Let's continue the My List special and reveal team #3 of the 29-team countdown, the Philadelphia 76ers. Here are the players from the City of Brotherly Love:

Starters:

PG: Maurice Cheeks: The current head coach of the Sixers wasn't the flashiest player in the league, but he didn't have to be on that version of the club. Indeed, most of his best stats years came in the mid-to-late 80s, when the team was in decline, but he was steady during the early 80s, when Philly went to three NBA Finals and won the 1983 title. Between 1982 and 1989, he averaged about 12 PPG and 7 ASG. He also made 4 All-Star teams.

SG: Allen Iverson: Iverson may have a reputation of being abrasive, at best, but during the early part of this decade, he was unquestionably the driving force (for better or worse) of this team. Depsite frequent problems with Larry Brown, Iverson excelled, winning three scoring titles (1999, 2001-02) and All-Star Game and league MVP in 2001, when he led Philly to its most recent NBA Finals. He also has led the league in steals.

C: Wilt Chamberlain: Wilt may not have had his best scoring seasons as a Sixer, but in his second go-round with a Philly club (the Warriors began in Philly), he realized he needed to become a complete player. Chamberlain won his final two scoring titles as a Sixer in his first two years (1965-66), then in 1966-67, he led the league in rebounds and field goal %, and was third in scoring and assists, as the Sixers went 68-13 and ended Boston's eight year run as champs en route to winning the title over the Warriors. The next year, he became the first center (and the last) to lead the league in assists, but the Sixers lost to the Celts in the Eastern finals, and he was dealt to L.A. after the season.

SF: Julius Erving: Dr. J. may have established his star in the ABA, but after being acquired by Philly for cash from the Nets, he became the star of the NBA. In his first season, he won All-Star MVP honors and took the previously moribund Sixers to the NBA Finals. He would later win NBA league MVP in 1981 (becoming the only player to win both ABA and NBA MVPs), and he led Philly to four NBA Finals, the icing on the cake being the dominant 1983 title winning run. He was an All-Star in the ABA or NBA every one of his 17 seasons.

PF: Charles Barkley: The biggest fan of 'The Gambler', Barkley had the unfortunate timing to join the Sixers as they declined as a team. He still gave it his best effort, despite being undersized (to put it mildly) for the PF position. Barkley became a starter early in his rookie year, and in 1987, he became the shortest player to win the rebounding title (listed at 6 foot 6) with a 14.5 average. From 1987 to 1992, Barkley averaged at least 23 PPG in each season, along with better than 10 RPG. And, of course, he was (and still can be) one of the best interviews in sports.

Reserves:

PG: Hal Greer: I had to put him out of position, but Greer was a durable wonder for the Sixers. He began on the team when it was still in Syracuse in 1958, and 15 years later, he finally hung up his shoes. Greer averaged over 20 PPG in eight of nine seasons from 1962-1970 (the last of those at age 34), and was a key player on the 1967 title team, averaging 22.1 PPG. He made 10 All-Star teams and won game MVP honors in 1968.

SG: Andrew Toney: Toney's career is a case study in "what might have been". Drafted #8 overall in 1980, Toney spent a majority of his first two seasons as a backup, but he moved into the starting lineup in 1982-83, and averaged almost 20 PPG (19.7) as the Sixers stormed to the championship. Toney was one of four Sixers (Erving, Moses Malone and Cheeks were the others) selected to the 1983 Eastern All-Star team. He had another spectacular season in 1984 with another All-Star berth and a career high 20.4 PPG, but after another solid season in 1985, he was never healthy again, playing in only 87 games in his final three seasons (1986-88). What might have been; Barkley even admitted Toney impressed him the most as a rookie.

C: Moses Malone: Malone could have gotten here on the all-time quotes team for his famous "fo,fo,fo" line of 1983, but Malone was the key difference that sparked the 1983 team. After establishing himself as a dominant center in Houston (winning league MVPs in 1979 and 1982) Malone came in as a free agent (the Sixers gave up Caldwell Jones and a 1st round pick as compensation) for 1983. In his first Philly season, he repeated as MVP with averages of 24.5 PPG and 15.3 RPG (leading the league in boards) as Philly cam within one game of realizng his promise. Malone would continue to play solidly for three more years in Philly (he led the league in boards in 1984 and '85, as well, more than 22 PPG each year, and three more All-Star berths) before being traded to Washington.

