The Celtics are an aging team and with the youth surge besieging the division, expect the Atlantic’s throne to change cities.
Boston finished atop the division last season, followed by the Knicks and Sixers at two and three, respectively. As for the New Jersey Nets (finished 4th last season) Toronto Raptors (5th), you can count on them to once again disappoint fans with a sub-par campaign.
5. Toronto Raptors- 2010-11 (22-60), 2011-12 prediction (17-49)
The Toronto Raptors did win the Atlantic Division back in 2006-07, but their team has not been able to reach the same position since. Once Chris Bosh left the city to join his friends in Miami, the Raptors instantly became irrelevant in the NBA. The Raptors have no star players, and the lone NBA team in Canada does not create buzz when they come below the border.
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The Raptors do have valuable young players on their roster like Andrea Bargnani, DeMar DeRozan and Amir Johnson, but their defensive is absolutely atrocious. They do have flexibility in terms of cap space, but Toronto is not a destination city for NBA players.
The only way for the Raptors to improve is if they bring in more talented players to their roster. They do have Reggie Evans to spark the younger players, but his contributions to the team on the court is not enough to match his attitude off it. The Raptors may not be making the playoffs this year, but at least fans in Toronto will be able to see a professional basketball team.
Next Page: New Jersey Nets
Although the New Jersey Nets have not been a very good team in these past couple of years, they have a lot of options working in their advantage. They acquired a top-ten player last season during the trade deadline in Deron Williams, and he will definitely attract coveted free agents. However, besides Williams, the Nets are not very talented.
After stellar seasons early on in his career, Brook Lopez is no longer a dominating force in the middle and their three-point shooters are not truly capable of finding shots inside the arc.
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The Nets did add center Sheldon Williams and forward Shawne Williams this off-season, but they are not the solutions to their problems. Deron Williams needs more around him if the Nets want to make a run this season, and on top of that, the front-office has to bring in more talent so it has pieces to trade for Dwight Howard.
This may be the last season the Nets will be in New Jersey, but the entire franchise is focused on 2012-13 and Brooklyn. The Nets are in the hunt for Dwight Howard and are trying to give fans at their new home something to look for.
Next Page: Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers made the playoffs last season under new coach Doug Collins and the entire world got to see their potential while playing in the first round. Although the Sixers lost in five games, they competed well against the Miami Heat and expect them to make a deep post-season run this season. With Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner leading the way, the Sixers will soon be a force in the Eastern Conference.
Along with the leadership of Holiday and the reliable play of Turner, the Sixers have an explosive scorer in Louis Williams and high-flyer Andre Iguodala.
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Despite the fact that the Sixers have a core of young players, they buy into Collins’ defensive system and use their athleticism to overwhelm teams on that end of the court. However, they were ranked 17th in offensive points last season, so that area of their game can certainly improve.
Nevertheless, if Holiday continues to grow as a point guard, the Sixers can challenge the upper echelon teams in the first round of the playoffs.
Next Page: Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics fell to the Miami Heat in the second round of the 2011 playoffs, and it seemed as though the older team could not match-up with the more energetic Heat. The Celtics’ core was also broken mid-way into the 2011-12 season as center Kendrick Perkins was sent to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Although the Celtics got back a capable player in Jeff Green, losing Perkins hurt the other 2008 championship players.
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The Celtics do in fact have a veteran group of players, but age is a major impediment in their quest for title number 18. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are all nearing the end of their careers and it will be interesting to see how they play in a condensed season.
A 66-game schedule will cause a lot of wear-and-tear on their bodies, so expect them to be exhausted when it comes time for a deep post-season push.
Next Page: New York Knicks
The New York Knicks finally returned to the playoffs in 2011, and the city once again had a relevant NBA team. Although the Knicks were ousted by the Boston Celtics in four games, their future looks bright with Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire. With two stars leading the team, the Knicks will surely rise in the Eastern Conference standings this season.
Besides Anthony and Stoudemire, the Knicks made a big acquisition this off-season when they signed Tyson Chandler. Chandler was the anchor of the Mavericks’ championship team and played a big role in stopping LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in the Finals.
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With Chandler and Stoudemire in the paint, the Knicks have one of the best front-courts in the NBA. However, their back-court lack depths and Landry Fields and Toney Douglas are currently expected to be in the starting lineup.
In addition to their back-court struggles, the Knicks need to improve on the defensive end of the court. The front-office hopes that Chandler will help rebound and block shots, but the Knicks need to add more pieces in order to be a defensive powerhouse.