With the major free agent pieces now in place, the power in the NBA appears to be shifting back to the East. Let’s take a look at how the NBA power rankings might look at the beginning of next season.

5. Chicago Bulls:
Adding just Carlos Boozer won’t be enough to make them a top-five team in the NBA, but the Bulls probably aren’t done adding to their roster. With LeBron signing in Miami, the Bulls have plenty of money left to spend on quality perimeter players that could make them a very complete overall team. They already have a nice core in Rose, Luol Deng and Joakim Noah and were able to reach the playoffs last season without Boozer’s presence in the post. With Noah and Boozer’s ability to rebound and Rose’s potential as a superstar point guard, the Bulls could be the biggest challenge for the Heat in the next few years. If they add a quality shooter or two, like Kyle Korver or JJ Redick, the Bulls will be a scary team.

4. Orlando Magic:
The Magic are still a regular season mismatch for most teams and will continue to be as long as Dwight Howard is dominant. Adding Chris Duhon to their backcourt is a nice move that will make them better, though it won’t grab much media attention. The reason they aren’t higher is because Howard needs to show some signs of offensive diversification before the Magic can be legit title contenders. Rashard Lewis’ contract also makes it difficult for them to add quality players to their roster, which suggests that they may have reached their peak. Unfortunately, as much as I like Howard, he seems destined to join the list of great players who never bring home a title.

3. Dallas Mavericks:
Signing Dirk to a new contract ensures that the Mavs will continue to be one of the better teams in the league and sell plenty of NBA tickets in the process. Bringing Brendan Heywood back also solidifies their depth and gives them the best chance at battling inside with the Lakers, if they can get that far. Considering that Amar’e Stoudemire left Phoenix and Boozer left Utah, the road to the Western Finals should be significantly easier for Dallas and they match up fairly well against the other good teams in the conference.

2. Miami Heat:
Unlike many fans, I don’t see the Heat as automatic NBA champions. They certainly will be in the running but there is a real risk of being exposed outside of their Big Three. LeBron, Wade and Bosh will be counted on to do everything on the court, which could make it difficult when they eventually have to rely on role players in the playoffs. If they can add a couple of low salary, defensive-minded bench players, the Heat could turn into a dynasty, but it’s too early to assume that they already are.

1. Los Angeles Lakers:
Take it easy, Heat fans. Even though the Heat are now the most star-studded team in the league, the Lakers are still the champs and have their core group of players coming back. If you think Kobe Bryant is going to sit back and be awed by the Miami Heat, you haven’t watched him play very often. Think about it: his nickname is the Black Mamba. Pau Gasol and a healthy Andrew Bynum still make for a formidable frontcourt that will cause problems for any team in the league, including Miami.

The one potential drawback for the Lakers is at point guard. Adding Steve Blake could be an upgrade over Derrick Fisher, who, despite some big playoff shots last year, held the Lakers back at various parts of the season. When Ron Artest isn’t appearing in his underwear on Kamagra Gold talk shows or publicly thanking his psychiatrist, he’s still a tough, defensive-minded player who can help the Lakers win. The Lakers also have a chance of adding Mike Miller to their bench, which would make them very, very tough to beat.

Author Bio: This article was sponsored by StubHub, one of the finest places in the entire world wide web to get NBA tickets, concert tickets, theatre tickets, special events tickets, or almost any kind of sports ticket out there.

Category: Recreation and Leisure/Sports/Basketball
Keywords: NBA Playoff, sports, tickets, entertainment, basketball