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The 2007-2008 NBA season was one of the best we have ever witnessed, with the Lakers and the Celtics rekindling their storied rivalry. We also saw emerging superstars such as the Chris Paul, Josh Smith, and Brandon Roy, to name a few. With many surprises and upsets last season, it is never too early to start assuming about the upcoming season. And with only a few days left before tip-off, you can watch NBA Games Online and follow the progress of your favorite teams and players.

Here’s a short rundown on the upcoming season: 30 teams, 30 stories.

Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics were obviously the best team in the NBA in 2007-08, and they definitely have the means to stay at the pinnacle of the league, but the conditions for success might not be as ideal as they were last season because they lose James Posey, their most significant bench player, to free agency. Despite the fact that he was backing up All-Stars Allen and Pierce, Posey was on the floor in crucial postseason instances. Also missing in the Celtics lineup this season is veteran big man PJ Brown who was a revelation in their playoff drive last season. In their absence, the Celtics took the injury-plagued Darius Miles and the young but raw center in Patrick O’Bryant to fill the void that the two vets left. Miles and O’Bryant doesn't have the veteran savvy or experience that Posey and Brown brought to Beantown, and for these “little reasons”, the climb to the championship will be harder this time around for the reigning champions.

New Jersy Nets

With the trades of Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson, there's no doubt that the Nets management finally have their eyes on the future. This year, the Nets will be relying more on their brilliant point guard Devin Harris to control the team together with new additions Yi Jianlian, Bobby Simmons, and holdovers Josh Boone, Sean Williams and Vince Carter. As talented as he is criticized, Carter and his character will determine if the Nets challenge for a playoff spot this season. For now, they'll be starting from scratch and trying to build a team that a big-time free agent would want to come to in 2010.

New York Knicks

The only noteworthy new face in the New York is new coach Mike D'Antoni. The nucleus of the Knicks’s last season lineup is pretty much intact, with Chris Duhon and the very much hyped Italian rookie as the only other “considerable” additions. Much is expected from a coach, who averaged 58 wins in four seasons with the Phoenix Suns, to turn around a group of talented but mismatched individuals into an organized team. And amazingly, in few of the Knicks’ preseason games, they have embraced the style and culture that D’Antoni is famous for. The question now is whether a change in the Knicks style of play would result to a change in success rate.

Philadelphia 76ers

With Elton Brand on board, and what looks to be a fairly wide open Eastern Conference, the chance is there for the Sixers to be among the best defensive teams in the league once again. Brand's low-post game will give the Sixers a go-to guy in the half-court and with his rebounding and Samuel Dalembert’s defensive presence in the paint and, these should help them get out on the break more often, with the likes of Andre Igoudala and Andre Miller running the break. The Sixers had already started going in the right direction, and they should be in contention for the Eastern crown this season.

Toronto Raptors

After getting to the playoffs for the first time in five years in 2007, the Raptors, youthful and on the rise, will be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference this season if newly-acquired Jermaine O'Neal stays healthy and if Andrea Bargnani starts playing like a No. 1 pick. O'Neal's knack of scoring inside the paint gives the Raptors more offensive balance, taking the load off Chris Bosh. The only question mark in Toronto’s drive for next season is whether they develop chemistry just in time.

Chicago Bulls

The Bulls need to find the answers to many questions heading into this season. What will the rotation in the backcourt be? Will they be able to lure a “formidable” big man to come to the WindyCity in a big trade before or midway into the season? These are just few of the concerns that Chicago should fill in order for them to become a contender in the East. With the present lineup, Chicago is loaded in the guard position with Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, and this year’s number draft in Derrick Rose. Dividing the minutes among them will be a prickly issue. And addressing the frontcourt woes should start now. Joakim Noah is no match for the Wallaces, Garnetts, O’neals of the other Eastern teams.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavaliers are one of the favorites in the East this year with the addition of playmaker Mo Williams coming into their fold. The Cavs can play defense with Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Ben Wallace in there, but they didn't have the balance or firepower on offense to compete with the best teams. With Williams’ scoring and versatility in running the point, this won’t be the case this season. If LeBron James, who will be a clear-cut MVP candidate, and Williams can sync promptly, the Cavs should be a major handful for the rest of the NBA.

Detroit Pistons

For this season, the Pistons roster has sizeable talent and experience. Chauncey Billups will still be solid at the point, Rip Hamilton still comes off screens better than any player in the NBA, Tayshaun Prince will play lockdown defense, Rasheed Wallace will provide his usual mix of crazy and brilliant plays, Antonio McDyess will give 20 solid minutes, and Rodney Stuckey, Jason Maxiell, Arron Afflalo and Amir Johnson can provide quality minutes off the bench. The big question is: will they thrive under new coach Michael Curry?

