1. Cleveland You sure hope new coach Dave Blatt pauses for a moment of gratitude daily after all the dramatic changes made to the Cavs' roster since he accepted the job in June. The guy should have bought a lottery ticket while he was at it.
2. Chicago Derrick Rose's continued recovery will get all the attention, but don't underestimate the impact newly signed Pau Gasol makes, or the additions of rookies Doug McDermott and Nikola Mirotic.
3. Washington Bradley Beal's broken wrist won't help to start the season, but newcomer Paul Pierce's presence might by its end. Ultimately, the Wizards probably go as far as Beal and John Wall take them, which might be pretty far.
4. Toronto Can the Raptors continue the trajectory created by last season's 48-victory season? To do so, Kyle Lowry must prove that $48 million contract and DeMar DeRozan and Jonas Valanciunas must continue their career arcs.
5. Brooklyn Much depends on Brook Lopez's fragile feet but don't discount new coach Lionel Hollins' defensive influence on an aging team that just a year ago was supposed to be the best money could buy. In the East, that's still probably enough.
6. Atlanta Their management might be in disarray, but the Hawks can steady the franchise with a playoff push if Al Horford and his suspect pectorals stay healthy and Jeff Teague continues to bloom.
7. Charlotte The Hornets are back, in both name and playoff credibility after finally getting there again last season. Big Al Jefferson is rock steady, but any significant advancement might depend on mercurial Lance Stephenson's addition.
8. Detroit The Pistons have handed the franchise's keys to Stan Van Gundy, who'll get this formerly dysfunctional team to play defense. But he must figure out how talented Andre Drummond, Greg Monroe and Josh Smith fit together up front.
9. Miami Pat Riley held off disaster after LeBron James' departure by throwing money at Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and Luol Deng, or did he? So much depends on what the Heat get from Wade's aging body. If he breaks down …
10. New York Phil Jackson and Derek Fisher arrived and Carmelo Anthony stayed for the money, but getting the Garden back to an Eden will take time for a team this bad defensively.
11. Milwaukee The Bucks have been bound for mediocrity for so long, but that's about to change for a team whose frontcourt bookends, Jabari Parker (above) and Giannis Anteokounmpo, are the future. If preseason is an indication, new coach Jason Kidd will get the Bucks to play hard.
12. Indiana The East's Big 2 teams would be a Big 3 if Paul George wasn't out for the year and Stephenson hadn't left for Charlotte, but alas …
13. Boston Danny Ainge still has big work ahead after his summertime pursuit of Kevin Love went nowhere. Brad Stevens looks like the right coach, but there's no guarantee you can say something similar for star guard Rajon Rondo.
14. Orlando The Magic won the trade when it sent its superstar away in 2012 … and isn't yet in sight of making a significant step toward recovery two years after Dwight Howard's departure.
15. Philadelphia The NBA tried to rewrite its rules to address the 76ers' putridity, but hey, Vegas has made them title favorites in 2021.
