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Why They Might Be Good: Creaky Charlotte co-owner Michael Jordan will not be taking the court. "I very badly wanted to play," Jordan griped. "I'm in great shape. I've never shot better. But [Bobcats majority owner] Robert Johnson said that if he sees me in a pair of sneakers, he'll club me like a baby seal." Also, oddly versatile swingman Gerald Wallace is a legitimate threat to get a sextuple-double each night.

This is the first in a series of 43 (or however many teams there are now) NBA Previews exclusively from The Heckler's NBA beat writer Alan Goldsher. We start at the bottom with the lowly Atlanta Hawks, whom unfortunately no longer have Dominique Wilkins.