With the Western Conference completed, I will transition to the Eastern Conference and discuss critical questions facing the Atlantic Division. This will be the most stacked division at the top will be the most stacked division in the entire conference. You have the Boston Celtics, the reigning NBA champs, the Philadelphia 76ers, who had one of the best offseasons this summer and the New York Knicks, who made a big trade and were one game away from the Eastern Conference. Following those three juggernauts comes the Toronto Raptors, who transitioned into a rebuild last year and have some interesting pieces. The final team in the division will be the Brooklyn Nets. This a team that just three seasons ago had a big 3 of James Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving now have decided to finally embrace a rebuild by trading Mikal Bridges. The division isn’t as interesting from top to bottom. However, like the Northwest, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the top 3 teams in the East were from this division. Let’s dive right into it!
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1 Critical Question Facing Every Team Going into the 2024-2025 NBA Season: Atlantic Edition
Boston Celtics- Can They Repeat?
After being on the verge of title contention for nearly 7-8 seasons, Boston finally broke through and won the NBA championship. All season long, the Celtics were the best team in the league from start to finish. The Celtics are going into this season running it back with practically the same core. It has been discussed every season for the past few seasons, but do the Celtics have what it takes to repeat and potentially be a dynasty? The case for the Celtics is their top two players are under 28 Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum and are still in their prime. The NBA has not had a team repeat as champions since the 2018 Golden State Warriors. The Celtics will start the year without their leading scorer Kristaps Porzingis for at least a couple of months which will leave a hole at the center. Nevertheless, Boston is the strong favorite to win it all this season.
Brooklyn Nets- Who Will Be a Keeper After Year 1 of the Rebuild?
Twenty months after trading both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving and now three months after trading Mikal Bridges, the Nets are officially in the early stages of a rebuild. There were a couple of other questions concerning the Nets. Will there be more trades? Will Ben Simmons ever return to the star he once was? Is Jimmy Butler a serious option for Brooklyn? As ridiculous as the possibility of that last question, it would be more interesting to see how the Brooklyn Nets will progress in their first season of a rebuild. Obviously, Brooklyn does not have that potential franchise cornerstone piece to build around. However, it will be interesting to see if any players are worth keeping for the long haul. Cam Thomas is a good player, but can he be more than a streaky scorer? How about guys like Nic Claxton, Jalen Wilson, or Noah Clowney? Maybe there might be a gem from the G-League. Next year won’t be about wins or losses, because the Nets are a team that might not even win 20 games. It will be about developing the young pieces and Capturing the Flagg.
New York Knicks- Can They Find a Solid Backup Center?
Did they get better? Sure, but it depends. The trade for Mikal Bridges provides another 3-and-D option and someone who can give you 20 points a night. But did the Knicks give up a lot for a guy who was a #1-2 option on a 32-win Nets team? Potentially, nevertheless, New York needed to make this move if they wanted to make the most of their opportunity to compete for the NBA tit. With OG Annouby and Mikal Bridges, they are 3-and-D guys capable of neutralizing Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and the Celtics. However, the Knicks lost a key piece in Issiah Harnenstein who provided value as a backup big man who should be a starter. Can the Knicks find a valuable backup big man to replace Isaiah Harnenstein? Or will they roll with Michell Robinson and Precious Achiuwa? Still, the Knicks for the first in over 25 years are a legit contender and it will be great to see Jalen Bruson reunite with his Nova college teammates.
Philadelphia 76ers- Can the 76ers Finally Get Past the Second Round?
Every season with Joel Embid on the 76ers, the roster has yet to make it past the second round. The latest postseason shortcoming was losing in the first round to the New York Knicks. However, if the 76ers stay healthy, they are the favorite to knock off the Celtics. Sure, they don’t have the perimeter defense or camaraderie of the New York Knicks. However, Philly managed to sign the top free agent, Paul George, along with adding depth at every position. It was a good offseason for Philadelphia, as they need to do what they can to build a contender around Embid. This roster will now have the depth to withstand injuries and give Embid enough rest time to prepare for the postseason. Philly will now have a big 3 with Tyrese Maxey and Paul George, who can each average 25 points a game if needed. Believe it or not, Joel Embid will be 31 in March and the 76ers might only have 2-3 years of Prime Embid and title contention. Overall, this is the best 76ers roster since 2019, when Jimmy Butler was on the roster.
Toronto Raptors- What Is the Ceiling of the Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley Core?
With the Raptors extending Scottie Barnes and signing Immanuel Quickley, all signs point to the Raptors committing to their young core. However, Toronto will be coming off their worst season in 13 years. The silver lining from last season was the Raptors decided to hit the reset button and embrace a rebuild with their big 3, who are all under 25 years old. During the season, Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley only played 13 games, which resulted in a 4-9 record. Next season should be a strong indicator of this young core’s potential after a full offseason and training camp. Can Scottie Barnes become that #1 or #2 option on a consistent playoff contender? Can Immanuel Quickly prove he was worth that contract he signed this summer? Could the Raptors somehow accelerate their rebuild? Possibly. If things work out, Toronto can find themselves back competing for the play-in, especially in a weaker Eastern Conference. However, a positive from last season that Toronto fans need to know is they will be fun and fast. The Raptors were ranked first in total fast break points. Masai Ujiri is ready to build the next contender in We the North territory!
Main Image: © Peter Casey-Imagn Images
