1. San Antonio Spurs Led by a robot, coached by a basketball mastermind, and now with a cold-blooded killer (NVE) to hold them down in the clutch, the Spurs might not do it with the style that sells sneakers, but they?ll still do it better than any other team in the league. As one of the most consistent forces of the past twenty years, they only needed to keep the nucleus of their squad together to be in a position to put a hurting on the rest of the league. Having re-signed Big Shot Bob and lured Nick the Quick to town, they did more than that, all but guaranteeing another appearance in the finals. 2. Miami Heat One word, one question: ?Chemistry?? Having had the chance to personally question Shaq on this topic, I?m confident that the Heat will be happy next season, and if that?s the case, they?ll have a mighty good shot at the title. Just take a look at their starting lineup: PG ? Jason Williams SG ? Dwyane Wade SF ? James Posey/Antoine Walker PF ? Udonis Haslem/Antoine Walker C ? Shaquille O?Neal If everybody stays sweet, who?s messing with that? Some suggest even the rock-solid Spurs could be tested by such a wealth of talent, and I?m finding it increasingly difficult to disagree. 3. Detroit Pistons When you lose a coach, you don?t lose everything he has taught. Coach Larry may have bolted for the Big Apple, but the defensive mentality he instilled will remain, ensuring that Detroit can continue be considered the Murder Capital both on and off the court. Flip Saunders is more than capable as a replacement, and with a roster that largely resembles the championship-winning squad of two years ago, the blue-collar boys will be in the running for another title. 4. Indiana Pacers When you say ?Too high? on seeing the Pacers at four, some of you will be questioning my rankings, while others will be suggesting that I?m baked. Know this, though: I don?t take drugs and Indiana doesn?t take prisoners. Jermaine O?Neal will finally grow a heart and average the 25, 10 and 3 he flirted with last season, Stephen Jackson will channel his energies more productively, and Ron Artest will beat up on opponents like somebody threw a whole stack of cups at him. Consider also the addition of Sarunas ?The Sniper? Jasikevicius (I forget his actual nickname ? it may be ?Saras?), and you have yourselves a legitimate power in the east. 5. Houston Rockets As I was preparing these rankings, the Rockets went up and down more than Paris Hilton?s underwear. They have one of the most potent one-two punches in the league in Tracy and Yao, yet, to my mind, Mac and Ming don?t quite go together like mac and cheese just yet. Despite acquiring The Stro? Show and keeping Deke and Jon Barry around, they?re still not selling most fans on the idea that they?re a top-five team. While I have given them this spot, it?s only because I think ? and hope ? that it?s simply a gut reaction of mine to feel that they don?t deserve it. If Yao continues to come along and T-Mac manages to steer this ship straight, there?ll be more than one franchise to worry about in Texas. 6. Phoenix Suns I doubted Phoenix last year, hated on Steve Nash, clowned their coach, and I still have more questions than they could possibly answer. However, one thing is for damn sure: Amar? is a monster. With Steve Nash feeding the beast and the rest of the Purple Posse picking up the leftovers, the Suns will be able to recreate some of the magic that took them to sixty wins last year. While they?re more likely to finish with a half-century than another league-leading record, they won?t be the ruin some expect with Q and JJ wearing new uniforms. 7. Dallas Mavericks Is anybody else tired of guessing when the Mavs are going to put their talent to use? If Cubes could only realise what?s necessary to make a strong team rather than simply a strong roster, Dirk Nowitzki would already have joined Steve Kerr and Mark Madsen as the least likely men on the planet to own platinum jewelry. As every year, I have no choice but to put them in the ?Not Quite There? category. 8. Sacramento Kings Until I actually see them play a game, the true ability of this team will be a mystery to me. Although they?ll continue to miss Chris Webber?s presence this coming season, the addition of Bonzi and ?Reef should go some way to making up for his absence. If Peja can remember why he was once an MVP candidate, Sacto could have a dangerous team once again, particularly if Bibby can make a little more noise in the regular season. 9. Denver Nuggets Another enigmatic franchise, the Nugs could replicate their success in the second half of last season, or they could crash and burn. A lot of their success depends on Carmelo?s maturity and Coach Karl?s ability to keep the big men content. With Latrell making the trip up to the Mile-High City, their shooting guard issues could be temporarily solved, although there?s always the chance Spree could replace those with problems of a different kind. We all know Denver has the chance to make waves in the west next year, but nobody will be particularly surprised if they struggle for a playoff spot again. The key phrase here is ?Wait and see.? 10. New Jersey Nets Another ?in theory? team, the Nets will be wasting what they have if they slip much further than this next year. With one of the best fastbreak trios since Run-TMC, New Jersey will keep moving on up if they just keep moving. With McNasty now signed, they can breathe a little easier if Ason (sorry, Kidd, you still have no ?J?) needs to sit out a few games.
