Eastern Conference Team Preview - 2022-2023 Season

How good are the New York Knicks?

https://www.celticsblog.com/2022/9/1/23330649/how-good-are-the-new-york-knicks-nba-preview

Previewing the NBA Eastern Conference with a staff roundtable on the Knicks.

By Jeff Clark  Sep 1, 2022, 10:00am EDT  0 Comments

How good are the New York Knicks? Did they get better this offseason? Where do you expect them to finish in the Eastern Conference?

Added: Jalen Brunson, Isaiah Hartenstein

Lost: Nerlens Noel, Kemba Walker, Alec Burks, Taj Gibson

Bill Sy

I’m skeptical that adding Jalen Brunson makes them a lot better. For a team lead by one of the most head strong head coaches in the league, the Knicks roster just doesn’t scream Thibs to me. They’ll be lucky to eke into the play-in.

Daniel Poarch

The inflection point for this Knicks’ season is, of course, going to be whether or not they successfully strike a deal for Utah’s Donovan Mitchell. I think Jalen Brunson is a nice piece on a better-than-you-think contract, but not a player that raises their ceiling on his own, and that keeps them squarely in the Play-In conversation for me right now, at best. Add Mitchell to that, and I think the conversation changes a bit. And either way: as Bill said, does this really feel like a Tom Thibodeau roster to anybody?

Neil Iyer

I like the Knicks as a sleeper playoff team. They’re good at every position and don’t have the burden of high expectations like last year. I think RJ Barrett will make an all-star leap and Jalen Brunson is the calming presence this offense needs. Randle will have a comeback year, Hartenstein will go from “underrated” to “properly rated” (because of the increased exposure), and their young role players – Grimes, McBride, Quickley, and Toppin – will all be solid contributors.

Jeff Pratt

My projections for the Knicks this year drastically vary depending on if they trade for Donovan Mitchell. If New York doesn’t land Mitchell, I doubt they’ll even make the play-in tournament. While I am a big fan of RJ Barrett, I’m not sold on Jalen Brunson, Evan Fournier or Julius Randle. This just doesn’t feel like a group of winners. Now, if the Knicks do land Donovan Mitchell I still wouldn’t anticipate a great season, but they should definitely be in the play-in mix.

Adam Spinella

Look, we can play the asterisk game with potential trades the Knicks could make all day. With the roster that they have, it’s really difficult to consider them a lock to finish in the top-half of the East. They have a lot of below-average separators at their position, play a bigger lineup by design and aren’t a great 3-point shooting group. We see them being offensively challenged. Tom Thibodeau starts to wear down his teams by the end of year three, and this could be that same trajectory here in the Big Apple. 38 wins and a 9th-placed finish is where I see them right now (edited)

Jack Simone

I’m fairly low on the Knicks, even if they do get Donovan Mitchell. At their best, they were the four seed with a record that would have earned them the six seed last season, and it seems as though that season was an outlier for Julius Randle. Jalen Brunson definitely improves their ceiling, but I still think they’re going to struggle to reach the Play-In, so I’ll guess a 10th-seed finish for them. (And FWIW, I think trading RJ Barrett would be absolutely foolish.)

Bobby Manning

They can’t be worse than last year, though it’s underrated how close the possible combination of Jalen Brunson and Donovan Mitchell would be defensively to the disastrous duo of Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier last season. That’ll be a prolific scoring duo. We’ve seen plenty of offensively-dominant teams fizzle out come playoff time. Julius Randle regressed significantly on the defensive end last season. R.J. Barrett’s stats are impressive and needs to become the on-ball centerpiece of the offense like Jayson Tatum has in Boston. Of course, they’ll be lacking depth if they do the Mitchell trade. I think that’s an important foundational move for the Knicks and would make them a challenging play on an average night. This group already bothered the Celtics last year. They aren’t an east threat yet


My note: I came across this article this morning, and it could be the first in a series.  If they go on to preview other EC teams, I try to add that to this thread.

It looks like they are starting at the bottom of the pile!  

gyso

Interesting that you post this and yet you never even commented on my Eastern Conference Off Season Review.  Which by the way was rather extensive work.

So now I guess I'll repost my take on the Knicks.  

Knicks

They signed Brunson and had to clear out some space to make it happen.  Now they have to figure out what to do about Fournier.  Mitchell was resigned.  They traded away the 11 pick in the draft to OKC for future draft picks.  They were able to draft Duke guard Trevor Keels in the 2nd round at #42.

