The 2007-08 season tips off Tuesday night. The Spurs are the defending champs, but they will face plenty of competition for their crown. The Mavs, Suns, Pistons, Celtics, Rockets, Bulls and Cavs lead the pack of clubs that will try to dethrone San Antonio.
To help set the stage, we present our preseason Power Rankings. Keep in mind, this list doesn't take into account how these teams are playing at present (we'll start doing that next Monday, Nov. 6), only how we project them over the course of the regular season. (Send comments to siwriters@simail.com)
| NBA Power Rankings |
| 1 |
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The defending champs return all their key players from a year ago, and they know how to pace themselves. With titles in '99, '03, '05 and '07, Tim Duncan & Co. now seek to prove they can go back-to-back and secure their place among NBA dynasties. |
| 2 |
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Dirk Nowitzki will be out to atone for his MVP playoff flop, and his teammates should be right there with him after their historic first-round upset loss to the Warriors. They might not win 67 games again, but they might be a better team come playoff time. |
| 3 |
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Despite offseason trade rumors, Steve Nash, Amaré Stoudemire and Shawn Marion are back for one more Finals bid. This time they have added help in veteran small forward Grant Hill. But can they stay healthy, and how much does the 33-year-old Nash have left in the tank? |
| 4 |
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New coach Rick Adelman should boost their offense, especially now that he has a quality power forward in Luis Scola to pair with Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. It should be enough to make them a top contender in the West, assuming Yao and T-Mac can stay healthy. |
| 5 |
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Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer and the rest of Jerry Sloan's hard-nosed cast will be looking to improve on last year's surprising run to the West finals. But with Denver poised to make a run, it will be tough just to hold on to the Northwest title. |
| 6 |
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After two straight playoff disappointments, this veteran crew will be out to regain the East crown. If Jason Maxiell and other youngsters can step up, Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Rasheed Wallace should have enough help for a sixth straight trip to the conference finals. |
| 7 |
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Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen join holdover Paul Pierce in forming the NBA's new Big Three and making Boston a virtual lock for most improved team. But with little depth -- and unproven players at point guard and center -- this Gang Green might still be a year away from being a legit title contender. |
| 8 |
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Maybe the Bulls don't have a superstar, but this talented young group defends, hustles, rebounds and plays hard each night. With Luol Deng emerging as an All-Star-caliber player, they just might have enough of a go-to guy to bring the Windy City its first Finals berth since the Jordan era. |
| 9 |
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With Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson, Marcus Camby, Nenę and a healthy Kenyon Martin, they have ample firepower. If George Karl, now in his third full season in the Rockies, can keep them from imploding, they could be a serious factor in the West. |
| 10 |
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The Big Three of Jason Kidd, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson makes them a legit contender for the Atlantic crown. But they will need center Nenad Krstic to make a full recovery from major knee surgery if they hope to make a serious bid for East supremacy. |
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