Indiana Pacers

In sending O'Neal to the Raptors and by getting TJ Ford and acquiring Jarrett Jack in a Draft day trade, it's clear where the Pacers are going – running game. With Ford and Jack, the Pacers improved at their weakest and perhaps the most important position in Jim O'Brien's drive-and-kick, three-point flinging offense. Then there's promising star Danny Granger, a 6-9 who can shoot from the perimeter or bang inside with the best of them. But as it stands now, with no discernable upgrade on defense, the Pacers offense will need to work that much more to score.

Milwaukee Bucks

Can new coach Scott Skiles quickly turn things around in Milwaukee? That may depend on the one Buck who has seen plenty of change but has spent his entire eight-year career in the same place: Michael Redd. The Olympic gold medalist must take charge on the court and in the locker room to make this team a playoff threat. With the addition of small forward Richard Jefferson and Andrew Bogut's post presence, the Bucks, all of a sudden, have a chance to make some noise in the East again.

Atlanta Hawks

After their first trip to the postseason in nine years, the expectations are different in Atlanta. The Hawks have improved their record, going from miserable to somewhat respectable, in each of the last three seasons. But to take the next step, the Hawks will need to improve from within, because the only noteworthy change they made this summer was replacing sixth-man Josh Childress with Maurice Evans.

Charlotte Bobcats

In four seasons in the NBA, the Bobcats have yet to finish less than 16 games under .500. After showing solid progress in years two and three, they took a small step back last season, coming one win short of their '06-07 total of 33. And perhaps new coach Larry Brown has the magic touch to make this group to be successful in the NBA. Otherwise, someone, whether it be players or the coach, will be moving on soon enough.

Miami Heat

Dwyane Wade is back. After two injury-riddled seasons, Wade showed that he is healthy, explosive and dominant again this summer in Beijing, helping the US team win gold as the team's leading scorer. But with a big hole at the five position, new coach Erik Spoelstra will likely play Udonis Haslem, Shawn Marion and No. 2 pick Michael Beasley, a solid trio of forwards, together often in order to get his best players on the floor. And that could burn out the players in a tough 82-game regular season.

Orlando Magic

As he enters his fifth season, Dwight Howard is coming off a career year, posting career highs in points, rebounds and blocks. If Howard can make the leap, then a supporting cast of the all-around Rashard Lewis, rising Hedo Turkoglu, solid Jameer Nelson, and dependable sixth man Mickael Pietrus might be enough to get those guys to a respectable playoff run.

Washington Wizards

The Wizards won 43 games last year and 37 of them were without Gilbert Arenas on the court. Washington can compete with or without their engaging star, but can they win it all without the boost that comes from Agent 0? If Arenas stays healthy, the Wizards will go farther.

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Denver Nuggets

Losing Camby and Najera could have a huge negative consequence on how the team performs this year, unless they make drastic changes in their roster by mid-season. If Nene and Kenyon Martin stay healthy throughout the season and JR Smith shows maturity in his game, they’ll be a team to reckon with in the West. A fight for the last playoff spot will be the most likely outcome for the Nuggets this season in a tough West conference race.

Minnesota Timberwolves

A late Draft-night deal that brought in new faces like sharpshooter Mike Miller and potential Rookie of the Year candidate Kevin Love to reinforce the Wolves' best player, Al Jefferson, makes the Wolves a “contender” again in the unforgiving Western conference. Even if the Wolves don’t make the playoff this season, the future looks bright for Minnesota after the KG era.

Oklahoma City Thunder

The team-formally-known-as-the-Sonics is now known as OKC Thunder. P.J. Carlesimo leads a baby-faced squad building for the better days. The management sought veteran help, and hauled in swingman Desmond Mason and forward Joe Smith to shore up the young roster led by franchise player Kevin Durant. Though not in the running for a playoff spot for the coming season, expect a sellout crowd every time their new team plays.

Portland Trail Blazers

Portland may be the surprise team in the West. Last year they were very solid relying on All-Star Brandon Roy and up-and-coming frontcourt star LaMarcus Aldridge and should only get better with the addition of Greg Oden back from his season-ending surgery. The one area that still may hold them back is the point guard spot. Rookie Rudy Fernandez is okay but is best as a backup. And the same can be said about Steve Blake. If the Trail Blazers can add a solid veteran playmaker, no doubt this team will go places.

Utah Jazz

It's not impractical for people to expect Deron Williams to be even better in his fourth season in the league. Because if Williams gets better, then so do the Jazz. The Jazz will hold steady because the young nucleus featuring Carlos Boozer, Andrei Kirilenko, Mehmet Okur, Kyle Korver, and a group of hardworking bench players not only can contend for a title this year, but can also contend for the next few years.

Golden State Warriors

First they lost Baron Davis to the Clippers. Then the lost the tug-of-war for Arenas when he stayed in Washington. Then they lost Monta Ellis in a freak accident while Monta was riding a mo-ped. Though they got Corey Maggette, Ronny Turiaf and Marcus Williams in trades and free agency and Marco Belinelli and rookie Anthony Randolph are coming off notable showings in the summer league, the chances of the Warriors making the playoffs in the tough-as-Teflon Western conference might be over before the season even starts. The team will be fun to watch but it will be back to the lottery for GoldenState.