This team has some talent  but for them to become more than a one year surprise some of their young players like Quickly, Grimes, Topin and Jerico Sims need to take that next step.

I wonder if Thibs can find a way to use Cam Reddish this year.
I am giving them a B grade because Brunson may be a guy who can really cook.

Off-season team review vs. upcoming season team preview. One is looking back at what happened in the past (mostly over a month ago and mostly of a singular opinion) while one is looking forward to next season (and is new and includes many opinions).

So, yeah, not the same.

Regardless, I'm just filling the void until BobH comes back.

gyso wrote:Off-season team review vs. upcoming season team preview.  One is looking back at what happened in the past (mostly over a month ago and mostly of a singular opinion) while one is looking forward to next season (and is new and includes many opinions).

So, yeah, not the same.

Regardless, I'm just filling the void until BobH comes back.

Really?

You clearly did not read what was written. It was all about changes made during this off season and how it may impact next season.

The titles may be different but the theme was exactly the same.

Why even bother putting threads together if this forum cannot find the time or inclination to participate.

I guess it is a lot easier to just copy and paste articles while ignoring the work that is done here.

Moving on . . .

How good are the Charlotte Hornets?

https://www.celticsblog.com/2022/9/2/23330662/how-good-are-the-charlotte-hornets-nba-preview

Previewing the NBA Eastern Conference with a staff roundtable on the Hornets

By Jeff Clark  Sep 2, 2022, 11:00am EDT

How good are the Charlotte Hornets? Did they get better this offseason? Where do you expect them to finish in the Eastern Conference?

Added: Mark Williams, Bryce McGowens, hired coach Steve Clifford

Lost: Miles Bridges (most likely), fired coach James Borrego

Bill Sy

Please sign Kemba Walker. I need to see it. I need to see all those former Celtics — maybe Kemba, Gordon Hayward, Terry Rozier, and maybe even Isaiah Thomas — all on the same team. But then again, it kills me that Charlotte seems a little rudderless. Re-hiring Steve Clifford is just as much a head scratcher as the direction of the roster.

Daniel Poarch

LaMelo Ball is awesome, but I’m really not sure there’s enough around him to make me care about the Hornets all that much. They can’t defend anybody, they still don’t have a viable rotation at the center position and their second-best player (Gordon Hayward) has played more than 52 games just once in the past five seasons – and all that is without mentioning the deeply disturbing Miles Bridges situation looming over the organization. It’s odd for a team this young to feel like it’s trending in the wrong direction, but I think this Hornets roster finishes near the bottom of the East this year.

Neil Iyer

Going into last season Charlotte was everyone’s favorite league pass team, but now they seem stale. They never improved at the center position and rely too much on Gordon Hayward, who’s a borderline all-star when he plays but can’t stay on the floor. Their future was based on the paring of Lamelo Ball and Miles Bridges, and Bridges won’t be playing in the NBA any time soon (if ever again). Their poor defense held them back last season, and while Steve Clifford (in his second stint with the team) is known to construct capable defenses with bad defensive players, I can’t see them making an appreciable leap on that end of the floor. The only way they make the playoffs is if Lamelo has an all-NBA caliber season. (edited)

Jeff Pratt

The Hornets got worse this offseason. It’s sad, because this team is fun to watch, but it’s true. LaMelo Ball is a going to be superstar in this league (if he isn’t already), but his supporting cast is severely lacking. Gordon Hayward is always hurt, Miles Bridges’ days in the NBA are likely over, and Steve Clifford doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in this team. All of that said, there’s enough talent on the roster to get Charlotte to the play-in, but they’ll likely fail to make it out of the tourney for a third-straight year.

Adam Spinella

Perhaps no team had a more underwhelming offseason than the Hornets, though that’s not entirely due to their own failures. The Bridges situation does leave a large gap of productivity on their roster they cannot replace. They’re really young up front, need defensive infrastructure to win games with LaMelo Ball as their best player, and suddenly are thin of quality wings. Steve Clifford will have to work miracles to get this defense out of the NBA’s basement. I see a sub-30 win season in their future.

Jack Simone

The Hornets got worse through no fault of their own. If anything, I think they need to take a gap year, which I wrote about for SB Nation’s At The Hive. LaMelo Ball is very clearly a franchise player, but supporting him moving forward will be crucial. Drafting Mark Williams was a solid start, but that’s virtually all they did this summer (outside of re-hiring Steve Clifford). They’re going to finish around 11th or 12th in the East (if not worse).

