NBA team-by-team

By the Associated Press. Listed in order

of 2011-12 division finish.

ATLANTIC DIVISION

 Coach: Doc Rivers

Last season: 39-27, lost to Heat in conference finals.

Skinny: Ray Allen's departure to Miami broke up the trio that brought Boston an unprecedented 17th title in 2008. This season, Rajon Rondo will likely star alongside Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce as the Celtics feature the Big Three, 3.0.

Coach: Mike Woodson

Last season: 36-30, lost to Heat in conference quarterfinals.

Skinny: Desperate to construct a core to bring out the best in Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire, the Knicks loaded up with Kurt Thomas, the NBA's oldest player at 40, Jason Kidd (40 in March), and Marcus Camby (38). Tyson Chandler is a defensive force.

Coach: Doug Collins

Last season: 35-31, lost to Celtics in conference semifinals.

Skinny: The 76ers will likely go as far as Andrew Bynum takes them. But Bynum missed the entire preseason with sore knees, so Jason Richardson, Jrue Holiday, and Evan Turner will need to pick up the slack.

Coach: Dwane Casey

Last season: 23-43, missed playoffs.

Skinny: The Raptors played well in the preseason, and forwards DeMar DeRozan and Andrea Bargnani and former Villanova guard Kyle Lowry should provide consistent scoring.

Coach: Avery Johnson

Last season: 22-44, missed playoffs.

Skinny: The Nets are suddenly cool. Their new home at the Barclays Center is beautiful, their redesigned black-and-white uniforms sharp, and they've got center Brook Lopez, all-star guards Deron Williams and Joe Johnson, and forwards Gerald Wallace and Kris Humphries, eager to make the hype a reality.

CENTRAL DIVISION

Coach: Tom Thibodeau

Last season: 50-16, lost to 76ers in conference quarterfinals.

Skinny: Derrick Rose isn't expected back from his torn ACL until midseason, so the Bulls brought back Kirk Hinrich to run the point. They traded Kyle Korver and lost Omer Asik and C.J. Watson to free agency, so they will again rely mainly on center Joakim Noah, guard Rip Hamilton, and forwards Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer.

Coach: Frank Vogel

Last season: 42-24, lost to Heat in conference semifinals.

Skinny: When new general manager Kevin Pritchard re-signed all-star center Roy Hibbert and point guard George Hill to big contracts this offseason, it assured the Pacers of having the same starting five that led them to their first playoff series win in seven years.

Coach: Scott Skiles

Last season: 31-35, missed playoffs.

Skinny: Star center Andrew Bogut is gone, but the Bucks have six players who stand at least 6-foot-10, including new additions Samuel Dalembert and Joel Przybilla. They will join star guards Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis.

Coach: Lawrence Frank

Last season: 25-41, missed playoffs.

Skinny: There is still work to be done rebuilding this team, but young big man Greg Monroe and guard Brandon Knight may be ready to make a push for the playoffs.

Coach: Byron Scott

Last season: 21-45, missed playoffs.

Skinny: Kyrie Irving, after a sensational first season as the NBA's rookie of the year, is poised to help the Cavs take another step back to respectability. Rookie Dion Waiters, a guard from Syracuse and Life Academy, will compete for playing time with C.J. Miles.

SOUTHEAST DIVISION

Coach: Erik Spoelstra

Last season: 46-20, beat Thunder in NBA finals.

Skinny: After winning the NBA title, LeBron James said he remained as hungry as ever. Dwyane Wade is playing pain-free for the first time since college, and Ray Allen, the best three-point shooter in NBA history, was added. Can you say "repeat?"

Coach: Larry Drew

Last season: 40-26, lost to Celtics in conference quarterfinals.

Skinny: Atlanta has a guard-dominated team filled with expiring contracts, so forward Josh Smith will be the leader.

Coach: Jacque Vaughn

Last season: 37-29, lost to Pacers in conference quarterfinals.

Skinny: Gone is star Dwight Howard, and only four players remain who have spent more than one season with the Magic. Point guard Jameer Nelson, from St. Joseph's, must be a leader.

Coach: Randy Wittman

Last season: 20-46, missed playoffs.

Skinny: Point guard John Wall will watch roughly the first month of the season from the bench because of a stress injury in his left knee. Washington's second-best player, Nene, has been idle as he deals with plantar fasciitis in his left foot. It's a tough start for the Wizards, who have missed the playoffs four straight years.

Coach: Mike Dunlap

Last season: 7-59, missed playoffs.

Skinny: Michael Jordan's Bobcats have nowhere to go but up. They had the worst winning percentage (.106) in NBA history last season and lost 20 games by 20 or more points. Rookie forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, born in Camden, has struggled in the preseason.

SOUTHWEST DIVISION

Coach: Gregg Popovich

Last season: 50-16, lost to Thunder in conference finals.

