Wow. Spurs are still up there? Wow. Hawks at 15? Wow

It’s tough to throw out the word idiot without risking it referring to you, but hey, what else can we say, only an idiot could put that list together.

Especially considering Marc Stein has. in the past, been one of the few to give the Blazers the credit they deserve.

Only the top 4 teams on this list undeniably deserve to be ranked above Portland in a preseason poll (and even then the Heat have yet to prove how good they will actually be).

As for the other 6, presented in Stein’s order:

5. Chicago- RIDICULOUS to have them so high. Added some talent to the roster and Rose is another year older, but fifth in the LEAGUE? Higher than 7 of the 8 playoff teams from the West last year for a team that finished .500 and barely squeezed in as the last seed in the less competitive East? Please.

6. OKC- I don’t have to spell this one out for Blazer fans. Thunder have done nothing to prove they are a better team than we are. Who finished where in the seedings last year, Marc?

7. San Antonio- This placing was clearly more based on their history of being playoff contenders than anything else. Spurs looked old and beaten much of last season and didn’t make any significant changes during the offseason (we’ll see how good of an NBA player Tiago Splitter will be). To their credit, they did win 50 games when they probably shouldn’t have and pulled a first round upset before completely running out of gas.

8. Dallas- Dirk is another year older, another year slower, and still doesn’t have the title-winning supporting cast he needs. This may not be an incorrect ranking, however. We’ll see what a full season with Butler and Haywood does for this team.

9. Utah- They certainly had our number last year, but two of the biggest reasons for that now play for the Chicago Bulls, and another plays for the Blazers. Al Jefferson has proven himself to be nothing but a slightly out of shape big man who puts up solid numbers for losing teams (see: Zach Randolph).

10. Milwaukee- Silly to have this team ranked above the Blazers. They were one of the surprises of the NBA last year for sure, but still would have been 4 full games out of the playoff hunt if they played in the West. Stein is clearly more optimistic about Andrew Bogut’s health than Greg Oden’s if he can justify putting the Bucks this high on his list.

And lastly, here are MY top 10 teams:

1. Lakers- I loathe them, but for now they’re still the team to beat.

2. Heat*- again, impossible to give them a fair preseason ranking.

3. Celtics- Is this the year age catches up with them for good? Time will tell.

4. Magic- I’ve never been convinced they can be a consistently elite team when their best player is such a liability on the offensive end. Still, only the above three teams can realistically be put higher.

5. Mavericks- Inconsistency in the playoffs always hurts them. They could come out really strong and challenge LA, or they could lag behind. Lots of uncertainty with this group.

6. Blazers- Could easily be the number 2 team in the West, or possibly challenge for number 1. Great depth on both sides of the ball, but to make a deep playoff run they will NEED to stay healthy.

7. Thunder- They have won over the media with their exciting, uptempo, offensive-minded style of play. Nobody is doubting their talent, but they rely too much on the contributions of one player, explosive as they may be.

8. Nuggets- Contender until proven otherwise. Still, uncertainty regarding Carmelo’s future with the team as well as George Karl’s health have set them back a bit.

9. Spurs- It never pays to count them out. Winning franchises find ways to be in the discussion no matter what. That said, they will again find themselves fight for a low playoff seed.

10. Jazz- This could very well be a tough year for Utah. Like with the Spurs, though, it never pays to doubt winning franchises, especially when coached by Jerry Sloan.

Honorable Mention: Hawks, Bulls