1) Boston Celtics - Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen. 'Nuff said.

1A) L.A. Lakers - Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and the Bench Mob. The deepest team in the NBA, bar none.

3) New Orleans Hornets - Coach Byron Scott is absolutely on point when comparing James Posey to Michael Cooper instead of Robert Horry.

4) Houston Rockets - Will Tracy McGrady be okay with giving up shot opportunities to Ron Artest on occasion and averaging 18-20 points this season? Time will tell.

5) Detroit Pistons - You absolutely cannot disregard a team that still has Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, and Rasheed Wallace.

6) Utah Jazz - Once again, the same old tune being played at Salt Lake. I'm still waiting for scorer deluxe Morris Almond to get his chance.

7) Cleveland Cavaliers - Lebron is Lebron, which means the Cavs will always be contenders in the East no matter who you put around him.

8) Phoenix Suns - Big win on the road against the shorthanded Spurs and big loss at home against the powerhouse Hornets. Up-and-down games like these is a sign of things to come.

9) Toronto Raptors - Perhaps this year's version of last year's Hornets.

10) Dallas Mavericks - A full season with Jason Kidd running the show should benefit Dirk Nowitzki and crew. But in the powerful Western Conference, the Mavs are merely pretenders not contenders.

11) Philadelphia 76ers - It will take time to develop chemistry with new frontman Elton Brand but once they do, look out. 

12) San Antonio Spurs - Never would have thought they'd drop this far but when Manu Ginobili is missing, so are the Spurs.

13) Atlanta Hawks - A full season with Mike Bibby will help. Josh Smith is emerging into an All-Star. Joe Johnson is Joe Johnson. The addition of Flip Murray and Mo Evans should more than compensate for the loss of Josh Childress. And they just defeated Orlando by 14. So far things are looking good.

14) Portland Trailblazers - The Blazermaniacs are already saying, "Wait 'til Greg Oden comes back."

15) Orlando Magic - They're off to a disappointing 0-2 start, mainly because Dwight Howard has not lived up to expectations, failing to work on his footwork and lowpost game.

16) Miami Heat - They have been considered by many as a sleeper pick for 2008-'09. It will take time to generate cohesion with new players and a new coach but with Dwyane Wade and Shawn Marion at full strength, you can't count them out.

17) Denver Nuggets - Carmelo Anthony will be back soon. But will that be enough, especially without Marcus Camby to help out on the defensive weak side? And how much more mediocrity can Allen Iverson take before he begins complaining about practice?

18) New Jersey Nets - Now that Vince Carter has the team all to himself, let's see how he takes advantage.

19) Minnesota Timberwolves - They can be a sleeper in the West to grab that coveted eighth seed to face the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs. Let's see how much Love they get.

20) Milwaukee Bucks - Now that they have Richard Jefferson there to complement Michael Redd, the only other question left unanswered is whether or not the rest of the team can play any defense.

21) Chicago Bulls - They continue to be a work in progress with no legitimate center in the lineup. Derrick Rose looks good, but how much longer before Ben Gordon and/or Kirk Hinrich act up?

22) Washington Wizards - The loss of Brendan Haywood is huge, considering he had a breakout year last season.

23) New York Knicks - The only thing interesting in Gotham right now is trying to figure out when Stephon Marbury will be dealt.

24) L.A. Clippers - Coach Mike Dunleavy looks like he's 80 years old with all those wrinkles on his forehead. They're already 0-2 at home and the coach has barely used highly touted Eric Gordon and DeAndre Jordan. That's why he's Dunleavy. I am feeling so bad for Baron Davis right now.

25) Golden State Warriors - Once Monte Ellis returns, they will move up six spots in the rankings. For now, Corey "shoot first, pass second" Maggette is having the time of his life.

26) Indiana Pacers - Larry Bird must be having daily migraines right about now. He doesn't know what to do with Jamaal Tinsley. Mike Dunleavy is out. He has no center. And the impressive Danny Granger will probably jump ship once his contract is up.

27) Memphis Grizzlies - Marc Gasol looks like he's ahead of schedule. So does O.J. Mayo. And so does Rudy G-@-y, who should be an All-Star this year.

28) Sacramento Kings - There really isn't much to say about the Kings, especially when you have a bunch of young players and senior citizen Brad Miller on the team.

29) Charlotte Bobcats - C'mon Michael, I know you want to come back.