Bobby Manning

They’re in a tough position. The Hornets had already been on the outside looking in after consecutive play-in tournament appearances, blown out in each game. Steve Clifford is a rock solid head coach who’ll emphasize defense, and could possibly be a big help to LaMelo Ball on that end. Regardless of the likely Miles Bridges loss, a healthy Gordon Hayward has stabilized this group over the past two years. P.J. Washington can probably step in and give some percentage of what Bridges did at the four, but they’re nowhere close to a playoff team in an improved east. They’re also nowhere close to the bottom. Will they realize the perils of mediocrity and try to pull off a mini reset, sale around the deadline? Whether they do or don’t, they’re not a team you can overlook on the schedule even if they’re not a threat in the conference. Terry Rozier and Kelly Oubre Jr. are coming off excellent seasons while rookie Mark Williams looks like the ideal modern center.

Jeff Clark

Aside from hitting on LaMelo, I’m not sold on anything with this team. It feels like this could be a year to step back, move some of their players, and really double down on building around Ball. That’s frustrating for a team that wants to get back to the playoffs, but I don’t see that in the cards for this season.

My comments: The Hornets just cannot get past the never ending "Rebuild, fail, repeat" doomed loop.  They get a couple good players, stir up some interest, fail to build around them and then those good players move on when they are deemed to be too expensive.  Over and over again.  Occasionally, they finish above .500 and move up into the 7th or 8th seed, but they cannot sustain the momentum needed to get over the hump.

It is hard to be a fan of this team when their main goal is just to make the playoffs.

Hornets

With Miles Bridges getting charged with felony domestic assault, the Hornets are faced with the real possibility that Bridges could do some prison time. They were ready to extend him to a big contract but that now seems highly unlikely.

Assessment

They suffer from the same issues as the Hawks on defense (114.9 Points Against by Charlotte last year) They can definitely score some points but until they build a defensive mind set they will not be in the conversation as a top tier team. D off season grade.

I try hard to keep up with who’s covering which team and how much cache’ they may have before I take their opinion and give it more than an ounce of credibility. Fortunately I am familiar with most.
Like most of us, these folks above are also bloggers but have been afforded numerous outlets to express their opinion. (One is a HS coach, another specializes in Fantasy Sports, another writes on HS Sports real heavyweights aye)
Dboss, Bob H and numerous folks on this board are just as astute if not more than the bloggers above even though access to the very team we love, blog and opine here is little to none.
I have the same questions as you do Dboss. Is the the work and effort put in by our members given more weight than the “cut and paste” of articles that are available to anyone here who has the ability to click on these “pasted” articles elsewhere? Just my opinion that if our members can access this forum they can access other forums and or the millions of blogs that exist elsewhere. DATISALL.

Ktron wrote:I try hard to keep up with who’s covering which team and how much cache’ they may have before I take their opinion and give it more than an ounce of credibility. Fortunately I am familiar with most.
Like most of us, these folks above are also bloggers but have been afforded numerous outlets to express their opinion. (One is a HS coach, another specializes in Fantasy Sports, another writes on HS Sports real heavyweights aye)
Dboss, Bob H and numerous folks on this board are just as astute if not more than the bloggers above even though access to the very team we love, blog and opine here is little to none.
I have the same questions as you do Dboss. Is the the work and effort put in by our members given more weight than the “cut and paste” of articles that are available to anyone here who has the ability to click on these “pasted” articles elsewhere? Just my opinion that if our members can access this forum they can access other forums and or the millions of blogs that exist elsewhere. DATISALL.

ktron

Thanks for your understanding about this.  

Recently you have posted very meaningful threads very relevant to the game of basketball.  I enjoyed your insight into the media and your piece about Mr. Hudson was eye opening and presented an important historic fact.   Those are the types content that provide meaningful contributions to this board.

Over the years I have communicated directly with current and past board members.  I want to know why are they no longer participating.  I'll mention one thing that has been a common complaint.  I have been told by many prior members that they see no value in posting because they do not have engagement with other board members.  When people posts things and get zero responses it makes them feel that their comments and/or ideas are irrelevant.  Obviously, there are posts that do not generate a lot of interest so response can be minimal.  That can be expected from any forum.

ktron, when you share your thoughts with someone and they choose to blow right through it, I see it as  FU message!