SF: Billy Cunningham: The "Kangaroo Kid" was pretty much a Philly lifer once he arrived as a player in 1965. Cunningham was the sixth man of the team in his early years (including on the 1967 titlist) before becoming a starter in 1968-69. Over the next four years, he averaged better than 23 PPG each year, making the All-Star team all four year (1969-72) before bolting to the ABA, winning that league's MVP in 1973. He returned to Philly in 1974, but just two seasons later, in 1976, he suffered a career-ending knee injury. He later coached Philly from 1978-85, winning three conference titles and the 1983 NBA title.

PF: Dolph Schayes: Let's pay homage to the past here; before he was known as Danny's father, Dolph was a big-time forward for the Syracuse Nationals, the forerunner of the Sixers. Joining the NBA the same year as the Nats (1949-50) Schayes led the Nats to the NBA Finals his first year (they lost to the Lakers). Schayes was hair-yankingly consistent, averaging at least 17 PPG in ten of eleven seasons from 1951-61, along with at least 12 RPG every on of those seasons. He is best known for being the NBA's first Iron Man, playing in 764 straight games from 1952-61 (a record that stood until Randy Smith and later A.C. Green broke it).

Coaches:

Head Coach: Billy Cunningham: He's so nice, he made it twice! But Cunningham was just as intense a coach as he was a player. Taking over the team six games into the 1977-78 season (with the team fresh off an NBA Finals appearence), Cunningham took the then 2-4 team and went 53-23 and a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. He made the Eastern Finals six times in his eight years on the job, made three NBA Finals, won the 1983 title, and had an outstanding win % of 69.8%.

Assistants: Alex Hannum, Larry Brown: Hannum may not have had an extensive resume as Sixers coach (just five years split into two stints), but he was very good as coach in his second stint, winning 68 and then 62 games from 1966-68, including the only title not won by the Celtics in the 1960s. Brown took the languishing Sixers from dorrmats in 1998 to the playoffs in year two, and evetnually to the NBA Finals in 2001, winning COY honors that year.

Honorable Mentions:

SF: Andre Iguodala: Let's wait until his team becomes a contender.

PF: Bobby Jones: Great sixth man, but Schayes had a greater career, I think, than Jones.

PG: Andre Miller: See Iguodala.

SG: Doug Collins: Too injured to make it.

SF: George McGinnis: Where's Mark Jackson; you've gotta be kidding me!

C: Darryl Dawkins: Is it a coincidence they won the title the year after he left? Didn't think so.

C: Shawn Bradley: O.K., that's enough of the honorable mentions!

Anybody I forget to mention? Say it in the comments. Until then, I've gotta see if my Shawn Bradley milk carton campaign is working!

Here we are! This is the final list in the series of the fifty greatest NBA teams (according to me). These teams are the cream of the crop, the ones that few could have stopped (even today, Robert Horry!). Without futher delay, here are the top ten teams in NBA history:

10. 1969-70 New York Knicks: The Knicks were among the original BAA teams in 1946 (only the Celtics and Warriors remain from that group), and were early contenders. They reached the NBA Finals three straight years from 1951-53. Then they hit a rough patch throughout the late 50s into the 60s.

The team started to emerge from the depths through solid drafting (including Willis Reed, Bill Bradley and Walt Frazier), and made the playoffs in 1967 for the first time in eight years. The next season, they added Dave DeBusschere in a trade with Detroit. By 1970, with Bill Russell retired, the Knicks were ready to assume command in the East.

The Knicks roared out of the gates (including an 18 game win streak) and rolled to the Eastern Division title. Reed's all-around game won him regular season MVP honors. In the playoffs, they survived a tough seven games series with the Bullets, then beat the Bucks 4-1 (including a 36 beatdown in the clincher) to advance to the Finals against the Lakers.

The series' key matchup, of course, was Reed against Wilt Chamberlain. Reed held his ground as the teams traded victories in the first four games. Then, in game 5, Reed tore a muscle in his leg. Using undersized Nate Bowman, the Knicks scrambled to win the game 107-100, but without Reed in game six, Chamberlain scored 45 points to force a game 7 at Madison Square Garden.

Speculation ran rampant about Reed's availability. Before hitting the court, DeBusschere told Reed "We only need you for a few minutes, big fella". Reed limped out onto the court right before the end of warmups. "And the crowd is going wild" Knicks announcer Marv Albert said.

