The NBA has great things in store for the 2009-2010 basketball season, and fans are eager to see the start of what should be a truly exciting season. Teams like the Lakers, Magic, Celtics, Cavs, and Spurs have bolstered their rosters, making the strongest teams in the NBA even stronger, if that’s possible.

Still, with all the attention these big-name teams are getting, you have to wonder if some select teams might slip under the radar and do better than people expect. Think about what the Nuggets did last season, and even the Magic to some extent. Could anyone replicate this success in 09-10? Here are three teams to watch out for.

1. Portland Trail Blazers. This team actually finished fourth in the West last season, missing out on the #2 seed by just a couple of games. This is a young team with a lot of talent, including players like Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge. Having acquired veteran point guard Andre Miller, they just got better.

2. Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs acquired Shawn Marion and a few other players during the offseason. Slowly but surely the talent on this roster continues to improve and this team is as deep now as it was a few years ago.

3. Atlanta Falcons. This may come as a surprise, but the Hawks get better every year and made it to the second round of the playoffs last season. More importantly, they seem to play well against the Celtics and Magic.