Utah, Phoenix, Houston and Denver will all be improved. With Denver and possibly Houston being top 4 seeds in the Wild Wild West. Lakers will go way down, Twolves won't be as good, Memphis will go down unless they get Damps.

In the East, Boston and Philly will be improved, Magic are a completely different team, Washington is okay but have much to prove (how are they different from 02-03 GSW?), obviously Miami is much different and can handle big men. Milwaukee, Toronto, Atlanta and Chicago will go downhill in mine opinion. I think Detroit will actually improve this year, as will Indiana. It will be no cakewalk for the Knicks, not counting their own division where the Nets are dead. Of course, no one knows what the Knicks will look like yet, now do we?

I'd pick the Knicks. We were pretty bad last year both recordwise and the way they looked. If they get to 45 wins it will be a great improvement.

Wizards can't shoot. Not a single shooter in the starting lineup and they also turn the ball over a lot with Hughes and Arenas at the guards.

Sixers still only have Iverson, its all up to his health.

Boston is the same team as last year, so I dont' expect much change unless you expect the highschooler to come in and have a big impact.

In the West I'm picking Utah. Sloan is the man. Now that he actually has a frontline to work with, they are a playoff lock. I say they go into he 2nd round.