First, Denver looked like it could be an NBA dynasty, then Dallas and now Utah. No such luck, because the top of the Midwest always seems to be the middle of the pack in the NBA. Nevertheless, someone's got to win it, and this year's pick has to come from Texas.
Okay, so I'm straddling the fence here a little bit, but the top three teams are Dallas, Houston and a tremendously-talented San Antonio.
The Mavericks have a dominating frontline with James "Don't Call Me Sam" Donaldson, Roy Tarpley and Sam Perkins, and "Bo" Derek Harper and Rolando Blackman can hold their own against any backcourt tandem in the league. Depth is the only problem here.
And depth is the strength in Houston this year, after the addition of guards Mitchell Wiggins, Lewis Lloyd (both reinstated after drug suspensions), John Lucas and forward Larry Smith. But Olajuwon's health problems and defensive question marks should prevent this team from rising to the top.
The most promising squad in the division is certainly San Antonio, which has the powerful quartet of David Robinson, Sean Elliot, Maurice Cheeks and Terry Cummings joining Willie Anderson and Vernon Maxwell to form a solid all-around lineup. Coach Larry Brown will win this year and probably will be coaching a small-time college team next year.
Utah has two of the best players in the league, point guard John "Where Pass is my Favorite Word" Stockton and Karl "The Mailman" Malone, but not much else to support them. Denver has Alex English, while Charlotte and Minnesota will be happy with one good player. J.R. Reid could have a surprisingly strong rookie year with the Hornets.
Pacific Division
There's trouble brewing for the Los Angeles Lakers, and it comes in the form of Phoenix and Portland. The Lakers have the same dominating players, including James Worthy, Magic Johnson and Byron Scott, but without Kareem, the "Magic" may have gone East to Orlando.
Phoenix's Kevin Johnson is one of the best point guards in the league, and Tom Chambers and Eddie Johnson provide a solid nucleus for a potential championship team.
In Portland, Kevin Duckworth and Clyde Drexler are All-Stars, and the addition of New Jersey's Williams gives the Trail Blazers an enthusiastic rebounder who could propel them towards the title.
Golden State's Manute Bol and Seattle's Dale Ellis hold the door open to grandmother's house, while the Clippers and Sacramento are grandma's doormats.