Reed went on to hit the first two shots of the game, and i####ame ever was over at 4-0, this was it. Though Reed didn't score again, the rest of the Knicks (led by Frazier's 36 points and 19 assists) picked up the slack, and New York clobbered L.A. 113-99. Reed was named MVP, making him the first player to win all three MVPs (regular season, All-Star and Finals) in one season, and in victory, New York was firmly in the NBA's camp.

9. 1984-85 Los Angeles Lakers: The Laker's history in the Finals against Boston was nothing short of abysmal. They had faced the Celtics in eight Finals, but had lost them all. The prior season (1983-84) may have been the most heartbreaking, as they made critical mistakes and lost the series in seven games. The person many people blamed was Magic Johnson, who made many key errors in the series. The Lakers set out in 1985 to prove they could win under pressure.

The Lakers rode their intensity to 62 wins and the best record in the West. Once in the playoffs, they dominated, sweeping Phoenix 3-0, trouncing Portland 4-1, and romping over Denver 4-1 to reach the Finals for the fourth straight year. There, they got their rematch with Boston, who had beaten Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia.

The Lakers' determination didn't seem evident in game one, as Boston smoked them 148-114 in "the Memorial Day Masscre". Kareem Abdul-Jabbar looked every one of his 38 years, and Scott Wedman and Danny Ainge had big games. After the game, the Lakers decided to show their physical side in game two, and they played the Celts the same way Boston had in 1984, leading the Celtics to complain about the rough stuff. L.A won the game, then pasted Boston 136-111 to take a 2-1 lead. Boston managed to steal game 4 when Dennis Johnson scored the game-winner with no time on the clock, but L.A. rolled in game five.

Still, history didn't side with the Lakers. No team had beaten the Celtics for the title since 1958, and never had it been done in Boston Garden. The Lakers needed another great game from Kareem, who had been the main player after his game 1 struggles. He delivered, scoring 29 points. Magic had a triple-double, and the Lakers won game six 111-100, ended their torture against the C's. Indeed, the jubilation was out in not only the Laker locker room, but for every former Laker watching that day. Kareem won Finals MVP.

8. 1991-92 Chicago Bulls: The Bulls had shaken the #### off their backs with their title run the previous year, but when had Michael Jordan been content before? The Bulls roared out of the gates early in the season, as Jordan trusted his teammates more than ever before. Though he won his sixth straight scoring title, his 30.1 average was his lowest since 1986. With Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant emerging as big time players, the Bulls flirted with 70 wins before finishing 67-15. Jordan won his second straight MVP (and third for career).

In the playoffs, the Bulls scorched the Miami Heat 3-0 (pun intended), before facing the Knicks in round 2. New York's physical brand of play stretched Chicago to seven games, but the Bulls prevailed in a 110-81 rout in game 7. After dispatching Cleveland 4-2, the Bulls prepared for the Portland Trail Blazers, and a matchup of elite SGs: Jordan and Clyde Drexler.

The Bulls stomped the Blazers in game one, as Jordan set Finals records with 35 1st half points and (since broken) six 3-pointers. The teams traded victories through the first five games, which set up Chicago with a chance to win in Chicago Stadium in game six. But when Portland took a 79-64 lead after three, most felt game seven would be upon us.

That's when coach Phil Jackson made a crazy lineup move; he had Pippen play with reserves B.J. Armstrong, Bobby Hansen, Scott Williams and Stacey King. This mismatched lineup somehow managed to cut the lead to 81-78 (with Hansen getting a steal, assist and a 3-pointer). Jordan returned, and he and Pippen scored the last 19 Bulls points to win the game 97-93. Jordan was Finals MVP for the second straight time.

7. 1960-61 Boston Celtics: This Celtics team is here because their team photo reads like a HOF dinner lineup. Including management, nine members of this team were inducted into the Basketball HOF (owner Walter Brown, coach Red Auerbach, and players Bill Russell, Sam Jones, Bob Cousy, Bill Sharman, K.C. Jones, Tom Heinsohn and Frank Ramsey). This Celtics team did their usual during the season, winning 57 games out of 79 and finishing with the best record in the league. Russell won the first (of five) MVP of his career.

In the Eastern Division Finals against Syracuse, the C's had little trouble, beating the Nats 4-1. That set up a Finals against the St. Louis Hawks, who had been extended to seven by the new Los Angeles Lakers. The Hawks and Celtics had met in three previous, hard-fought Finals, but this one wouldn't be as hard-fought. Boston won 4-1, with the closest game being a 4-point Hawks win in game 3. The Celtics thus secured their thrid straight title.

