ESPN "experts" prognosticate top 5 NBA teams

[slamtheking]

Personally,

Lakers (I want to puke for even putting them at the top but they are the champs, for now)
Celtics
Magic
Heat
OKC/Dallas

Lakers didn't lose anyone after winning it all.
Celtics essentially lost their starting center and 1st big off the bench (JO can't replace both Perk and Sheed and let's face it, Perk won't be right when he comes back)
Magic might lose Reddick but the main players are still in place.
Heat, well duh, Wade, Bron and Bosh are going to beat a lot of teams no matter who else they're playing with.
OKC has lot of young talent they kept that will get better and improved a lot during the draft.

Dallas, Denver, Chicago and Portland could surprise this year but that's about it.

[wdleehi]

It is a little early.


As long as all of them put the Celtics in the top 5, I am fine with it.  Such rankings are about as meaningful as the out comes of the summer games.

[guava_wrench]

Utterly pointless to predict right now. Rosters are still half empty for many teams.

[RAcker]

I think it's clear that the ESPN guys are doing something else that ends with the letters "ate" right now over this LeWaBosh story.  

[pearljammer10]

I still just dont understand why the Magic are so high on Everybodys lists.... I just dont see it i dont know why.

[indeedproceed]

i think the bulls are better than the thunder. thunder have no post game and the bulls just got boozer.

Thunder have the best scorer in the game, and one of the top 10 pgs. On top of that they have the best wing defender in the league, and one of the mort promising young post defenders. I have the thunder #3 in the west, behind LA and Utah. Denver without Kenyon Martin...meh.

[MBunge]

I am flabbergasted to think that "experts" put the Heat, with 4 players, four second round draft picks and no one else on their team, anywhere near the top 3 teams in the league at this point. I just don't see any way of the Heat making the ECFs next year without quality help coming in.

1 Celtics/Lakers
3 Magic
4 Utah
5 Thunder
6 Bulls/SA/Heat

It's the front-running nature of the NBA.  When Ainge did it 3 years ago, NOBODY thought it would work.  Now, they all think ANYBODY can do it.  The fact that, outside of Wade/Bron/Bosh, the Heat are likely going to have the worst roster any supposed title contender has ever had in league history never occurs to them.

Mike

[gar]

Agree, absolutely useless at this stage. As for Heat, I would not like to be the fall guy if they don't win it all. Anyone who joins these guys is going to be blamed. Of course, is not Lebron's or DWades fault. Has to be the other guys.

[democritic]

Teams in the National Basketball Association must reduce their Active List to a maximum of 12 players the day before the beginning of the NBA season.

Teams must have at least eight eligible players dressed and able to play in a regular season game. Teams failing to comply are subject to fines.

http://www.nba.com/analysis/00421026.html

The Heat, right now, are one of the worst teams in the NBA, seeing as how they aren't, technically speaking, a team.

ESPN "experts" need to find something better to do with their time.

[manl_lui]

Celtics
Heat
Lakers

Celtics could've and should have won game 7, I'm still bitter about that loss, and if only Perk wans't hurt =(...we are still 7-0 when our starting 5 play through all the playoff games...

Heat depending on who they get for a C and bench, could also be up there...

I hate the Lakers, so theyre on 3...=)

[Quinn]

Now I saw what the "experts" said about how the top five would round out in the NBA. Now its only for fun, 40 percent of roster spots are still open. But based on what teams have NOW, how would you rank them?

here's mine:

1a) Fakers - Lets face the truth, we could have won game seven but they're the champs; can't strip them of their title before they have a chance to make a run for it again.

1b) Celtics - But we deserved to win, and Perk's injury and terrible fourth quarter officiating are the only reasons we lost. So we're tied with the Lakers in terms of talent. Thin front court, and need for a bench prevent the Celtics to be number one talent wise. Jermaine O'Neal will help out exponentially more than people will have thought with our staff and a focus on good team basketball. Still better than every team.

3) Thundahhh - I love OKC. The most explosive scorer in the game. Kind of reminds me of a younger T-Mac only better. Westbrook is fun to watch, and in the top 8-10 PGs in the game and will only get better. I see them possibly taking the West next year.

4) Heat - Now I know they have no roster or players around the Holy Trinity (in David Stern's eyes), but dang does this team scare me. Two players that could easily explode for 40 plus in a night? And another top-ten NBA PF in Chris Bosh to accompany those two. Those three alone will win 3/4 of the games. They'd tear 90% of the defenses in the league to pieces. This might be the last chance to take the East for us for a while.

5 Magic - I was debating this one, but I went with the Magic they're a fairly intimidating playoff basketball. They have quite a bit of experience in the last few years. Dwight's only going to get better, his offensive game has improved already, and with his work ethic it will only get better. I like this team, with or without JJ.

All in all I think (as the rosters stand now) I can see LAL, OKC, and maybe UTH competing in the west, with the Celtics, Magic, and Heat in the East.


Dark Horses - Milwaukee - Remember, they didn't have Bogut in the playoffs...don't count Jenning's team out.

[vinnie]

Heat
Lakers
Celtics
Magic
Thunder

[HYPE.]

WIth the addition of Korver and Boozer, I'd say Chicago also looks pretty stacked and shouldn't be underestimated. They belong somewhere on that list.

[Brendan]

I think regular season record will be:

LAL
BOS
ORL
OKC
MIA

[ibby]

1. Lakers
They are who they are.  I think the Lebron to Miami thing helps the Lakers as much, if not more than the Heat.  Kobe is hungry to threepeat and pass Shaq.


2. Celtics
Maybe I'm a homer.  I know they are older and I think that O'Neal instead of Wallace is a downgrade.  Tony Allen will be a year older and with a year under his belt as the C's "lockdown" defender hopefully he will be stronger.  Plus all things are Rondo's now.  (I really wish we had gone after Beasely during the MIA fire sale).

3. Chicago
Even without Lebron they are scary.  Rose is another year older.  Noah is another year cockier.  Boozer will give them the interior scorer that they have been looking for since Horace Grant left.  They still have room to add another max player or 2 lesser players.  I think them and New York are the front runners for Carmelo (will he get an ESPN special too?).


4. Orlando
Wow that's a lot of Eastern teams.  They are a closer away.  Vince Carter is not that closer.

5. Miami
I reserve the right to move them up once their roster fills out, and if they keep getting role players like Mike Miller their might be a problem.  I could also see them getting someone like Josh Childress for cheap, or even Shaq for cheap that would just kill me.  I hate you so much right now Pat Riley.

Others to Watch
OKC, because they are young and really good.  Spurs, because they are the Spurs.  Dallas, because they have to get out of the first round eventualy.  Atlanta, because €they will be a fun regular season team or a complete disaster.