{"id":936,"date":"2016-09-28T08:15:00","date_gmt":"2016-09-28T12:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprobasketball.com\/?p=936"},"modified":"2016-09-27T11:53:06","modified_gmt":"2016-09-27T15:53:06","slug":"nba-atlantic-division-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2016\/09\/28\/nba-atlantic-division-preview\/","title":{"rendered":"2016-17 NBA Atlantic Division Preview"},"content":{"rendered":"

The NBA Atlantic Division<\/strong> is the division of shot-callers. Each general manager is actively attempting to outsmart everyone else. Danny Ainge<\/a><\/strong> brought\u00a0Al Horford<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0to\u00a0the Boston Celtics<\/strong>, while New York Knicks<\/strong> president\u00a0Phil Jackson<\/a><\/strong> traded for Derrick Rose<\/a><\/strong>. Sam Hinkie <\/strong>and his brainchild were\u00a0first marginalized, then replaced by USA Basketball<\/strong> president\u00a0Jerry Colangelo<\/strong>, thus ending “The Process\u201d for the Philadelphia 76ers<\/strong>. Masai Ujiri<\/strong>, in charge of\u00a0the\u00a0Toronto Raptors<\/strong>, lost a few players but re-signed\u00a0DeMar DeRozan<\/a><\/strong> for big bucks. Sean Marks<\/a><\/strong>, the new GM of the\u00a0Brooklyn Nets<\/strong>, completely gutted their\u00a0organization\u00a0and started anew. These actions, in addition to the spike in the salary cap, make\u00a0for an interesting NBA Atlantic Division.<\/p>\n

2016-17 NBA Atlantic Division Preview<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Last Season\u2019s Division Standing <\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Raptors ran away with the Atlantic Division last season, ending up with the second seed in the Eastern Conference<\/strong>. Boston was\u00a0the only other team in the division that finished with a winning record. The Knicks won just 32\u00a0games. The Nets and 76ers had two of the bottom three win-loss records last season. The 76ers\u00a0won a paltry ten games, completing the third season of\u00a0\u201cThe Process\u201d.<\/p>\n

New Season, New Outlook<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Brooklyn Nets:\u00a0<\/strong>A New Beginning in Brooklyn<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Nets overhaul is underway. This is a complete reset. The front office is brand new, led by Marks\u00a0and assistant GM Trajan Langdon<\/a><\/strong>. The coaching staff is now headed by Kenny Atkinson<\/strong> and includes Jacque Vaughn<\/a><\/strong> and Chris Fleming<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The mainstay of the players will be Brook Lopez<\/a><\/strong>. A lot is also expected<\/a> of Bojan Bogdanovic<\/a><\/strong>. Some\u00a0additions to the roster\u00a0include Jeremy Lin<\/a><\/strong>, Trevor Booker<\/a><\/strong>, Greivis Vasquez<\/a><\/strong>, Randy Foye<\/a><\/strong>, and veteran Luis Scola<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The Nets’ major issue is their ceiling. This team has minimal top-end talent, as proven by the fact that Lopez is the only one on the roster who has ever been\u00a0an All-Star. While the team is made up of serviceable professionals, there is no star player. Another issue is rebounding. Lopez is not known for his ability to crash the boards. Newly acquired journeyman Anthony Bennett<\/a><\/strong> would be counted on to assist, but he’s struggled over his first few seasons.<\/p>\n

However, the roster is balanced in terms of shooting threats inside and out. But many questions remain. Caris LeVert<\/a><\/strong> is a talent, but when will\u00a0he be ready to play? Isaiah Whitehead<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s development will prove to be crucial. Can Yogi Ferrell<\/a><\/strong> force his way onto the roster?<\/p>\n

The trajectory is upward for the Nets, however they won a meager twenty-one games last season. One can reasonably expect them to surpass that total. Making the playoffs is the goal but one may call that ambitious. Progress is made but a frustrated season is expected. Expectation of 30 to 40 wins.<\/p>\n

