Just random teams I like this season.

2006 Indiana Pacers
Power Ranking: No. 4 Projected Record: 49-33 (5-game improvement)
Odds to Win the NBA Title: 8/1
Offseason Grade: A- Drafted (Grade: A) 1. (17) Danny Granger, SF, New Mexico 2. (46) Erazem Lorbek, PF, Slovenia

Signed (Grade: A-) Sarunas Jasikevicius, PG, Lithuania

Acquired (Grade: N/A) None.

Lost Reggie Miller, SG (Retired)
James Jones, SF, Phoenix
John Edwards, C, Atlanta
Dale Davis, C, Detroit

Position Battles: Jeff Foster vs. David Harrison at center. Advantage: Foster. Jasikevicius vs. Jamaal Tinsley at point guard. Advantage: Tinsley.

Breakout: Stephen Jackson. An unlikely heir to Reggie Miller's throne, Jackson will be the perimeter complement to Jermaine O'Neal inside.
Burnout: Jonathan Bender. The drafting of Danny Granger should be the final boot to get Bender out the door.
Catalyst: Jasikevicius. Is he a point guard or shooting guard? Can he even play in the NBA? Or are all his Euroleague accolades worth a hill of beans? If Jasikevicius enjoys a reasonable facsimile of his success abroad, the Pacers will have the heady, steadying influence in the backcourt they've lacked since Mark Jackson left.
2006 Free Agents: Eddie Gill, Fred Jones (restricted), Scot Pollard 2006 Salary Cap Space: About $12 million over the $49.5 million cap. Projected 2005 No. 1 Pick: (No. 17) Marko Thomas, SG, Croatia
Top Trade Chip: Pollard. He's big, he gets six fouls and he makes a healthy salary that will expire this summer. Move We'd Make: The Pacers are short one outside shooter so target one of the best in the clutch: Derek Fisher. His contract is not for the timid, but that's why the Warriors will happily give him up for the financial relief that Pollard provides.
State of the Franchise The word "unprecedented" gets thrown around an awful lot, but to apply it to the adversity the Indiana Pacers experienced last season would be no overstatement. The basketball world had never seen what the Pacers went through in 2004-05. Between mass suspensions, a flood of injuries and a surprising East Semifinals berth, Indiana emerged from the roughest roller-coaster ride in NBA history not only intact, but looking like Title contenders again.
The world expects the revived and reloaded Pacers to return to their pre-Brawl glory: 60 wins, No. 1 seed, East Finals. But a closer look reveals that Indiana may not have it any easier in 2006. There's still much to be decided in terms of the starting and substitute rotations. Principally, who will the team leader be with Miller retiring? Will Ron Artest slide back into his old role rust-free? Can Tinsley and O'Neal get through a full season without sustaining a major injury? Where does Jasikevicius fit into the whole equation?
And, oh yeah, the NBA handed Indiana one last rap on the knuckles by saddling the Pacers with the League's most arduous schedule, wrought with back-to-backs and disjointed road trips.
It all adds up to a regular season rife with pitfalls. But while their record may not wind up being indicative of a champion, you won't find a more battle-tested squad than the Pacers. After all they've been through and what they will go through in the next seven months, Rick Carlisle's crew should have a single-minded lock on the ultimate prize come Playoff time. All other teams in the East will yield to the Pacers' drive.