Largest query for each NBA Atlantic Division crew: Can Celtics repeat? How a lot can Knicks, 76ers enhance?

We have hit September on the NBA calendar, which implies we’re inching ever nearer to the beginning of coaching camps, preseason and the tip off of the 2024-25 season on Oct. 22. It is nonetheless the lull within the offseason, nevertheless, the place transaction information has virtually halted exterior of some two-way offers and contract extensions. Which makes now the proper time to begin occupied with the upcoming season, and particularly what main storylines or questions will hold over every crew.

Will these offseason signings show helpful? Will that teaching rent make a lot of a distinction? Can a sure participant or crew bounce again after a tough season? We will take this one division at a time, beginning with the Atlantic division, maybe the hardest within the league, or on the very least within the Japanese Convention. The Boston Celtics are the reigning NBA champions, however two different groups of their division — the Knicks and 76ers — reloaded to adequately problem them. The Nets and Raptors might not be aggressive this season, however they’ve vital inquiries to face as effectively. A few of these questions might not get answered till the top of the season, or perhaps a couple years from now, however they’re price occupied with because the 2024-25 season nears. 

Celtics: Can they be the primary in six years to repeat?

There hasn’t been a repeat champion for the reason that Golden State Warriors went back-to-back in 2017 and 2018. As quickly as a champion is topped, as soon as the confetti and champagne hangover wears off, one of many first questions tossed round is “Can this crew repeat?” The Denver Nuggets regarded like they might do it after profitable all of it in 2023, however then they ran right into a Minnesota crew constructed to the precise specs to dismantle them. The Bucks regarded like a possible dynasty after profitable in 2021, however Khris Middleton’s accidents derailed an opportunity at a repeat.

There was a logical clarification for why every of the final 5 champions earlier than the Celtics could not repeat. It was both accidents, roster regression/turnover or the remainder of the league caught up with them. Will the Celtics fall sufferer to an identical destiny? Accidents are all the time a crapshoot, and we noticed of their championship run that with Kristaps Porzingis — who was restricted him to simply seven playoff video games.

Roster turnover definitely will not be the downfall of this crew after Jayson Tatum obtained a supermax extension, Derrick White obtained a four-year, $125.9 million contract extension and Sam Hauser obtained a four-year, $45 million extension of his personal. In addition they already signed Jrue Holiday to a four-year extension previous to the beginning of the playoffs, and final summer season Jaylen Brown signed what was on the time the richest contract in league historical past. They’re set so far as roster safety goes. So except for the misfortune of accidents, the one possible approach for this crew to not repeat is that if another person within the league is constructed to take them down. 

Within the East, that is the Knicks and the 76ers proper now. The Knicks — who had the perfect offseason in current franchise reminiscence — are to the Celtics now what the Timberwolves have been to the Nuggets this previous postseason. New York has versatile, All-Protection stage gamers to deal with Tatum and Brown, a resilient chief in Jalen Brunson who will put his physique on the road for a win and a supporting solid that may defend and shoot. The Sixers simply added an All-NBA and All-Star ahead in Paul George to an already profitable duo of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, and if that trio works, they will be proper there able to problem Boston. And if Boston manages to make it out of the East once more, they will have possible have Oklahoma Metropolis, Minnesota, Denver or Dallas ready for them — all of whom reloaded this summer season. The Celtics are and ought to be the favorites to win all of it once more, and it is easy to ascertain them doing so after such a dominant efficiency final season. However as we have seen, repeating his tough irrespective of how profitable final yr’s crew was.

Nets: What different trades will Brooklyn make?

The Nets firmly entered rebuild mode after the blockbuster commerce that despatched Mikal Bridges to the Knicks, a deal that initiatives to make Brooklyn a harmful participant down the road with a wealth of picks. However the Nets might not be carried out dealing. Bojan Bogdanovic, who got here again within the Bridges deal, may very well be a helpful commerce asset on the deadline in February. He is coming off wrist and foot surgical procedure, however is anticipated to be again for coaching camp. When wholesome, he may give you 15 factors and a few 3-point taking pictures, issues a number of contenders would like to have because the postseason nears. There’s additionally Cam Johnson, the final notable holdover from the Kevin Durant commerce. He is a profession 39.2% 3-point shooter, and after the Bridges commerce, it would not make a lot sense to maintain him, particularly when he may web a first-round choose. Dorian Finney-Smith is one other helpful commerce asset as a flexible defender who can sometimes knock down 3s.

