This year, we’re doing a division-by-division preview with quick-hitting analysis for every team in the league. If a franchise is a legitimate championship contender, I’ll focus on what stars have to line up for a title run. If a team is a playoff “also-ran,” I’ll identify the weaknesses that have to be shored up via trade, free agency or draft over the next couple of seasons to make it a contender. If a team is likely to miss the playoffs, I’ll take a look at the salary cap, and provide a blueprint for how the team should proceed in the near future to get back in the postseason. At the end of each divisional preview, I’ll provide some (random) thoughts for the fantasy hoopsters out there.

For each division, I’ll pick the order of finish. You’ll also see the team’s league-wide preseason rank in parenthesis. Be sure to check back on Thursday for a preview of the Central Division and on Saturday for the Atlantic Division.

Orlando Magic (4)
The Magic were busy this summer, but did they get better? Only time will tell. Vince Carter, Brandon Bass and Jason Williams are in, and Hedo Turkoglu, Courtney Lee and Rafer Alston are out. Orlando fended off a strong run from the Mavs for the services of Marcin Gortat, and actually played Mark Cuban and Co. pretty well by stealing the up-and-coming Bass away in the process. It appears that Bass may start at power forward, which would move Rashard Lewis to small forward. Since the mismatches Lewis created at power forward were one of the Magic’s strengths last season, this may not be written in stone. Orlando also has the option of starting Mickael Pietrus at small forward and moving Lewis back to PF. But the biggest change to the lineup is the loss of Turkoglu and the acquisition of the 32 year-old Vince Carter, who will likely take over Turkoglu’s initiation of the offense. But keep in mind that the Magic made their playoff run without the services of All-Star point guard Jameer Nelson, and his return will be a significant boost to an already strong roster. The Magic didn’t just tinker with their Finals roster from last year, they made a pretty major overhaul, so it will be interesting to see how this group gels. Stan Van Gundy is one of the best coaches in the NBA, and the regular season should provide plenty of time for the Magic to work the kinks out. A deep playoff run is likely.

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The Associated Press reports that Michael Beasley is participating in voluntary workouts with the Miami Heat after spending a month in a rehab facility in Houston. Details of his treatment are unknown.

Beasley worked out for two months prior to entering rehab and reportedly looks “bigger” and is in “phenomenal shape.” The Heat had representatives with Beasley on a daily basis while he was in Houston and head coach Erik Spoelstra personally visited three times.

Dwyane Wade is in Chicago right now for the 3rd annual “Wade’s World” charity weekend. The festivities include a benefit dinner, a kick-off party, school visits, a bowling party, a youth summit and a school supply giveaway. But the event that D.Wade really wanted to promote was the Gatorade “Chicago Has Talent” show on Saturday night at the Harris Theater at Millenium Park. (For tickets or information call 312-334-7777 or visit www.harristheaterchicago.org. All proceeds go towards the Wade’s World Foundation.) Go to the foundation’s website for more information about the weekend’s festivities and events.

D.Wade took a few minutes out of his busy schedule to chat with The Scores Report about the weekend, what it was like to win an Olympic gold medal and where he might sign next summer.

TSR: D. Wade. How are you doing?

DW: I’m good, boss. I’m good.

TSR: It’s a pleasure to talk to one of the best – if not the best – basketball players on the planet.

DW: Aw, well, I appreciate that.

TSR: I saw your itinerary for this “Wade’s World” Weekend and it looks like you are about to present a check to the William Leonard Public Library. What does it mean for you to be able to give back to your hometown?

DW: It means a lot. Whether it’s a big contribution or a small contribution to be able to give back to not only my hometown and my community, but to others as well. I’ve been very blessed and I think it’s my job to continue to help others that are in dire need, like the William Leonard Public Library in Robbins.

TSR: There’s a jam-packed weekend of activities. One thing I wanted to ask you about was the Gatorade “Chicago Has Talent” show on Saturday. Can you tell me a little bit about that?

