If you want the truth about this upcoming NBA season, who better to "Let the Truth Be Told" than the esteemed analysts at TNT? We caught up with studio host Ernie Johnson, analysts Kenny Smith, Steve Kerr and Barkley and TNT's No. 1 play-by-play man, Marv Albert to get the skinny on 2004-05. From Shaq to 'Sheed, from LeBron to the unsung offseason acquisition, there isn't a topic from which the TNT guys shied away.

"I still think there are some questions regarding Miami because they made a trade that sent key players away. But with Shaq, if he stays healthy and is in condition, I would think they would be co-favorites to go to the Eastern Conference finals with a couple of other teams."

"I didn't think there was anything wrong with Shaq last year."

"Obviously, he's focused. Obviously, he wants to make it, 'Look at the mistake you made and look what I did for this team.' So, yes, he'll really be driven. His dominance will not be a question."

"I think, at times, the best motivator for a player is change of scenery. When you get traded, you feel slighted as a player, especially a player like Shaquille O'Neal. I think he's going to be motivated. I think he's going to have a great year and I think he's going to turn Miami into championship-caliber team."

"He's always had the chance to be the most dominant player in the NBA. I've heard before he was in different types of shape. Shape and weight are different things. I think the weight bothers him more than anything. There are certain guys who are heavy, but are in shape. They can carry it.

"I think with Shaq that being the player he wants to be -- he'll always be a top three player no matter what shape he comes in. And to be the type of player he wants to be, I think it's a matter of losing weight so he doesn't get injured."

If you want the truth about this upcoming NBA season, who better to "Let the Truth Be Told" than the esteemed analysts at TNT? We caught up with studio host Ernie Johnson, analysts Kenny Smith, Steve Kerr and Barkley and TNT's No. 1 play-by-play man, Marv Albert to get the skinny on the 2004-05 NBA season. From Shaq to 'Sheed, from LeBron to the unsung offseason acquisition, there isn't a topic from which the TNT guys shied away.

"I think [Rasheed] has bought into it. He's always been a team guy. He's a very unselfish player. Joe Dumars and Larry Brown saw to it that he would fit right in despite all the other side issues that affected his reputation.

"I think as a teammate and as a player, as a matter of fact, Steve Kerr, who was a teammate of his briefly in Portland, was always telling us that this guy is terrific with his teammates and he doesn't look to force shots, he plays defense, he's perfect for the Pistons.

"I think he'll continue to buy in. He re-signed and they're a championship contender."

"I think the thing they have to adjust to is to be the team that everyone wants to beat. That will be new for them, but they have such a hardworking mentality. They'll be fine. They just need to get through the regular season with no injuries."

"Essentially, the team that won it returned intact, playing for a coach whose system they bought into. That's a great way to start a season.

"It's not like Larry Brown has to re-teach much. It's not like he has to get guys to buy into what he's doing. That is, without question, the team that should get off to the fastest start. They're already used to everybody [on the team]."

"I think Rasheed's in a comfortable spot in his career and his position.

"Playing with Rasheed in Portland, I think I had a good feel for the fact that he didn't want to be "the guy," the guy who has to carry the team. He's really a team player. He wants to pass the ball, he wants to share the ball, he wants to share the responsibility. He's fit in well and he's a great defensive player. He was the guy who helped get them over the top. And I can't see why they won't pick up where they left off."

"After you win a championship, two things happen: One, you have a continuation of what happened last year or you have complacency set in. There is no middle ground. Either you dominate or you get complacent. They won't be the same team.

"They won't win 55 games. They'll either win 60 games or they'll struggle.

"In Houston, we were complacent. We made a trade, Clyde [Drexler] came in the second year and we won. We were very complacent. That second run is hard and long. And all of a sudden, we're in the mix again. You don't have time, physically or mentally to get the batteries charged a lot of times. That's what you have to fight. You have two months to charge that battery when you usually have four to five."

If you want the truth about this upcoming NBA season, who better to "Let the Truth Be Told" than the esteemed analysts at TNT? We caught up with studio host Ernie Johnson, analysts Kenny Smith, Steve Kerr and Barkley and TNT's No. 1 play-by-play man, Marv Albert to get the skinny on 2004-05. From Shaq to 'Sheed, from LeBron to the unsung offseason acquisition, there isn't a topic from which the TNT guys shied away.

"I was surprised he did as well as he did last year. We did a couple of his games on TNT in the preseason [last year], and you can't make a judgment because there are shaky aspects to preseason. [This year] he has to improve his shooting range and his 3-point shooting, but everything else is there.

"He's just going to be sensational because of his poise and he's so mature for his age and his grasp of the game and understanding of the game, it's so unusual for a kid not only of his age, but of guys coming into the league later, to be able to step in with all the attention surrounding him and still handle everything so well."

"LeBron is going to be fine. They just need to give him time. I think he's going to be a terrific player. I think he understands the game and now we just need to watch him grow."

"Like most guys in the league, I would say a more consistent jump shot. But I think he's so electric and so much of his game will flourish with an effective point guard.

"A guy like Eric Snow will help him. He's a veteran, steady presence at point guard. He's a guy who's used to running the show and he can let LeBron be LeBron."

"He's so good already, it's hard to say a guy needs to do this or that because he's at a different level from most players already. But if you want to be picky, he needs to be a more efficient scorer. He wasn’t an overly high-percentage shooter, and a guy who gets that many dunks and layups should be around 50 percent. So he needs to be more efficient offensively.

"He needs to improve his shot considerably. He will because he works at it. And much like Michael Jordan early in his career, he needs to tame his game a little bit. With time it will happen. He's still a couple of years away from being a half-court scorer. We know what he can do on the open floor, but in a playoff game, half-court offense, grinding style of game, can you count on him for a big basket yet?

"That's the big question for me."

"I think experience will be his best teacher. He's on a natural progression. He had a great rookie year. I think he did things that no one thought he could. I don't think anybody who wrote about him said he could average 20 points in the NBA. But he did.

"I don't think people thought he could score on the NBA level and that Carmelo [Anthony] would win Rookie of the Year hands down. But he came in and proved that he could score in the NBA. So there's no telling what he could add to his game. I don't think anyone could expect that he'd do what he did last year."