I really hope that the Grizzles get back to form this year. I like the team they have. I think the 76ers are an underrated team. Chicago really needs Derrick Rose back if they want to get back to Championship contender.

East:
1) Miami Heat
2) Indiana Pacers
3) Boston Celtics
4) New York Knicks
5) Brooklyn Nets
6) Washington Wizards
7) Atlanta Hawks
8) Philadelphia 76ers
9) Chicago Bulls
10) Milwaukee Bucks
11) Detroit Pistons
12) Cleveland Cavaliers
13) Toronto Raptors
14) Charlotte Bobcats
15) Orlando Magic

East Analysis:

Miami Heat: The Heat is the strongest team in the East coming off a championship. They have built themselves into a feared team, and with the addition of Ray Allen to their second unit, one of the greatest three point sharpshooters of all time, they have strengthened their offense even more. Very few teams have a roster that can match the Heat. Led by players who can play excellent offense and defense, a coaching skills that have proven to be effective, and role players who know what to do, the Heat look like a team with the potential to win a bother championship. This is why I project the Miami Heat to finish in the top seed.

Indiana Pacers: The Pacers is another team that has built themselves into a solid team. The Pacers aren't as strong as the roster for the Heat, but their mix of skill, experience, and athleticism should prove to be very useful this season for them. Players such as Roy Hibbert, Danny Granger, and Paul George have proven themselves to be a part of the NBA's elite players. They are far from perfect, but if they can improve themselves to the point where they're at their prime, with the help from the bench of course, the Pacers could be on their way to winning a championship soon. This is why I project the Pacers to finish second.

Boston Celtics: I'm a Celtics fan, but I can say without a doubt that this Celtics roster is nowhere near the best in the league. There are many other players and teams who could easily outdo the Celtics and more than likely will during certain parts of the preseason. However, the Celtics have a valuable advantage that very few others have going for them when it comes to facing the Celtics....experience. The Celtics are more than experienced with how professional basketball works, and this experience will serve as a much needed advantage for the Celtics. The older guys who have experience, such as Paul Pierce and KG, and even Rondo, working alongside a group of young, new players with potential, the Celtics could have a few promising years left. This is why I project the Celtics to finish third.

New York Knicks: Chemistry! This teams main problem, at least to me, is chemistry. And no not the branch of science. I mean working together as a roster and getting things done on the floor. But that's only one of their problems. Another is their cap space. They have so much money invested in A'Mare, Anthony, and Chandler, they have very little left to manage the rest of their roster. That being said, despite cap space issues and a lack of chemistry, the Knicks are definitely headed down the right path in the sense that they are proving to be the Knicks from back in the day and not the Knicks from 6 years ago who struggled to stay away from the bottom of the league. Led by Anthony, the Knicks have escaped the under .500 seasons that most people have expected from them and have become playoff contenders with a lot of potential. With the return of Felton, the Knicks do have more advantages going for them. One problem the Knicks have that I didn't mention before was inconsistent shooting. If players like J.R. Smith could consistently knock down shots, then the Knicks could be a team with the potential to win their first title in over 40 years. This is why I project the Knicks to finish fourth.

New Jersey Brooklyn Nets: The Nets look more promising than ever before. The addition of Joe Johnson to the Nets offense and the new stadium really gives the Nets the potential to be quite the adversary in the playoffs. The Nets have a strong set of players such as: Deron Williams, Gerald Wallace, Brook Lopez, Joe Johnson, and Kris Humphries, provide an incredible starting lineup and with Blatche coming off the bench scoring 10+ points a game, the Nets look like a team that could give the top teams in the NBA a run for their money. This is why I project the Nets to finish fifth.

Washington Wizards: The Wizards is the team that I think separates definite playoff contenders to the "most likely" playoff contenders. I know what you guys are thinking. " But what about the Atlanta Hawks? Aren't they a definite?" My answer is no, but I'll explain why when I get to them. Back to the Wizards, they have to feel pretty good about themselves. Despite a bad record last season, they did some things no other team did. One of them includes beating Miami and Chicago...ON THE ROAD! You heard me, on the road. No other team managed to do that, so that's a good thing for the Wizards. Also, they ended last year with a six game winning streak, so that's a good feeling heading into the offseason and preparing for the next. Now that I got last year out of the way, looking ahead to this year and reflecting on that positivity, the Wizards have an O.K. team. They have Wall, a player with the potential to be as elite as players such as Rondo or Paul or Rose. They also picked up Bradley Beal, who will make a great addition to the roster. The Wizards overall have a decent team on their hands and will more than likely make the playoffs. This is why I project the Wizards to finish sixth.

Atlanta Hawks: I'm going to get this out of the way now. I do not think that the Atlanta Hawks have a 100% chance of making the playoffs. For one, they lost their main man Joe Johnson. Also, Josh Smith hasn't played at his best yet, in my opinion. The Hawks are still a good team with a good roster, but to me I don't think that they are guaranteed a playoff spot. Now that that's out of the way, there's not much more for me to say about the Hawks. Good shooting I guess? Moving on...this is why I project the Hawks to finish seventh.