I will continue to participate on this forum until this forum becomes an irrelevant waste of time.

Dboss, I completely understand your point. Response from
our members is important because after all we are communicating for and to each other.
As you stated there are some posts that don’t call for a response but far too many are ignored either because they’re not familiar with the topic and if so- ask. Doesn’t that make sense? We are communicating with each other and not blogging for every free style and open site.
We know Bobby Manning and where he is. When I want to hear from Manning I go there. I spend most of my time here so I prefer to hear from folks on this forum.
The only other reason that I can think of for the lack of response to relevant and well thought out posts is that maybe some just don’t care to post. If so that’s cool because there are at least a handful that do.

As for the posts that you mentioned regarding media and the late Ken Hudson, I received more response from Sports talk hosts that I sent the Hudson piece to then the folks on this forum that I am an active member. Only one of the hosts I knew personally.

Most of your synopsis’s are well thought out and obviously took a lot of your time to formulate and post.  
Anyone can cut and paste and though I did not get to know him well, I don’t believe that Sam created this site for members to post other pieces that are readily available else where. There are of course exceptions where copying along with an accompanying analysis by one of our members makes sense.
Like you, I too want to here the opinions of others on this forum and opine on posts that call for it. Sometime it gets testy but in my opinion that makes the forum more compelling.

Who is Bobby Manning?

We four founders had many discussions about this and that early on when we created this space.  One of the many things we discussed was providing links and content from other sites.

Here's some of what Sam said in an Admin thread from 2009:

Sam wrote:I'm not against it.  If the concern is that we could risk attrition by allowing people to be referred to other boards, I don't happen to share the concern.  This board is designed to carve out a very distinctive niche, and I believe that's what it's doing.  It's also designed (very largely because of your inputs) to be extremely appealing in multiple ways (much like a certain team is designed to be versatile).  I think that has happened too.

In short, my plan has always been to depend on the quality of the product for users.  Nothing else...not money, not trying to keep members from trying other boards...nothing!  I believe the product is unparalleled, and the proof of the pudding is in the extensive and enthusiastic use of the product (except for last night's game-on thread, and missing that one was probably mercy for many people).

And I also think we're building a solid core of loyalty.  Even some of the individuals who were a bit embarrassed by the recent [name edited out] incident seem to remain ultra-loyal.

So, if a link is posted and it ultimately results in the loss of a member, so be it.  I could probably make a good case that we somehow deserved to lose him or her.  In fact, I'm just confident enough of this forum to be HAPPY about exposing links to other sites if it will be a useful service.  Let them compare.  Let them "borrow" insights and bring them back here.  The absolute worst that can happen is that we gain some perspectives on how to make this forum even better.

Sam

There was nothing about limiting content to "resident authors" and everything about providing a product that is "extremely appealing in multiple ways".  Our real issue with providing content from other sites was about always providing a link to the site so we can consider the source.  That, and not setting up some kind of distinction between the source author's words and the board member's own comments.  That is why we quickly started to put "My comments: . . . " in bold after bringing outside content to this board.

To use plain English, we have always considered that providing content from other sources is a part of this "product".

How good are the Atlanta Hawks?

https://www.celticsblog.com/2022/9/5/23330938/how-good-are-the-atlanta-hawks-nba-preview

Previewing the NBA Eastern Conference with a staff roundtable on the Hawks

By Jeff Clark  Sep 5, 2022, 9:00am EDT

How good are the Atlanta Hawks? Did they get better this offseason? Where do you expect them to finish in the Eastern Conference?

Added: Dejounte Murray, Maurice Harkless, Justin Holiday, Frank Kaminsky, Aaron Holiday, A.J. Griffin

Lost: Danilo Gallinari, Kevin Huerter, Delon Wright, Kevin Knox, Gorgui Dieng

Bobby Manning

It’s hard not to love adding Dejounte Murray for draft picks and Danilo Gallinari. I’m curious how Trae Young will adapt to less ball time after being the most ball-dominant player in the league in recent seasons. His father and others who saw him before his NBA career have lauded his off-ball abilities. I’ll need to see it. It’s strange to see John Collins back after the trade rumors of the past few years. He was reportedly done with Atlanta. Now he’s back and coming off a down season. Onyeka Okongwu and De’Andre Hunter are excellent young players and the foundation of a more defensive roster into the future. They’ll be better this year, maybe even above the play-in line, but some of Derrick White’s inconsistencies in Boston have me wondering how much Murray’s rise was a product of great Spurs coaching.

