My Fake Season: Next Season Starts Now

After finishing with the league's worst record last season, the Hawks were active in the free-agent market. Damon Stoudemire was a good addition at the point, but adding Bobby Simmons and Erick Strickland to their existing glut of swing players was questionable. Udonis Haslem was another nice addition and should start. Rookie Demian Rierden is raw but has potential. They'll bring him along slowly. They won't make the playoffs, but the Hawks will be much improved over last season. Look for Al Harrington to have a breakout year.

With Gary Payton retiring, the Celtics took a huge gamble in trading Al Jefferson to the Sonics after a promising rookie campaign. Luke Ridnour is only marginally better than Marcus Banks, who will split time with Ridnour at the point. Rookie forwards Dominic Hunter and Dominic Kukoc will need to contribute right away, as the Celtics lack depth up front with Jefferson gone. Barring a blockbuster trade, the Celts will be hard-pressed to repeat as Atlantic Division champs.

The Bobcats figure to be much improved over last season, adding free agents Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Vladimir Radmanovic and Kyle Korver to the mix. Rookie of the Year Emeka Okafor will likely move to center. Rookie Vin Gill will battle Brevin Knight and Jason Hart for the starting point guard position. Expect the Bobcats to make a trade to bolster their weak selection of shooting guards. The Bobcats are still a few years away from playoff contention.

The Cavs finished last season in a disappointing freefall that left them out of the playoffs on the last day of the season. They'll look to improve on last season after replacing free agent Jeff McInnis with Jamaal Tinsley, who is coming off perhaps his best season. The DeSagana Diop experiment was put to a merciful end. Rookies Remus McCarty and Augustus Sorrell figure to see a decent amount of playing time. The Cavs season again hinges on the performance of budding superstar LeBron James.

The Mavs added more veteran depth this summer in hopes of finally pushing through to the Finals. Marquis Daniels was shipped to the Raptors for Donyell Marshall, while center Dan Gadzuric was brought in to add depth to the center position. First round pick Jared Randall will have a tough time cracking the Mavs deep rotation. The Mavs are stacked, but they still might be just the second-best team in Texas.

After a fantastic finish to the regular season under George Karl, the Nuggets were ousted from the playoffs in the first round by the Spurs. They looked like a team ready to take a big step this season. But the best they could muster in the free agent market was Quincy Lewis. Rookie Dontae Lenard will likely be thrust into a starting role at shooting guard where the Nuggets lack any depth. They'll need to shore up that position or hope Lenard develops quickly if they hope to make it back to the playoffs.

The defending Eastern Conference champs shocked the league when they traded point guard and former Finals MVP Chauncey Billups to the Raptors for Morris Peterson and Aaron Williams. Peterson will backup Tashaun Prince and Rip Hamilton, leaving Carlos Arroyo or the aging Lindsay Hunter to man the point. Additionally, Darko Milicic opted to return to Europe instead of enduring another long season as the team's 12th man. Without Billups, the Pistons will struggle to maintain their status as one of the East's top teams.

Golden State is likely in for another long season. After finishing last in the Pacific, the Warriors lost Troy Murphy in free agency. In an attempt to fill the gap left behind, they traded their second round pick to the Lakers for rights to first round pick Al Tyler, who figures to start immediately but is still a definite downgrade from Murphy. Their other pick, Haji Lo looks to be a decent backup to Baron Davis, but with no free agents added, the Warriors have definitely taken a step backwards.

The Rockets are another team that came up short in the free-agent market. Dikembe Mutombo retired and David Wesley and Jon Barry have still not signed with a team. Meanwhile, Houston picked up Jason Collins and DeShawn Stevenson to fill in some holes, but they're nowhere near the veteran squad that won 51 games last season. Their bench is so thin they may not even make the playoffs.

The Pacers managed to finish with a respectable 44-38 record despite the suspensions stemming from last November's brawl in Detroit and numerous key injuries. Reggie Miller retired after 18 seasons in Indiana, but after a stellar performance in the playoffs, he has left the door open for a possible curtain call. The Pacers suffered an additional blow, losing Jamaal Tinsley in free agency. They must hope that Ron Artest can return to form after his nearly year-long suspension.

The Clippers failed to re-sign Most Improved Player Bobby Simmons but did score a coup in signing Troy Murphy. Murphy will play center alongside Elton Brand in a tough, but undersized, frontcourt. The Clips will hope that Kerry Kittles can get healthy and Shaun Livingston can fulfil his potential. If so, the Clips might return to the playoffs for the first time since 1997.

The Lakers finished last season losing 19 of their last 21 games, missing the playoffs for the first time in 11 years. (How's that whole firing Phil Jackson and trading Shaq thing working out for you Dr. Buss?) The Lakers attempted to right the ship by re-hiring Jackson, but they're still left with a roster that features no decent point guard or center. The Lakers lacked the cash to lure any free agents, and traded their first round pick for a second rounder. Jackson will have to make due with what is essentially the same team that fumbled through the season last year. Any improvement or decline will measure just how good a coach Jackson really is.

The Grizzlies went with an addition by subtraction theme this summer, clearing up playing time and payroll by letting Bonzi Wells and Stromile Swift leave in free agency. With not so much as a draft pick coming back in return, it was a calculated risk, but one that might pay off for the Grizzlies. Coach Mike Fratello will tighten up the rotation and the defensive intensity as the Grizzlies look to make just their second playoff appearance in franchise history.