Philadelphia\u00a076ers: T<\/strong>he Process Finally Worked in Philadelphia<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Change is afoot in\u00a0Philadelphia. The 76ers finally\u00a0won the draft lottery. Sam Hinkie\u2019s \u201cProcess\u201d came to fruition. However, like Moses<\/strong> in the Bible<\/strong>, Hinkie will not be the one lead his people to the \u201cPromised Land\u201d. Jerry Colangelo<\/strong> was brought in as Philly’s new\u00a0Chairman of Basketball Operations<\/strong>. Hinkie, citing irreconcilable differences, resigned from his post as GM<\/a>. Colangelo, in a nepotistic move, hired his son Bryan Colangelo<\/strong> to replace Hinkie. After years of “tanking” seasons, the 76ers finally won the draft lottery. They chose Ben<\/strong> Simmons <\/strong>out of\u00a0LSU<\/strong>, by way of Australia<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Simmons is often compared to LeBron James<\/a><\/strong> because of his size and similar skill-set. If all goes well, he could be a great player, or even a superstar. But he’s just a rookie. The transition from college to the pros is difficult,\u00a0and Simmons is expected to be the man right away. Sixers fans should be warned that it might not happen so quickly.<\/p>\n

An\u00a0Abundance of Bigs<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n

In\u00a0the last\u00a0three seasons of Hinkie’s tenure, the 76ers selected Joel Embiid<\/a><\/strong>, Nerlens Noel<\/a><\/strong>, and, curiously,\u00a0Jahlil Okafor<\/a><\/strong>. To\u00a0the uninitiated, that may seem\u00a0like a colossal waste of resources. However, there were mitigating circumstances. Embiid was injured and missed the last two complete seasons. He has\u00a0yet to play a single NBA game. Okafor, on the other hand, got\u00a0off to a promising start, averaging about 17 points and seven\u00a0rebounds per game in his rookie year. Unfortunately, his\u00a0season was cut short after 55\u00a0games, as he suffered a tear in the meniscus of his right knee. Noel played 67\u00a0games last season, averaging about 11 points and eight\u00a0rebounds per contest.<\/p>\n

There’s good news for Philadelphia here, though. For the first time in two years, Embiid appears fit and healthy.\u00a0A healthy Embiid means that\u00a0either Noel or Okafor will almost certainly be traded soon enough.<\/p>\n

Dario Saric<\/a>\u00a0Is On His Way<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Dario Saric<\/strong> has signed a contract with the 76ers. He also pledged that he’ll be in Sixers\u00a0colors this season. Saric is a stretch power forward with guard skills, and he’ll\u00a0be hugely beneficial to this young team.<\/p>\n

The Rest of the Roster<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This roster is feast or famine. The best guard on the team is Jerryd Bayless<\/a><\/strong>, who’s not a\u00a0bad player, but is far from All-Star caliber. Elton Brand<\/a> <\/strong>is also a member, providing nothing more than veteran leadership off the court.\u00a0Robert Covington<\/a><\/strong> and Nik Stauskas<\/a><\/strong> are young players with potential.<\/p>\n

Coach Brett Brown <\/strong>will have some tools \u00a0to work with<\/a>. But the roster also has some gaping holes, particularly at the guard positions. Experience, or lack thereof, is also a factor. As of this moment, the roster seems top heavy; Philly just has too many bigs. Expect Colangelo (the younger one) to do some wheeling and dealing before the February trade deadline.<\/p>\n

As a team, the Sixers will improve. They will win more than ten games this season. Expect them to win that many\u00a0before the new year even begins. However, they won’t be in the mix for a playoff spot\u00a0this season. A reasonable win total for them would be around thirty games. In addition to that,\u00a0Brett Brown may\u00a0be in the running for the Coach of the Year<\/strong> award.<\/p>\n

New York Knicks:\u00a0<\/strong>Start Spreading the News in New York<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Over\u00a0dinner with team president\u00a0Phil Jackson, Carmelo Anthony<\/a><\/strong> expressed his displeasure with the Knicks’ lack of success<\/a>. In response to his superstar\u2019s pleas, Jackson acquired former MVP<\/strong> Derrick Rose from the Chicago Bulls<\/strong> via trade. The Knicks sent Robin Lopez<\/a><\/strong>, Jose Calderon<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0and Jerian Grant<\/a><\/strong> to the Bulls for Rose. Soon after,\u00a0they came to terms with former Defensive Player of the Year Joakim Noah<\/a><\/strong>, as well as shooting guard\u00a0Courtney Lee<\/a><\/strong>. They also signed Brandon Jennings<\/a><\/strong> to a bargain one-year deal. All of these players are in addition to New York’s\u00a0Latvian stud Kristaps Porzingis<\/a><\/strong>. Porzingis, runner-up in Rookie of the Year<\/strong>\u00a0voting\u00a0last season, is expected to\u00a0continue his development this year.<\/p>\n