6. 1971-71 Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers had to be feeling the pressure to win a title in 1972. The team had made seven NBA Finals since moving to L.A. in 1960, but had yet to win a title. Many wondered if their chances were over after Elgin Baylor retired nine games into the season.

Instead, new coach Bill Sharman (fresh off leading the Utah Stars to the ABA title) decided to incorporate the role players to aid his aging core of Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain. Harold 'Happy' Hairston became the first player to grab 1,000 alongside Chamberlain (who led the league in that catgeory at 19.2 PG), and Gail Goodrich and Wets were among the league leaders in scoring.

The Lakers' defining moment was their league-record 33 game win streak, which began November 5th (over Baltimore) and didn't end until January 9 (against the Bucks). That streak propelled the Lakers to a then-league record of 69 wins, but many still wondered if fate would rear its ugly head.

The Lakers stormed past Chicago in a four game sweep, then met perhaps their greatest threat; Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the Bucks. With Chamberlain holding Kareem in check, the Lakers beat the defending champs 4-2 to make the Finals, and get a 1970 rematch, against the Knicks.

Without Willis Reed, however, to go head-to-head with Chamberlain, New York didn't stand a chance. L.A. won the series 4-1, winning the last four after losing game 1. Chamberlain was name Finals MVP, and L.A. had finally added a title to the five they had from Minneapolis.

5. 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers: The Sixers, and in particular Wilt Chamberlain, had been frustrated by recnt failures against Boston. The Celtics had ended their seasons each of the prior two years, and whispers began to pop up that Chamberlain was too mych of a ball hog to lead a team to a championship.

Philadelphia began by hiring Alex Hannum as coach. Hannum was one of the few coaches Chamberlain trusted, and Hannum convinced Wilt to share the ball more and play an all-around game. Chamberlain responded. Although he lost the scoring title for the first time in his career, he led the league in rebounds (24.2 PG), and was third in scoring (24.1) and assists (7.8) as the Sixers went 68-13 to set a new record for wins. Chamberlain won his second straight MVP.

After rolling over Cincinnati 3-1, the Sixers faced the Celtics for the Eastern Division title. This time, there was no luck of the Irish, as Philly stomped Boston 4-1 to end the C's legendary run of eight straight titles. With the #### off their backs, the Sixers faced Chamberlain's old team, the San Francisco Warriors, in the Finals. But even with Nate Thurmond and league leading scorer (rookie Rick Barry), the Warriors couldn't stop Philly, who won the series 4-2 to claim their first title since the Nats won in 1955.

4. 1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers: After acquring Julius Erving in 1976, Philly fans expected Erving to deliver them a title. But without elite big guys to defend the C's they faced in the Finals (Bill Walton in 1977, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1980 & 82), the Sixers had gone down in every Finals they made. It was obvious they needed a dominant big man to get them over the top.

In the 1982 offseason, they had their chance to make such a move, as reigning MVP Moses Malone had become a FA from Houston. The Sixers signed Malone (giving up Caldwell Jones and a 1st round pick to the Rockets as compensation). With Malone leading the league in rebounds (15.3 PG) and finishing fifth in scoring (24.5), the Sixers went 65-17 and had the league's best record. Malone repeated as MVP.

Before the playoffs began, when reporters asked Malone how the Sixers would fare in the postseason, Malone uttered one of the greatest quotes in sports history: "Fo,fo,fo", meaning that the Sixers would sweep right through the playoffs.

They almost did. The Sixers wiped out New York 4-0, then came within a game 4 loss to Milwaukee of doing it again. In the Finals, aided by an injry-ravaged Lakers opponent (James Worthy was out all playoffs, Norm Nixon and Bob McAdoo were hobbled at best), the Sixers swept L.A. for their first title since 1967. Malone was Finals MVP, and Erving finally had an NBA title to go with the two he won in the ABA. While the Sixers fell off a little after that, there's no denying the 1983 was one of the greatest in NBA history.

3. 1985-86 Boston Celtics: The Celtics had just lost the Finals in 1985, their first Finals loss in 27 years and the first ever at home. When team execs met after the season, they realized changes were needed to keep up with the Lakers and win another title.

