Balance of Power in the NBA

The Miami Heat have a very strong team. They have Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. They also have a star-studded supporting cast that will help the trio with their shooting in Mike Miller, rebounding and defense in Udonis Haslem and Zydrunas Ilgaukas, and a couple of heady point guards to run the show in Miami in Carlos Arroyo and Mario Chalmers. I also like the two-time defending champion L.A. Lakers' chances of winning again. Their bench got deeper with two additions of a backup guard in Steve Blake and a backup small forward in Matt Barnes and a backup center in Theo Ratliff. I also think the Boston Celtics have a legitimate shot at repeating a second NBA Finals appearance. They added the O'Neals over the summer, Jermaine O'Neal and Shaquille O'Neal. Their starting lineup still remains the same, although the Celtics head coach Doc Rivers insists that the Lakers did not beat Boston at full strength, because the C's did not have Kendrick Perkins suited up for Game 7 in their last showdown of the 2010 NBA Finals. I also think the Orlando Magic have a good shot at returning back to the NBA Finals. They will not last long against the physically talented teams, such as the Lakers and the Celtics. The Magic's defensive presence Dwight Howard still mans the middle and he is still grabbing rebounds and blocking shots against all swing men who arrive in his lane. Although the Magic are thin defensively, they have shooters from all four positions on the floor when Howard is in the middle. They added Chris Duhon and Quentin Richardson over the summer. I think they will fit in, especially Richardson. His three-point shooting will be lights-out and his shooting will be appreciated on a Orlando team that shoots the three ball more than any other playoff team in the NBA.