2) New York Knicks
The Knicks made waves early on in the offseason by acquiring Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets. The former Villanova star will rejoin college teammates Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson, and Donte DiVincenzo to create one of the most unique stories in the NBA today. The rebounding will take a hit with the loss of Isaiah Hartenstein but the team will only get better with Julius Randle returning to the starting lineup after missing the postseason due to injury. The Knicks are loaded with talent on both ends of the floor and barring any significant injuries should be one of the top teams in the NBA this season.
1) Boston Celtics
This one is a no brainer. The Celtics are the defending NBA champions and no team even came close to taking them down in the playoffs. Brad Stevens has done a tremendous job at improving this team year in and year out, and last year was a perfect example. Adding Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis took this team to another level, especially on the defensive end where Holiday shined most. It will be the Celtics conference to lose once again. It would be exciting to see how Philadelphia measures up against the defending champs, especially come Christmas.