LA Clippers

The Clippers made some nice additions during the offseason. Marcus Camby gives them a nice defensive presence, and Baron Davis is a dynamic guard who can literally take over a game the way that few can when he gets rolling. The current roster includes Chris Kaman who is one of the handful big men today and is one of the best rebounders in the league, Cuttino Mobley, Tim Thomas and free agent Ricky Davis can do nothing if not score, Al Thornton could help here if he continues to mature, and rookie combo guard Eric Gordon and forward DeAndre Jordan are exciting prospects. Surely, LA won’t be missing Brand and Maggette.

Phoenix Suns

With a change in philosophy brought in by new coach Terry Porter, one speculates if Phoenix can still make the playoffs this season. Steve Nash is on the downside of his career and Amare Stoudemire will not gain from a slower, more controlled style of play. Grant Hill is a shade of his former self, and Shaquille O’Neal no longer seems to have the concern to keep himself in good shape. Boris Diaw and Raja Bell will also see a decline in their numbers with the slower style of play. It’s a wait and see scenario, and IF Phoenix has difficulty making the .500 mark by midseason, it’s SUNset time in the desert as this team will fail to make the playoffs for the first time in years.

Sacramento Kings

With Artest gone and Abdur-Rahim retiring, the Kings are looking to their youth and a style change to excite their fan base. BUT the better players like Bobby Jackson, Brad Miller and Kenny Thomas are on the twilight of their careers. The young guys, led by Kevin Martin, truly one of the better young players in the league, aren’t enough to move this team to the next level. Players like Spencer Hawes, Jason Thompson and Beno Udrih are being counted on to carry this team behind Martin, but that’s just not enough firepower in a tough war that is Western conference. John Salmons and Francisco Garcia are nice players but role players at that. The future looks bright but no post season appearance this year, not yet.

Dallas Mavericks

It's hard to believe this team was on the verge of an NBA championship a little over two years ago. They still have great talent, led by Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd and will be able to compete with any team on any given night. The up side of this team is experience. The down side is this team is starting to look old. Five of their key players have 12 or more years in the league. Hopefully their old bodies hold up. They do have a brilliant young star in Josh Howard to support the potentially worn out legs of veterans Jerry Stackhouse, Eddie Jones and Erick Dampier. Jason Terry is approaching the point in his career where most guys who have relied a great deal on their quickness begin to slow down. Look for them to make the playoffs and maybe even the second round but that's where it will end for the Mavs.

Houston Rockets

If Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming can stay healthy, they will be a major player in the West. Rafer Alston can be a steady and from time to time fantastic point guard if he stays within the structure of what coach Rick Adelman wants done. They have a couple of other wonderful role players in Shane Battier, Luis Scola and Steve Franics that make this a tremendous basketball team. The wild card here is how Ron Artest fits in. He's tremendously competitive, an outstanding defender, a solid rebounder and can score with any small forward in the league. But he's been a trouble on every team he's played on, especially if he feels snubbed and being third on the team as far as offensive options and star status might not sit well with him. Will the newest triumvirate in the league draw the same result to that of Boston’s?

Memphis Grizzlies

The Griz are one of the youngest teams in the NBA. Rudy Gay is a bright young talent and OJ Mayo could be a star in this league in a couple of years. Darko Milicic, although skilled, probably has this year left to prove he belongs in the NBA. Hakim Warrick is a respectable player but needs frantically to improve his outside shooting ability before he moves up to the next level. But overall, look for the Griz to return to the lottery and continue to try to build the franchise through the draft.

New Orleans Hornets

The Hornets, behind Chris Paul, made believers out of everyone in the NBA. There are few guys in the NBA who make every guy on the floor look better and this is what Paul brings to the table. David West has emerged as one of the better power forwards in the West and gives the Hornets a significant one-two punch. Add Peja Stojakovic's ability to score from beyond the arc and you have a very dangerous team. Tyson Chandler is better than what they had even hoped. James Posey gives them a solid help off the bench and some depth, something they sorely lacked last season. Mo Peterson can score in bunches. With a little bit better depth and a lot more experience, watch out for the Hornets to contend for the Western conference crown, and perhaps, the NBA championship.

San Antonio Spurs

When you bring a guy off the bench who would be a high-level starter on almost any other team in the NBA, you know you have depth. Manu Ginobili has been one of the steadiest players in the NBA in the past few years. The only question now is: how fast will he come back from his ankle injury? With Tim Duncan’s leadership by example, Bruce Bowen’s steady defense, Michael Finley’s ability to score and defend, and Tony Parker’s ability to get anywhere he wants on the court, the Spurs will be one of the top teams to beat in the league.

The 2008-2009 NBA season is just weeks away. Team have gone through the Draft, made big trades and deals, and went through their rigid training camps. Now watch NBA Games online and catch all your favorite teams and players in action.

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