Much has been made about just how pathetic the Atlantic division is. No team is sniffing .500, no team is playing particularly stingy defence and for all the stars, no one seems to have a solid all-around unit.
In such a situation, it?s feasible that any team can take the crown and what is likely to be the fourth seed of the 2007 Eastern Conference playoffs. While few would bet on any Atlantic team to win a first-round series, making the playoffs is an accomplishment in its own particular way, and certainly would be for most of the teams.
With the Atlantic title looking like such a hollow prize, maybe it?s best not to win it.
This year?s draft is slated to be the best since 2003, featuring star apparent Greg Oden as well as college phenom Kevin Durant, NCAA champions Joakim Noah and Al Horford, and a veritable bevy of international players like Tiago Splitter and Marco Belinelli.
Any one of these players, plus a handful of others, could lead a last-place team to the top in 2008. It has then not only become an issue of who can take the division in 2007 but who can eliminate that hope in search of later glory. Let?s take a look at what each team can do to win (or lose) the Atlantic division.
Boston Celtics: Win
Hold down the fort: Paul Pierce on the sidelines means wins are very tough to come by. Avoiding a dizzying losing streak is paramount here. While no one?s expecting a lot during this stretch, playing.400 ball until Pierce?s return could be enough to keep the Celtics afloat. Once he?s back, anything can happen.
Get more production out of the post: With Theo Ratliff gone for the year, the Celtics need to see their young post players grow up in a hurry. Al Jefferson and Kendrick Perkins have both shown flashes of being solid players but neither has taken that next step toward superstardom. That?s not to say that either needs to be a superstar; what?s important here is limiting mistakes. If they can stay out of foul trouble and curtail things like defensive breakdowns and turnovers, the Celtics will be a much better team for it.
Boston Celtics: Lose
Put the ball in Telfair?s hands: Sebastian Telfair is a young, energetic point guard with a lot of upside- he just hasn?t realized it yet. By giving more of the reins of the offence to him and letting him work through his mistakes, just like Portland did last year, the Celtics can (hopefully, and most likely) jumpstart his progress while building his confidence and making the team more comfortable with him. In the case of such a still-raw player though, this inevitably leads to losses. This year, there are worse things anyway.
Don?t rush the schedule: No one needs to see Paul Pierce come back too early just to aggravate the injury. If the Celtics aren?t gunning for the division, it might be best to just give Pierce a little extra time off so he can recover to his fullest both physically and mentally. He?s still only 29, with a lot of career ahead of him, and caution is often best.
New Jersey Nets: Win
Balance the offensive output: So Richard Jefferson?s out and Nenad Kristic is, well, very out. It?s easy to see why Nets fans could be panicking right now, but there?s still a lot of hope. Where it lies is obviously in Jason Kidd and Vince Carter, but they can?t carry the team every night. Kidd?s an expert at getting guys the ball and if the Nets can see guys like Jason Collins and Antoine Wright pitch in more double-digit scoring nights, they?ll have a better chance.
Keep cool: A lot of teams fall into the trap of making mental mistakes. With some young Nets filling in for their injured starters, a lot of the lesser-known Nets could get nervous. This is where Kidd has to extend his leadership capabilities from the court to the locker room. He?s a strong veteran who can and needs to maintain a calm climate inside his teammates? heads.
New Jersey Nets: Lose
Trade someone: Kidd?s gradually breaking down, and the rumours surrounding Carter have seen everything this side of the Euroleague. Neither?s considered young anymore so if you?re rebuilding, why not pull the trigger? Even an expiring contract and a young prospect or a draft pick could be enough. The Marcus Williams pickup erases the need to get a point guard back too.
Let Williams roam free: Much like in the case of the aforementioned Sebastian Telfair, the Nets have a young point guard who?s shown a lot of potential but will inevitably make mistakes. Watching his improvement, especially if Kidd gets unloaded at the deadline, could be a very pleasing sight for the Nets management and coaching staff. If Williams is their future, maybe he should start getting more time ? and maybe he?ll have a high-powered companion come draft day.
New York Knicks: Win
Involve the rebounders: Renaldo Balkman and David Lee are two Knicks who pay hard every night, never give up and want to improve their skills while winning as much as possible. Is there any type of player you?d rather have? These guys are key players to any run the Knicks want to make because their fast-paced play can motivate the overpaid stars and mask Eddy Curry?s deficiencies. Give them minutes and they won?t fail you.
