The 2011 NBA season is shaping up to be an incredibly entertaining one. Who would have that Joe Johnson would walk away the with the highest contract of the offseason when names like Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Bosh and Lebron James were involved. Regardless, there were some big winners and losers.

The following teams are shaping up to have very successful seasons.

It would be foolish to rule out the Los Angeles Lakers when they have just won consecutive championships. Kobe Bryant is likely to be incredibly motivated by the recent signings in Miami and will be hungry for his 6th title. Make no mistake, if Kobe wins this one, he will go down as a top 5 player of all time.

It will not be easy for the Lakers, however. The Miami Heat have assembled a dream team that this writer has a feeling will have some more pieces added before all is said and done. Miami will be a team to beat for the foreseeable future and may suck the fun out of professional basketball in the process.

The Chicago Bulls also have had a relatively successful offseason. The Bulls were a playoff team last year, and have added Kyle Korver and more importantly, Carlos Boozer. If they can add another 3 point shooter, such as JJ Reddick, they have a chance to go far next year.

The other major contender in the Eastern Conference will likely be the Orlando Magic. They have had very successful seasons the past two years and return all of their important pieces. When Jameer Nelson is healthy the Magic are a serious force to reckon with.

Look out for the Oklahoma City Thunder next year. Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook come back with another year of experience under their belt. Kevin Durant just signed a major contract and is looking to bring some pride to Oklahoma City.

The Portland Trailblazers will also be a very competitive team. Brnadon Roy is a winner and if all goes well, we might actually see a full season from Greg Oden this year.

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