The Atlantic Division provided four of the eight teams in the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs last season. That’s a powerful statement they made, and what has exactly changed for this upcoming year? Kawhi Leonard is gone but the Toronto Raptors may have just enough talent to grab the 8th seed. The New York Knicks had an offseason of “what did they just do” moments and will be looking to move players at the trade deadline.
Then you have the three top teams in the Brooklyn Nets, Boston Celtics, and Philadelphia 76ers. All teams mentioned will be in contention for an NBA title in 2020. The Nets added Kyrie Irving, DeAndre Jordan, and Kevin Durant. The Celtics added Kemba Walker and Enes Kanter, and the Philadelphia 76ers added Josh Richardson and Al Horford. All organizations made moves this offseason, but it’s really just a three-team race.
5. New York Knicks
Just because the Knicks had a busy offseason doesn’t mean they made the correct moves. With a lineup that was in dire need of a major facelift, the Knicks added players just because they were available. With the addition of RJ Barrett, perimeter scoring is settled. However, the big concern remains in the frontcourt.
While some Knicks fans are hopeful, how do they see themselves contending in a division where four of the five teams made the playoffs last season? Their additions added depth but how will minutes be divided up? If not careful, there could be a major locker room issue headed the Knicks way this season and that the one thing they do not need. Wins will be tough to come by in the Atlantic but the Garden should be sold out as usual.
4. Toronto Raptors
The reigning NBA Champs will have no shot at a division crown. To be honest, they will struggle just to make the playoffs. Losing Kawhi Leonard hurt but so did the departure of Danny Green. In recent years, Kyle Lowry has always had another scorer by his side in DeMar DeRozan. While Pascal Siakam has proven to be valuable, can he maintain that production with defenses now focused on him?
The Raptors will still be led by a veteran team, but to believe they can duplicate the same magic from last season is foolish thinking. The pressure will be back on players’ shoulders who felt a sigh of relief last season with Leonard there. Well, he’s gone and the pressure will be on those who have failed in the past or yet to prove they can handle the pressure in their young careers.
3. Brooklyn Nets
The Nets were the talk of the NBA this offseason with their new additions and subtractions. But will that account for more wins? With Kyrie Irving taking the place of D’Angelo Russell, the talk of a championship turned serious. But is Irving really that much of a factor? No. The true glue to this team will be in the paint thanks to the addition of DeAndre Jordan. With this move, the Nets now have a defender and low post scorer. They haven’t had this type of talent in the post since the days of Kevin Garnett and he was past his prime.
Even if Kevin Durant fails to take the court this season, the Nets will still be a problem for other teams to handle. The backcourt with Irving, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Caris LaVert is as good as advertised and their frontcourt got a major upgrade with Wilson Chandler and Taurean Prince. The Nets are deep.
2. Boston Celtics
The Celtics have retooled after an offseason of changes. Kyrie is out and replaced with Kemba Walker. Al Horford is gone and replaced with Enes Kanter. Is anyone of those viewed as an upgrade? No. However, they may provide better chemistry. Kemba is the same as Irving. They are both SG’s in PG’s bodies. They can penetrate and hit from the perimeter. But it’s the addition of Kanter that may actually help the Celtics this season.
The young guys like Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, and Jayson Tatum should see increased roles with Irving and Horford having moved on. The Celtics are deep at all five pistons and have the experience and talent to move ahead of the new-look Nets in the Atlantic Division.
1. Philadelphia 76ers
On paper, the Philadelphia 76ers are viewed as having one of the best starting units in the NBA. What has the 76ers ready for attack this year is that they believe they would’ve won the title last season if Leanord didn’t make that miracle shot in Game 7 of the second round last season. The 76ers have gone through a bit of a roster shakeup with the losses of Jimmy Butler and J.J. Redick. However, on the flip side of that, they gained Al Horford and Jason Richardson.
It’s clear that the 76ers are the team to beat in the Atlantic Division. As far as experience goes, they have won 50+ games the last two years and have advanced to the second round both seasons. By adding Horford, they have a player who has been in clutch situations. Over the summer, Ben Simmons has been the tlk of offseason workouts as videos have surfaced of him taking and making shots from the perimeter. The Philadelphia 76ers are the real deal.
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