Never Too Early for Next Year

     Now that the Heat and LeBron finally won the title, it begs the question:  Will the Heat repeat?  They will most likely go into next season as the favorite to do so, but here are 6 teams (in order, with #1 being the toughest) that could challenge them in their quest.

     6.  Philadelphia 76ers - They've been in the playoffs the last 2 years.  They are a young, crazy athletic team with a lot of upside.  Of course, it will be interesting to see what happens in the offseason with Elton Brand and Andre Iguodala.

     5.  Los Angeles Clippers - If the Clips weren't already considered the best team in L.A., after next year, they will be.  In my opinion, the Clippers are just a 3-point shooter away from being the favorites to come out of the West.  Options include Oklahoma City's Daequan Cook and Miami's James Jones.

     4.  Indiana Pacers - They have a budding superstar in Roy Hibbert.  They have all the pieces around him to complement him, plus a fantastic coach in Frank Vogel.  To top it off, they learned a lot from their playoff run this year.

     3.  San Antonio Spurs - Pop rebuilt the Spurs this year and it would be foolish to think the Spurs wouldn't be towards the top in the West.  The younger players are a year older and more experienced but one has to wonder how many more years Duncan has left in him.

     2.  Chicago Bulls - Following a season of incredible disappointment, look for the Bulls to come roaring out of the gates to begin the season.  In particular, keep an eye on Derrick Rose.  After winning the MVP, he followed it up with a mediocre (at best) season.  He will definitely use that as motivation in the offseason.

     1.  Oklahoma City - Nobody can say the Thunder lack experience anymore.  This team has it all and has been on the big stage.  They will have learned a ton from their NBA Finals experience this year, and have the leadership and continuity to make several more deep runs.

     Way too Early Prediction:  Thunder over the Heat in six.