It's going to be a crazy season. I'm going with the popular pick of LA to win it all, although I don't think they finish first overall in the regular season. I also like Jazz, Mavs and Thunder in the west. Houston and Portland are both big wildcards based on their big-man injuries. And then there's the Nuggets, I think they're best-off taking the best-value offer that comes along for Carmelo. Phoenix probably gets back into the playoffs again, but probably no better than 6th.
In the east, I think the Heat have a good first year, at least in the regular season. I don't think they have the toughness yet to get to the finals. I actually think Chicago might get further than them. Orlando and Boston probably take a step back in terms of regular season performance, but still provide a tough matchup for the Heat. Hawks and Bucks are solid bets to get into the post-season. After that, it's pretty wide open. 76ers are probably the most talented of the remaining teams, but it's hard to believe that one of Indiana, New York, Charlotte, Washington, New Jersey, Toronto, Cleveland, and Detroit will make the playoffs. I wouldn't pencil in or count out any of those teams.
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