After a failed superteam that resulted in surrendering most of their draft property, the Nets are lastly solvent once more, and the long run appears brighter. Going ahead, each transfer this season ought to be made with the subsequent a number of years in thoughts. If they will commerce guys like Bogdanovic, Johnson and Finney-Smith in the course of the season, they might place themselves effectively to land projected No. 1 choose Cooper Flagg on the high of the 2025 Draft. Even when it isn’t Flagg, subsequent yr’s draft is anticipated to have a number of top-tier gamers, and the Nets ought to be doing all the things to try to land a kind of high picks. 

The Knicks had a near-perfect offseason. They re-signed OG Anunoby, traded for Bridges, and signed Brunson on an excellent team-friendly deal. They’ve the items to deal with the Celtics, however I say “near-perfect” as a result of one main situation that would plague them down the road is their middle rotation. Within the midst of all the nice strikes the Knicks made this summer season, one that would show to essentially harm is seeing Hartenstein depart to hitch the Oklahoma City Thunder, a crew the Knicks may see if they managed to make the NBA Finals. 

Hartenstein began final season as as backup middle, however as accidents mounted he turned a starter within the playoffs. He was some of the vital items for the Knicks, particularly within the first spherical towards Joel Embiid and the 76ers as soon as Mitchell Robinson went out. Hartenstein offered offensive rebounding, had a seamless two-man recreation going with Brunson and was aggressive on either side of the ball. He additionally gives extra on offense than Robinson does, working in a mixture of floaters, dunks and layups and shifting effectively across the ground to get open and mismatches below the rim.

The Knicks re-signed Valuable Achiuwa on a $6 million deal, and he’ll be a part of the massive man rotation together with Robinson and Jericho Sims. However they will not have the frontcourt prowess that they had final season.

76ers: Is this the yr all of it comes collectively?

On paper, that is far and away the perfect crew the Sixers have constructed round Joel Embiid. The identical was mentioned when Jimmy Butler was there, so too was that the chorus when James Harden was on the town. However actually, the Paul George signing was a house run, so was re-signing Kelly Oubre who outperformed the minimal deal he was on final season. They introduced in Caleb Martin, a confirmed 3-point menace, re-signed Kyle Lowry, added Eric Gordon and introduced again Andre Drummond. They do not simply have probably the greatest — if not the perfect — trios within the league with Embiid, George and Tyrese Maxey, they’ve depth, too. High to backside it is a roster that may deal with the Celtics. Roster building and match will not be a viable excuse for this crew falling wanting expectations, so this ought to be the yr Philadelphia lastly will get over the hump of not reaching the Japanese Convention finals, and possibly even advancing to the NBA Finals. 

With this steady of expertise, there are such a lot of other ways the Sixers can play. You may play quick by means of Maxey, or sluggish issues down with Embiid and George. Opposing groups are going to have a tough time containing all three of these guys, along with stopping position gamers like Oubre and Martin from getting sizzling from 3-point vary. In years previous, Embiid both did not have the appropriate level guard, did not have the appropriate second star or the depth to recover from that hump. Nicely now he is obtained an All-Star level guard in Maxey, an All-NBA ahead in George who can match into any position and depth that deal with the Celtics and Knicks. 

After all this all hinges on Embiid’s well being, as a result of if he is hampered by accidents once more, then the outlook of this crew severely adjustments. And actually, if Embiid goes down for a while within the common season, the Sixers do have the depth to maintain an absence from him. They cannot afford it within the playoffs, however they’ve the items to tread water within the common season if Embiid will get injured. However barring accidents, the Sixers lastly have a whole roster that very effectively make the NBA Finals.

Raptors: Is that this the core they need to construct round?

The Raptors lastly traded Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby final season, in all probability slightly later than they need to’ve, and at the moment are constructing round Scottie Barnes. They obtained RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley within the Anunoby deal to place subsequent to him, and obtained some draft property from the Siakam commerce to proceed including younger prospects. Quickley obtained a five-year deal this summer season, and Barnes obtained his rookie max extension, so the Raptors are telling us with their cash that they imagine on this core. However ought to they?

By committing to this path, they’re in all probability going to be too good to win the No. 1 choose in subsequent yr’s draft, taking them out of the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes. That is advantageous should you’re a championship-contending crew, or a crew that has potential to make it out of the primary spherical of the playoffs. The Raptors do not examine both of these bins, and are as a substitute within the center, the worst place to be within the NBA. Most likely not unhealthy sufficient to have an actual shot at a top-three choose, and never adequate to be something greater than a bottom-tier play-in crew.

They’re going to use this yr for improvement of the younger guys they only drafted, and see what the trio of Barnes, Quickley and Barrett can do collectively now that they’ve constructed some chemistry. However I’ve a sense we’ll get to the top of the season and say the Raptors ought to’ve been tanking to get the next slot on this upcoming draft, as a substitute of settling for what initiatives to be a mediocre season.