Skinny: Tim Duncan didn't re-sign for three more years just to start over, and the Spurs are back with nearly the entire roster that dominated the NBA for most of last season. San Antonio rolled into the playoffs last year on a 20-game winning streak but unraveled in spectacular fashion and lost to the Thunder in the playoffs.

Coach: Lionel Hollins

Last season: 41-25, lost to Clippers in conference quarterfinals.

Skinny: Forward Zach Randolph says the Grizzlies' expectations are high. The franchise that simply wanted to win a postseason game two years ago goes into this season with all five starters returning healthy and with enough playoff experience to know how much harder they need to work.

Coach: Rick Carlisle

Last season: 36-30, lost to Thunder in conference quarterfinals.

Skinny: Dirk Nowitzki will likely miss at least the first 10 games after arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, so veterans Elton Brand, Darren Collison, O.J. Mayo, Chris Kaman, and Shawn Marion will be asked to carry the load early.

Coach: Kevin McHale

Last season: 34-32, missed playoffs.

Skinny: Jeremy Lin and newly acquired James Harden will give Houston a fresh start. Shooting guard Kevin Martin is back after averaging 17.1 points per game, but 7-footer Omer Asik, forward Carlos Delfino, and guards Gary Forbes and Shaun Livingston are all new faces.

Coach: Monty Williams

Last season: 21-45, missed playoffs.

Skinny: The question is whether rookie Anthony Davis and injury-riddled guard Eric Gordon can help the Hornets contend for the playoffs this season. Young players Austin Rivers and Ryan Anderson could help out.

NORTHWEST DIVISION

Coach: Scott Brooks

Last season: 47-19, lost to Heat in NBA finals.

Skinny: Just weeks after sobbing with his parents after the Thunder lost a fourth straight game to Miami to come up short in the Finals, Kevin Durant was celebrating a gold medal with Team USA in London. Now he has to try rallying an even younger Thunder team back to the finals in a bid for a different ending. Guard Russell Westbrook averaged 23.6 points last season.

Coach: George Karl

Last season: 38-28, lost to Lakers in conference quarterfinals.

Skinny: The Nuggets, with newcomer Andre Iguodala, have turned into a trendy pick this season to be a top contender. Iguodala, a former 76er, will help defensively, and big man JaVale McGee has a full year under his belt. But the Nuggets still lack a real star.

Coach: Tyrone Corbin

Last season: 36-30, lost to Spurs in conference quarterfinals.

Skinny: The Jazz have two players named Williams, Mo and Marvin, brought in to boost a dreadful three-point shooting attack. Utah also has perhaps the best set of "bigs" in the league in Al Jefferson, Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter, and Paul Millsap.

Coach: Terry Stotts

Last season: 28-38, missed playoffs.

Skinny: After a major makeover in Portland, familiar forwards LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum, and guard Wesley Matthews will be surrounded by a young, untested cast that includes first-round draft picks Damian Lillard and Meyers Leonard.

Coach: Rick Adelman

Last season: 26-40, missed playoffs.

Skinny: Kevin Love is out for at least a month with a broken shooting hand, and Ricky Rubio is not expected back until mid-December at the earliest with a torn ACL in his left knee. Guard Brandon Roy, forward Andrei Kirilenko, and center Nikola Pekovic will be in the spotlight.

PACIFIC DIVISION

Coach: Mike Brown

Last season: 41-25, lost to Thunder in conference semifinals.

Skinny: The Lakers' achievements range from Steve Nash's MVP awards and Kobe Bryant's scoring superlatives to Dwight Howard's defensive dominance and Pau Gasol's international acclaim. Nobody knows whether that pedigree will translate into championship success, but the Lakers are ready to try.

Coach: Vinny Del Negro

Last season: 40-26, lost to Spurs in conference semifinals.

Skinny: Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Chauncey Billups, and the rest of the Clippers are embracing increased expectations. The Clippers assembled a deep roster of veterans to surround Paul and Griffin, who are expected to play key roles in the team's success.

Coach: Alvin Gentry

Last season: 33-33, missed playoffs.

Skinny: Five players return from last season, and only two, center Marcin Gortat and guard Jared Dudley, figure to start. The newcomers include former high draft picks Michael Beasley and Wesley Johnson. Former Sun Goran Dragic was welcomed back to play point guard.

Coach: Mark Jackson

Last season: 23-43, missed playoffs.

Skinny: Golden State's entire season is resting on two surgically repaired ankles returning to - and staying at - full strength. Stephen Curry and Andrew Bogut, a dazzling guard-center combo when healthy, have struggled to stay on the court together.

Coach: Keith Smart

Last season: 22-44, missed playoffs.

Skinny: Forward Tyreke Evans, from Chester, center DeMarcus Cousins, and guard Marcus Thornton form the core of this team. John Salmons, from Plymouth Whitemarsh, is a key sub.