BRIGGS wrote:1. Toronto--Easily the class of the field ---restructured their team to balance off inefficient offensive players and increased defensive capabilities
projection 54 wins2. Boston-- Very deep and athletic team in the backcourt. I can see them playing a lot of 3 and 4 guard sets and running teams crazy. Added some much needed interior depth with Mickey Lee and Johnson. Team is well-coached and has good chemistry projection 45 wins
3 Brooklyn--I dont think they did much of anything to help their team--If Brook stays healthy I think they win 35 games if not watch out below.
4 NY Knicks-- They get Carmelo back and added 3 players who are 6-10+ so I believe defense should take one step 4ward--I think. Made the decision to stick with Calderon and have very little interior scoring very little backcourt speed and unknown chemistry 31 wins
5. Philly--Basically the same Will have some games where Okafor and Noel dominate will have some games where Woten and Cannaan get hot have some depth upfront despite losing Embiid 19 wins
so this is an Atlantic division preview? definitely agree with TOR; they are the class of the division right now.
agreed Boston has the best coach in the division and have upgraded the talent. i really like their addition of Perry Jones, think he will thrive as a scorer on a team that needed one.
Brooklyn yuck, they stink. plus they have Bargnani, i don't see them winning more than 30 games.
RE: our Knickerbockers, lets not forget or discount the fact that the best player in the division (Carmelo) is on our squad. if he returns to form that's 28/8 every night, no other team can count on that. Grant added much needed athleticism to the backcourt, and the Calderon bashing around here will slow down once is healthy and playing with some legitimate NBA players. he was playing hurt last year with a bunch of D Leaguers; there's a reason DAL signed him to a 4 yr $30M deal - he is one of the best pure shooters in the League (shot over 40% from 3 even with the garbage on the team last year and basically 0 ability to create his own shot), he never turns it over, excellent passer, excellent PNR guy. i love the Lopez signing and the upgrade of him over the losers last year (Dalembert, Aldrich) will be massive. how quickly Grant and Porzingis mature into reliable NBA players will dictate the ceiling, but i think 36-38 wins and being in play for the 8th seed is a very realistic assessment of this team.
Ledo's no-show in Vegas was troubling and i think backcourt depth/athleticism is a major issue heading into the year. i expect a lot of Calderon/Grant off the bat. i think Calderon, Afflalo, Carmelo, Porzingis and Lopez is the starting 5, with KP as the first man off the floor, Grant as the 6th man (with Melo sliding down to the 4). fill out the rotation with O'Quinn, Galloway, Derrick Williams (ages 25, 23 and 24 respectively and who all will get better) plus the vets like Amundson and Thomas who have already been in the system a year and know whats going on. throw Ledo, Ndour and Early into the D League and hope one of them emerges.
7/21/2015 5:32 PM