Bill Sy

Vegas has them pegged at 46.5 wins. I figure that’s about right. Dejounte Murray is a huge addition as a do-it-all point guard, but that also means the ball in Trae Young’s hands less. I’d be surprised if they were hosting a play-in game in April.

Daniel Poarch

Everything comes down to the Dejounte Murray fit. As a big, versatile guard with defensive chops, there’s potential for him to thrive as a co-star alongside Trae Young, covering up for the deficiencies in Young’s game. That said, the two guards are going to have to learn to coexist if this is going to work, as neither can be quite as ball-dominant as they’ve become accustomed to over the past few seasons. Overall, I still feel like the Hawks are one move away from being a real threat, but as-is, this team should be solidly very good, and land somewhere in the middle of the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

Adam Spinella

I’m begging Nate McMillan to play Trae Young off-ball a little more. They have a legitimate All-Star guard in Dejounte Murray next to him, and enough bigs on the team to functionally set off-ball screens while Trae whizzes around the floor. They lost a little bit of depth, but their top-6 is really good and playoff-caliber. They’ll finish somewhere between 6 and 9 in the East and likely win 45 games, which is a very good outcome, even if not a major improvement over last year.

Jack Simone

The Hawks absolutely got better this offseason. Dejounte Murray is a great co-star for Trae Young, in my opinion, and he definitely elevates their defense. The John Collins situation is a bit weird, but is looks like he’s going to be on the roster again (despite being in trade rumors for the past two summers). Regardless, they should be fighting for the sixth seed, but the East is very tough.

Neil Iyer

The only way Atlanta gets a top-6 seed is if De’Andre Hunter makes an all-star caliber leap and Trey Young commits to playing off-ball. Otherwise, I don’t see this team making much noise, and their 2021 Eastern Conference Finals run will increasingly look like a fluke. Trey is outstanding and doesn’t get enough credit for being the unstoppable offensive force he is. But he doesn’t seem to make others better, and I think Dejounte Murray – who thrived last year playing with the ball – will have a tough time replicating his breakout 2021-2022 season. He’s not a spot up shooter, and will he really want to compete on defense after continually watching Trey jack up 30-footers? It’ll seem like a bad trade by January, and they may try to recoup draft capital by moving John Collins.

cowens/oldschool wrote:Who is Bobby Manning?

https://www.realbobmanning.com/

gyso wrote:

cowens/oldschool wrote:Who is Bobby Manning?

https://www.realbobmanning.com/

Thanks so these guys are a bunch of amateurs trying for the big time.

On the Hawks don’t know if Muarry can defend the big wings that also play 2, must be a reason Pop didn’t resign him. John Collins needs a big year, not just a couple spectacular dunks. Teams can still attack that backcourt defensively. We are going to give a lot of teams trouble when resting Smart. Brogdan with 2 J’s will abuse this team defensively.

How good are the Cleveland Cavaliers?

https://www.celticsblog.com/2022/9/7/23330950/how-good-are-the-cleveland-cavaliers-nba-preview

Previewing the NBA Eastern Conference with a staff roundtable on the Cavs

By Jeff Clark Sep 7, 2022, 11:00am EDT

How good are the Cleveland Cavaliers? Did they get better this offseason? Where do you expect them to finish in the Eastern Conference?

Added: Donovan Mitchell, Ricky Rubio, Robin Lopez, Raul Neto

Lost: Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton, tons of draft picks

Jeff Clark

I definitely respect the move to go all in with this group. It isn’t often that you can add an All Star to your young, developing group and have them all be relatively along the same timeline. How it all works on the floor is the next big question. I think it could work beautifully and the linchpin holding it all together is Evan Mobley. He and Jarrett Allen supply the frontcourt defense that should make up for some deficiencies the undersized backcourt could have. Then Evan’s continued development on the offensive end should unlock a lot for Mitchell and Darius Garland. This group may need another year of seasoning to figure it all out, but they’ll be dangerous for years to come.