Injury\u00a0Concerns<\/strong><\/h3>\n

There is a theme here. The Knicks has gotten more talented on paper, but also more fragile. Rose had his bouts of injury in recent seasons, most notably on his knee. Noah had knee and shoulder issues. Jennings suffered a ruptured Achilles two years back. Noah has not been the defensive force that he once was, mostly because of\u00a0his injuries. Rose\u2019s game is largely based on his explosive ability. That ability was hurt by his injuries, so\u00a0he has not been as explosive as he used to be. Since recovering from his injury, Jennings was a non-factor on both the Detroit Pistons<\/strong> and the Orlando Magic<\/strong>. The only good new for the Knicks here is that\u00a0Lee played in\u00a079\u00a0games last season.<\/p>\n

This Roster Is Woefully Flawed<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n

This Knicks team looks great at first glance. However, the roster is woefully flawed. First off, in Rose, they have another ball-dominant player alongside Anthony. Jennings falls in this category, as well. Porzingis seems to have a skill-set suited to playing center, but the Knicks payed Noah an exorbitant amount to play that position. Spacing is another issue. The Knicks were not a great three-point shooting team last season, as they attempted the eighth-least number of threes\u00a0and were 20th\u00a0in accuracy. New York\u00a0did precious little to rectify that, so the issue will likely come up again this season.<\/p>\n

Defense is another problem. Porzingis is not ready for the grit-and-grind necessary to bang with NBA big men on a nightly basis – not yet, at least. Anthony is often non-comittal on that end of the floor, while\u00a0Rose was also bad last season, defensively. Noah has been a shell of himself due to his numerous ailments.<\/p>\n

Then There’s the Coach<\/strong><\/h3>\n

After Derek Fisher<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s controversial exit and Kurt Rambis<\/a><\/strong>\u2019 ineptitude, the Knicks needed a new coach. Jackson originally wanted Luke Walton<\/a><\/strong> (then a Golden State Warriors<\/strong> assistant). In the end, Jackson hired\u00a0Jeff Hornacek<\/a><\/strong>. It was a\u00a0very curious choice, considering that Hornacek\u00a0was not one of Jackson\u2019s guys. Hornacek was previously the head coach of a very fast paced Phoenix Suns<\/strong> team. He\u00a0has said that he wants the\u00a0Knicks\u00a0to play in\u00a0a similar uptempo style.<\/p>\n

Prognosis<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This season could be an outright disaster for the Knicks. They\u00a0somehow managed\u00a0to improve and deteriorate at the same time. Rose is an improvement over Calderon, but Noah is not better than Lopez at the moment. The marquee outside of Madison Square Garden<\/strong> would herald big names, but are they any good! Health will play a huge factor in the Knicks’ ambitions this season. Can\u00a0Porzingis continue\u00a0to grow and blossom? Are there any point guards that Rose will\u00a0be able to defend? Will\u00a0Hornacek be afforded\u00a0the freedom to implement his philosophy and system?<\/p>\n

This team is a potential dumpster fire. In a perfect world,\u00a0this team could win 45 games. But in reality, look for this team to win about 35 games – a slight improvement from last year.<\/p>\n

Boston Celtics<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Aw Shucks, Boston, No Durant<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Boston Celtics are an intriguing team. With the front office led by Ainge, the Celtics chose to operate similarly to their football counterparts, the\u00a0New England Patriots<\/strong>. The Celtics are\u00a0loaded with assets after fleecing the Nets for their draft picks. They even have the ability to swap picks with the Nets again<\/em> this season! Though they missed out in the Kevin Durant<\/a><\/strong> sweepstakes, the Celtics landed perennial All-Star big man\u00a0Al Horford. Horford was the second most coveted\u00a0free agent this off-season. This is partly due to\u00a0the persistent rumor that Horford and Durant wanted to play together. That never materialized, but the Celtics still acquired a significant upgrade at center in the process.<\/p>\n

Meet Brad Stevens, the Scientist<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Celtics have\u00a0the most intelligent coach in the division and one of the top coaches in the league. Brad Stevens<\/strong> is an absolute basketball savant<\/a>. He’s also a magnificent teacher of the game. It sounds clich\u00e9, but he’s a leader of men. Players want to play for him. Teams hate playing against teams coached by Stevens. As a team without an established star, the Celtics gave LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers<\/strong> all they could handle in the 2015 playoffs. After the series ended, Cavs players were gushing with praise for Stevens. It’s not every day that an opponent expresses such respect for an adversary.<\/p>\n

