Things get tougher in the Atlantic this year. The newly located Nets added star shooting guard Joe Johnson. The Sixers lost, their best player, Andre Iguodala. However they added Andrew Bynum, who is now the best center in the East. The Celtics and Knicks made smaller additions that will keep their franchises firmly in the playoffs. And even the Raptors added point guard Kyle Lowry, who will be a good fit for their defensive scheme. All in all, the Atlantic is the toughest division in the East and maybe in all of the NBA. Like last time, teams are ranked in order of predicted divisional finish.
1. Boston Celtics
Four was a crowd in Boston as shooting guard Ray Allen skipped town this summer. It's back to the Big Three again as Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo are in position to make another run in the now sixth year of this Celtics era. They added two great shooters in Jason Terry and Courtney Lee. The Celtics get back Jeff Green after missing all of last season with a heart condition. They also had a solid draft, grabbing Jared Sullinger, Fab Melo and Kris Joseph. Boston's starting five won't begin the season together as guard Avery Bradley will be out until December after shoulder surgery. The pressure is on Rondo this year. Pierce and Garnett aren't getting any younger, but Boston should have enough to finish second in the East.
2. Philadelphia 76ers
The Sixers took a huge step forward last postseason, knocking off the (shorthanded) Bulls and taking the Celtics to 7 games in the following round. Bynum changes the makeup of this team. No longer are the Sixers just a bunch of guards after losing Iguodala and Lou Williams. They are building around Bynum, on the hope he stays healthy and can maintain his All-Star form from last season. They key for Philly will be the play of Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner. Both (especially Holiday) played well in the playoffs last year. Doug Collins is a great coach and he will develop a winning formula around his new center.
3. New York Knicks
After last a roller coaster ride last season, Mike Woodson will begin his first full year as Knicks head coach. His isolation offense is built for a player like Carmelo Anthony, but will that translate to success? The Knicks need Amar'e Stoudemire to stay on the court and play like he did in 2010. Tyson Chandler will provide a solid defensive presence. Consistent guard play will be needed from J.R. Smith and Raymond Felton. Jason Kidd will come off the bench and play with whatever he has left in the tank. At the end of the day, it's Carmelo's team. He has the ability to lead the league in scoring and lead the Knicks to a top-four seed.
4. Brooklyn Nets
As the Knicks new in-city rival, the Nets have brought basketball to Brooklyn and fans are excited. The addition of Johnson has given the Nets a good starting lineup of Deron Williams, Johnson, Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries, and Brook Lopez. Second year guard MarShon Brooks will be a good bench scorer, and acquisitions Andray Blatche and Reggie Evans will provide frontcourt help. The Nets enter this year with a louder buzz than almost every team in the NBA. The new city, new arena and new uniforms will give the Nets plenty of attention this season. It's all up to Williams. He is a great point guard and this is the best team he's ever had. A great year for Williams will make him a Brooklyn legend.
5. Toronto Raptors
The Raptors have made improvements after the first two years post-Bosh. Kyle Lowry is a well-rounded point guard who will raise the games of Andrea Bargnani, DeMar DeRozan and Landry Fields. The Raptors hope their two highly-drafted rookies show promise. 2011 first-round pick Jonas Valanciunas and 2012 first-rounder Terrence Ross will be part of a new wave that will hopefully get the Raptors out of obscurity. Toronto will play good defense and should have the goal of finishing around .500. A decent year for the Raptors will show Canadians that basketball isn't a bad sport.
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