2007-2008 NBA Preview: Atlantic Division

It's that time of year again! With training camp fully underway and preseason action tipping off, it's time to take a look around the league. First up:

Atlantic Division:

A Much Needed Roster Upgrade

After years of mediocrity the Boston Celtics completed a huge makeover to their roster. Bypassing the youth movement, the Celtics now boast a lineup that includes Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. Rounding out the starting five is Kendrick Perkins, who is in his 5th year straight from HS and Rajon Rondo, a 2nd year player from Kentucky. Perkins has a job that will be very clearly defined. Defend the basket and steer clear, so that the stars can shine. Rondo on the other hand, will go a long way in determining how far the Celtics advance in the playoffs. As the starting point guard, it is Rondo’s job to make sure the ball is moving, and that the stars are kept happy with the amount of touches they are receiving.

Question Marks

The two main question marks facing the Celtics heading into this season are depth and chemistry. Anytime you’re involved in a 5 for 1 trade, you are giving up a large part of your current roster to land a player like Kevin Garnett. The Celtics have added James Posey, Eddie House and Scott Pollard, to go along with Tony Allen, but that isn’t enough pop coming off the bench.

Chemistry will be the big thing that determines how far the Celtics advance in the playoffs. Garnett, Pierce and Allen have all achieved enough individually that you’d expect personal goals to be put aside for the betterment of the team’s success. I’m interested to see whose hands the ball is in down the stretch. Do they throw the ball on the block to KG and let him go to work? Clear the court and isolate Paul Pierce at the top of the key? Setup a high screen and roll with Ray Allen and KG? These are good problems to have, but things worth taking note of…

Overall

Anytime you have 3 legitimate all-stars, you put yourself in immediate contention to compete for a ring. KG is focused and should dominate in the Eastern Conference. If the stars can gel, with the role players following suit, the Boston Celtics have all pieces to make a run for the title. If not, all the talent in the world can’t win you the championship without everyone on the same page. The Celtics will make a push, but I don’t see them coming out of the East.

Off-season

Here’s the problem with the New Jersey Nets. The #1 off season priority was to sign Vince Carter to an extension. Mission accomplished. Now you have the same team as last season that got bounced in the playoffs by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Outside of drafting Sean Williams and signing Jamaal Magloire, the Nets made no real acquisitions to take this ball club to the next level.

I’ve spoken previously about Vince Carter’s commitment or lack thereof. Net fans can only hope he plays with more passion than we’ve seen in the past.


Down Low

Jason Kidd is a winner and any team that he’s on will be competitive regardless of who the other guys are around him. Add Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson and you have a solid 1, 2, and 3 that can compete with any other perimeter combo in the league. This has never been the problem. The main issue is the Nets continue to lack a post presence. Boasting a front line of Nenad Kristic - coming off ACL surgery, Jamaal Magloire, Jason Collins, Josh Boone and rookie Sean Williams, won’t get the job done. None of the aforementioned interior players have the ability to create for themselves and give the Nets the inside play they need.

Overall

The Nets are a veteran club that is going to compete every night. J-Kidd is getting up there in age, but he hasn’t showed any signs of slowing down. He’s a winner, a leader, and will do what it takes to lead the Nets back into the postseason. Unfortunately, the post season will only consist of a few games, as the Nets contain too many question marks on the frontline to make a serious run.

Upgrades

One thing about Isiah Thomas which can’t be disputed is that he’s a very active President. This off-season was no different as Zach Randolph was brought in to add another post player to the Knicks lineup. From day 1, I haven’t been in love with this move, because it fails to address the Knicks most pressing need, a defensive presence. It just seems like the Knicks continue stock piling talent instead of addressing deficiencies in their lineup. Zach Randolph brings exactly the same skills to the Knicks as current center, Eddy Curry. Neither player plays defense and both players need to continually see the rock, before they’re able to get going.

*See below… Stephon Marbury provides superb analysis following the Zach Randolph acquisition*

The Love in NY

The people of New York are so passionate about Knicks basketball and have always supported their hometown team. The problem with this crop of Knick players is that the fans don’t feel a connection. In the past, the Knicks had players like Charles Oakley, Anthony Mason, John Starks and Patrick Ewing. People loved coming to MSG because they knew the players would give 100% every single night. They’d sacrifice their bodies taking the charge, diving into the stands, and doing whatever was necessary to get the “W”. This current Knicks team is filled with tattooed thugs, who rarely give you anything to cheer about, often times looking depressed on the sidelines with towels draped over their faces. This negative vibe surrounding the Knicks will make it that much tougher to maintain the advantage the Knicks once held, a rocking MSG.

Overall

I expect an improvement, but not a major one. The Knicks don’t have any players committed to playing defense and lack a superstar to give the fans something to get excited about. The Knicks will manage to sneak into the playoffs, but don’t expect anything more than a quick 1st round exit.

The Post AI Era

Since the departure of Allen Iverson from Philadelphia, the 76ers are heading in a different direction. Figuring they couldn’t win while they had a veteran superstar, they’ve decided to give their youngsters a shot to lead the team. The 76ers have some talent led by Andre Igoudala, who not only has the right initials for this city, but the game to go with it. He plays hard on both ends of the court and will continue to emerge as he becomes the focal point of the offense. Andre Miller gives the 76ers a legit point guard who can run the team and Samuel Dalembert controls the paint defensively.


Youth Movement

Philadelphia is relying heavily on inexperienced players like Louis Williams (straight from HS – best known for being homeboys with Bow Wow), Willie Green, and Rodney Carney to step up and take on a bigger role this season. Having all shown a glimpse of what they’re capable of, it’s now time for these guys to prove themselves on a nightly basis.


Overall

Are the 76ers good enough to compete in the East? No… Plain and simple.
Despite having a potential star in Andre Igoudala, the 76ers are just not good enough to get into the postseason. A projected frontcourt that includes Samuel Dalembert, Reggie Evans, Shavlik Randolph and Calvin Booth is not going to cut it. It’s straight to the lottery for Philly.




High Expectations

At the beginning of last season, the outlook for the Toronto Raptors was real bleak. Nobody was expecting much from the fellas up North, but they sure surprised everyone. This season will be a new challenge. Coming off a successful campaign that included an Atlantic Division title and a trip to the playoffs, how will the Raptors respond to the raised expectations?

Current Roster

There might not be a deeper team in the NBA. They have a star in Chris Bosh, a rock solid point guard in TJ Ford, and a youngster with potential in Andrea Bargnani. Aside from those three, it’s a collection of decent NBA players that fills the roster. On any given night they have a slew of players that can step up including one of their international players Jorge Garbajosa, Jose Calderon, Radoslav Nesterovic and recently acquired Carlos Delfino.

Overall

I’m going to refrain from calling last season a fluke, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see a major decline coming from last season’s record. The Raptors failed to add any players to significantly bolster their roster, while many of their Atlantic Division counterparts were upgrading. The Raptors have the depth, but don’t have enough firepower around Chris Bosh, to make me believe otherwise. The Raptors are heading back to familiar territory, the lottery.