without Big Ben, how big will their playoff hopes be? The Pistons will be hurting on D, but their strong offense will make them a contender.
6. Indiana: The return of Al Harrington adds a spark to the offense. Even though Peja’s gone, Jermaine O’Neal and Jamaal Tinsley will contribute on both ends of the court.
7. Washington: Arenas and other members of last year’s squad are back, and with depth on the bench, the Wizards will definitely be in the playoff hunt.
8. Orlando-Dwight Horward will be expected to lead the team, while draft pick and sharpshooter J.J. Redick will need to distract opposing defenses and free up space in the lane.
9. Milwaukee-New addition Charlie Villaneuva should contribute immediately, along with Andrew Bogut at C. The Bucks’ strong secondary will also play a factor in winning games.
10. Boston-Paul Pierce will try to guide his group of young players toward a season that hopes to be less shaky than last year’s.
11. Toronto-Number 1 Andrea Bargnani adds more to this team than an international dimension. Even though he’s not a projected starter, he’ll be a solid center down the road. New faces T.J. Ford and Rasho Nesterovic will try to lead Raptors to first .500 or better season in 4 years.
12. Charlotte-Number 3 pick Adam Morrison strengthens a frontcourt that already has Okafor and May, but we’ll have to wait and see if his scoring ability translates to the NBA. Look for the Bobcats to be a force in years to come.
13. Philadelphia: A less than spectacular offseason for the Sixers means that Iverson will have to do his best to carry the team once again.
14. Knicks: Brown’s out, Isiah’s in, the NBA’s got a new ball-with last year in mind, there’s no place to go but up!
15. Atlanta-Draft choice Sheldon Williams and free agent Lorenzo Wright add size in the paint, but without Al Harrington, progress will be slow.
Western Conference:
1. Phoenix: Stoudemire’s return to full heath may cause temporary setbacks, but look for league MVP Steve Nash and multi-faceted Shawn Marion to hold down the fort.
2. San Antonio: A healthy Parker, Ginobili, and Duncan equals another solid season for the Spurs.
3. Dallas: This already strong lineup got reinforced with role players like F Austin Croshere and G Anthony Johnson. Look for Nowitski and the Mavs to have another huge season.
4. Denver: After a somewhat lackluster season last year, Carmelo Anthony and new SG J.R. Smith need to come up big for the Nuggets.
5. LA Clippers: Elton Brand and Sam Cassell look to continue building off last year’s many improvements, aided by big man Chris Kaman.
6. LA Lakers: Bryant will once again try to prove the “There’s no ‘I’ in team” adage wrong with his crazy point totals and offensive skills.
7. Sacramento-Mike Bibby and Ron Artest look to build off the momentum from the second half of last season.
8. NO/Oklahoma City-New addition Peja Stojakovic will be an impact player, along with phenom Chris Paul. Other offseason acquisitions must contribute off the bench for Hornets to stay in the race.
9. Memphis: Pau Gasol’s foot injury, combined with the loss of Shane Battier and Lorenzen Wright, will put a lot of pressure on F Rudy Gay-a lot to ask of a rookie.
10. Utah: Deron Williams will have to perform again at PG. Contribution from his potent backcourt is a must if the Jazz want to sing to a tune over .500.
11. Houston: Veteran acquisition Shane Battier is a complete player, but Yao and Francis’ injury woes may be just too much for the Rockets to overcome.
12. Seattle: Draftee and Senegal native Saer Sene will be a key big man in the future, but for now, Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis will have to get things going on offense.
13. Minnesota: Draft choice Randy Foye will try to lift the T-Wolves and KG back to the postseason.
14. Golden State: Backcourt standouts Baron Davis and Jason Richardson will be key success factors, but a weak frontcourt will ultimately hurt the Warriors.
15. Portland: Young team leader Zach Randolph must try to spearhead an inexperienced lineup featuring Brandon Roy and Martell Webster. Blazin’ a trail to the playoffs is not in the cards at this point.
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