(Note: Each team is scored from 1-10 based on their projected starting lineup, bench, head coach and general manager. 11s are reserved for extraordinary talent(s). The maximum score is 80.

Atlantic Division

Boston Celtics
C: Raef LaFrentz (7.5)
PF: Al Jefferson (6.5)
SF: Paul Pierce (9.5)
SG: Ricky Davis (7.5)
PG: Delonte West (7)
Bench: Gerald Green, Marcus Banks, Qyntel Woods, Mark Blount (5.5)
Coach: Doc Rivers (8)
GM: Danny Ainge (7.5)
Overall: 59
Summary: The youth movement will pay dividends for Danny Ainge, just not in 2005-2006. Green may emerge as the next great Celtic. This season. The backcourt is among the weakest in the conference. LaFrentz gets paid like an elite center, but doesn’t play like one.
Outlook: Lottery for now, success long-term

New Jersey Nets
C: Nenad Krstic (7)
PF: Marc Jackson (7.5)
SF: Richard Jefferson (8.5)
SG: Vince Carter (9.5)
PG: Jason Kidd (10)
Bench: Jeff McInnis, Jason Collins, Lamond Murray, Scott Padgett, Jacque Vaughn (6)
Coach: Lawrence Frank (8)
GM: Rod Thorn (8)
Overall: 64.5
Summary: Kidd, Carter and Jefferson is a nightmare for opposing coaches. New Jersey will regret not signing Shareef Abdur-Rahim. The thin bench and center position must be upgraded if the Nets are to return to the NBA Finals for the third time in five years.
Outlook: A notch below the Eastern Conference elite.

New York Knicks
C: Jerome James (6.5)
PF: Malik Rose (7.5)
SF: Quentin Richardson (7.5)
SG: Jamal Crawford (7.5)
PG: Stephon Marbury (8.5)
Bench: Nate Robinson, Trevor Ariza, Malik Rose, Channing Fry, Anfernee Hardaway (7)
Coach: Larry Brown (10)
GM: Isiah Thomas (2.5)
Overall: 56.5
Summary: Supposedly, Marbury will start at SG, but that won’t matter. The Knicks have too many shooters and undersized big men. GM Thomas has brought underachievers and bad contracts: Richardson, Hardaway, Crawford, James and the beat goes on. Coach Brown has little to work his magic with.
Outlook: A competitive East spells L-O-T-T-E-R-Y for New York’s (un)finest.

Philadelphia 76ers
C: Samuel Dalembert (8)
PF: Chris Webber (7.5)
SF: Andre Iguodala (8)
SG: Kyle Korver (7.5)
PG: Allen Iverson (10)
Bench: Steven Hunter, John Salmons, Jamal Mashburn (6)
Coach: Maurice Cheeks (8)
GM: Billy King (7.5)
Overall: 62.5
Summary: A team with no glaring needs. They need upgrades (PF, SG, bench), but so does every team not adjacent to the Alamo. Losing SG Willie Green to an off-season knee injury is a blow, but saves the team from the bloated contract he signed as a restricted free agent.
Outlook: If they beat up on their Atlantic opponents they’ll make the playoffs.

Toronto Raptors
C: Rafael Araujo (6)
PF: Chris Bosh (8.5)
SF: Jalen Rose (8)
SG: Morris Peterson (7)
PG: Rafer Alston (7.5)
Bench: Charlie Villanueva, Joey Graham, Loren Woods (5.5)
Coach: Sam Mitchell (6.5)
GM: Rob Babcock (5)
Overall: 54
Summary: Roko Ukic’s decision to play in Europe certainly stings, but it’s not as if the Raptors will be in the hunt this season. Chris Bosh and Co. will struggle to win consistency, and it’ll probably cost Mitchell his job. Babcock should be cut for the terrible decisions that created this team.
Outlook: Dead in the water.

Central Division

Chicago Bulls
C: Eddy Curry (8)
PF: Tyson Chandler (8)
SF: Luol Deng (7.5)
SG: Kirk Hinrich (7.5)
PG: Ben Gordon (8.5)
Bench: Andres Nocioni, Antonio Davis, Chris Duhon, Eric Piatkowski, Malik Allen (9)
Coach: Scott Skiles (8)
GM: John Paxson (8.5)
Overall: 65
Summary: Curry likely will sign a one-year and hope to parlay this season into a long-term deal next summer. Health is the main issue for the Bulls. Curry (heart problems) and Deng (wrist) must be healthy in order for Chicago to secure home-court, where they were 29-15 last season.
Outlook: One of the East’s best and rising.

Cleveland Cavaliers
C: Zydrunas Ilgaukas (9)
PF: Donyell Marshall (8)
SF: LeBron James (10)
SG: Larry Hughes (8.5)
PG: Damon Jones (7.5)
Bench: Luke Jackson, Drew Gooden, Ira Newble (7)
Coach: Mike Brown (5)
GM: Danny Ferry (7.5)
Overall: 62.5
Summary: King James may average 30/10/10 this season. His talent is truly frightening. On paper this team looks great, but most of the players lack experience in critical games. Brown and Ferry are also first-time head coach and general manager, respectively.
Outlook: In the playoff hunt.