DW: Yeah, you look at the whole weekend and we’ve got many different events going on. Some of them you’re going to have fun and some of them are fundraisers, but I think the biggest thing is the one that Gatorade really got behind was the “Chicago Has Talent” because it’s showcasing our kids and giving them an opportunity in life. I think we’re going to have between 10-15 different groups of kids perform in front of a crowd of around 1,000 people, and get a chance to showcase their talent. And the top 3 will get an opportunity to do some special things, but the winner is going to go on and do some great things and get an opportunity to be seen. I think our job is to give them that chance and that hope that they can do it. So I’m looking forward to it. I can’t wait until that Saturday event. That’s probably the biggest event to me of the week of all the things we’re doing.

TSR: That’s at the Harris Theater at 7:00 PM at Millenium Park and tickets (which start at $15) are available.

DW: Yeah, that’s at the Harris Theater and it’s just after we get done with a youth summit where we have a panel full of celebrities and powerful, important people in the community, and they get to talk to kids for a couple of hours about violence and sex, and about so many different topics, and that’s actually right before the show.

TSR: And that’s at the UIC Forum at 725 W. Roosevelt Road.

DW: Yeah.

TSR: So do you mind if I ask you a couple of basketball-related questions?

DW: Sure.

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Henry Abbott of TrueHoop analyzes the information and misinformation surrounding Beasley’s rehab.

The more you dig for real information about what’s going on right now, the muddier the picture becomes.

One group of sources swears that Beasley’s off-court life is disastrous. They talk of compounding poor judgment with cars, guns, women and money. They talk of money spent on cars, houses and supporting those around him that far exceeds income. Many tell stories of appointments broken and opportunities lost to a player who seems unable to focus. When word came that he was entering some kind of treatment, several sources said things like “I’m not surprised at all,” and “it could get worse before it gets better.”

This is a good read for those interesting in what’s going on with Beasley, even though the picture isn’t entirely clear.

Per the Sun-Sentinel…

A day after it was confirmed that Michael Beasley had entered a Houston rehab facility, a clearer picture regarding the status of the Miami Heat forward has come into focus.

Sources familiar with the case said Beasley’s stay at the facility is primarily related to the NBA’s substance-abuse program, with this visit planned in advance.

In addition, while concerns have been raised about Beasley’s mental well-being in the wake of web postings by the 20-year-old and comments from those close to him, those concerns have been overstated, according to a source familiar with the situation.

Under league rules, neither those affiliated with individual teams nor those in the league office are allowed to comment on individual cases regarding the NBA’s substance-abuse policy.

However Tuesday, a source familiar with the situation said Beasley is expected to be back with the team by the Sept. 28 start of training camp at AmericanAirlines Arena.

That doesn’t really clear things up, but it paints a better picture. Let’s hope he’s getting the help he needs.

Per ESPN…

Miami Heat forward Michael Beasley has entered a rehabilitation hospital in Houston to address possible substance and psychological issues, multiple media outlets reported Monday.

Beasley, who last year was hit with a $50,000 fine stemming from an incident at the NBA’s annual rookie orientation, checked into an unidentified facility this past weekend, the reports said, citing unnamed sources.

A photo of the No. 2 pick in the 2008 NBA draft was posted Friday to his Twitter account, in which Beasley is displaying a new tattoo across his shoulders.

That image also captured what appeared to be a small plastic bag on an adjacent table, the contents of which were unclear.

Details are sketchy, as they probably should be in this situation. There’s no reason to speculate, so I’ll just wish the young man the best of luck in getting the help that he needs.

Per the NY Times…

“I want to be in Miami, and I hope everything works out that way,” Wade said Thursday. “I want to be one of those players that stays with one franchise for his entire career.”

“Next year will be a big year for myself and for the team, but the plan has always been to stay with the Heat, and that’s still the plan,” he said. “I think everything will work out.”

The NY Post went a step further, asking Wade if the Knicks or Nets had a chance of signing him.

And while admitting the Heat were still the favorites, for his services, he pretty much dashed any hope of the Nets or Knicks getting him. After saying firmly “The Heat” as the frontrunner, he was asked point blank if the Nets or Knicks had a chance.

“Not in my mind. I’m not thinking about the Knicks or the Nets. Only when we play them,” Wade said.

