2017-18 NBA Preview: Atlantic Division

Celtics
PG Kyrie, SG Smart, SF Hayward, PF Marcus Morris, C Horford
Bench: PG Rozier/Larkin, SF Brown/Tatum, PF C Baynes

The Celtics finally made all those moves we've been waiting for all these years. And they were huge.  In: Kyrie, Hayward, Marcus Morris; Out: Isiah Thomas (as beloved a Boston sports figure as there has been lately), Jae Crowder, Avery Bradley, Kelly Olynyk, Amir Johnson, Jonas Jerebko. The Celtics of recent vintage have a featured a lot of nice players that played their small parts; but that depth isn't there any more. Off the bench is a lot of untested Rooks: Yabusele, Ojelewe, Nader, Holmes, Williams, (everyone loves 2nd round picks....til they start filling out your bench), in addition to Jaysun Tatum (who should get regular rotation action right away). I like the talent up top, I love Coach Stevens and while the expectations are higher than ever, I can't help feeling like they are one Kyrie injury away from being in a bad spot (how deep they going with Shane Larkin?). Oh well, I like them to finish tops in the East with 58 wins.

Raptors
PG Lowry, SG DeRozan, SF Miles , PF Ibaka, C Valenciunas
Bench: PG Van Vleet, SG Wright/McDaniels, SF Powell/Anunoby, PF Poetl/Caboclo/Siakam, C Noquiera/Meeks

The way this team got smoked by the Cavs in the playoffs last year was kinda sad. But all they can do is run it back. My guess is they come out hot, challenge for 1st in the East for much of the year...and then get smoked by the Cavs again in the playoffs. *sigh* Man, they really are committed to that starting five (and I suspect they'll wrap up Powell as their 6th man going forward), so grinding and hoping they get lucky against Lebron is where this team is at for the next few years. I kinda like the depth of this team but all that is entirely in support to Lowry and DeRozan, those two must stay healthy for the Raptors to be any good at all. I'll go ahead and assume them to be healthy enough to get it done. I like them to finish 2nd in the East with 54 wins.

Sixers
PG Fultz, SG Redick, SF Simmons, PF Saric, C Embiid
Bench: PG McConnell/Bayless, SG Stauskus/Anderson, SF Covington/Luwawu, PF Jahlil Okafor/Humphries/Holmes, C Johnson/Emeka Okafor

Process 2.0 is about to get started. The Sixers have been sacrificing W's in service of hoarding toys like a fat kid after Xmas but now the toy box is full and its time to play. They've augmented the rookies (Fultz, Simmons, Korkmaz) and the other youngsters (Stauskus, Okafor, Saric, Anderson, Luwawau, Holmes still on rookie contracts) with a handful of vets (Redick, Bayless, Humphries, Emeka Okafor (Emeka Okafor?!?!), Amir Johhnson) to season the serving. Okay, how are they gonna be? I dunno. Embiid showed that he can play, Saric showed the he can play, Okafor showed he can play (but everyone somehow never saw what I saw), and I think Stauskus, McConnell, Anderson and Luwawu can be effective in limited play, throw in those veterans and this is a pretty good team. Just a matter of how all the pieces fit together. I think they're in the hunt for the 8th spot at year's end (I don't think they get it), with 36 wins.

Knicks
PG Nikilitina, SG Hardaway, SF Beasley, PF Porzingis, C Kanter
Bench: PG Jack/Baker, SG Sessions/Dotson, SF McDermott/Kuzminkas, PF Noah/Hernangomez, C O'Quinn

First take on Knick PG's: am I rude for thinking that Nikilitina is the poor man's Tony Parker, Jack is the poor man's Kemba Walker and Ron Baker is the poor man's TJ McConnell? First take on Knick SG's: they're all PG's, aren't they? Do they have any scorers? First take on Knick SF's: a coupla reclamation projects and a youngster happy to get out from under Melo's shadow. Getting rid of Melo didn't make this team better or worse, strangely enough. I think Porzingis is free to do whatever he wants, hope for the best for young Nikilitina, and I expect the Knicks to match last year's W total: 31.

Nets
PG Russell, SG Crabbe, SF LaVert, PF Hollis-Jefferson, C Mozgov
Bench: PG Lin/Harris, SG Whitehead/Dinwiddie, SF Booker/Acy, PF Carroll, C Zeller/Allen

This is D'Angelo Russell's team now, I expect Jarrett Allen to get regular playing time by the end of the year and I expect plenty of time for LaVert and Hollis-Jefferson and Whitehead because...well...why not? (Hmmm, think they'd like to have Kyle Kuzma right now, too?)  They're in on Crabbe and Mozgov for the next 3 years but otherwise they're starting to get their cap flexibility back. If Coach Atkinson gets them to play hard and build that culture around Russell/Allen/LeVert/Hollis-Jefferson by next summer they'll be in the hunt for some good free agents. I think they'll win 27 games.