The 76ers, Celtics, Nets, Raptors and Knicks make up the NBA's most chaotic division
Welcome to the category for illusions of grandeur. The Atlantic Division appears to be a central theme in every significant NBA narrative. This summer, Kevin Durant wants to be traded. Toronto is the early front-runner, Boston reignites the rumors with a purported Jaylen Brown offer, Philadelphia creates a stir when Durant is spotted having fun with James Harden in London, and for once, Knicks supporters can enjoy the fact that this was one superstar they didn’t manage to get.
Not just Durant, either. Donovan Mitchell nearly joined the Knicks. Two years after the team’s first triumph, the Raptors selected the Rookie of the Year after taking an unusual hiatus in Tampa Bay. By accident, concluding all inter-division deals in the NBA, Philadelphia and Brooklyn executed the largest trade of the 2021–22 season. The greatest scandal in the league is presently engulfing Boston. In the previous two years, there was at least one All-NBA player on each club in the division. The division’s only trophy from the previous ten years is Toronto’s 2019 championship.
In other words, despite all the attention paid to these teams, they frequently produce more mayhem than victories. You must bear in mind while betting on these teams because they are among the top five most unpredictable in basketball. So let’s look at their projected victory totals and make over/under predictions for the season while admitting that there are sometimes better ways to benefit from the chaos in the Atlantic.
Regular readers may recall that I was a big fan of the Celtics this season up until a few weeks ago. I predicted that the Celtics would win Coach of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and MVP. The coach of the year contender was suspended for the season while the defensive player of the year candidate underwent knee surgery after those reports were published.
According to early estimates, Robert Williams III would only be out for four to six weeks, maybe returning in time for opening night. A few days after the operation, Boston made the announcement and said that it would be 8–12 weeks before he could resume playing basketball. Returning to basketball activity does not always entail returning to game play, and returning to game play does not necessarily entail giving your all. By Thanksgiving, Boston’s top defender may be fit to play. When 2023 rolls along, he may still be in office. We simply are unaware.
His health is simply too unknown given his extensive injury history and the fact that this operation came after a hurried return last playoffs in which he was obviously playing hurt. Additionally, given Boston’s unique defensive strategy, which depends on switchable big men, he is completely irreplaceable. When they let Williams to defend shooters in the corner, they were able to salvage their season because he was able to cover a lot of territory as a free agent and shot blocker.