Spurs' offseason moves leave rest of league behind

The 2005-06 NBA season tips off Tuesday. While the Spurs might be everyone's favorite to win the championship, it is worth noting that they were unable to repeat after each of their previous two titles in 1999 and '03. The Heat, Pistons, Pacers and Suns lead the pack of clubs that will try to dethrone Tim Duncan's crew. To help set the stage, we present our preseason power rankings. This list represents how we see the teams stacking up on paper going into the season. It doesn't take into account how these teams are playing at present (we'll start doing that next Friday, Nov. 11), only how we project them over the course of the season.

NBA Power Rankings Rank LW Team 1 -- San Antonio Spurs The defending champs return all of their key players from last year's team, and they've added Michael Finley, Nick Van Exel and Fabricio Oberto to their bench. On paper, they look like a safe bet to make it two straight NBA titles and four in eight years. 2 -- Miami Heat Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade made it within a game of the Finals a year ago, and now they have a new supporting cast in Jason Williams, James Posey, Antoine Walker and Gary Payton. But can coach Stan Van Gundy keep them all happy? 3 -- Detroit Pistons With Flip Saunders in to replace Larry Brown, the two-time defending Eastern champs won't have to worry about a dropoff in Xs and Os. Their veteran starting unit, led by free agent-to-be Ben Wallace, will make them dangerous once again come playoff time. 4 -- Phoenix Suns Steve Nash and Shawn Marion can keep them afloat until forward/center Amaré Stoudemire (knee surgery) returns sometime after the All-Star break. But if Stoudemire doesn't come back at full strength, this Phoenix won't rise from the ashes. 5 -- Houston Rockets With Tracy McGrady to lead the way and a rested Yao Ming to patrol the middle, they have a 1-2 punch to rival any in the league. Meanwhile, Stromile Swift and Derek Anderson bring some much-needed depth. 6 -- Indiana Pacers Ron Artest is back in the lineup, and Stephen Jackson is ready to slide into the retired Reggie Miller's spot at shooting guard. With Jermaine O'Neal down low and Rick Carlisle calling the shots, look for them to set the pace in the East. 7 -- Denver Nuggets After finishing the season on a 25-4 run, coach George Karl has them poised to challenge San Antonio in the West. But they will need Marcus Camby to stay healthy and Voshon Lenard to return to form at shooting guard. 8 -- Dallas Mavericks They have a new defensive look under coach Avery Johnson, but they're still capable of scoring points. If Erick Dampier can provide consistent help down low for Dirk Nowitzki, they, too, could threaten the Spurs. 9 -- Sacramento Kings With Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Bonzi Wells joining Brad Miller, Peja Stojakovic and Mike Bibby, they boast one of the NBA's best starting units. But can they rebound and defend the paint? 10 -- New Jersey Nets Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter give them an All-Star perimeter trio. With Nenad Krstic, Cliff Robinson, Marc Jackson and Jason Collins in the middle, they will rule the Atlantic.