Miami will go into next season with pretty much the same squad that won 59 games last season. The Heat opted to not re-sign Udonis Haslem after drafting Kosi Rayner, who probably won't put up the same numbers, but comes at a much lower cost. The Heat will likely look to pick up some veterans for the league minimum to bolster the squad, but the main foundation remains in place. The Heat will go as far as Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade will take them.

After another mediocre season, the Bucks weren't able to make a huge splash in free agency, but did manage to land Bonzi Wells and Keon Clark, who spent all of last season recovering from an injury. T.J. Ford also returns after sitting out the season with a bruised spinal cord. Chuck Terrell could be one of the best players in the draft. Along with Michael Redd, the Bucks have a solid one-two punch that could get them back in the playoffs.

Despite a serious dropoff from their run to the Western Conference Finals two years ago, the Timberwolves essentially stood pat, resigning Latrell Sprewell to a one-year deal and adding a couple of backup centers in the draft. Their chemistry has become volitile, but they still have the talent to win the West.

The Nets continue to try to build a championship team around Jason Kidd, but didn't make much progress this summer. Free agent Reggie Evans will step into the starting power forward position, while rookie swingman Felix Chang will see a lot of minutes off New Jersey's thin bench. The Nets trio of Kidd, Vince Carter and a healthy Richard Jefferson will be formidible, but their lack of depth will make it hard for them to advance far into the playoffs.

The Hornets are unlikely to repeat the terrible season they endured last year. Rookie Priest Askins is an early favorite for Rookie of the Year, while free agents Stromile Swift and Luke Walton add even more depth to the frontcourt. J.R. Smith had a great rookie season but went un-noticed on a losing team. Look for him to have a solid sophomore campaign. The Hornets' biggest weakness is at the point, where Speedy Claxton and Dan Dickau will split time. They're still a long shot for the playoffs, but look for the Hornets to see a significant improvement in the win column.

Isaiah Thomas may be on his way out of New York. After another mediocre season and several questionable trades, Thomas failed to re-sign rookie Trevor Ariza and did nothing in free agency. A single trade brought in project center Peter John Ramos. Rookie point guard Frederick Ratchuk is undersized and won't find many minutes behind Stehpon Marbury and Jamal Crawford. Looks like another long season for the Knicks.

The Magic were quiet this off-season, avoiding the free agent market and keeping their core from last season in tact. Rookie Xavier Radwan is still a few years away. The Magic's only chance for a playoff run is if Dwight Howard has a breakout season.

Last season's trade for Chris Webber didn't quite work out the way the Sixers expected, but with a new coach and little competition in the Atlantic Division, the Sixers should find themselves in the playoffs. The Sixers failed to re-sign free agent Kyle Korver, but rookie Moses Sydor has a nice all-around game and could be an adequate replacement.

After finishing with the league's best record, the Suns may see a bit of a drop-off, losing Joe Johnson in free agency. Zach Mayfield has an NBA-ready body and will likely step into Johnson's starting spot. The Suns' high-octane offense is more than capable of putting up numbers with or without Johnson. With little depth, the Suns must hope their starters stay healthy.

Portland is officially in re-building mode. After 21 straight playoff appearances, the Blazers have spent the last two years looking to turn around their image as well as their fortunes on the court. They may hit rock bottom this season after letting Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Damon Stoudamire walk without any compensation. The Blazers will continue to develop Zach Randolph, Darius Miles and Sebastian Telfair as the core of their team. Rookies Norbert Lawlor and Sebastian Minor aren't ready to start.

The Kings shuffled their lineup last season, parting with Chris Webber and Doug Christie. The results were mixed, but the Kings now have a much deeper team, which got even deeper after signing swingman Trevor Ariza away from the Knicks. With a whole season to gel, the Kings might be back in the mix among the top teams in the west - provided they can stay healthy.

The reigning NBA champs don't re-build, they re-tool. With their key players locked up long-term, the Spurs freed up some cap room letting go several reserves and drafting a couple of projects that may contribute down the line. They have the experience, talent and depth, and are favorites to win it again this season.

The Sonics were one of the biggest surprises last season. They came out of nowhere to win the Pacific Division. In an attempt to re-vamp their frontcourt, the Sonics let most of their free-agent bigs sign elsewhere, and shipped point guard Luke Ridnour to the Celtics for promising rookie Al Jefferson. Nick Collison will move into the starting lineup, but Jefferson could quickly become the third star the Sonics have been looking for to team with Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis. Rookie Ivan Hrkac will be thrown into the fire quickly - he's now the best center in the Sonics thin rotation.

In shipping Vince Carter, the Raptors took a new direction last season. This is now Chris Bosh's team. The Raptors pulled off a couple more big trades, stealing Chauncey Billups from the Pistons for Morris Peterson and Aaron Williams and acquiring Marquis Daniels from the Mavs for Donyell Marshall. If sophomore Rafael Araujo can develop into a decent starter, Toronto could find themselves back in the playoff picture under Billups' leadership.

Like the Blazers, the Jazz are also two seasons removed from a long history of playoff appearances. 20, to be exact. The Jazz are finding Utah to be a tough place to lure free agents and will have to re-build through the draft. Dean Friedman and Gordon Gilmore won't get the Jazz back into the playoffs. Barring a blockbuster trade, the Jazz look like they're in for a long spell of mediocrity.

The Wizards are one of the up and coming young teams in the league. This summer they re-signed Larry Hughes keeping their high-scoring trio of former Warriors in tact. Brendan Haywood and Kwame Brown were also re-signed on the cheap. The Wizards think with Brown locked up for the long term, he can relax and begin to mature into the player they hoped he'd become when they drafted him number one in 2001.