The Patriots have won three of the last four Super Bowls but appear vulnerable this season. The Spurs are seeking their fourth NBA championship in the last eight seasons and remain the obvious team to beat.

. The Hornets are coming off a franchise-worst 18-64 season and will play 35 "home" games in Oklahoma City. They won't win many of them, but should be mildly entertaining with promising guards J.R. Smith and Chris Paul and former Oklahoma State star Desmond Mason.

. The Raptors have two solid players in Chris Bosh and Jalen Rose, but center Rafael Araujo looks like a bust, starting small forward Mo Peterson would be a nice sub on a good team and Charlie Villanueva was an unpopular No. 7 overall pick in the 2005 draft. A bad rebounding team and no depth at guard.

. The Hawks were an NBA-worst 13-69 last season and are a lock for a seventh straight losing season. Expensive Phoenix import Joe Johnson will help but he's not cut out to be a point guard. The death of popular center Jason Collier in training camp would be difficult for any team to overcome.

. The Bobcats are on the right track building around Rookie of the Year Emeka Okafor. They played an NBA-most 21 games decided by 3 points or fewer last season and were only 5-16 in those games. As the young team matures, it figures to improve in crunch time.

. The Trail Blazers have cleaned house after finishing below .500 (27-55) for the first time since 1988-89. They don't have as much raw talent, but will be more disciplined under new coach Nate McMillan (i.e. he banned headbands on the court). Zach Randolph, Darious Mile and Sebastian Telfair are a promising young nucleus.

. Grant Hill is injured again and will start the season on the sidelines, but the Magic could get off to a decent start with the return of coach Brian Hill, a nice 1-2 punch in Dwight Howard and Steve Francis, and 17 of their first 27 games at home.

. Coach Doc Rivers plans to run, run, run to make up for defensive shortcomings but it won't be easy with suspect rebounding. Rumored trade-bait Paul Pierce and Ricky Davis will do most of the scoring, but the key to a fifth straight trip to the playoffs is the continued progress of young power forward Al Jefferson.

. The strength of the Jazz is the frontcourt of Andrei Kirilenko, Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur, with Matt Harpring off the bench. But 21-year-old rookie point guard Deron Williams might not be ready to run the team on the floor and perimeter shooting is suspect.

. The Knicks have a fair shot at the playoffs in the weaker East Conference, but it will take time for new coach Larry Brown's defense-first system to catch on. Expecting guards Stephon Marbury and Jamal Crawford to shoot less and distribute more could be asking too much. Eddy Curry is a big upgrade at center though his heart condition is a concern.

. The Clippers won more games than the co-tenant Lakers at Staples Center last season (27 to 22). If all goes well, they'll have a winning record for the first time since 1991-92. Elton Brand, Corey Maggette, Chris Kaman, Cuttino Mobley and Sam Cassell are an impressive starting five on paper and injury-prone Shaun Livingston has a huge upside as a playmaker. Concerns include a weak bench and perimeter defense.

. Can Allen Iverson and Chris Webber co-exist? New coach Maurice Cheeks wants four-time NBA scoring champion Iverson to shoot less and pass more. Good luck on both counts. The starting unit is solid with long-range bomber Kyle Korver (tied for NBA lead with 226 3-point field goals last season), hard-working center Samuel Dalembert (a new six-year, $64-million contract) and Andre Iguodala. There isn't much on the bench.

. The Bulls finally made the playoffs again last season after six years of rebuilding. They're young and athletic (featuring Tyson Chandler, Luol Deng, Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich) and will hold their own with perimeter shooting and hustle. Losing post players Eddy Curry and Antonio Davis hurt.

. Phil Jackson returns as coach, but he doesn't have a stacked deck for a change. Last year's Lakers went 2-19 down the stretch to finish 34-48. Kobe Bryant is the oldest member of the starting unit at age 27. If center Kwame Brown unexpectedly wakes up, the Lakers might surprise and avoid missing the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time since Jerry Buss bought the team in 1979. There isn't a true point guard (unless you think Smush Parker is the man).

. Last year's Wizards improved by 20 wins and won their first playoff series in 23 years. Versatile guard Gilbert Arenas is close to superstar status, but Larry Hughes will be sorely missed (the free agent signed with Cleveland). Disappointing center Kwame Brown won't be. Solid on the perimeter but relatively weak up front with Antawn Jamison, Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood.

. The trade for Jamaal Magloire takes some pressure off prize rookie center Andrew Bogut and upgraded the Bucks considerably. Michael Redd is a gifted scorer and speedy point guard. T.J. Ford is back after sitting out last season with a back injury. Rebounding and defense have to improve.

