08/09 NBA Preview - Atlantic Division

It's nearly October and ESPN is at it, so it's time for me to get started, breaking down this great league, division by division. Worst to first. Let's get started.

Atlantic Division

New York Knicks, 5th



Just like the last seven or so years (except for last year, I guess), the Knicks will have a good run in the first part of the season and we'll all be thinking about their playoff chances. But we really shouldn't do that. If anything, they've just gotten worse since last year. Curry is fatter. Randolph is more disgruntled. Marbury's crazier.



Even though Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni are in charge, it's the same old story as we head towards the season. From a purely basketballing perspective, even forgetting the fact that half of the team has emotional problems, their problem is still defense. Their offensive numbers have been fine for the past couple yeras, but they still don't have a defensive presence and I don't know if you've noticed, but D'Antoni is not the most defensive-minded coach. He had freaks like Marion and Amare and a lockdown perimeter defender in Raja Bell down in Phoenix and they still really didn't D it up too well. Also, Renaldo Balkman, arguably the team's best perimeter defender last year, is gone. Chris Duhon will hold on to the ball better, but he's not much of an upgrade over Mardy Collins or whoever ended up as the starting point guard on that montrosity of a horrorshow last year. Sorry, I rambled on a bit. It happens when write about the Knicks in the NYC. So, yeah, Nate Robinson will average close to 20 per, Jamal Crawford will have a 50-point game or two, and David Lee will also have a big year, stats-wise. But when that's your big three? You're gonna have some long nights and some ridiculous 140-130-type losses. And no meaningful games in March and April.

New Jersey Nets, 4th



The thinking goes that Vince, a 35-plus Kidd and Jefferson, together, were never gonna win a ring. So why not blow it all up, save some money before the big move to Brooklyn and the free agency of Lebron James, take a chance on fun little Devin Harris, make some trades and acquire 1 billion more fans overnight.



Despite this smart businss acumen from the minds of Bruce Ratner, Jigga and Rod Thorn, this is still the first time in almost a decade that I haven't thought the Nets had a fighting chance. Devin Harris and Vince Carter still form a pretty nice back-court, but the team's weakness, as always, is the lack of frontcourt options. They are, however, a nice multi-cultural bunch. Yi Jianlian, Eduardo Najera, Ryan Anderson, Brook Lopez, Sean Williams, Josh Boone, it's such a thorough display of diversity, that it almost brings a tear to my eye. Hopefully LeBron agrees. No playoffs for this crew, though.

Toronto Raptors, 3rd



The Jermaine O'Neal trade is a nice and sensible deal. Pair the spindly Chris Bosh with someone with a few more tattoos and you got yourself a pretty decent frontcourt; if Jermaine is able to play more than 18 games next season, of course. Their main issue, though, is that they're still missing that superstar guard that you really need to win it all in today's NBA. There's no D-Wade, Kobe, Paul Pierce, or even a Jamal Crawford north of the border. Jose Calderon has them covered at the point, but Anthony Parker, Jason Kapono and Jamario Moon? Are you serious, Toronto? That's all your bringing to the party? Still their festiness, their big men and Calderon's steadying influence will bring them to the playoffs and could even see them compete for a first-round upset. They're also, possibly, the least-cared about playoff-caliber team in the league. So that's something.

Philadelphia 76ers, 2nd



For some reason I feel like there's just some weak thread that's holding this team together. But I'm just crazy enough to think that it's gonna work. Andre Miller, Andre Igoudala, Elton Brand, Sammy Dalembert, with some Louis Williams and Thaddeus Young (who I wouldn't recognize if he walked through my front door right now and said "Yo dawg") thrown in; you pretty much have all your bases covered. One or two injuries, though, and they could fall pretty quickly. It's a pretty precipitous decline from those aforementioned ballers to Donyell Marshall and Royal Ivey.

Boston Celtics, 1st



They're a year older but with Kevin Garnett still running the show, they're definitely not any less hungry. This team could go for 60-65 winds again and, of course, they'll probably pick up Tim Thomas or Stephon Marbury, who will magically be transformed (yeah, I said it), or some other semi-talented clown who'll whine his way off his team and then will hit some big three in some big game and everyone will love him.



Awesome. Can't wait.

Southeast Division is coming soon.