Unleash the fury: This point?s a little more controversial but it still stands. Stephon Marbury is probably the most talented player on that team, and he?s the kind of player who can be both a lethal perimeter scorer and an adept distributor. Where the problem arises with him, though, is when he has to carry a team. No one can carry that Knicks team by himself. What Isiah Thomas needs to do is get into Marbury?s head and make him believe that by going out there and just playing basketball, without worrying about being the man or being the next Eric Snow, the Knicks can win games.
New York Knicks: Lose
Since the New York Knicks potentially (and most likely) owe their 2007 first-round draft pick to the Chicago Bulls, there is no logical reason to lose this division. However, there may be a side benefit of not making a title run this season.
Develop Curry and Frye: Big men are essential to winning, and it?s a problem area for the Knicks. Curry and Channing Frye are two young big men who?ve shown offensive capabilities but need to work on other aspects of the game. If winning 20 games and donating the Bulls a top prospect can make Curry and Frye into good rebounders and defenders, maybe it?s worth it. There?s already a good amount of young talent there, and having a couple good all-around big men would augment that nicely.
Philadelphia 76ers: Win
Look to Miller: The acquisition of Andre Miller, if it can truly be called that, is crucial to any success the Sixers want to have this season. He?s been around the league and can give some guidance and confidence to their young guys, who want to win but need to be in the right situation. Miller?s a very good passer who can set up his teammates and if they can get on fire, there might be hope there.
Don?t listen to the critics: A lot of people have the Sixers pegged as the worst team in the league and with Iverson gone, it?s easy to see why they?re taking that position. That?s not the kind of attitude the team should have if it wants to win though. All that doubt should, instead of making the Sixers feel uneasy, give them some more fire. If this team can prove that it doesn?t need Iverson to win, that?s enormous, and it?s exactly the kind of goal that these young players should be setting.
Philadelphia 76ers: Lose
It?s really not that difficult: Without sounding too pessimistic, the Sixers are simply not the most talent-laden team at the moment. A lot of their losses will probably come naturally. Chris Webber?s also rumoured to be on his way out, making this an even less experienced team. Landing one of 2007?s huge prospects would be a blessing to this team and all they have to do is keep doing whatever?s been earning them a last-place record.
Let guys play through their mistakes: Simply tanking a season with no other goal is very wasteful. What the Sixers can get from this campaign aside from a high draft pick is a more well-rounded team. If Samuel Dalembert loads up on fouls and goaltending calls, don?t pull him. If Andre Iguodala hoists up a bunch of bricks, he doesn?t need to see the pine. Getting young players valuable on-court experience could be huge come 2008.
Toronto Raptors: Win
Feed the Bosh: Chris Bosh is an incredible young talent and is central to any success this team has. TJ Ford and Jose Calderon are both good point guards who, while looking drastically different at times, have one thing in common: they give their teammates the ball. No one needs that rock more than the big man, and the whole team needs to involve him on pretty much every play. Bosh?s high scoring outputs in Raptor wins aren?t a coincidence or a mystery.
Hit the offensive glass: The Raptors too often fall into the trap of being a jump-shooting team, taking low-percentage shots that result in long rebounds and fast-break opportunities for the other team. The best way to counteract this is to stick Bosh and Rasho Nesterovic or Andrea Bargnani on the boards and try to generate some better shot attempts. If Fred Jones can establish his drive and Anthony Parker can start draining mid-range shots, that means shorter rebounds when they miss. With all the 6?9?+ talent the Raptors have (Jorge Garbajosa included), it makes sense for them to have the ball close to the basket.
Toronto Raptors: Lose
Run the offence through Bargnani: Bargnani has looked more confident as the season?s progressed and his game has improved dramatically. Expanding his role can only aid this process. While giving a rookie, even a first overall pick, more touches can result in more losses, it can also remind him why he was picked there. Another young player, most notably on the wing, could also give Bosh and Bargnani an easier time in 2008.
Think ahead with Mo Pete: Morris Peterson?s future is cloudy and uncertain, and trade rumours are pretty much everywhere. Trading him doesn?t necessarily entail a playoff push though. If Peterson could be moved for someone like Bobby Simmons, who?s glued to the pine with an injury now but is still a young contributor, or for a draft pick, that could help the Raptors reload this offseason.
The Atlantic division has become a confusing mess that any team can win. Who wants that title and who wants a high pick? Either could be worth it, but there?s also the danger of getting one and regretting not having the other. Each general manger faces his own dilemma while each coach is pushing for wins. Regardless of who comes out on top, it?ll be an entertaining display of the world?s highest level of basketball mediocrity.