In predicted order of finish:1. BOSTON2007-08 record:...

In predicted order of finish:

1. BOSTON

2007-08 record: 66-16

Newcomer: Patrick O’Bryant.

The Celtics were thin before James Posey left, P.J. Brown retired and Darius Miles, their big off-season move, was waived during camp. With Ray Allen, 33, Kevin Garnett, 32, and Paul Pierce, 31, they’re not likely to win another 66 games but that defense should keep them up there.

2. DETROIT

2007-08 record 59-23

Newcomers: Coach Michael Curry, Kwame Brown.

In a cool trick, they’ve gotten younger while making the last six East finals. Rodney Stuckey was compared to Dwyane Wade, and Amir Johnson, 21, is now a starter. (They even have hope for Brown, but which of his three teams didn’t?) With Flip Saunders gone, at least Rasheed Wallace won’t stage his annual playoff mutiny.

3. CLEVELAND

2007-08 record 45-37

Newcomer: Mo Williams.

They’re on the clock, two seasons before LeBron James can leave. This looked to be his best supporting cast, but the Cavaliers were just 15-13 after Ben Wallace and Delonte West arrived. They hope (pray?) Wallace has more left than he showed and Williams becomes the backcourt partner James is dying for.

4. ORLANDO

2007-08 record: 52-30

Newcomer: Mickael Pietrus.

The Magic jumped 12 games in the standings with Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis raining three-pointers in Coach Stan Van Gundy’s new offense. However, the point guards are makeshift, and with Dwight Howard’s post game still limited, good teams take him away as the Pistons did in their 4-1 second-round romp.

5. PHILADELPHIA

2007-08 record 40-42

Newcomers: Elton Brand, Kareem Rush.

Clippers fans hate thinking of Brand in Philadelphia, but the 76ers are comers. At 18-28, new General Manager Ed Stefanski told embattled Coach Mo Cheeks to play their kids, who finished 22-14. Even if he’s not the old Elton, Brand gives them a post presence and another shot-blocker alongside Samuel Dalembert.

6. WASHINGTON

2007-08 record: 43-39

Newcomer: Juan Dixon.

The talented young Wizards made Coach Eddie Jordan so crazy, he moved Nick Young and Andray Blatche to opposite sides of the dressing room. With Gilbert Arenas out until Thanksgiving and center Brendan Haywood out three months, cohesion, not to mention a new serious approach, remain dreams.

7. ATLANTA

2007-08 record 37-45

Newcomers: GM Rick Sund, Maurice Evans.

The Hawks are loaded with young stars but still divided from the top down. With players grumbling, GM Billy Knight couldn’t get his feuding owners to let him fire Coach Mike Woodson, then got canned, himself, after they took Boston to seven games in a stirring finish. So Woodson had better start fast.

8. TORONTO

2007-08 record: 41-41

Newcomer: Jermaine O’Neal.

Reality set in after Coach Sam Mitchell stunned everyone two seasons ago, picking up new GM Bryan Colangelo’s Phoenix-style offense and going 47-35. Now they’re gambling on O’Neal -- owed $44 million for two seasons -- but if he has a lot left, he didn’t show it in Indiana last season, averaging 13.6 points.

9. MILWAUKEE

2007-08 record: 26-56

Newcomers: Coach Scott Skiles, Richard Jefferson.

With more talent than was reflected in their win totals (40-28-26) under low-budget coaches Terry Stotts and Larry Krystkowiak, owner Herb Kohl paid up for the hard-driving Skiles. Jefferson joins Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut on a team that scored a lot and gave up more, which won’t work under Skiles.

10. CHICAGO

2007-08 record: 33-49

Newcomers: Coach Vinny Del Negro, No. 1 pick Derrick Rose.

If you thought their season was bad, you should have seen their summer. Instead of Mike D’Antoni or Doug Collins, they hired Del Negro, a nice guy from the Phoenix front office. This high-energy young team was a consensus No. 1-2 pick a year ago under Skiles, but those days are so over.

11. MIAMI

2007-08 record: 15-67

Newcomers: Coach Erik Spoelstra, No. 1 pick Michael Beasley.

In three seasons the Heat went from champion with Shaquille O’Neal to a smoking crater. With his coaching career over, President Pat Riley is focused on 2010, when Dwyane Wade can leave, but he’d better find some big people. Their center now is 6-8 (in his dreams) Udonis Haslem.

12. CHARLOTTE

2007-08 record: 32-50

Newcomers: Coach Larry Brown, No. 1 pick D.J. Augustin.

Overextended owner Bob Johnson could have had Brown a year ago but prolonged the misery with overmatched rookie Sam Vincent. Brown inherits the Gerald Wallace-Emeka Okafor-Jason Richardson-Raymond Felton nucleus that hasn’t lived up to expectations but will get all the direction that was missing and then some.

13. NEW YORK

2007-08 record: 23-59

Newcomers: President Donnie Walsh, Coach Mike D’Antoni, Chris Duhon.

At least they’re back under professional management after years of Isiah Thomas’ pretending they weren’t a joke at the order of owner James Dolan. Stripping down for 2010, Walsh is deciding who among this dizzy crew (Stephon Marbury, Zach Randolph, Eddy Curry, Jamal Crawford, David Lee, et al) to keep, if anyone.

14. INDIANA

2007-08 record: 36-46

Newcomer: T.J. Ford.

After unloading Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson, Larry Bird finally found a taker for Jermaine O’Neal, with Jamaal Tinsley, the last of the Wild Bunch, ticketed to ride. Ford could be exciting with Danny Granger and Mike Dunleavy, but just going a season without an arrest would be a treat.

15. NEW JERSEY

2007-08 record: 34-48

Newcomers: Yi Jianlian, No. 1 pick Brook Lopez.

Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson are gone in a makeover geared toward pursuing co-owner Jay-Z’s pal, LeBron James, in 2010 when the Nets were supposed to move to Brooklyn -- pushed back again to 2011. Now they’re stuck in New Jersey with one last big salary, er, star, Vince Carter.

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mark.heisler@latimes.com