After one of the hottest free-agency summers in the history of the National Basketball Association, gamers around the globe will now be adjusting their favorite gameplay styles to fit with the latest styles and trends in the Association. Much like pro baseball in this country, we now have a group of top-tier teams that will run the league. In our new era of hoops, tradition will go head to head with the star power of the now.

With that said, here are the top five teams you will running into online in NBA 2K11 and NBA Elite.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers are the team to beat. Back to back chips doesn’t happen often in the current era of basketball and sports, so you know this team is legit.

The move to bring the skilled Spaniard to LA in '08 proved to provide Kobe with a true sidekick. Add the toughness of Artest and the leadership of Fisher (knockdown shooter), and you have repeat champions. The scary thing in the video game is that Bynum can actually stay on the court and avoid injury. This gives you a set of twin tower seven-footers in the paint to dominate while Kobe plays the role of sniper and assassinates from the wings.

Miami Heat

Down in Wade County, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh bring the accolades: an NBA championship ring and three gold medallions draped over their hearts. This will be a run-and-gun simulation hoops team featuring dunks, 3s and swatted shots -- actually this will probably resemble a bit of arcade-style ball.

The American Airlines Arena will resemble something more like NCAA March Madness when these three hit Biscayne Boulevard in Miami. The trio's up-tempo game will match the intensity and spirit of the college game, and hopefully the Miami fans will come out in droves to act like insane college fans as well.

Orlando Magic

Superman Dwight Howard will be doing his thing down in Orlando as usual while breaking out the Soulja Boy dance. In the game, Superman will once again truly be a superman. Blocks, rebounds and dunks that shake the foundation of the arena will be a given.

Bynum and Gasol will be tough on him, but outside of the Lakers, not many teams can handle the inside-out game of the Magic. Rashard Lewis is a nightmare matchup in these games because of his size, speed and long-range abilities. Vince Carter and the rest of the Magic can make it rain, and if they miss, Howard is there for the rebound. The Magic are one of the most dangerous teams in all the land.

Boston Celtics

When tradition meets rivalry, you get a dream NBA Finals matchup of Celtics versus Lakers. After taking down Wade and King James on their way to the Finals this past season, the Celtics are bringing their Big 4 back together to take another run at cementing their place in Celtics history. Wade and James felt the need to join together to attempt to take down these legendary franchises in Boston and LA, so the Celtics should still be feared in the East.

KG, Jermaine O’Neal, Pierce, Allen and Rondo will be a nice five-man team to matchup with the Heat and Lakers. (They might also end up with Shaq off the bench.) The Celtics feature an inside-out game, and a guard in Rondo who can attack and dish the rock with a signature pass to fool the defense. Ray Allen lives to shoot from anywhere on the court and is always a threat to drop 50 like he did in the '08 playoffs against the Bulls -- it’s in his player DNA. Nate Robinson will provide the kryptonite off the bench to light up the court from downtown when needed, and Perkins will at least be healthy in video game land.

Denver Nuggets

The closest thing you will find to NBA Jam in real life is the Denver Nuggets. They can flat out put some points on the board in a hurry. J.R. Smith can light it up from 30 feet away if necessary or jam on you on the break. Carmelo Anthony’s offensive game may be the most balanced the league has to offer -- post power, quickness, an outside shot and handles to get to the paint.

Melo should be at the free-throw line a good amount in sim games since nobody can handle that type of arsenal. The fact that he can also pull off dribble moves while attacking the rim only means bad news for other teams in video games as well. Role players such as K-Mart, Nene and the Birdman all hold down the paint and provide some toughness against the front lines of the Lakers, Magic and Celtics.


Do you guys think these are the five teams you will run into the most online, or do you have a different set of power rankings?