So everyone's sold on the Lakers, huh? Well, I'm not, and here's why – the only thing harder than winning a championship is repeating as champion. Yes L.A. has Kobe. Yes L.A. has Gasol. And yes L.A. now has Artest. They will be one of the final four teams and they could very easily win another title. But I just don't see it. I just think they come up a little short.

But if L.A. isn't winning the title, then who is? Well, that's a question I've batted around for quite some time. I'm a huge fan of the Magic. Dwight Howard is a stud and his supporting cast rivals Kobe's. I love the Spurs this year. Cleveland and Boston will both be there in the end. But ultimately my prediction is that the Magic will top the Spurs to win their first NBA championship. For the rest of my predictions, keep on reading.

Eastern Conference

1. Orlando Magic (65-17) - Love the Vince Carter addition. They have more depth than last season too.

2. Cleveland Cavaliers (60-22) - LeBron is enough to pencil them in for 55-60 wins.

3. Boston Celtics (58-24) - Still solid, but getting older. It all depends on Garnett.

4. Atlanta Hawks (48-34) - Hawks are good, but not in East's elite.

5. Chicago Bulls (44-38) - Bulls will make a push for homecourt, but I have them coming up just short.

6. Miami Heat (43-39) - They're a Dwayne Wade injury away from the lottery.

7. Indiana Pacers (41-41) - The Pacers? Am I crazy?? Nope, I really like this young squad.

8. Philadelphia 76ers (40-42) - There's just not much to like here. I'm not crazy about them.

9. Toronto Raptors (38-44) - They'll be improved, but I don't know by how much.

10. Detroit Pistons (35-47) - A lot of offseason movement, but I don't think it'll matter.

11. Washington Wizards (33-49) - Similar to the Pistons. Active but does that make them better?

12. New York Knicks (31-51) - I love D'Antoni, but he's trying to make a feast with spoiled food.

13. Charlotte Bobcats (28-54) - They will regret the Okafor trade. Big time.

14. New Jersey Nets (24-58) - Growing pains are inevitable for this young group.

15. Milwaukee Bucks (17-65) - With the first pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the Milwaukee Bucks select ...

Western Conference

1. Los Angeles Lakers (65-17) - Lakers should again cruise through the regular season.

2. San Antonio Spurs (58-24) - Won't win the West in the regular season, but will come playoff time.

3. Portland Trailblazers (55-27) - Portland should win their division and be among the West's best.

4. New Orleans Hornets (54-28) - Love the addition of Okafor. My potential surprise team.

5. Dallas Mavericks (52-30) - Dallas has a deep, solid team, but it still might not be enough.

6. Utah Jazz (48-34) - Jazz are still playoff material, but not a title contender.

7. Denver Nuggets (47-35) - I was high on Denver last year, but I forsee a slide down this season.

8. Houston Rockets (43-39) - No Yao, No Artest, No T-Mac ... no problem? I think they grab the No. 8 seed.

9. Phoenix Suns (41-41) - The Suns again just miss out on the playoffs.

10. Los Angeles Clippers (39-43) - This team should be much improved, but is one year away still.

11. Minnesota Timberwolves (38-44) - My T'wolves will surprise if they stay healthy.

12. Golden State Warriors (30-52) - Some nice young pieces, but still too raw.

13. Oklahoma City Thunder (28-54) - Will be better, but not near the playoffs yet.

14. Memphis Grizzlies (20-62) - Should be another long year for the Grizzlies.

15. Sacramento Kings (18-64) - They'll struggle to win 18 games if Martin misses any time.

Playoffs

Eastern Conference - First round: No. 1 Orlando over No. 8 Philadelphia, No. 2 Cleveland over No. 7 Indiana, No. 3 Boston over No. 6 Miami, No. 5 Chicago over No. 4 Atlanta. Second round: No. 1 Orlando over No. 5 Chicago, No. 2 Cleveland over No. 3 Boston. Finals: No. 1 Orlando over No. 2 Cleveland.

Western Conference - First round: No. 1 Los Angeles over No. 8 Houston, No. 2 San Antonio over No. 7 Denver, No. 3 Portland over No. 6 Utah, No. 4 New Orleans over No. 5 Dallas. Second round: No. 1 Los Angeles over No. 4 New Orleans, No. 2 San Antonio over No. 3 Portland. Finals: No. 2 San Antonio over No. 1 Los Angeles.

NBA Finals - Orlando over San Antonio