As the countdown to the latest NBA Live reaches its final stages and the new NBA season nears, talk often turns to the best team to use in Dynasty Mode. For the players who don’t wish to simply take control of their favourite team, the choice may come down to a wide variety of factors, from the teams with the coolest new jerseys to the team with the most trade prospects to the team that requires the least amount of work to be a powerhouse. Below is just one person’s opinion of the top ten choices, plus five other possibilities.

Before I go on, I’d just like to stress again that this is not an NBA preview; this isn’t a prediction of how these teams will fare in the real NBA or any kind of power rankings article, merely a glance at the appeal these teams hold in basketball video games.


1. Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers, with their large and ferociously loyal fanbase, will always be one of the most popular teams to use in basketball video games. However, their appeal may spread to other fans this year with the foursome of Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum heading up a roster with solid players including Derek Fisher, Luke Walton, Sasha Vujacic, Vladimir Radmanovic, Jordan Farmar and Trevor Ariza. With a roster that’s ready made to compete straight away while also providing the virtual GM with plenty of trade options, the Lakers stand out as one of the most appealing teams to users deciding who to use.

Their strong inside and outside attack, with the formidable big man combination duo of Gasol and Bynum patrolling the paint and Kobe locking down opponents on the perimeter and swarming the passing lanes should make them a force to be reckoned with against the CPU and in online play.


2. Portland Trailblazers

Arguably, the Blazers could be at the top of this list and I expect them to be the first choice for a lot of people looking for a new team to use. One of the surprise teams last year, Portland is in the enviable position of having a lot of young, developing talent that is already pretty good and if not for injuries, could very well have made the Playoffs in the tough Western Conference last year. Last year’s number one overall pick Greg Oden finally makes his NBA debut joining LaMarcus Aldridge up front with either Martell Webster or Travis Outlaw (take your pick) and All-Star Brandon Roy returning in the backcourt.

Jerryd Bayless, Rudy Fernandez and Channing Frye can be developed while already being capable of making a contribution and veterans Steve Blake and Joel Przybilla are solid enough to provide depth or be dealt for role players you may find more desirable for your style of play. The Blazers are a young team on the rise without much wheeling and dealing (though the possibility is there), making them an exciting choice.


3. Philadelphia 76ers

Another surprise team last year and one that threatened to upset a perennial Eastern powerhouse, the Sixers had a very productive offseason re-signing star swingman Andre Iguodala and signing free agent and two-time All-Star Elton Brand after he opted out of his contract with the Clippers. In the short term, that gives them an agreeable starting five of Brand, Iguodala, Andre Miller, Samuel Dalembert and Thaddeus Young, backed up by the likes of Louis Williams, Kareem Rush, Willie Green, Reggie Evans and veteran offseason acquisitions Donyell Marshall and Theo Ratliff.

Dalembert and Ratliff can competently defend the paint while Miller racks up assists getting the ball down low to Brand and throwing lobs to Iguodala, who can ably patrol the perimeter at the other end. Marshall provides a decent three point threat off the bench and should be able to be dealt for a decent young player within the first couple of years of Dynasty, while Williams and Young can be developed or traded as desired.


4. New Orleans Hornets

Like the Blazers, the Hornets are a young team that is already quite talented and capable of winning games, though they are a little further along than Portland and have a little less room for improvement amongst their key role players. They do, however, have one of the best guards in the league in Chris Paul, an All-Star forward in David West, a sharpshooting swingman in Peja Stojakovic, a centre capable of averaging a respectable double-double in Tyson Chandler and competent role players in James Posey, Bonzi Wells, Morris Peterson and Mike James who could be used effectively in trades. Oh, and they’ve got new uniforms which are a nice throwback to the Charlotte days with the pinstripes.

Being a Western team, the Hornets can be a challenging choice in Dynasty Mode with the stiff competition in the conference but they are well equipped for the challenge.


5. Boston Celtics

The defending champions could probably be higher and with the Big Three of Kevin Garnett, Finals MVP Paul Pierce and Ray Allen returning and looking to repeat, I’m sure they’ll be a popular choice as Celtic Pride runs wild again. Many of the key players in last year’s championship are returning with James Posey being a noteworthy exception, providing Boston with a good blend of young, developing players and capable veterans. If you want to change the face of the your team entirely, there may be no better choice than Boston as you should be able to get most anyone you want dealing the Big Three and round out your roster with a good supporting cast with players like Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins, Tony Allen and Sam Cassell available to put on the trading block.

If you do want to keep the roster intact or make minimal changes though, the Celtics remain a good choice for the player looking for immediate success, with multi-year Dynasty players being able to take advantage of the potential of players like Rondo while having the luxury of three All-Stars who have a long way to decline and could be traded in a few years if desired.


6. Houston Rockets

Speaking of Big Threes, the Rockets now boast their own trio of star players after trading for Ron Artest. With Artest alongside Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, Houston should be formidable at both ends of the floor and a reasonably deep supporting cast including Shane Battier, Rafer Alston, Luther Head, Luis Scola, Chuck Hayes, Brent Barry and even Steve Francis grants gamers a strong second unit and plenty of options for the trading block. Carl Landy, Aaron Brooks and Joey Dorsey head up a group of rookies and sophomores on the Rockets’ roster who should have promising development potential for those who like to play multiyear Dynasty games.


