2. Dallas Mavericks (50-32, No. 4 seed)
The Mavs have brought in a slew of new faces to help make another push deep into the playoffs. Shawn Marion will try to revive his career in Dallas, stepping in as the Mavs 6th man. The strength of the team this year is its depth. With guys like Marion, Drew Gooden and Erick Dampier coming off the bench the Mavs are  built for the long haul.

3. New Orleans Hornets (48-34, No. 6 seed)
There’s hardly any changes in New Orleans this season, which could be good and bad. The core of this team has been together for a few years and it could finally all come together. However, they could have maxed out on their ability as a group. Chris Paul is the game’s best point guard, but he doesn’t have much support in terms of scoring around him aside from David West. Emeka Okafor will replace Tyson Chandler at center, which is really just a lateral move.

4. Houston Rockets (39-43)
No Yao, spells trouble for the Rockets. Luis Scola replaces him at center in the starting lineup. He’s a solid defender but won’t be able to replace Yao’s offensive output. Their big offseason acquisition was Trevor Ariza. They’re expecting big things for him, but he’s failed to produce in the past. If he doesn’t take his game to another level they’re in trouble.

5. Memphis Grizzlies (28-54)
There’s so much raw talent on this roster that the Grizzlies will probably have nights where they look like a solid basketball team. Unfortunately the personalities on this team just don’t mesh. How exactly do the Grizzlies think O.J. Mayo, Zach Randolph and Allen Iverson can coexist? There just aren’t enough shots in the game for those three to stay happy. They have the ability to be a high-scoring, entertaining team, but there’s sure to be plenty of off-court drama to go with it.

2. Atlanta Hawks (48-34, No. 4 seed)
The Hawks are a fun team to watch, but they are a center away from being a legitimate Eastern Conference title contender. Al Horford is really more of a power forward which puts the Hawks at a significant disadvantage when playing teams such as Cleveland and Orlando who have center capable of dominating Horford in the post. If the Hawks could add a capable center during the season, pushing Horford to power forward and Marvin Williams to the bench, they could challenge the Big Three of the Eastern Conference.

3. Washington Wizards (44-38, No. 7)
Just a year after finishing with the conference’s worst record the Wizards should be back in the playoff hunt; as long as Gilbert Arenas stays healthy that is. With Arenas, Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison and Randy Foye, the Wizards have the ability to score in bunches. With a healthy Arenas, the Wizards finished between 40 and 45 wins every year from the 2004-05 to the 2007-08 season. Expect more of the same this time around from Agent 0 and company.

4. Charlotte Bobcats (35-47)
The Bobcats took a risk this season by trading Emeka Okafor for Tyson Chandler. Larry Brown felt constrained by Okafor’s lack of mobility and ability to contribute on the offensive side of the ball. Chandler isn’t exactly an offensive force, but he could be an upgrade if he fits into Brown’s plans. The key to a turnaround could be the development of Raymond Felton. He’s received mixed reviews over the past few seasons but showed signs of finally figuring it out last year. Between him and D.J. Augustin the Bobcats have a nice combo at point guard to run the show. However, they don’t really have anyone to dish the ball too. The scoring is spread between Gerald Wallace, Boris Diaw, Raja Bell and Felton. Someone needs to step up as the go-to guy for the Bobcats to compete.

5. Miami Heat (34-48)
A number of teams in the Eastern Conference improved this offseason while the Heat remained stagnant. Dwyane Wade is obviously still among the game’s elite scorers, but he isn’t the type of player that can carry a team. Michael Beasley was a disappointment last season and his off-court issues this offseason put his future in question. Jermaine O’Neal, acquired during last season, will start at center but he is clearly on the down swing of his career. Without another scoring threat to compliment the injury-prone Wade, the Heat could be in for a long season.

2. Detroit Pistons (47-35, No. 5 seed)
I may be overly optimistic in my projection for the Pistons since a number of new pieces need to come together for this all to work. However, I love the acquisitions of Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva and the addition-by-subtraction of Allen Iverson. By losing Iverson, Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess the Pistons should feature a younger, faster, and all-around more athletic lineup. Last year’s lineup was simply too slow to keep pace with the more up-tempo style that a number of Eastern Conference teams are adopting such as division-rivals Chicago and Indiana.

3. Chicago Bulls (39-43)
Bulls fans are expecting the team to take a major step forward this year after last season’s thrilling 1st-round series with the Celtics. However, you simply don’t get better by losing Ben Gordon and failing to find an adequate replacement. John Salmons is capable of filling in as his replacement in the lineup, but that leaves a huge hole on the bench. The Bulls have grown accustomed to having Gordon or Salmons provide a scoring boost off the bench in recent years, something that Kirk Heinrich isn’t capable of providing with consistency.

