The Heat updated last year's white 'Vice' jersey with a pitch-black base that really makes the neon accents pop. Crockett and Tubbs would be proud.

Denver had inexplicably buried their awesome rainbow skyline motif for years. They wisely reconsidered this time around. Smart move.

A radical departure from every T-Wolves jersey before it, but the 'Purple Rain' Prince tribute just works - right down to the details on the numbers.

The Big Easy pays homage to Mardi Gras in a way that doesn't overwhelm. This might be nicer than the Pelicans' current 'Association' and 'Icon' sets.

The Clips have stumbled upon something here. The stylized 'L.A.' - a nod to the city's 1984 Olympic logo - looks awesome. This is another alternate jersey that should be added to the team's rotation on a permanent basis.

The C's have gotten by without much reason to mess with their iconic look. A splash of gold is a subtle nod to the team's warm-up jackets of years past.

The Nets also show you don't need a complete overhaul to create a memorable kit. The Biggie-inspired 'technicolor camo' trim is an appreciated splash of vibrance.

Utah was the only team to keep their exact 'City Edition' jersey from last year. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

With nearly half the league opting for black 'City Edition' jerseys, the Raptors cut against the grain by swapping out last year's black look for a white design. Not a big change, but something different.

The muted, grayish-blue base makes the gold pop off the jersey. The Chinese coin design is a fun tweak on the Warriors' regular logo.

A tribute to the road uniform the team wore in the late 1980s, the Kings tap into one of the unwritten rules of jersey designs: It's hard to screw up powder blue.

Lest you forget, Yao Ming played for the Rockets, forever cementing ties between China and the Texas outpost. In fairness, the team's latest nod to Chinese culture feels like a new twist, with its asymetrical pattern giving the entire look added depth.

The Blazers didn't venture far outside their comfort zone, but that's OK. Black and red is a hard color combo to mess up.

Inspired by Native regalia, the Thunder have a jersey uniquely their own. It's a solid course correction after a decade of bland alternate uniforms.

Phoenix gets points for nailing the hue of purple - one that resembles those great 1990s squads - but the 'Los Suns' look feels like it's missing something. Like a sun.

This bold design will likely only go as far as the team that wears it and this year's Cavs team is going nowhere fast. An otherwise interesting look suffers from its association.

The side panel is supposed to look like feathers, but the shapes are a little too geometrical to get the full effect. Other than that, it's a clean look - perfect for the Hawks fan who also happened to go to Wake Forest.

The city's history was already largely present in Philly's regular jersey rotation. The heather gray has been likened to Rocky Balboa's sweatsuit, a comparison that cheapens the look slightly. The accompanying shorts are needed to tie it all together.

The Grizzlies' antidote to the audaciousness of the Vancouver-era jerseys has been an understated approach to color. Their 'Main Event' kit, inspired by pro wrestling, is solid if unspectacular.

The flag of Chicago is perfect for a sports uniform, but the black base swallows up the splash of color. Perhaps Nike wanted to avoid the Bulls' design looking too much like the Kings'?

This is a gigantic swing from the Bucks. They found the sweet spot between nostalgia and camp with their MECCA court last year, but this particular design struck out. The blue color blocks on the shorts don't help.

The Motor City wordmark is fine. The racing stripes are OK. Fans hoping to see the burgundy and teal colorway of the Grant Hill-era teams - flaming horse head and all - will be left disappointed.

Charlotte aleady boasts two of the boldest colors in jersey design - purple and teal - so punting on this kit with so much black feels like a step back.

The difference between the Pacers' and Grizzlies' jerseys is execution of theme. Instead of evoking the speed of an Indy 500 car or track star (the latter being the main inspiration this time around), the Pacers' jersey evokes the concrete and rubber on which races take place. It just comes off drab.

The horizontal stripes of varying lengths down the sides of the jersey represent New York's skyline. It's a nice thought, but ultimately finds a way to come off both messy and mundane.

The good: Star-flecked side panels beneath the arms definitely give off the intended Magic Kingdom vibe. The bad: Yet another team that believes black is a substitute for cool.

Fans hoping to see the Spurs bring back the fantastic 'Fiesta' colors have a reason to be mad. Honoring the military aside, camo - literally designed to help its wearer blend in - is a poor silly way to stand out.

How can a team called the Mavericks trot out such bland, conventional jerseys each year? You'd rather find a team attempting a big splash (see: the Bucks) than stick to the shallow end. 

The Wizards' regular jerseys are great, and there's no shortage of historical inspiration in D.C. to draw from. This alternate uniform, however, gives the impression of a reversible practice jersey.

The phrase 'SHOWTIME3X5X,' representing Magic's three MVP awards and five titles, is repeated endlessly to create rigid pinstripes which run contrary to the laid-back ethos of L.A. The black fill inside the letters and numbers and black trim on the neck and arm lines add to the overall miasma.