HOOPSWORLD | Basketball News & NBA Rumors

As we enter the New Year, the best in the NBA have begun to separate themselves from the field and are planning to roll over their opposition the rest of the way on route to a high playoff seed in April.

The powerhouse teams may not be a surprise, but the teams on top of their conference so far are not the teams many expected, and the battle for first overall in the NBA will rage over the rest of the regular season.

The following teams will be getting it done in 2011.

Eastern Conference

Boston Celtics 24-6

Many people envisioned the veteran Celtics in the NBA Finals before the regular season commenced but few thought they would dominate throughout the regular season.  The Celtics are old (average age among rotation players: 30.1) and avoiding injury was seen as the key to Boston’s success come April, May, and June.

However Boston came into this season highly motivated by the offseason moves of the Miami HEAT and those older veterans appear to have found the fountain of youth.  Kevin Garnett has not collected this many rebounds and steals since he played for Minnesota.

Even suffering through major and minor injuries to key players, the Celtics have dominated their opposition.  Perhaps the only thing that might slow them down would be the loss of Garnett for an extended period of time.  Expect Boston to continue to roll in 2011.

Orlando Magic 21-12

The Magic unexpectedly stumbled hard after a 15-4 start and President of Basketball Operations Otis Smith cleared the decks to bring in Gilbert Arenas, Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Richardson, and Earl Clark.  

Shockingly, it took only days for the Magic to integrate the new players and start a five-game winning streak that included impressive victories over the Spurs, Celtics, and Knicks.

Despite the suggestions that the Magic’s Brandon Bass, Ryan Anderson, and Earl Clark do not give them enough big men behind All-Star Dwight Howard, the revamped Magic have powered their way into 2011 and there is little reason to believe that the current trend is about to stop anytime soon.

Miami HEAT 25-9

After a 9-8 start to the season, the HEAT got their act together and have overpowered their opposition to go 16-1 since.  They ran over everyone until they ran into another elite team and lost to the Dallas Mavericks in their own gym.

The loss to Dallas symbolizes what the HEAT has accomplished so far this season.  The HEAT can beat anyone, except they are 0-2 against Boston and the Mavericks and 1-1 versus the Magic and Jazz.

For most of the NBA, facing this highly talented HEAT team means expecting to lose, and the HEAT will continue to crush most of their opposition the rest of the way.

Chicago Bulls 20-10

The Chicago Bulls faced as tough an opening schedule as anyone could get, and without their big free agent acquisition Carlos Boozer, they managed a 9-8 start to the season.  Almost as soon as Boozer returned the Bulls lost their other key big man Joakim Noah, but with a more favorable schedule Chicago has been rolling up the wins.

The Bulls did not manage to acquire everything they wanted in last summer’s free agent feeding frenzy, but they did build a solid group of veterans to surround Derrick Rose and Noah, and Boozer gives them a bona fide 20-point, 10-rebound veteran big man.

The Bulls should continue to get better the rest of the way, and when Noah returns Chicago will not be a club that teams want to face.

Western Conference

Dallas Mavericks 24-7

Yes, Dallas just lost to the Spurs in their last game of 2010, but the Mavericks are simply not the same team without Dirk Nowitzki in the lineup.

Even more than the veteran Celtics, the Mavericks’ season hangs on the health of just one key veteran player.  Without Dirk, the powerhouse Mavericks resemble the Caron Butler, DeShawn Stevenson, and Brendan Haywood-led Washington Wizards.  Last year’s Wizards didn’t scare anyone.

Dallas is made up of more than just three ex-Wizard veterans and centered on Nowitzki; this team has proven that they are a top-ranked defensive team who can beat anyone at anytime.  The Mavericks have already snapped the winning streaks of the HEAT, Spurs, Celtics, and Jazz this season.

Perhaps the toughest team to play against this season, the Mavericks will continue to get it done in 2011.  It might look a little rough until after Dirk gets back however.

San Antonio Spurs 28-4

The Spurs may not have had the toughest schedule to start the season, but two double-digit winning streaks in the first two months says this team is firing on all cylinders.

The Spurs have a balanced veteran lineup without any obvious weaknesses who are putting up a surprising 105.7 points per game while keeping their opposition well under 100.  Plus, as their schedule has strengthened, little has changed in the results.  The Spurs have shown that they can beat the elite teams in the NBA.

There is little that can stop the Spurs from continuing to roll over their opposition the rest of the way.  San Antonio will be one of the best teams in the West at the end of the regular season.

Los Angeles Lakers 22-10

The Lakers haven’t really shown us much this season and already have a three and a four-game losing streak to their credit.  Loses to the Nuggets, Jazz, Spurs, Bulls, and HEAT are generating some real concerns amongst Lakers fans.

Perhaps the Lakers’ biggest problem is their own justifiable belief that they will be back in the NBA Finals in June.

There is no reason to believe that these Lakers are in fact any worse than last year’s championship team, and with their lineup intact, and pressure from the Mavericks, Spurs, Jazz, and Thunder for a high playoff seed, the Lakers are expected to step it up in 2011.

{AUTHOR_BOX}Utah Jazz 22-11

Under Hall-of-Fame Head Coach Jerry Sloan, the Jazz are often overlooked because we know they are going to be a solid playoff team before the season starts.

Tied with Oklahoma City for first in the Northwest Division and the fourth-best record in the West, the Jazz have quietly won two out of three games all season and will in all likelihood continue winning at this pace the rest of the way.

Getting it done is nothing new in Utah.

Don’t Overlook These Teams

Oklahoma City Thunder 21-11

The Thunder are perhaps the most exciting young team the NBA has produced in some time, and they are not just exciting, the Thunder put up a lot of wins as well.

The lack of veteran presence is the only weakness that the Thunder has and the oft discussed size issue is merely awaiting the development of their 21 and 22-year-old big men.

Despite their youth, the Thunder will continue to roll up wins even though most people still view them as a team of the future.

Atlanta Hawks 21-13

On any given night this group of talented athletic veterans can beat any team in the league.  Easy to overlook and dangerous to take for granted, the Hawks will win a lot of games in 2011.

New York Knicks 18-14

After a rough start, New York has gone 15-6 to close out 2010 and let the NBA know that their offseason moves were a success.  

Still not one of the elite teams because of their defense, New York is the second-highest scoring team in the NBA at 107.4 points per game.  The Knicks will roll over anyone who doesn’t bring their best effort and continue to pile up wins in 2011.

It should be no surprise the teams that have been getting it done so far in 2010 are the teams that will be getting it done in 2011.  This year, the best in the NBA have wasted no time in separating themselves from the rest of the pack.

Did we miss someone or is there a team you believe is about to break out in 2011?  Let us know in the comments section below or contact us during HOOPSWORLD’s daily NBA chats. 

You can send me comment or a question about this or anything else in the NBA here and check back on Thursday at noon ET for a response.