As the NBA moves into its first full post-Jordan season, there will be many teams that have a chance to compete for the title.

We start our preview in the Eastern Conference, with the Atlantic Division.

Miami Heat

The Heat come back this season armed with a healthy Tim Hardaway and Alonzo Mourning, and that alone should make them the favorites in this division.

A year ago, Miami was riddled with injuries, and despite a solid regular season, was ousted in the first round by the eighth-seeded Knicks.

The starting five of Hardaway and Dan Majerle at the guards, Jamal Mashburn and P.J. Brown at the forwards and Mourning at center is certainly formidable.

They have added veteran Otis Thorpe to come off the bench, and joining him will be sharpshooter Voshon Lenard and physical forward Clarence Weatherspoon.

Pat Riley will make this team the regular season champ, but don’t expect it to compete for the title.

New York Knicks

The Knicks were the surprise team of the league last year. After numerous off-season acquisitions, the Knicks struggled to gel, but when they did in the postseason, they went all the way to the NBA Finals, where they lost to San Antonio.

This year, much of the core of the Eastern Conference championship team is back.

Charlie Ward and Allan Houston form a solid if erratic backcourt, while center Patrick Ewing is healed and ready to go after missing the finals a year ago.

Latrell Sprewell and Larry Johnson will also be key in whether the Knicks can return to form. Marcus Camby and Kurt Thomas head a very deep bench.

Always a team riddled with injuries, the Knicks could very well make a return to the finals if they stay healthy and out of trouble off the court.

Philadelphia 76ers

The 76ers feature the best scorer in the NBA, but to make the next step, they will need Allen Iverson’s supporting cast to step up.

Iverson, who last year averaged almost 27 points per game, is joined in the backcourt by Eric Snow, who is a serviceable point guard. Larry Hughes, an exciting second-year player, will come off the bench to provide a spark.

In the frontcourt, George Lynch, Theo Ratliff and Matt Geiger will get the starting nods. Maybe now you are starting to get the idea that “The Answer” has a few questions on his team.

Tyrone Hill adds a veteran inside presence, but it appears that Philadelphia will not have the players to compete for the Atlantic Division crown. Iverson will need to be superhuman, and Hughes could be the X-factor in whether Philly makes a lot of noise.

Washington Wizards

The Wizards once again will have one of the best starting backcourts in the NBA, but last year, the team went 18-32 with Rod Strickland and Mitch Richmond at the helm.

Guard-forward Richard Hamilton from UCONN was added, and along with Juwan Howard, this is certainly a talented bunch. However, the attitudes of many on the team have come into question.

Issac Austin, a chronic underachiever last year, has been added from Orlando to provide a presence in the middle. However, this is not a deep team at all, and they will once again struggle.

New Jersey Nets

This is another very talented team. Stephon Marbury and Keith Van Horn are upper echelon players, while Kendall Gill and Scott Burrell are solid contributors.

Kerry Kittles, the fourth-year guard from Villanova, will be out until December with an injury, and rebounding machine Jayson Williams is out until at least January. That leaves a huge void in the middle.

The Nets are trying to determine if Gheorge Muresan can come back from a foot injury that sidelined him almost all of the last two years. Other key contributors include Johnny Newman and Sherman Douglas, who provide depth and experience off the bench.

If the Nets can get healthy, Marbury, Van Horn and Kittles are a lethal combination, and New Jersey could make some noise.

Boston Celtics

The Celtics had a disappointing year in 1999 finishing 19-31, and they have shaken things up a bit since then.

Gone is Ron Mercer, and the man he was traded for, Danny Fortson, is out for the first two months of the season with an injury.

The Celtics do have good depth in the backcourt, as Kenny Anderson, Paul Pierce, Dana Barros and Calbert Cheaney have all proven they can play in the NBA.

Up front is another question, as Tony Battie and Vitaly Potapenko will get starting nods. The bench is also weak.

This should be another long year in Beantown, and one is beginning to wonder how much longer Rick Pitino will stay in the NBA.

Orlando Magic

The Magic hired a new coach, Doc Rivers, and completely overhauled their roster with a focus on the future.

Gone are mainstays Horace Grant and Penny Hardaway, while a stock of youngsters is now in place.

Point guard Darrell Armstrong was very strong a year ago, and he will be joined by 19-year-old rookie Corey Maggette in the starting backcourt.

Michael Doleac, a second-year player, joins veterans Chris Gatling and Bo Outlaw in the frontcourt. The bench includes second-year player Matt Harpring and guard Tariq Abdul-Wahad.

It would not be a surprise if this team won fewer games this year in a full season than it did last year (33) in a 50-game schedule.