NBA Teams

These NBA teams are among the best teams in the league right now. With the NBA playoffs in full swing, most of these teams are fighting for a slot in the NBA Finals. While some of these squads have a rich championship heritage and know how to win, others have never lifted the Larry O'Brien Trophy and are hungry for the opportunity to make history.

1. Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers were favored to win this season and complete their second NBA three-peat. Led by the near unstoppable Kobe Bryant, the Lakers also had the services of the talented Spaniard, Pau Gasol and versatile big man, Lamar Odom. Coaching the team is the “Zen Master” himself, Phil Jackson. Unfortunately, Los Angeles ran into a determined Dallas team who shocked the world by sweeping the Lakers in the second round of the 2011 NBA Playoffs.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder has some of the youngest players in the NBA. They may lack experience, but they make up for this with boundless energy and superior athleticism. Led by two-time NBA scoring king Kevin Durant, the Oklahoma City Thunder has surprised many observers by reaching the NBA Western Conference Finals. The Thunder knocked out the Denver Nuggets in the first round and defeated an overachieving Memphis team in the second round of the 2011 NBA Playoffs.

3. Dallas Mavericks. Many still remember the 2006 debacle where Dallas Mavericks led the Miami Heat in their finals series before losing their poise and eventually coming out second best. Because of that embarrassing defeat, the Mavericks have been branded by many basketball fans as being a “soft” team. Fortified by an influx of key players over the past couple of years, the latest version of this team seemed to have grown a spine and may have shed that unfortunate image. The Mavericks not only manhandled the Lakers in the second round of the 2011 NBA Playoffs, they are currently in the thick of things seeking another appearance in the NBA Finals.

4. Chicago Bulls. The Bulls are once again serious contenders after the glorious Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen era. Newly crowned 2011 NBA MVP Derrick Rose has been on a tear. He has almost single-highhandedly carried his team through the regular season and into the playoffs. Although Rose lacks consistent scoring support from his teammates, the Bulls does have one of the biggest and most intimidating NBA front lines with Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah manning the paint.

5. Miami Heat. Most basketball fans were irked by the way Lebron James abandoned his former team and the manner in which he decided to do so. Although Miami is most hated team in the league right now, the Heat are definitely favored to reach the 2011 NBA Finals. The Heat may have the most talented nucleus in the NBA with Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, but they had a very disappointing start. Midway during the season though, they began to play well together and managed to enter the playoffs as the second seed in the NBA Eastern Conference. They may even be peaking at just the right time as they battle the Chicago Bulls to earn an NBA Finals berth.