Eastern conference

Safely in the playoffs:

Cleveland Cavaliers: It all really comes down to keeping LeBron James happy, and that's about surrounding him with talent. They acquired Shaquille O'Neal without giving up anything of consequence. They're now that rare team with a wealth of big men.

Boston Celtics: The core group is aging, but they're still a viable championship contender, at least for this season. Kevin Garnett is healthy again and signing Rasheed Wallace was a coup. Quirky as Wallace can be, he's among the smartest, most versatile big men in the league.

Orlando Magic: Last season's trip to the finals demonstrated what a dominating player Dwight Howard is. They've replaced Hedo Turkoglu (off to Toronto) by trading for Vince Carter. Carter is a scorer, but he's not the ballhandler Turkoglu was for the Magic, and that will hurt in late-game situations.

Atlanta Hawks: They might have three of the NBA's 50 best players in Joe Johnson, Al Horford and Josh Smith. This team is built for speed, which makes rookie Jeff Teague (Wake Forest) a fine addition. He can push the ball as a point guard in the fashion that exploits the rest of the roster.

Washington Wizards: Gilbert Arenas and Brendan Haywood are healthy again and Mike Miller upgrades the bench. His complementary skills were wasted in Memphis and Minnesota. They won't play much defense, but with so many scorers, they can't help but win 45 games.

Contending for the postseason:

Chicago Bulls: It's hard to picture a team improving after losing its top scorer (now-Piston Ben Gordon). Still, a healthy Luol Deng trumps the loss of Gordon and Kirk Hinrich was underutilized in that crowded backcourt mix.

Miami Heat: There are obviously issues, including Michael Beasley's summer misadventures. Now the Heat has decided Beasley is a small forward. We'll see. But any roster with Dwyane Wade and a little help is a viable playoff team.

Toronto Raptors: This team could have a slow start and won't play much defense. However, Hedo Turkoglu's wide skill set will have a huge impact offensively. His ballhandling and shooting can't help but make Chris Bosh a happy teammate.

Philadelphia 76ers: This season is Elton Brand's do-over as an impact free agent. The challenge will be absorbing the loss of point guard Andre Miller, who signed with Portland. Giving Miller a big extension didn't make sense, but he was still their best player last season.

Charlotte Bobcats: Same old issues - no go-to scorer and a tendency to give up too much dribble-penetration on defense. They need for center Tyson Chandler to be a force inside defensively and to run enough to create some easy transition baskets.

Detroit Pistons: They tried to rebuild on the fly by acquiring Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva. They're both good players but short of what you'd call difference-makers. Tayshaun Prince is now in a more featured role.

Lottery-bound:

New York Knicks: They've put a lot on hold in hopes of a major coup in free agency next summer. They limited David Lee and Nate Robinson to one-year contracts in that pursuit. This is the right strategy, but it tests New Yorkers' limited patience.

Indiana Pacers: They demonstrated no ability to play defense in the preseason and were foul- and turnover-prone. Getting Mike Dunleavy and rookie Tyler Hansbrough healthy will be a big help. Otherwise, they're overly dependent on Danny Granger to carry them offensively.

New Jersey Nets: The big three ( Jason Kidd, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson) are all gone. They're rebuilding around Devin Harris and Brook Lopez while losing millions annually and wondering whether they'll end up in Brooklyn.

Milwaukee Bucks: They have some interesting parts, including one of the league's better centers in Andrew Bogut. However they're too dependent on jump shots and they're counting on a rookie point guard in Brandon Jennings.

How the playoffs might go:

1^st round: Cleveland over Toronto in six; Boston over Miami in five; Orlando over Chicago in seven. Washington over Atlanta in six.

2^nd round: Cleveland over Washington in five; Orlando over Boston in six.

Conference Final: Cleveland over Orlando in six.

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