I think next year is going to be one of the best we've had in the league in awhile. If all of the principles have good health, there have been some big moves made by top contenders that should make it very competitive up top. You've got Artest to the Lakers while losing Ariza. Bynum will start off the year healthy. The question is will they still have the hunger? It's always harder to defend a title but if there's one guy you want leading your team in that situation, it's Kobe Bryant. Cleveland has added Shaq? Can he play like he did this past season? If he can, the season might be a mere formality. The Celtics may have been the best last season if healthy. Now they've added Wallace and possibly Grant Hill so they should be even better. Orlando lost Turkoglu and that will hurt the way their offense flows but they got in Carter a guy that's always been the kind of guy that you could go to when the shot clock is winding down that can create a shot. That's one thing they didn't have last year. San Antonio has added Jefferson and if Ginobili can stay healthy, they may have one more run in them before Duncan's knees give out. Utah showed last year in the playoffs that they could be a pretty good team when healthy. If Boozer stays healthy, they will be a factor. Denver took a big step last year and that's usually a huge experience to help a team get to the next level. Billups is getting a little slower and the addition of Lawson should help keep him fresher when the big time moments come. One move that is not talked about at all but might turn out to be significant is the signing by Dallas of Gortat, or however you spell his name. While he's not a superstar, he did play very well in Howard's absence in Orlando and he's an upgrade over Dampier. They need Josh Howard to stay healthy though and if he can, they can't be counted out of having a big impact on the West. Portland is going to be tough too. How good can they be if Oden can up things to say 12-8 a night and figure out a way to stay out of foul trouble all the time?
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The real horses of the year (1986-2020)
Manila, Java Gold, Alysheba, Sunday Silence, Go for Wand, In Excess, Paseana, Kotashaan, Holy Bull, Cigar, Alphabet Soup, Formal Gold, Skip Away, Artax, Tiznow, Point Given, Azeri, Candy Ride, Smarty Jones, Ghostzapper, Invasor, Curlin, Zenyatta, Zenyatta, Goldikova, Havre de Grace, Wise Dan, Wise Dan, California Chrome, American Pharoah, Arrogate, Gun Runner, Accelerate, Maximum Security, Gamine
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