Tim Povtak

Sure, it would be fun to see the Magic shoot all the way up to the NBA Finals again, facing off against old pal Shaquille O'Neal. But that's an unrealistic scenario. With three new starters, they are playing like strangers now. What is more likely is that they don't jell until the second half of the season, improving from 43 wins to 50. If things go well, they could reach the Eastern Conference Finals, where they would lose to the Milwaukee Bucks, who will be the ones playing the Lakers at the end.

Jerry Brewer

Tracy McGrady and Grant Hill will be the East's most intriguing duo, second only to Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant in the NBA. That's why the Magic will win about 55 games this season. But a jump from first-round losers to conference champions may be too much for this team to accomplish in a single season. They will come close, but look for Toronto to beat them in a long series during the conference finals. Raptors center Hakeem Olajuwon wins the matchup of aging centers with Patrick Ewing by having one less joint with arthritis.