Atlantic Division
1. New York Knicks
So many questions heading into the season when it comes down to the Knicks.
Will Melo be able to adapt his game to the Triangle? How’s Amare’s health going
to hold up in a contract year? Is JR Smith gonna get back to the level of play
that won him 6th Man Of The Year? Will Iman Shumpert make a
jumpshot? Who’s gonna start at center? Is James Dolan going to be able to stay
out of Phil Jackson’s way? What kinda coach is Derk Fisher going to be? The
answers are yet to be determined, but with Phil Jackson at the helm, I don’t
see why things can’t look better than they did last season. Look for the Knicks to be more balanced on offense, raise the defensive intensity & get back into the playoffs. Everybody's still learning the Triangle, so by mid-January-February, we'll get a better look of how the offense will unfold.
Over/Under: 50 Wins
2. Toronto Raptors
No more suprises up North. This season will be tougher on them, since
everybody knows who they are now. For the 1st time in almost a
decade, you can’t take a night off when you see Toronto on the schedule. Demar
DeRozan is The Goods, and he got Louie Buckets backing him up. Terrence Ross, who may start at SF full time, went off for 51 aginst the Clippers last year. He can benefit from more open looks this year, but he has to take advantage of them. Kyle Lowry, who's one of the league’s underrated point guards, gets lost when we talk
about quality impact players from the PG position. Jonas Valanciunas had a great showing
at the FIBA World Cup this summer, and should be able to take the next step in
his development. Their bench is solid, they finished top 10 in offense &
defensive efficiency, and they’re bringing back most of the roster who made
that possible. I expect more of the same this season. With the Atlantic
Division crown on their head, the Knicks & Nets have to go thru them for a shot
at it. Bet the Raptors don’t hand it over without a fight.
Over/Under: 47 Wins
3. Brooklyn Nets
After what went down with the Jason Kidd experiment & fallout, the Nets
brought in veteran coach Lionel Hollins to steer the ship towards the upper
echelon of the Eastern Conference. He was my favorite candidate for the vacancy
two years ago,but I couldn’t front on Kidd. Besides not having any coaching
experience, he’s one of the greatest basketball minds of his generation &
has numerous Hall Of Fame coaches he could call mentors. Since that didn’t work
out, bringing Hollins in made so much sense. Many ifs coming out the gate;
Brook Lopez stays healthy, Deron Willams returns to being one of the league’s
elite floor generals, Joe Johnson continues being Mr. Reliable in clutch
situations, Mason Plumless takes the next step, as well as the role players
doing their jobs, Expect Brooklyn to be in the hunt.
Over/ Under: 47 Wins
4. Boston Celtics
Rajon Rondo is the last man standing from the Celtics team that made it
into the Eastern Conference Finals 3 times, made 2 Finals apperances, one
bringing them their 17th NBA championship in 2008. Not bad for a
six-year run. We all knew it would come to an end, eventually. And here we are,
in the post Paul Pierce/Big 3 Era. Danny Ainge has many talented assets to
juggle & a coach in Brad Stevens who looks like he can take 5 players from
off the street & make them competitive. The biggest question coming in is
the status of Rajon. He’s gonna miss the 1st month, so when he gets
back, you have to wonder how long he’s gonna be a Celtic. Maybe this is why
Ainge drafted Marcus Smart. Avery Bradley is back with his stingy D. Jeff Green
is in a contract year, so we’ll see if he’ll finally bring it consistently every night. Jared Sullinger
has the tools to be a reliable stretch 4. Marcus Thorton will let the scatty
fly. Evan Turner is looking to rebrand himself.The center position is a
committee cause. Who know’s what’s gonna happen, but hey: at least they’re not
Philadelphia.
Over/Under: 35 wins
5. Philadelphia 76ers
Everything about the Sixers point to the future. I don’t look at it as
tanking; more like taking your punches, paying your dues & analyzing the
talent on your roster in order to determine who’s gonna be the pieces to put
around Michael Carter-Willams, Nerlens Noel, Joel Embiid & Darko Saric. I’ve
said this numerous times this summer, they’re a few years away from being a few
years away. I just feel sorry for Philly fans, who are some of the most
passionate fans in sports. They’re going to have their patience tested for the
next several years in order to build a contender. As a Knicks fan who endured a
decade of darkness & a Nets fan who grew up watching the post
Drazen/DC/Chibbs era, I wish you all the best. Keep the whiskey on deck. Y’all
gonna need it.
Over/Under: 15 wins
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