7. Toronto Raptors

They've got sleek new alternate jerseys but that’s hardly the only reason to consider Canada’s lone NBA squad. Putting the twin tower combo of Chris Bosh and Jermaine O’Neal to work at both ends of the floor should be a fun exercise, while either following the real Raptors’ plan to experiment with Bargnani at small forward for an even taller lineup or developing him on the bench behind the two star big men. The Raptors have some other fine players in Jose Calderon, Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon (who should be a lot of fun out on the break, and eligible for the dunk contest), a potent perimeter threat in Jason Kapono and some young players to develop in Roko Ukic and Nathan Jawai.

Players who wish to wheel and deal should still be able to create some interesting deals even without touching Chris Bosh. The Raptors have enough competent players to sacrifice a couple for a better third player to complement Bosh and O’Neal while still leaving the roster in good shape.


8. Phoenix Suns

Heading back out West, the Suns have perhaps the ultimate weapon in basketball video games: Shaquille O’Neal. The real Shaq might not be the player the Suns look for first when they come down the floor but getting him the ball down low in NBA Live 09 wouldn’t be a bad strategy. Don’t care for the Diesel? If you can overcome the obstacle of his huge contract, he should still fetch a good player in return. You’ll probably want to keep the tandem of Amare Stoudemire and Steve Nash inact though, but Grant Hill, Boris Diaw, Leandro Barbosa and even Matt Barnes aren’t bad players to offer up in trades if you don’t like what they bring to the table. Otherwise, the Suns remain a good choice for anyone who’s after a ready-made squad…at least in the short term.


9. Orlando Magic

The Magic have of the most dominant big men in the league today in Dwight Howard, making them an attractive option for anyone who likes to dump the ball inside. Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu provide an outside thread but are effective inside the perimeter as well and the point guard combo of Jameer Nelson and veteran Anthony Johnson can get the job done. Mickael Pietrus, Keith Bogans and Adonal Foyle can contribute but on the whole, Orlando doesn’t have a lot of attractive trade options outside its starting five. That’s alright though, the main attraction of the Magic is Howard’s ability to be a beast and creative virtual GMs should be able to make desired improvements without giving up one of the top three players.

And for those who desire a team with a fresh look, the Magic may also appeal to you being another team with new jerseys this season.


10. Cleveland Cavaliers

If your playing style favours a dominant scorer, teams with a player like LeBron James definitely have to be on the short list. The Cavaliers haven’t done much to address the lack of a stable second option behind LeBron though, so even though they’re likely a top team in the East again this year you may want to explore your trade options. They have some young players that you can develop and some solid talent but players like Ben Wallace, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and even Wally Szczerbiak could be dealt before they begin to decline.


The following five teams are also likely to hold a fair amount of appeal to NBA gamers:


Oklahoma City Thunder

Yes, really. As much as Clay Bennett’s ownership group has been criticised and for all the scorn that has been dumped upon the team’s new name, colours, logos and jerseys, I expect the Thunder will still be a reasonably popular choice. They have a young nucleus headed up by Kevin Durant and despite their shared heritage with the currently defunct Seattle Supersonics, are kind of a “new” team in a way. Not a bad team for carving out a fictional NBA legacy, if you can get past the aesthetics.


Charlotte Bobcats

The Bobcats have been on the cusp of competing in the weaker Eastern Conference for the last couple of years but injury woes have prevented them from making a lot of noise. That needn’t be the case in a video game, where Emeka Okafor, Gerald Wallace and Jason Richardson can be turned loose on the rest of the NBA. A lack of firmly established talent in their depth chart might make trading a little harder but they remain an interesting challenge as an up and coming team.


Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks were a hard team to keep out of the top ten as they are relatively deep, making them a formidable video game team from the get go and facilitating all kinds of trade scenarios. Anyone who picks the Mavericks should be wary of their aging veterans, however. It might be wiser to look at moving them and reconstructing around the All-Star duo of Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard before players like Jason Kidd, Jerry Stackhouse and Erick Dampier begin to decline or retire.


Chicago Bulls

I couldn’t help slipping my favourite team in here somewhere as more unorthadox choice. With their logjam in the backcourt, you’d be well advised to try and make a deal that bolsters the frontcourt though Chicago has a couple of contracts (namely Kirk Hinrich and Larry Hughes) that will prove difficult to move. With Ben Gordon accepting the one year qualifying offer, you’ll also be faced with the decision to move him or try re-signing him after the first season in Dynasty Mode. In any case, the Bulls’ lack of a potent scorer in the paint is likely to prove to be a difficult obstacle in NBA Live 09 as much as it will in real life. Nevertheless, there’s enough talent to work out trades and they do have the first overall pick this year in Derrick Rose.


Miami Heat

The Heat are also snapping at the heels of the top ten teams for NBA Live 09, boasting the second overall pick in Michael Beasley and a couple of All-Stars in Dwyane Wade and Shawn Marion. Miami has youth on its side but trade prospects might be a little slim outside Beasley, Wade and Marion, though veterans like Jamaal Magloire and Udonis Haslem as well as up and coming players such as Dorell Wright and Daequan Cook could be traded if you can’t put them to good use in your lineup.