The team made major moves to improve their depth, adding Bill Walton from the Clippers for Cedric Maxwell and a 1st round pick (they completed the deal after Clips owner Donald Sterling left for Europe because Sterling resisted making the deal!), and acquiring Jerry Sichting from Indiana in exchange for playing an exibition game in Indy. With those players and Scott Wedman providing relief, Boston rolled.

Larry Bird enjoyed the reinforcements, and had one of the most impressive seasons in NBA history; he finished in the top ten in five different categories (points, fourth at 25.8; rebounds, seventh at 9.8; steals, ninth; FT%, 1st and 3-point%, fourth). The C's finished 67-15 and had the league's best record. This included an unbelievable 40-1 home record (only Portland won at Boston Garden that year).

In the playoffs, they dominated, barely breaking a sweat as they beat Chicago (3-0) even though Michael Jordan scored 63 in game 2, Atlanta (4-1) and Milwaukee (4-0) to make the Finals for the fourth staright year. But instead of the Lakers, they faced the Houston Rockets, who had upset the Lakers 4-1 in the Western finals.

The Celtics managed to manuever around the Rockets' Twin Towers of Ralph Sampson and Hakeem Olajuwon, The Celtics won the series 4-2, winning all three games in Boston, and captured their 16th title.

2. 2000-01 Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers had returned to the top in 2000, winning their first title in 12 years. There were minor offseason changes (trading Glen Rice to New York in a three way trade that brought them Horace Grant and Seattle Patrick Ewing) but nothing severe. However, the Lakers seemed to coast until April, then caught fire to finish the season 56-26 and second in the West.

Little did anyone realize how much the switch was flipped. The Lakers proceeded to make the greatest playoff run in NBA history. In the first round, they whipped Portland 3-0, as the Blazers imploded. After sweeping Sacramento 4-0, the Lakers faced the Spurs, owners of the league's best record at 58-24. But Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant each alternated great games, and Tim Duncan and David Robinson had no counter. L.A. swept another series, becoming the first team since the 1989 Lakers to enter a Finals (against Philadelphia) undefeated.

In game one, the Sixers rode an incredible performance from Allen Iverson (43 points) to stun L.A. 107-101 in OT to end their undefeated run. it was all the inspiration L.A. needed. The Lakers won the next four games to claim their second straight title. O'Neal copped his second straight Finals MVP, and the Lakers' 15-1 playoff record was the best in NBA history (surpassing the 1983 Sixers mark of 12-1).

And now, here's #1:

1. 1995-96 Chicago Bulls: There are arguments about this team's place in history, coming as it did in a league with 29 teams. I always say, you beat whoever's in front of you. And no team ever did that more than the 1996 Bulls. The Bulls had had a disappointing run in 1995, when a rusty Michael Jordan made key mistakes as the Bulls lost in the second round 4-2 to Orlando. Jordan was determined to return with a vengence, and management readied themselves for a run by trading for Dennis Rodman from San Antonio (for Will Perdue).

The Bulls proceeded to make mince meat of their regular season opponents, as they steamrolled to a league-record best 72-10 record. Jordan reclaimed the scoring title (30.4 PG, winning his record eigth such title) and was named MVP of the league for the fourth time. Rodman led the league in boards (14.9) for the fifth straight time, and Jordan, Rodman and Scottie Pippen were 1st Team All-NBA Defense.

In the playoffs, the hits kept on coming. The Bulls swept Miami 3-0, stomped the Knicks 4-1, and dominated Orlando (in a revenge series) 4-0 in what was Shaquille O'Neal last series on the team. That set up a Finals showdown with the Supersonics, and a most difficult challenge for Defensive POY Gary Payton in defending Jordan.

The Bulls rolled to a 3-0 lead, and people were having 'greatest ever' discussions. The Sonics won two straight in Seattle, but the Bulls put any mniracle thoughts to bed by winning game six 87-75 for their fourth title in six years. Jordan won Finals MVP for the fourth time, and was the first player since Willis Reed in 1970 to win all three MVPs (regular season, All-Star, and Finals) in one year. The Bulls 87-13 record (including playoffs) ws an all-time record.

That's it for the series. I hope it was as much fun looking back as it was for me. Any teams up here that you think are overrated? Or any team not here that should be? Just let me know; this isn't a "I know I'm right" list, after all.