In a piece about which teams will project to have a lot of cap space next summer, I wrote this about the Heat…

Of these five teams, the Heat look to be in the best overall shape. Their projected payroll already includes Dwyane Wade, so they have enough to woo another superstar (LeBron, Bosh, Amare, Boozer?) to Miami. They also have a few good young players (Michael Beasley, Daequan Cook and Mario Chalmers) under contract, and the city boasts a great climate and nightlife. But the real draw is playing with Wade, who has already proven that he can win a championship if he has a little help.

There might be a little chicken and the egg thing going on here. In order for the Heat to attract a top free agent like Chris Bosh or Amare Stoudemire, they need to have a commitment from Dwyane Wade that he’ll re-sign. (Last summer, Baron Davis learned this the hard way when Elton Brand bolted for Philly.) But in order to get Wade to re-sign, he needs to know that there’s help on the way.

Right now, the Nets (with a nice core of Devin Harris and Brook Lopez) and the Knicks (great market) look to be the two biggest threats to stealing Wade away. In his own words, he doesn’t think there’s much of a chance of that happening.

But a lot can happen in a year.

ESPN’s Chad Ford lists nine teams that will have significant cap space next summer. [Insider subscription required.]

1. Nets ($25-$27 million)
2. Knicks ($24 million, assuming they don’t sign anyone for longer than a year)
3. Heat ($20-$22 million)
4. Timberwolves ($16-$18 million)
5. Bulls ($13-$15 million minus whatever they give Tyrus Thomas)
6. Thunder ($14-$15 million)
7. Rockets ($12-$14 million minus whatever they give to Carl Landry and Chuck Hayes)
8. Clippers ($10-$11 million)
9. Kings ($9-$10 million)

This assumes a cap of $53.6 million, which is an optimistic view. The cap could drop below $50 million.

It takes about $14 million of space to sign a max-contract player, so even under these optimistic circumstances, there really are only five teams — the Nets, Knicks, Heat, T-Wolves and Thunder — that will have that kind of space. (The Bulls are likely to keep Thomas and the Rockets are likely to retain Landry and Hayes, though they could make another move here or there to put them in position to add a superstar.)

Of these five teams, the Heat look to be in the best overall shape. Their projected payroll already includes Dwyane Wade, so they have enough to woo another superstar (LeBron, Bosh, Amare, Boozer?) to Miami. They also have a few good young players (Michael Beasley, Daequan Cook and Mario Chalmers) under contract, and the city boasts a great climate and nightlife. But the real draw is playing with Wade, who has already proven that he can win a championship if he has a little help.

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Trevor Ariza tried to play hardball…and lost. Lamar Odom tried to play hardball…and the Lakers aren’t budging. If anything, they’re less interested in bringing Odom back.

Odom’s choices, as of lunchtime Thursday, were the same choices he’s been mulling all week. Informed sources say the Lakers’ latest offer is in the area of $25 million over three years, down from the $27 million over three years that was taken off the table earlier this month by Lakers owner Jerry Buss.

As ESPN.com reported Monday, should the 29-year-old decide to reunite with Dwyane Wade and Pat Riley after haggling with the Lakers for so long, Odom likely will be deciding between a five-year, $34 million deal that includes a provision to return to free agency after the fourth season or a four-year deal with an opt-out clause after three years.

Keep in mind that with California’s state income tax (10% for $1 million-plus), the Lakers’ offer is essentially three years for $22.5 million, or $7.5 million per season. Florida has no state income tax, so Miami’s offer (~$6.8 million per season) looks to be the better offer since it has about $12 million more in guaranteed money. If these numbers are accurate, it makes sense why Odom is dragging this out. It seems like he wants to stay in L.A., but he doesn’t really want to take a reduced offer.

Jim Hill reported yesterday that Odom was scheduled to meet with Pat Riley and Dwyane Wade about joining the Heat.

Talks have resumed with Odom and the Lakers, but they remain pessimistic that Odom will return.

Hmm. This is the first I’ve heard about the Lakers being “pessimistic.” All of the national coverage of this story has suggested that it’s pretty much an inevitability that Odom will return to the Lakers.

The LA Times Laker Blog has this to say…

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