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NBA chit chat: Atlantic division edition

Ben Simmons is a big chance of winning rookie of the year in the NBA. (AP Photo/Kim Raff)
Roar Rookie
10th April, 2017
2

Post All-Star basketball is that horrible grey area between the ecstasy of a new season starting, and the only thing that really matters at the end of the day – playoff basketball.

To keep myself busy while watching mostly non-important games, with the odd game having ‘dire’ consequences for teams bustling to get the honour and a first-round sweep from teams like the Warriors, Spurs, or Cavaliers, I figured I would go through and spew some thoughts on some franchises division by division.

Disagreements are welcome, although more than likely ignored, because I’m that kind of guy.

Atlantic division

Boston Celtics
Best run franchise in the NBA? You would have a hard time arguing for anyone else. They are currently sitting second in the East and even though they probably don’t have the heavy artillery to take LeBron James (and the rest of that team I guess), they are simultaneously contending now. They have stockpiled assets for a run at numerous rings in the 2020 decade.

Best case scenario, Markelle Fultz, or Lonzo Ball lands in their lap this draft courtesy of Brooklyn. The draft following, another first round pick to come, which will be top five from Brooklyn because, well, Brooklyn will still be horrible at the whole basketball thing, and first round picks that are protected to varying degrees from the Clippers and Grizzlies to come.

When you have a franchise that has the means to make their best player potentially expendable (Isiah Thomas) for even more assets, you cannot fault that. Oh, and the basketball they play, despite being very inconsistent at the moment, can be magical to watch.

Isaiah Thomas layup John Wall

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Jaylen Brown will be the most clutch player in the league one day, just ahead of Devin Booker. There is not one youngster I watch who I watch who thrives so much when the lights are brightest.

I’ve thought that for a while, but watching Brown D up LeBron James without so much of an inkling of fear confirmed it for me.

Brooklyn Nets
Brooklyn can thank Sacramento and that other team over the bridge, because unlike the argument for Boston being the clear-cut best run team, the title of worst run team is a little more muddied. As mentioned above, they have zero draft picks because they thought and ageing KG and Paul Pierce could deliver a ring, and their best player, Brook Lopez, will leave at the end of the season for greener pastures.

That means that next season, they will be paying Jeremy Lin $12M to spearhead a line-up that consists of perennial All NBA Team studs such as Trevor Booker and Justin Hamilton. Good luck with that.

New York Knicks
You know when your granddad comes around and starts ripping on everything new age, and swearing things were so much better back in his day, even though fields essential to living like technology and medicine have advanced so much, essentially making his argument moot? That’s Phil Jackson with his triangle offense.

He wants to implement it, the coach probably doesn’t but has to say that he does to keep his job, and the players don’t give a shit and outwardly say they don’t want to.

Carmelo seems to be ageing by the ill-advised iso shot, and Derrick Rose has the ball in his hands far too much when you have a potential All-Star Latvian, who is 7 foot and shoots the ball better than Derrick Rose anyway.

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Better days will come for the Knicks, unfortunately, that day will only come after James Dolan needs a boost to his retirement fund.

Carmelo Anthony drives.

Philadelphia 76ers
We had to ‘Trust the Process’ for years without anyone particularly believing in it. One fateful 20/7/2 game against the Thunder in the 76ers first game of the season, thoughts on The Process changed dramatically.

Joel Embiid is the real deal, and if he can stay healthy he has already shown that he is the kind of talent that can carry Philly a long, long way. Add to that Ben Simmons point forward capabilities, Dario Saric continuing to grow into a potential star and reliable contributors like Robert Covington, who is an All Defence First Team kind of defender.

Then there’s Richaun Holmes continuing to be a spark off the bench. The Process is looking closer to completion than ever.

In not one way do I agree with shipping off Noel over Okafor. But it wouldn’t be Philly without at least one dumbfounding move a season.

Ben Simmons in action

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Toronto Raptors
I’m not even going to be impartial, I love the Raptors. I think Masai Ujiri is an absolute master of getting trades that improve his team greatly while not giving up a whole bunch to do it.

For years Toronto have needed a legitimate four, who can defend multiple positions to make up for Jonas Valancuinas’s, shall we say, lack of paint protection.

To fill that need, Ujiri traded Terrence Ross, presumably with the knowledge that the guy playing behind Ross, Norman Powell, was an all-round better player anyway.

Kyle Lowry going down with a wrist injury has thrown what could have been a real run at a top two finish in the blender. However, with Lowry on track to get back with a handful of games left in the regular season, maybe they will have just enough of a chance to mesh on the fly and ride DeMar DeRozen’s ‘Analytics’ Nightmare’ mid-range game and do some real damage in the East playoffs.

Or at least I hope so.

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