Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Going Upstairs: Atlantic Division Preview

This is the first of six division previews that I’ll be posting before the season starts. I understand that divisions themselves are mostly meaningless, but it offers a convenient way to split up my preview series. Below I’ve listed teams by predicted order of finish, alongside their projected playoff seed in their conference.

The division that the Boston Celtics have dominated for the last half-decade may be up for grabs this season. They no longer boast the most talented team in the division, and will likely pace themselves for the playoffs, sacrificing wins in the process. Expect the Knicks to attempt to prove themselves as true contenders during the regular season and try to grab a top three seed in the East. Meanwhile, in the bottom of the division rests perhaps the worst team in basketball, the Toronto Raptors.


New York Knicks (3)
New York's new point guards...yeesh
Projected Rotation
PG – Mike Bibby
SG – Landry Fields
SF – Carmelo Anthony
PF – Amare Stoudemire
C – Tyson Chandler

G – Toney Douglas
F – Jared Jeffries
G – Iman Shumpert

BGEM Players (Tier)
Carmelo Anthony (2)
Amare Stoudemire (2)
Tyson Chandler (5)


Analysis
The extremely weak backcourt is made up for by the star power on the front line, which is good enough to help the Knicks beat up on less talented teams. Ultimately though, their inability to get a stop when they need one will be this team's downfall in a seven game series. Tyson Chandler is a nice defensive player, but they don't have a defensive system in place to make him most effective. 

Player to Watch
Baron Davis – Davis is out 6-8 weeks, but his skill set aligns perfectly with Mike D’Antoni’s offense provided he’s motivated. His return could propel the Knicks to the top of the division and into a legitimate threat to the Heat in the Eastern Conference.

Boston Celtics (6)
Rajon Rondo's new toy
Projected Rotation
PG – Rajon Rondo
SG – Ray Allen
SF – Paul Pierce
PF – Kevin Garnett
C – Jermaine O’Neal

F – Brandon Bass
G/F – Marquis Daniels
C – Chris Wilcox
G – Keyon Dooling
G – Sasha Pavlovic

BGEM Players (Tier)
Paul Pierce (3)
Rajon Rondo (3)
Ray Allen (4)
Kevin Garnett (5)


Analysis
Nobody can deny that his team is trending downwards, but it wouldn't surprise me if they still appeared to be a contender for another season or two, a la San Antonio. But remember that the Spurs haven't seen the Finals since 2007 or the conference finals since 2008.

Player to Watch
Brandon Bass – He was stolen from Orlando in the Glen Davis sign-and-trade, and will be a perfect fit into this offense. His athleticism and his midrange jumper will give Rajon Rondo more to work with, and could quickly become his favorite target.

Philadelphia 76ers (8)
Evan Turner a.k.a. The Avatar
Projected Rotation
PG – Jrue Holiday
SG – Jodie Meeks
SF – Andre Igoudala
PF – Elton Brand
C – Spencer Hawes

F – Thaddeus Young
G – Lou Williams
G/F – Evan Turner
C – Marreese Speights

BGEM Players (Tier)
Andre Igoudala (4)
Jrue Holiday (5)


Analysis
The Sixers are bringing back their entire rotation from last season, which does have nine quality players in it. They appear to be stuck in no-man's land though, with just enough talent to make the playoffs, but not enough to ever make some noise. 

Player to Watch
Evan Turner – His progression will help determine if and when Andre Igoudala becomes expendable. He does a lot of the same things Igoudala does, which bodes well for his potential. However, he hasn’t shown much of anything since being drafted second overall last year.

New Jersey Nets
(Insert Kim Kardashian joke here)
Projected Rotation
PG – Deron Williams
SG – Anthony Morrow
SF – Damion James
PF – Kris Humphries
C – Johan Petro

G – Jordan Farmar
G – Marshon Brooks
F – Shawne Williams
G/F – Deshawn Stevenson
F/C – Sheldon Williams

BGEM Players (Tier)
Deron Williams (2)
Brook Lopez (4)


Analysis
Coach Avery Johnson is the wild card here. His attention to detail could either help propel this team into the playoffs, or help drive Deron Williams out of town (Johnson has a history of being a drag on point guards).

Player to Watch
Brook Lopez - Not really much to watch with him this season, given that he's out up to three months. But Lopez's injury essentially derails any chance New Jersey had at acquiring Dwight Howard this season. It's unlikely they shut him down for the whole season though, because they'll want to showcase Lopez in case they can make the Howard deal this summer.

Toronto Raptors
"Sorry coach, I forgot we're not supposed to play defense on this team."
Projected Rotation
PG – Jerryd Bayless
SG – DeMar DeRozan
SF – James Johnson
PF – Ed Davis
C – Andrea Bargnani

G – Leandro Barbosa
F – Amir Johnson
G – Jose Calderon
F – Gary Forbes
C – Aaron Gray

BGEM Players (Tier)
Andrea Bargnani (5)
DeMar DeRozan (5)


Analysis
A poor roster in terms of overall talent, but the Raptors do have a couple building blocks in DeRozan and Davis. They should have another high pick in next June's draft, one that is deep and, well, talented. 

Player to Watch
Ed Davis – A hustle guy who is also a solid finisher, he might be the only guy on this team who will grab a rebound. Given starters minutes, I like Davis to average close to a double-double. (Okay, I know. But what else can you really say about about any of these players?)

No comments:

Post a Comment