4. Indiana Pacers (38-44)
The Pacers are slowing improving, but they’re still a year away from being a serious playoff contender. Danny Granger leads the way for one of the most potent offenses, but its the defensive side of the ball that is the Pacers downfall. They simply don’t have the athletes or the physical post players necessary to slow anyone down. In 2008-09 only the Knicks allowed more ppg than the Pacers. The Pacers didn’t do much in the offseason. They lost Jarrett Jack, replacing him with Earl Watson to serve as T.J. Ford’s backup. They also made the questionable selection of Tyler Hansbrough in the draft, who doesn’t figure to make a significant impact in his rookie year.

5. Milwaukee Bucks (21-61)
The Bucks are my pick as the worst team in the league. Losing Richard Jefferson, Ramon Sessions and Charlie Villanueva off a team that went 34-48 spells trouble. Michael Redd, if healthy, is still among the top 2-guards in the league but there is very little talent around him. Andrew Bogut will be expected to take on an increased role in the offense, something he may not be ready to do. The one wild card that could save the Bucks is rookie Brandon Jennings. If he lives up to the hype the Bucks could be, well, somewhat mediocre. But he’ll more than likely experience some growing pains which the Bucks will live with so long as he shows some promise. This is very much  a rebuilding year and Michael Redd will likely be a hot topic in trade talks throughout the season.

2. Toronto Raptors (45-37, No. 6 seed)
Chris Bosh is in his contract year, which means you can expect a career year from the Raptors big man.  Hedu Turkoglu joins the squad and should be the second scoring option. The key to their success, however, sits with their young talent. Former top pick Andrea Bargnani will be expected to take his game to the next level. The Raptors are also expecting a lot from rookie DeMar DeRozen. He’s a Vince Carter-like guard/forward that could earn a starting job. His development could be key to the Raptors ability to compete with the Celtics.

3.  Philadelphia 76ers (40-42, No. 8 seed)
One of the most underrated losses in the NBA this season could be the departure of Andre Miller from Philadelphia. The Sixers are handing the team over to Louis Williams, who has looked good at times, but still needs to prove he can consistently get the ball to Andre Iguodala. The Sixers success, however, will rest on the health of Elton Brand. After last season’s performance you can’t expect much from Brand, but if healthy he can still be a force in the league. Thaddeus Lewis will be expect to continue his development, and should open the season as their starting power forward. Jason Kapono was their only meaningful offseason acquisition, and gives them a reliable outside shooter off the bench.

4. New York Knicks (33-49)
For obvious reasons, the Knicks are once again punting on the season. They have so many mediocre pieces its tough to even predict who will get the most playing time. Al Harrington certainly has the most potential, but he isn’t a smart player and Danilo Gallinari will be given every opportunity to win the starting small forward position. Rookie Jordan Hill is an athletic big man that Mike D’Antoni could use in an Amare’ Stoudamire-type role (although that will likely take some time for him to grow into). And then there’s Larry Hughes, who is, well, still Larry Hughes.

5. New Jersey Nets (25-57)
Its going to be a long year for the Nets. The good news is Devin Harris is one of the game’s elite scorers. If nothing else, he’ll be entertaining to watch on a nightly basis. The bad news is, the departure of Vince Carter leaves a gaping hole in their ability to score. Rafer Alston, who never saw a shot he didn’t like, was added and will likely fill some of that void. It will be interesting to watch Brook Lopez develop. Last year he looked like a future star at times, but his offensive game is lacking and teams will pay more attention to him this year.

According to The Plain Dealer, LeBron had this to say about Edwards’ scuffle in a nightclub with a member of LeBron’s posse:

“I’ve never crossed paths with Braylon before but it seems like there is a little jealously going on with Braylon and me and my friends,” James said. “I have no idea why. I’ve never said anything to Braylon at all. For him to do that I think is very childish. My friend is 130 pounds. Seriously, it is like hitting one of my kids or something like that. It doesn’t make sense…”

What exactly is Braylon jealous of? No idea. Perhaps the fact that LeBron’s 130-pound friend has as many wins this year as he does.

Now I’m going to over analyze a scrimmage, but those free throw stats sure do bring back some bad memories of this past spring. It may be the only weakness in the King’s game, but it is a major weakness. LeBron shot a career-high 78 pct from the line during the regular season, but struggled at times in the playoffs as we all remember. You can’t learn much from the NBA preseason, but LeBron’s performance at the free throw line is certainly something to keep an eye on. He’s worked at improving that aspect of his game in the past, and one can only assume he wasn’t satisfied with last year’s performance.

Stat of the day: Over the past two seasons when LeBron takes at least 10 free throws and shoots at least 80 pct from the line, the Cavs are 16-5.