Bobby Manning

This group is a real sleeper in the east. Darius Garland is an offensive engine and it’s hard to imagine a better running mate offensively than Donovan Mitchell. Both should relieve the enormous scoring and creation burdens each player carried for their respective teams. Mitchell shot 42.9% on catch-and-shoot opportunities in 2020-21. Garland buried 43.2% playing next to Collin Sexton that season. They’ll need to figure out how to work around starting a pair of 6-1 guards without great wing depth. The Mitchell trade left them with a pair of future first-rounders to offer, as well as Kevin Love and Caris LeVert’s expiring contracts to match almost any deal in the league.

Isaac Okoro and LeVert and leave plenty to be desired in that most important position in the sport, though Okoro is only 22 and has great physical tools. They need a wing to emerge and at least provide some three-point shooting. They’ll miss Ochai Agbaji and Lauri Markkanen. Evan Mobley should’ve won rookie of the year for as good of a rookie defensive season as you could imagine. Jarrett Allen might be the second best rim protector in basketball behind Rudy Gobert and can score too. The Ricky Rubio return is huge. He orchestrated this group’s best play last year and his return and their lack of a playoff berth last year allowed them to effectively acquire LeVert for a second-round pick. If the offense takes a step forward, they’ll be a challenging team to defeat in the playoffs and finish as high as fourth in the east.

Daniel Poarch

Well, that trade sure changed a lot, didn’t it? The Cavaliers already had a very compelling – but very young – core trio of Evan Mobley, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen, and now with their blockbuster deal with the Utah Jazz, they’ve added 25-year-old, three-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell to the mix. These Cavs now feature four guys who should garner All-Star buzz this season, and Mitchell adds an element of playoff seasoning that they otherwise lacked (beyond the ever-reliable Kevin Love, now a Sixth Man of the Year candidate). The very-small backcourt of Garland and Mitchell will be put to the test defensively, but if any team could ever compensate for such a weakness, it would be the one with Mobley and Allen patrolling the paint. This should be, at worst, a mid-tier Eastern Conference playoff team; I’d be shocked if they ended up in the Play-In Tournament. (edited)

Jack Simone

Before the Donovan Mitchell trade, the Cavaliers were going to be fighting for a playoff spot. But now, they’re going to be fighting... for a playoff spot? The trade definitely made them better, but it only put them on the same tier as the Raptors and Heat. The Celtics, Bucks, 76ers, and Nets should still be above them, and that means one of those seven teams will be in the Play-In. (Side note: Is Mitchell really Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, three firsts, and two swaps better than Collin Sexton? I don’t think so.)

Adam Spinella

The Donovan Mitchell trade pushes the Cavs into the rare territory of having three All-Stars on their roster — and that’s not counting Evan Mobley! There’s a great deal of talent here, and many of the pieces mesh well together. The Cavs snuck into the play-in last year after a poor finish to the season; injuries really hindered them down the stretch. How good the Cavs will be depends on the leap that Mobley takes. The Cavs are still young within their core, so it feels like they’re a year away. I feel like they’re in the mix to be a 6-7 seed in the East.

Neil Iyer

I’m surprised the Donovan Mitchell trade was so universally applauded, because I don’t think it guarantees them 50 wins or a top-6 seed. Levert, Mitchell, and Garland are all gonna need their shots, and I’m skeptical whether they’ll adhere to an offensive system that allows for them to coexist. Kevin Love was a good sport about coming off the bench on last year’s young roster, but now that they’re in win-now mode, maybe he believes he should start. Because of this, I think JB Bickerstaff will start Mobley at the three with Love and Allen as the bigs. Sure, Mobley has the outside shooting and perimeter defense to hold his own, but aren’t those skills more valuable when playing the five? Because of their lack of veteran wings, Dean Wade and Cedi Osman must embrace 3-and-D roles and allow their talented guards to dominate the ball on offense.

How good are the Brooklyn Nets?

https://www.celticsblog.com/2022/9/7/23330973/how-good-are-the-brooklyn-nets-nba-preview

Previewing the NBA Eastern Conference with a staff roundtable on the Nets

By Jeff Clark  Sep 7, 2022, 1:03pm EDT




How good are the Brooklyn Nets? Did they get better this offseason? Where do you expect them to finish in the Eastern Conference?

Added: Royce O’Neale, T.J. Warren, Edmond Sumner, Markieff Morris

Lost: Bruce Brown, Andre Drummond, Goran Dragić, James Johnson

Bobby Manning

Sean Marks made some good moves during the Kevin Durant trade saga. Royce O’Neale is exactly what this team missed on the perimeter last year, and even though the Bruce Brown loss hurts he could be an upgrade. T.J. Warren is the perfect buy-low candidate for a comeback season playing alongside other stars. The fact that he didn’t garner much free agent interest isn’t encouraging though. The stars are what matter here. Does Durant want to be here? If he does, he played like a MVP candidate early last season. Kyrie Irving’s on-court abilities aren’t in doubt, and he’ll need to prove himself reliable for his next contract.

