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1.Lakers:There will be the usual fretting about Bynum's health, but the champs have a better roster than last season's, Phil Jackson under contract for one more year and a healthy cushion on the competition in the West. Life is grand.

2.Heat 47-35 After a haul to rival Jerry West's Shaq/Kobe platter in 1996, those Heat Hater taunts of yore won't be exclusively directed here. Too many haters to count now that Riles has built a dream team more loathed than L.A.


3.Celtics 50-32The Celts have succeeded the Spurs as the team you're most afraid to write off no matter how old they are. And they're doing it with a roster concoction so fascinating that the Dos Equis guy should be team spokesman.

4. Magic 59-23I'm off the Magic's bandwagon, true, but I do still like them. The biggest reason why: All the chirpiness that keeps flying between Orlando and Miami is one of the best subplots of this can't-start-soon-enough season.

5.Bulls 41-41 Put me down as (A) rather impressed by Chicago's salvage signings after it missed out on the big names, (B) picking the Bulls to win their division and (C) firmly in the camp opposed to giving up Noah in a trade for Melo.

14. Hawks Don't expect many Monday debates this season about whether the Hawks belong in East elite chatter. With Joe Johnson getting that massive contract but no help up front, they could slip to sixth in the conference.

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The one I disagree with the most is Phoenix.

Celtics are overrated.

Boston being 3rd on a list that ends in April is a joke.

I also disagree about the Bulls. This reminds me of when people picked Philly to finish with a top 3 seed prior to the 2008-2009 season. I suspect they'll underachieve due to being the worst 3 point shooting team in the league. I also have to lol @ anyone who wouldn't trade Noah for Carmelo.

HoopsGuru25 wrote:I suspect they'll underachieve due to being the worst 3 point shooting team in the league. I also have to lol @ anyone who wouldn't trade Noah for Carmelo.

It's possible, but about the trade debate, that's not Noah for Carmelo.
Don't forget that in any deal, at least until Dec 15th, Deng has to be included, so it's at least Deng+Noah for Carmelo.
Not to say that they have for the first time a C who's efficient and wants to win above everything, and loosing him, for a Star, but in a team not build for that (they signed guy thinking they would still have Noah, and not a new super SF), it could be a big error. And we don't know if Carmelo would agree to an extension now if traded to CHI...

The Knicks #16? I am less troubled by us being ranked 14th overall, but I am very troubled by the thought that we are barely above the Knicks. I am thoroughly unimpressed with their summer moves. 6th is realistic for the Hawks albeit a little pessimistic. It assumes best case scenarios for Chicago and Milwaukee. It also assumes health for Boston. Realistically we're 3rd best in the toughest division in the NBA (taking the title from the Southwest), which translates to 5th overall at best, so hard to be upset by 6th.

What I disagree with is the rational in his right up. I disagree with the assessment of "no help up front" being a reason to drop the Hawks in the rankings. What teams exploit that? Orlando? Sure they always beat us. Boston? Maybe, if healthy, but we match up well with the aging Celtics. Milwaukee? If Bogut is healthy they could, but Horford has historically done well against Bogut. Chicago? No. Miami? It isn't their bigs that are a concern. There are some big teams out west, but that won't really impact our record in the end.

HoopsGuru25 wrote:Boston being 3rd on a list that ends in April is a joke.

I also disagree about the Bulls. This reminds me of when people picked Philly to finish with a top 3 seed prior to the 2008-2009 season. I suspect they'll underachieve due to being the worst 3 point shooting team in the league. I also have to lol @ anyone who wouldn't trade Noah for Carmelo.

Noah is a work horse and to be honest I wouldn't trade him either, big men are hard to come by, by forwards like Melo are not rear anymore

joe.linnen wrote:

HoopsGuru25 wrote:Boston being 3rd on a list that ends in April is a joke.

I also disagree about the Bulls. This reminds me of when people picked Philly to finish with a top 3 seed prior to the 2008-2009 season. I suspect they'll underachieve due to being the worst 3 point shooting team in the league. I also have to lol @ anyone who wouldn't trade Noah for Carmelo.

Noah is a work horse and to be honest I wouldn't trade him either, big men are hard to come by, by forwards like Melo are not rear anymore

Top 5 scorers are much harder to come by than top 5 rebounders.

When you shoot as often as Melo, being a top scorer should be expected. Problem is he takes too many bad shots, isn't a smart basketball player, doesn't play much defense, and quite frankly, has 1/10th the heart of Noah. He may be a better talent, but he will NEVER lead a team to a title, while a guy like Noah will win a couple, imo...

The statement that Melo will NEVER lead a team to a title and that Noah will win a couple is one of the dumbest things I've read on realgm. Noah hasn't even been on an above average team yet.

Hawks will probably be better than the Bulls.