Aside from Horford, the roster has a group of\u00a0players who (for the most part) aren’t\u00a0very\u00a0talented, but play\u00a0hard. Under Stevens, Isaiah Thomas<\/a><\/strong> became an All-Star. Jae Crowder<\/a><\/strong> is a workhorse who has made huge strides since he was traded\u00a0to Boston. The team runs a unique offense and a very aggressive defense. The Celtics do the little things very well. Players\u00a0move the ball around the perimeter, leading to good shots. They often\u00a0turn their opponents over, leading to fastbreak opportunities.<\/p>\n

Prognosis<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This team will not only vie for the Atlantic Division title; they’ll even have a shot at the top seed in the conference. Expect the Celtics to win at least 50\u00a0games this season.<\/p>\n

Toronto Raptors:\u00a0We The North<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Toronto Raptors are the defending champs of this division. The Raptors are\u00a0the best team that nobody knows about. ESPN<\/strong> personality Bomani Jones<\/strong> calls them the “NBATV<\/strong> All-Stars”. He calls them that because neither TNT<\/strong> nor ESPN<\/strong> usually carry Toronto’s\u00a0playoff games. In Masai Ujiri, the Raptors have a magnificent talent spotter and deal maker as team president. Ujiri is all about finding\u00a0bargains. He identifies diamonds in the rough and turns them into the most serviceable of players. Last season, the Raptors, through sheer force of will, fought tooth and nail with the eventual NBA champion Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals<\/strong>. They\u00a0came up short, but no one will\u00a0ever take the Raptors lightly after that series.<\/p>\n

Jurassic Park <\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Raptors have the most raucous of fans in the Eastern Conference<\/strong>. Those fans pile into the Air Canada Centre<\/strong>\u00a0and they are heard<\/a>. Outside of the arena, there\u00a0is “Jurassic Park”. Fans pack that space by the thousands to loudly cheer for the home team. Recruiting players to the province\u00a0of Ontario<\/strong> is a challenge for Ujiri. Unfortunately, Ontario is in Canada. Americans aren’t overly eager about\u00a0playing in Canada, for some ungodly reason. It’s patently ridiculous, really.<\/p>\n

This Team Has Some Holes<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Head coach Dwane Casey<\/strong> leads quite an eclectic bunch. The Raptors take on the identity of Casey: hardnosed, gritty, and tough.<\/a> Casey\u2019s philosophy is all about defense. The Raptors\u00a0intimidate their opponents. Defensively, they are fundamentally strong. The entire team rebounds well, the big men\u00a0protect the paint, and the wings lock down the players\u00a0they guard.<\/p>\n

The issue is Toronto’s offense. It\u00a0is sometimes anemic and other times constipated. For all of Casey\u2019s defensive virtues, his offensive system is pretty ordinary. This team’s star players are Kyle Lowry<\/a><\/strong> and DeMar DeRozan, both of whom were All-Stars last season. Lowry and DeRozan also represented Team USA at the recently concluded Rio\u00a0<\/strong>Olympic Games<\/strong>. DeRozan\u00a0shoots\u00a0a lot of\u00a0mid-range jump shots, but he doesn’t shoot the three very well. This leads to a\u00a0lot of forced shots come playoff time.<\/p>\n

With all of that said, the Raptors are for real. They’re out to prove that last season was no fluke. Players like Cory Joseph<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0Terrence Ross<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0DeMarre Carroll<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0and Jonas Valanciunas<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>are eager to show their value.\u00a0Valanciunas should\u00a0receive All-Star consideration this season.<\/p>\n

Prognosis<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Raptors’ success will determine who wins this division. Expect them to win at least 50 games this season.<\/p>\n

In closing<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Atlantic Division will send two teams to the playoffs. The Celtics and Raptors are the class of the division. The 76ers are young and will suffer many growing pains as they mature into a force. The Nets are stuck\u00a0rebuilding and, as a result, the wins and losses do not matter to them much this season. The Knicks are particularly fascinating. The\u00a0team is littered with household names and stars of years past. They are a potential disaster in waiting – sorry Knicks fans. Whereas the Celtics and Raptors have flexibility and assets to alter and improve their rosters further, the Knicks have minimal salary cap flexibility.<\/p>\n

Final Projections<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Boston Celtics: 55-27 (division champs)<\/p>\n

Brooklyn Nets: 35-47<\/p>\n

New York Knicks: 37-45<\/p>\n

Philadelphia 76ers: 28-54<\/p>\n

Toronto Raptors: 51-31 (playoff team)<\/p>\n

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Main photo:<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n