I loved the Ben Simmons fit when he arrived at the trade deadline. Now, I actually need to see him on the floor again to believe when he last played over 14 months ago. He’ll need to embrace guarding centers for this roster to work. Steve Nash’s defensive shortcomings as a coach loom large and he might’ve lost Durant’s faith. Last time we saw Nic Claxton, he shot 1-for-11 at the free throw line in an elimination game. Can it be all about basketball here? If so, and it hasn’t been for three years, they’re a great team on paper. They’re still one that matches up poorly against Boston come playoff time. Pencil them in around the four or five seed, though I wouldn’t be surprised if this era falls apart by mid-season.

Daniel Poarch

This is Schrödinger’s Basketball Team, and we’re not going to have any idea what they actually are until the box gets opened. No team in the league has more going on behind-the-scenes than the Nets, and the fact that this whole offseason saga resulted in no substantial change is perhaps the most perplexing possible outcome. At the end of the day, this is still a team with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and a solid toolbox of useful role players, and if they stay relatively healthy, they should be at least a mid-tier playoff team. But would any of us really be surprised if this team’s house of cards finally collapsed on itself this season?

Adam Spinella

Betting on volatile stocks is never a good idea, so assigning a preseason win total to the ultimate wild card in the NBA is a fool’s errand. On their best days, they have three All-Stars, two of the best ISO scorers in the world, and a ton of veterans and shooters surrounding them. On their worst, they have two of the least reliable personalities in the league, lack defensive-minded personnel and are rather inexperienced down low. They could win 50 games on talent alone, or blow up in mid-December and barely resemble this group we see before us.

Jack Simone

Yes, the Nets got better. Adding TJ Warren, Edmond Sumner, Royce O’Neale, and Markieff Morris definitely qualifies as getting better, but it’s never been about the talent with Brooklyn. It’s about whether or not they can stay healthy and avoid drama. If they can do both of those things, they’re a top-four seed. If not, hello Play-In Tournament.

Neil Iyer

I don’t care about the internal turmoil or the unreliability of their stars, the Nets are still a juggernaut with a roster equipped to win a championship. Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons might inexplicably go missing for a week, but when they’re playing at their peak abilities, they perfectly complement Kevin Durant – Kyrie as a secondary scorer and Simmons as a playmaker/defender. They’ve got sharpshooters with Patty Mills, Joe Harris, and Seth Curry; young players poised for improvement in Kessler Edwards, Cam Thomas, and Nic Claxton; and reliable veterans with Royce O’Neal and TJ Warren. Durant + secondary stars + competent role players = championship contender. They only thing standing in their way is themselves.

Jeff Clark

The Nets are weird. I’ve officially given up on trying to figure them out.

I understand what Sam is saying in the 13 year old “pasted” comment by Gyso. No one here that I know of mentioned or implied fear of others going on other sites or losing members to other sites. I’m pretty sure that Sam was continually evolving and would have had more to say than that. Of course we’ll never know now.  Nice try though.
Links and articles are cool with a comment from the person providing the link.
I do take issue when content from certain individuals are links and nothing but.
Or when someone occasionally comments on another persons comments but never provide original self written content.
I’d much rather see comments and self written pieces from our members that are compelling and create dialogue. But thats just my opinion.

How good are the Toronto Raptors?

https://www.celticsblog.com/2022/9/8/23338543/how-good-are-the-toronto-raptors-nba-preview

Previewing the NBA Eastern Conference with a staff roundtable on the Raps

By Jeff Clark  Sep 8, 2022, 11:00am EDT




How good are the Toronto Raptors? Did they get better this offseason? Where do you expect them to finish in the Eastern Conference?

Added: Otto Porter Jr., Juancho Hernangomez

Lost: None

Daniel Poarch

At this point, you can pretty much carve your expectations in stone for these Nick Nurse Raptors teams. They’re gonna be versatile, they’re gonna be tough and they’re gonna defend like maniacs. The Pascal Siakam-Fred VanVleet duo should continue to perform at an All-Star level, and the rotation is deep with useful NBA players. The key, though, is Scottie Barnes, and while the uber-talented 21-year-old impressed in his rookie season and has an undeniably terrific ceiling, I’m not sure he’s quite ready to assume the mantle of “#1 star on a contender” in just his second season. The Raptors are going to be an extremely difficult out, as always, but I think they’re one more season away from truly returning to Conference Finals contention.

