The Magic represented the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals this past June, but many don't see them as the team to beat heading into the 2009-10 season.

Instead, the Cavaliers and Celtics are filling that role.

The Orlando Sentinel polled 11 NBA experts, asking them to rank the East's teams from top to bottom.

The Magic placed third, behind Cleveland Boston.

"When I learned they were going after Vince [Carter], I thought it was to play him next to Hedo Turkoglu (the team MVP in my eyes), not replace him," said Ric Bucher, an NBA reporter and analyst for ESPN. "I was ready to anoint that team the best in the East. It's hard to see them having the same blazing start they had last year with all the changes. Let's put it this way: If this year's team does what last year's team did, it will be a bigger surprise than last year's team doing it, which was only the biggest shock in the league last year."

In addition to trading for Carter, Orlando signed free agents Brandon Bass and Matt Barnes, and re-signed center Marcin Gortat.

"Continuity tends to win championships," said Steve Kyler, the editor and publisher of HOOPSWORLD. "There is little doubt Orlando improved the talent level of the team, but can the new guys fit in as effectively as last year's team did? Can you capture magic twice?"