Philadelphia 76ers: Now we escape the "most likely" playoff contenders and reach the "50/50 ish" playoff contenders. The 76ers, a team that led the division midway last season now is weaker than the Nets. Sure, they picked up Bynum, but I don't think they really gained anything out of their offseason acquisitions. The team no longer has Andre Iguodala, Elton Brand and Lou Williams. Instead, they have  Jason Richardson, Nick Young, Dorell Wright and Kwame Brown. Seems like a loss to me. They still have a chance of making the playoffs but their roster just seems weaker to me. This is why I project the 76ers to finish eighth.

Chicago Bulls: The Bulls are also a "50/50 ish" playoff contender. But without Rose, the Bulls are going to have a difficult time winning many games. It's almost as if Rose is injury prone just to screw over the Bulls. I'm sure this isn't the case...just a bad joke...moving on. Unless other players improve enough to continue their dominance in rebounding and score some more points, the Bulls will find making the playoffs harder than ever before.

Milwaukee Bucks: Now we've left the "50/50 ish" playoff contenders and reach the "probably won't make it" playoff contenders. The Bucks tend to be in a very bad position each season. They have struggled to make it to the playoffs and when they fail, they fail in the 9th or 10th seed, preventing them from acquiring a lottery pick. They're in a position of failure and unless they can get better playoffs to have a chance to win a championship or lose games to get lottery picks, they'll be stuck in a state of failure for quite a while.

Detroit Pistons: This is probably the only other team with any chance to make the playoffs. Picking up Andre Drummond was smart and they traded away Gordon, providing themselves with cap space. The Pistons are an ok roster, but they'll need a lot more than a good roster to make the playoffs.

Cleveland Cavaliers: From this point on, these teams aren't making the playoffs. Cleveland is still struggling, despite having Kyrie Irving. The Loss of LeBron James must still be hurting them. If this Cavs team wants a chance to even make the playoffs, they need a better team and need to improve their offense
and defense.

Toronto Raptors: Another team that's not making the playoffs, the Raptors are moving in the right direction as a franchise but their not there yet. They're on pace to be a good team, but they will have to suck for the next couple of seasons or so to reach that playoff contender status.

Charlotte Bobcats: Another team not making the playoffs. They're coming off of a season where they made NBA history, although it's not something for them to be proud of. They're roster isn't strong, and it will not be for at least three seasons.

Orlando Magic: I'm not even going to waste my time. No Dwight Howard, Jeff Van Gundy gone, turmoil. A bad season is inevitable for the guys.

West:
1) Oklahoma City Thunder
2) San Antonio Spurs
3) Los Angeles Lakers
4) Los Angeles Clippers
5) Memphis Grizzlies
6) Denver Nuggets
7)  Dallas Mavericks
8) Minnesota Timberwolves
9) Utah Jazz
10) Golden State Warriors
11) Portland Trailblazers
12) New Orleans Hornets
13) Phoenix Suns
14) Sacramento Kings
15) Houston Rockets

West Analysis:

Oklahoma City Thunder: This is a Thunder team, led by Durant, Westbrook, Ibaka, etc. that dominated the Western Conference through the playoffs and met a disappointing end to the season against the Heat when they lost 4-1. I know they'll come out this season seeking redemption trying to win the championship that they failed to do last season. This is why I project the Thunder to finish in the top seed.

San Antonio Spurs: The Spurs are as good as ever at this point. Duncan and Parker have really carried this team, with players such as Ginobili scoring whenever he can, and role players such as Boris Diaw, Daniel Green, Kawhi Leonard, Stephen Jackson, Matt Bonner and Gary Neal playing at the top of their game. This Spurs team should have a promising season, but I think that the Thunder's thirst for redemption will put them over the Spurs in terms of seeding.

Los Angeles Lakers: Despite my feelings toward the Lakers, they have a very solid and powerful roster. Players such as Nash, Gasoline, Bryant, Howard, and even Metta World Peace (kinda ironic considering he elbowed James Harden and was responsible for the Malice at the palace, but who am I to judge) provide a solid offense and a very good defense. The Lakers look like they have a promising year ahead, and they want the title that they were deprived of in 2011 and 2012. This is why I project the Lakers to finish third.

Los Angeles Clippers: Speaking of L.A., the next team on my list is the Clippers. The Clippers definitely have a hard schedule up ahead, and a roster that isn't faring to well. Lamar Odom is coming off of the worst year of his career. Jamal Crawford didn't do that well either. Chauncey Billups is 35 and he's recovering from a season-ending surgery on his ACL. Despite these issues, the Clippers have proven themselves to be championship caliber teams. They definitely have the potential to go through the season and end on a positive note. This is why I project the Clippers to finish fourth.

