Which contender is actually the biggest pretender this year?

Voloschuk: Los Angeles Clippers. There remains nothing truly scary about this team, and everyone is another year older. They’re good enough to win 50 games and a top-four seed, but they will probably lose before the conference finals, because there’s just something missing with this group, even though it features a Hall of Fame floor general Chris Paul. Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan will combine to form, arguably, the most athletic front court in the league, but it hasn’t helped get the team past the second round of the playoffs in any of their seasons together. Head coach-general manager Doc Rivers was able to bring back Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford, Austin Rivers and Paul Pierce, and added depth by signing Brandon Bass, Marreese Speights, Raymond Felton and Alan Anderson. J.J. Redick, Wesley Johnson and Luc Mbah Moute are all back to round out the rotation. But the core that has underachieved will remain the same, and Rivers has yet to recapture the magic that led to two Finals appearances and a title in Boston. A rebuild may not be far off for this team.

Scheer: New York Knicks. This one was also a tough one to decide but I had to give my nod to the Knicks as the most overrated team going into the 2016-2017 season. The Knicks just acquired injury prone Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, signed Courtney Lee and Brandon Jennings, and while they could all be effective players, people are already penciling this team getting into the playoffs before even playing one game. No one knows how this team will mesh as a group, so it will be exciting to see how they work together once the season starts. Right now, though, I don’t see much reason to believe this team will be that much improved.

Marcus: The Atlanta Hawks. They lost two of the franchise’s best players over the past half decade in Jeff Teague and Al Horford, replacing them with Dwight Howard. Yuck. Some think Howard will be able to turn his career around in Atlanta, but I’m not buying it. The dropoff from Horford to Howard is significant, especially for a team like the Hawks that relies so much on ball movement and a free-flowing offense. Many pundits and fans still seem to view the Hawks as a middle tier Eastern Conference playoff team, but I don’t see them winning more than 40 games this year.

Garcia: Chicago Bulls. Fastest way to ruin a team? Bad coach + mismatched parts. Think: The Kobe/Nash/Howard/Gasol/Mike Woodson 2012 Lakers. Or anything the 76ers have put out the past few years! This year’s version: Rondo/Wade/Butler/Hoiberg. Big question, how do you get three ball dominant guards to share the ball? Bigger question, how does a bad coach innovate an offense to overcome that massive flaw?

Which team will be most improved?

Voloschuk: Detroit Pistons. It’s tempting to pick Golden State here, but Detroit is one team in a weak Eastern Conference that is trending upward under Stan Van Gundy, who has built similar rosters before in Miami and Orlando. For starters, it shouldn’t be tough to move up the playoff seeding hierarchy in the East, but the Pistons are also building a legitimately talented roster featuring tons of youth, length, toughness and athleticism: Andre Drummond, Stanley Johnson, Tobias Harris, Marcus Morris, Reggie Jackson, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope make for a solid top six. And Van Gundy has gone out of his way to add depth, signing center Aron Baynes, and bringing in 7-foot-4 Boban Marjanovic, and power forward Jon Leuer this summer. He also has tried to address the team’s lackluster 3-point shooting by adding point guard Ish Smith. Last year, they shot 34 percent from distance, but still finished 44-38 and earned the No. 8 seed in the playoffs. A 50-win season could be the next step for this group.

Scheer: Minnesota Timberwolves. This one was tough to pick but I have to go with the Timberwolves. The T-Wolves didn’t make any huge splashes during the offseason but this team will be much improved from within the organization. Andrew Wiggins is entering his third year in the NBA and will be looking to go from an up-and-coming talent to a proven star in the NBA. It’s hard to believe that Karl-Anthony Towns is going into only his second year in the NBA, and is already a top five center. This team is on the rise and the time for this team can be as early as next season. Towns said it best: “A lot of people tend to think we’re the Timberwolves and we’re at the bottom of the barrel. I just want people to know that we’re coming. Just remember us because where we were the last 13 years, things are about to change.”

Marcus: This may not be a popular pick, but I really think the Orlando Magic have a shot at being a middle of the pack playoff team in the East. They made plenty of questionable moves that have probably sacrificed the long term potential of the team, but each acquisition should help the team in the short run. They paid a steep price for Bismack Biyombo, but he and the newly acquired Serge Ibaka should form a dominant defensive tandem in the frontcourt. The re-signing of Evan Fournier, despite the pricey contract, will also be very important for the team next season. Perhaps most important was the addition of Frank Vogel to the sidelines; Vogel is the perfect coach for this young, defensive-minded roster. The new additions – combined with the expected improvements of Aaron Gordon, Elfrid Payton, and Mario Hezonja – should help the Magic take a huge step forwards in 2016-17. I doubt that their recent transactions will help them in the long run, but for now, the Magic should be in a much better position to make the playoffs.

Garcia: Wolves or Knicks, right!? I can see the Wolves leapfrogging New Orleans, Denver, and Sacramento for at least 33-49 (+4 wins), but I’m not betting against Contract Year Derrick Rose, second year Kristaps Porzingis, Olympic Melo, Noah’s intangibles, Jeff Hornacek‘s coaching upgrade, and Phil’s Zen. That’s at least worth them jumping the Bucks, Wiz, and Bulls for +10 wins.

Who wins the MVP Award?

Voloschuk: Russell Westbrook. Westbrook has already been in the MVP discussion for the last two seasons. After finishing fourth in 2015 and 2016, the departure of Kevin Durant could open the door to a monster statistical season, who is now the unquestioned leader and heartbeat of the Oklahoma City Thunder. One of the most competitive and fiery players in the league, the 6-3 point guard is coming off a season in which he averaged 23.5 points, 10.4 assists and 7.8 rebounds in just under 35 minutes of action per game. He is also a triple-double machine, posting a whopping 29 in the last two years, including 18 last season. Though Durant is a huge loss, the cupboard isn’t completely bare: big men Enes Kanter, Steven Adams and the newly-acquired Joffrey Lauvergne. He will also share the backcourt with Victor Oladipo and Andre Roberson.