. Newcomers Eddie Jones and Damon Stoudamire will improve the team's defense. Power forward Pau Gasol has added some muscle, Mike Miller is a dead-eye shooter, and the bench is deep with Bobby Jackson, Shane Battier, Dahntay Jones, Brian Cardinal, Lawrence Roberts and rookie Hakim Warrick. The big weakness for the Grizzlies is rebounding.

. The Warriors have the talent to reach the playoffs for the first time since 1994. Baron Davis is one of the NBA's most underrated great players and Mike Dunleavy might be ready for his breakout season. Troy Murphy is an excellent 6-foot-11 jump shooter, but coach Mike Montgomery would like to see him score more inside. Center Adonal Foyle is the weak link and useless on offense.

. The SuperSonics were a surprising 52-30 last season, but several players might not match career-best performances. The up-tempo offense features Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis and point guard Luke Ridnour. The Sonics will continue to fill it from the perimeter but did nothing significant to bolster their soft inside in the off-season.

. The Timberwolves were the NBA's biggest disappointment last season, missing the playoffs after reaching the Western Conference finals the year before (from 58-24 in 2003-04 to 44-38). Kevin Garnett is one of the three-best all-around players in the NBA (he led the team in points, rebounds and assists 30 times last season) but no longer has the supporting cast for the T-Wolves to contend for the title. New coach Dwane Casey is stressing defense and forcing turnovers because the offense is so limited.

. Last season's run-and-gun Suns led the NBA in scoring (110.4 points per game, up 16.2 per game from the previous season) and improved their record from 29-53 in 2003-04 to 62-20. They'll be fortunate to win 50 games this season after losing Joe Johnson (to the Hawks) and Quentin Richardson (to the Knicks), and with Amare Stoudemire (26 points per game last season) out for at least four months after knee surgery. League MVP Steve Nash will have to shoot more and pass less.

. LeBron James has more help with the additions of Larry Hughes and Donyell Marshall and the team's seven-year playoff drought figures to end. Zydrunas Ilgauskas is one of the NBA's most effective centers, though he'll be left in the dust when the Cavaliers fast break.

. Bonzi Wells and Shareef Abdur-Rahim join Brad Miller, Peja Stojakovic and Mike Bibby in an explosive starting five. The Kings averaged an NBA-most 24.5 assists and an NBA-low 13.1 turnovers per game last season and ranked behind only Phoenix in scoring. They'll continue to outscore most opponents with their up-tempo style.

. Coach Avery Johnson is preaching more defense and newcomer Doug Christie will help, but the strength of the Mavericks will continue to be the offensive skills of Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Howard, Jason Terry, Jerry Stackhouse, Keith Van Horn and Marquis Daniels. Their free-wheeling style works better in the regular season than in the playoffs.

. Few teams have a better eight-man rotation than Carmelo Anthony, Kenyon Martin, Marcus Camby, Voshon Lenard, Andre Miller, Earl Boykins, Nene and Earl Watson. The Nuggets were 32-8 last season after George Karl arrived as coach. They're not quite that good but have the talent to go deep into the playoffs. Outside shooting and a smallish backcourt are concerns.

. The Nets will be successful and fun to watch if they stay healthy. Starters Richard Jefferson, Vince Carter, Jason Kidd, Nenad Krstic (29-12 last season when the young center scored in double figures) and Jason Collins are backed up by quality reserves Jeff McInnis, Marc Jackson, Cliff Robinson, Scott Padgett and Lamond Murray. Rebounding must improve for the Nets to be a title threat.

. How much will Larry Brown be missed? New coach Flip Saunders hopes to rev-up the offense while maintaining the team's stingy defense. Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, Ben Wallace, Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups are a confident and hard-nosed veteran starting five and Antonio McDyess and Carlos Arroyo are the top subs.

. With Stromile Swift, Derek Anderson and Rafer Alston joining Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming in the starting unit, the Rockets have the personnel to thrive in an up-tempo game. But will Jeff Van Gundy let them? In his seven full seasons as an NBA coach, his teams always ranked in the top five in fewest points allowed. Juwan Howard, Jon Barry, David Wesley and Dikembe Mutombo are experienced reserves.

. Holdover starters Shaquille O'Neal, Dwyane Wade and Udonis Hasklem are joined by newcomers James Posey and Jason Williams, with former all-stars Antoine Walker, Gary Payton and Alonzo Mourning on the bench. If the new-look Heat struggles early, there will be speculation that team president Pat Riley will replace Stan Van Gundy as coach. It might not seem fair but it would be a logical move.

. A near-riot, suspensions and injuries undermined the Pacers last season but the roster has the talent to more than overcome the retirement of veteran gunner Reggie Miller's 14.8 points per game. There aren't many better starting fives than Jermaine O'Neal, Ron Artest, unselfish center Jeff Foster, Stephen Jackson and Jamaal Tinsley. Jonathan Bender, Austin Croshere and sharp-shooter Sarunas Jasikevicius provide depth. Keeping emotions under control will be a key.

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