The NBA season started on Saturday night. The off-season brought a change of scenery for many players. Center Dwight Howard and point guard Steve Nash were traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, while shooting guard Ray Allen signed with the champion Miami Heat.

On Saturday, the Oklahoma City Thunder traded shooting guard James Harden to the Houston Rockets. Before the trade, the Thunder were primed to make a run to the finals again this year. The trade shifts the power in the Western Conference to the Lakers.

Many teams will showcase their up-and-coming talent this season. The Washington Wizards will surprise some, perhaps to make a run at the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. The newly coined Brooklyn Nets are a force to be reckoned with in the Atlantic Division.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have a nucleus of young players who are poised to take the next step. The Philadelphia 76ers and Minnesota Timberwolves both made moves to make a push for the upper-echelon teams.

This leaves this upcoming NBA season with two legitimate title contenders and four teams that could push their way into the finals if everything works in their favor.

The Top Two

The Miami Heat added key players over the off-season and kept their core intact. James has reportedly improved even more. While he doesn't have that chip on his shoulder, he still will carry the Heat deep into the playoffs.

The Lakers have one of the greatest starting lineups in NBA history. The defense of Gasol and Howard will wreak havoc in the paint, and shooting guard Kobe Bryant, with Nash running the point and Pau Gasol and Howard inside, will have more open shots than he has ever seen. If this team gels come playoff time, they will be unstoppable.

The Next Five

The Thunder traded away their chances at competing with the Lakers for the top spot in the Western Conference. Small forward Kevin Durant and point guard Russell Westbrook can carry this team to the No. 2 seed. The Los Angeles Clippers shored up their already formidable bench by trading for power forward Lamar Odom and signing forwards Matt Barnes and Grant Hill. The play of point guard Chris Paul and power forward Blake Griffin will win the Clippers a lot of games this season, but the play of the bench, led by guards Eric Bledsoe and Jamal Crawford, will determine whether this team takes the next step into the elite.

Despite its aging squad, the San Antonio Spurs still have a legitimate shot at the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. They are getting old, but they have a very deep bench. The Spurs could be the number No. 1 for a third straight season.

Last season, the Indiana Pacers surprised many experts by finishing third in the Eastern Conference. They won't surprise anyone this year. They made one lateral move-they traded point guard Darren Collison and signed D.J. Augustin, but otherwise have the same team as last season. Center Roy Hibbert and shooting guard Paul George showed flashes of greatness last season. If they play up to their potential, the Pacers could find themselves in the second spot in the Eastern Conference.

The most intriguing team this season is the Boston Celtics. Center Kevin Garnett and small forward Paul Pierce are getting older. Many experts wrote them off last season as sellers for the upcoming off-season. Instead, they signed guards Jason Terry, Courtney Lee and Leandro Barbosa and have forward Jeff Green coming back from heart surgery. If they stay healthy, the Celtics will give the Heat a run for their money.

This NBA season, seven teams all have a chance to call themselves world champions. If the top two stay healthy and gel, the Heat should find themselves in a battle with the Lakers in the NBA finals.