Detroit Pistons
C: Ben Wallace (9)
PF: Rasheed Wallace (9)
SF: Tayshaun Prince (7.5)
SG: Richard Hamilton (9)
PG: Chauncey Billups (9)
Bench: Antonio McDyess, Dale Davis, Lindsey Hunter, Carlos Arroyo, Milicic (7.5)
Coach: Flip Saunders (8)
GM: Joe Dumars (9.5)
Overall: 66.5
Summary: Detroit returns all the key players from the team that was minutes away from a repeat title. Can Saunders motivate them like Larry Brown did the past two years? The defense should remain elite, but the sometimes stagnant offense needs improvement. Contributions from Milicic would give them a dangerous bench.
Outlook: Two championships in three years isn’t out of the question.

Indiana Pacers
C: Jeff Foster (7)
PF: Jermaine O’Neal (9)
SF: Ron Artest (9.5)
SG: Stephen Jackson (8)
PG: Sarunas Jasikevicius (8)
Bench: Jamaal Tinsley, Danny Granger, Scott Pollard, Austin Croushere, Jonathon Bender (9)
Coach: Rick Carlisle (8.5)
GM: Larry Bird (8.5)
Rating: 67.5
Summary: Jasikevicius was an elite player in Europe and will excel in the league. An outstanding signing by Bird. Artest is one of the NBA’s best players, but he’s also unpredictable. Foster is at a severe disadvantage against the elite centers of the East. Regardless, Indiana may be the conference’s strongest organization from top to bottom.
Outlook: Favorites to win the East.

Milwaukee Bucks
C: Andrew Bogut (8)
PF: Joe Smith (7)
SF: Bobby Simmons (8)
SG: Michael Redd (8.5)
PG: T.J Ford (7.5)
Bench: Desmond Mason, Dan Gadzuric, Jiri Welsh (7.5)
Coach: Terry Stotts (5)
GM: Larry Harris (7.5)
Overall: 59
Summary: A young, exciting nucleus ushers in a new era in Milwaukee. Ford returns from a spinal injury with lots of weapons around him. Redd has to live up to that max contract. Their time isn’t now, but the Bucks make huge strides this season.
Outlook: Possibly playoffs, probably lottery.

Southeast Division

Atlanta Hawks
C: Jason Collier (5)
PF: Al Harrington (8)
SF: Marvin Williams (7.5)
SG: Josh Smith (7.5)
PG: Joe Johnson (8)
Bench: Josh Childress, Tyronn Lue, Salim Stoudamire, Tony Delk (6.5)
Coach: Mike Woodson (5)
GM: Billy Knight (5.5)
Overall: 53
Summary: Johnson didn’t deserve that much money. This season he’ll play a new position with the burden of resurrecting the franchise. Stoudamire was a steal as a second-round pick. 2005-2006 will go down as a typical season of Atlanta Hawks basketball: twenty wins and half-empty arenas.
Outlook: Leaders of the Rudy Gay sweepstakes.

Charlotte Bobcats
C: Primoz Brezec (7)
PF: Emeka Okafor (9)
SF: Sean May (7.5)
SG: Kareem Rush (7)
PG: Raymond Felton (7.5)
Bench: Brevin Knight, Melvin Ely, Jake Voskuhl (6)
Coach: Bernie Bickerstaff (6)
GM: Bernie Bickerstaff (6.5)
Overall: 56.5
Summary: May probably won’t start at SF. But then again, who will? At least they have a franchise cornerstone in Okafor. Year two will be another slow (yet solid) step toward contention.
Outlook: 25 wins and a lot of growing up.

Miami Heat
C: Shaquille O’Neal (11)
PF: Udonis Haslem (7.5)
SF: James Posey (7.5)
SG: Dwyane Wade (9.5)
PG: Jason Williams (8)
Bench: Antoine Walker, Michael Doleac, Wayne Simien (6)
Coach: Stan Van Gundy (8)
GM: Randy Pfund (8)
Rating: 65.5
Outlook: The mega-trade involving five teams and 13 players brought Miami two solid players (Posey and Williams) as well as an overrated brickhouse (Walker). Shaq and Flash must be healthy for the duration of the playoffs.
Prediction: Reloaded for another run at the title.

Orlando Magic
C: Kelvin Cato (6.5)
PF: Dwight Howard (8.5)
SF: Grant Hill (8)
SG: DeShawn Stevenson (6)
PG: Steve Francis (8.5)
Bench: Tony Battie, Pat Garrity, Jameer Nelson, Hedo Turkoglu (7)
Coach: Brian Hill (7)
GM: Dave Twardzik (8)
Overall: 59.5
Summary: Cato and Stevenson may be the worst C/SG combination in the league. Brian Hill hasn’t coached in five years. The last team he coached, the Vancouver Grizzlies, was 31-123 during his tenure. Francis is a notorious shoot-first PG. Howard is a bona fide stud.
Outlook: Potential playoff team (hey it’s the Eastern Conference).

Washington Wizards
C: Brendan Haywood (7.5)
PF: Antawn Jamison (8.5)
SF: Jared Jeffries (7)
SG: Caron Butler (7.5)
PG: Gilbert Arenas (9.5)
Bench: Antonio Daniels, Steve Blake, Jarvis Hayes, Calvin Booth (7.5)
Coach: Eddie Jordan (8)
GM: Erine Grunfeld (7.5)
Overall: This may be Butler’s breakout year. Jeffries is not the long-term answer at SF. Daniels should get lots of minutes at both guard positions. The Wizards are no longer a surprise team. Teams will adjust accordingly. Arena is on the short-list of best PGs.
Summary: 63
Outlook: Back-to-back playoff appearances... for the Wizards? Believe it.