I apoligize for being inactive recently. My grandmother has been seriously ill in the hospital, and I've spent most of the past week at her bedside, praying for her to get better. I won't go into details, but she has been the single biggest influence in my life, and has raised me like I was her son. Thankfully, she's recovering well, and hopefully soon she'll return home and resume her normal routine.

Now, back to sports. It's officially April, and now I feel it's time to present some awards. Here are my picks (along with runner-ups in most cases) of the major NBA awards:

MVP: Kobe Bryant, Lakers: Say what you will about his attitude, Bryant has been a key reason the Lakers are back as a relevent team again. While Gasol and Bynum have been hurt, he has kept his team in the thick of a brutal Western race. And, frankly, it's about time he got an MVP.

Runner-up: Chris Paul, Hornets: There will be arguements for Kevin Garnett and LeBron, but Paul is the engine for the surprising Hornets, as he leads the league in assists and has New Orleans primed for a major playoff run. Thus, he's my runner-up.

Coach of the Year: Maurice Cheeks, Sixers: I'm not knocking Byron Scoot or Doc Rivers, or even Phil Jackson; they've all done remarkable jobs this season. But each has major talent to work with. Cheeks has Andre Igudola... and a bunch of youngsters and bench fodder. Yet he has the Sixers in the playoffs with a winning record in the Least, er, East, marking their first trip to the postseason since 2005.

Runner-up: Byron Scott, Hornets: Scott gets runner-up because no one expected the Hornets to be near the top of the West. Scott has done a magnificent job of molding this young team into a contender the same way he did the Nets; by letting a special PG lead the way.

Defensive Player of the Year: Marcus Camby, Nuggets: He leads the league in blocks per game (by a wide margin) and is second in rebounds. And, by the way, he does it on the run-and-gun Nuggets, who play defense only if the moon is in the correct phase.

6th Man Award: Leandro Barbosa, Suns: Because, simply, no one else stood out enough to win the award. I actually wouldn't mind if someone could give me another candidate (and before you Manu people chime in, he plays starter minutes, so that skewers his stats).

Rookie of the Year: Luis Scola, Rockets: Whoa, no Durant? Well, Scola has been instrumental in the Rockets' surge since January. While he would become the first ROY to win the award averaging fewer than 10 PPG, the Rockets have lost only 4 or 5 games since he became a starter.

Runner-up: Kevin Durant, Sonics: Durant finishes second because his team stinks, and he has needed a lot of shots to get his points (on a bad team, which skewers any productive players on such teams). I call it the John Starks effect. Durant has a bright future, but he shouldn't win ROY by default.

All-NBA 1st Team:

G Chris Paul, Hornets

G Kobe Bryant, Lakers

F LeBron James, Cavaliers

F Kevin Garnett, Celtics

C Dwight Howard, Magic

Executive of the Year: Mitch Kupchak, Lakers: Kupchak gets the award because he made the unsung moves to make the Lakers a contender again. And any exec who can trade Kwame Brown's corpse for Pau Gasol should be EOY.

Runner-up: Danny Ainge, Celtics: Like Kupchak, Ainge made the moves to make Boston relevent again after 21 years of dormancy. Ainge took a chance, and it paid off, big.

Now, as far as the playoffs go, here are my favorites in each conference, ranked 1-8 based on my preference, not on current seeding. They are:

West

1. Lakers (provided Gasol and Bynum are healthy, they're the deepest team)

2. Spurs (to be the best, you must beat the best. Until they lose, they're the best)

3. Hornets (inexperience an issue, but Paul and Scott will guide them nicely)

4. Suns (Shaq was brought in to win a title, after all. Right?)

5. Jazz (need to show they can win away from home consistently)

6. Rockets (no Yao will hurt them against elite bigs in playoffs)

7. Warriors (lightning won't strike twice)

8. Nuggets (no defense except Camby = no playoff series wins)

East

1. Celtics (Garnett, Pierce and Allen are hungry for a ring)

2. Pistons (if they overcome conplacency, the biggest threat to Boston)

3. Cavaliers (LeBron can win series himself)

4. Magic (Howard is emerging as maybe best C in game)

5. Sixers (a sleeper to pull an upset 1st round win)

6. Wizards (can't stay healthy... or play defense well)

7. Raptors (a poor man's Wizards)

8. Whoever is 8th (Hawks, Pacers, Bulls, etc.; it doesn't matter; they'll get swept)

There you are. Disagree? Just drop me a line. Gotta go; Kwame Brown's corpse is being moved out of the morgue!