They're going to man.
We don't know anything yet of course, but most of the big FAs are being rumored to be sticking around in the West.
Derrick Rose WILL be back, but he still hasn't played a single game yet and we have no concrete indication that he will be like how he was pre-injury (I have high hopes for him, though). Is it too much to ask to see him in ONE game first? In reality, all we're going on is reports of him looking good in practice, and him sitting out much longer than he needed to.
Is that really enough to say that the Heat have a worthy challenger next season? If he is the same or somewhere near it, adding him would be like adding a giant free agent to a team that was one series win short of the conference finals. But with regards to that, we just have no idea how his recovery will play out in the real game yet. :\ Wade's a year older, sure... but Bron and Bosh will either be the same or better. Age is not a factor for either yet.
The Pacers, as young and as talented as they truly are, just feel like the type of team that had their chance, and may never get back. Will they ever be within one win of the NBA Finals with this squad again? We all know that SO many things have to work out to even get to the point they were at a couple short weeks ago.
At this point in time, the Celtics can't even be called a factor. Rondo will be back, but Doc and KG are on their way out? That's a significant + and a couple of significant minuses. So you've got Rondo, Avery, Jeff Green, and POSSIBLY/
MAYBE NOT Pierce... does that team have a realistic chance of reaching the conference finals?
The Knicks are paying Amare 45 million dollars over the next two seasons. :x And they're still a piece or two away from legitimate playoff success. They could steamroll through the regular season again, but if they're not going to alter anything worth noting this off-season... that team just won't be worth noting once the calendar turns to April unfortunately. I would love to see some of those guys in big spots, so lets hope Grunwald does something.
Brooklyn feels like they're pretty maxed out... they could move up to the #3 seed and if everything falls right the #2, but can you see that team, as it is currently assembled, in the NBA Finals?
They'll be there again on the shoulders of #6.
Now I give MJ the credit that he MIGHT have carried his Bulls to a title in 94 for a 4th straight, maybe, he was that great, and maybe LeBron will be too, but I see too many guys in and out. The Heat benefitted from Wade sitting out a playoff game in round 1, Haslem sat out a part of the Finals, Bird, Battier, Allen's minutes were greatly reduced. And they barely squeaked by. That's a credit to them, but now reduce their speed a half a smidge of a step, and things change. 