Memphis Grizzlies: The Grizzlies went from a team who was always swept if they even made the playoffs to a pretty solid playoff contender. They no longer have Mayo, which reduces the conpkications of the previous seasons. The Grizzlies already have one of the better defensive point guards starting, Mike Conley Jr. The guards off the bench are now Jerryd Bayless and rookie Tony Wroten Jr., two point guards who will fit in with their role. The Grizzlies also have role players who lockdown on defense and can knock down shots. This is why I project the Grizzlies to finish fifth.

Denver Nuggets: The Nuggets are so close to being one of the elite in the West, and this offseason enhanced it. Picking up Iggy (Andre Igudola) was a very good acquisition and adds a nice little boost of offense and defense to a team that already has good players such as Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler and Corey Brewer. The Nuggets as a whole has a few things needed to improve them to the level of greatness achieved by teams such as the Lakers or Heat or Thunder, but if they keep improving themselves, they'll eventually get there. This is why I project the Nuggets to finish sixth.

Dallas Mavericks: My hands are starting to hurt from all this typing. What must hurt more was the sweep that the Mavericks were dealt by the Thunder after winning the NBA Finals against the Heat the year before.  This team is a team that can clearly make it to the post season, thanks to none other than Dirk Nowitski, but they are a long way from winning another championship. They no longer have Jason Kidd, but they were able to acquire O.J. Mayo, a much needed acquisition to replace Kidd. They also acquired Chris Kaman, who fills in the hold from when Tyson Chandler left. With these additions, the Mavs have a very good chance of making the playoffs. This is why I project the Mavs to finish seventh.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Wait what? Minnesota? Making the playoffs without KG? NO WAY!.....Yes way. Minnesota is a pretty talented team at the moment, with the players such as Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio providing talent and veterans like Brandon Roy and Andrei Kirilenko provide the Timberwolves with extra support, enough to boost them to become a potential playoff contender. With a good team and a good coach, I think the Timberwolves can once again see  the postseason. This is why I project the Timberwolves to finish eighth.

Utah Jazz: The Jazz managed to outlast the Suns and Rockets to make it to the postseason but were net with a sweep from the Spurs. Since then, they have made a few moves to solidify their team. Mo Williams has been brought in as a point guard , while Randy Foye was signed to provide the Jazz with some perimeter shooting. Marvin Williams gives Utah athleticism, something that Utah lacked and desperately needed. This roster probably won't be strong enough to make it into this postseason, but they will definitely be able to make the postseason in future seasons if they keep improving their roster.

Golden State Warriors: A  big problem for this Warriors team is that they are prone to injury. Andrew Bogut and Stephen Curry struggle to stay healthy, and if that persists this season, the Warriors won't have much hope of making it to the postseason. Despite that, they've picked up players such Richard Jefferson, Brandon Rush, and Klay Thompson. If the Warriors can stay healthy, then they may make the postseason, but I wouldn't bet on it happening.

Portland Trailblazers: Portland had an awful second half of the season last season, preventing them from playoff contention. As good as Portland is with Damian Lillard and Lamarcus Aldridge, the Blazers I don't think are going to go anywhere this season.

New Orleans Hornets: The Hornets were able to acquire Anthony Davis and Austin Rivers, two very valuable players considering the Hornets lost Kaman. They have a few guys who have potential, but this Hornets team isn't capable yet of making the playoffs.

Phoenix Suns: To me the Sun's roster isn't good enough to make the playoffs, especially with the loss of Steve Nash. The Phoenix Suns starting lineup is probably going to consist of Goran Dragic, Shannon Brown, Michael Beasley, Luis Scola and Marcin Gortat, all of which are good players but against the better teams they'll have trouble. Jermaine O'Neal, Wesley Johnson, Jared Dudley and Markieff Morris coming off the bench doesn't seem to provide much from the second unit. They need batter players if they want make it to the postseason.

Sacramento Kings: A team that constantly struggles to win, regardless of who they have on the team. They're not making it to the postseason.

Houston Rockets: A pretty inexperienced team with their best player being Jeremy Lin. Also not making the playoffs.

That's my projections and analysis on the 2012-2013 season. I wonder if anyone actually bothered to read it but if so I hope you enjoyed it.

TRADE ALERT!!

Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets have agreed to trade...

OKC- James Harden, Daequan Cook, Lazar Hayward, and Cole Aldrich

HOU- Jeremy Lamb, Kevin Martin, and draft picks.

Now this will be interesting to see what OKC will how they will fill the hole that Harden occupied (I'm guessing that Lamb will be part of the plan). You got to admit that Houston shouldn't be overlooked now with Harden, Lin, and a pair of 7'0 centers (Asik and Aldrich). I'm not going to say that Houston will make the post-season, just that Houston might be good enough to influence the standings.

Edit: The draft picks are 2 First Round picks and a Second round pick. Houston clearly gave up too much for Hardin.