Adam Spinella

The Raptors don’t have one of the five most talented teams in the East. But what they have is a top-tier coach, an overwhelming amount of length and a young star in Scottie Barnes who can take the next leap. Their wings are tailor-made to suffocate elite scoring wings (like in Boston), and they’ll be a strong regular season team due to their propensity to play in the open floor. We have questions about half-court production to win a playoff series, but the Raps should be a top-6 team in the East once again. Top-4 is realistic for them if Barnes quickly takes another step.

Jack Simone

Toronto should be riding the line of Play-In team vs. playoff team, but not because of their talent. If anything, they are one of the more underrated teams in the East. They didn’t do too much to improve externally, but the internal improvements will be there. I expect them to finish as a top-six team, but rapid growth from the Cavs, Bulls, or Hawks could displace that.

Jeff Pratt

You can pencil the Raptors into a play-in spot at the very least this year. All Nick Nurse does is win, and while he may be the most aggravating coach in the league to face off against, he gets results. Toronto didn’t make a ton of moves this offseason, but they did get slightly better, stealing Otto Porter from the defending champs. A large part of the Raptors’ success this season will be determined by the Year 2 leap Scottie Barnes makes. If he maintains his production from last season, Toronto will still be a tough matchup. If he takes the next step, things could start to get scary up North.

Jeff Clark

It all depends on how fast Scottie Barnes develops. Can he be a true number 1 in Toronto? That would vault them a level higher this season because they have a ton of high end rotation guys that any team would be happy to have on their squad. They have length and defense and very few holes. I still see a limited upside for this season, but they also have a high floor.

Your turn. Are the Raptors good?

How good are the Chicago Bulls?

https://www.celticsblog.com/2022/9/8/23338541/how-good-are-the-chicago-bulls-nba-preview

Previewing the NBA Eastern Conference with a staff roundtable on the Bulls

By Jeff Clark Sep 8, 2022, 1:00pm EDT




How good are the Chicago Bulls? Did they get better this offseason? Where do you expect them to finish in the Eastern Conference?

Added: Goran Dragić, Andre Drummond

Lost: F Troy Brown Jr.

Daniel Poarch

I’m sorry, but I just can’t get there with this Bulls team. Last season’s collapse was too dramatic, and there are too many lingering questions without obvious answers for me to feel particularly good about their chances at contention. There’s little to like on the defensive end of the floor for this roster, and that’s without considering the nebulous Lonzo Ball injury saga that remains incredibly unclear. A fully healthy Zach LaVine will help, but by and large, I’m not sure this Bulls team as presently constructed will be making it out of the first round of the playoffs.

Adam Spinella

I’ll be in the minority, but I really like this Chicago Bulls team. I’m optimistic about Patrick Williams taking a big leap this year, adding another scoring option for the Bulls. With DeRozan, LaVine, Pat Will and Vooch, there are plenty of offensive-minded pieces to keep the offense top-tier. Their role players all buy into what they’ll be asked to do and provide quality defense: Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, Ayo Dosunmu, and Dalen Terry. They’re a tad thin up front, but 42-45 wins again feels really attainable.

Jack Simone

This one is so tough, because the Bulls need to be lumped in with the Cavs and Hawks. They’re good teams, and they have the talent to be playoff teams, but they aren’t as good as the top teams in the East. Andre Drummond was an underrated signing, and they managed to bring back Zach LaVine, but barring a Lonzo Ball breakout year, this is probably a mid-tier team fighting to avoid the Play-In.

Jeff Pratt

I wasn’t a Bulls believer throughout the entirety of last season and that isn’t changing now. DeMar DeRozan found new life in Chicago last year, and I enjoyed watching him succeed, but the rest of the roster underwhelmed. Zach LaVine’s health is a major question mark for me, along with the obvious injury concern in Lonzo Ball. Who knows when he’ll return to the lineup, and if he can even stay healthy when he does? Patrick Williams hasn’t really impressed me, and Nikola Vucevic just doesn’t seem like a good fit in this squad. I expect the Bulls to make the play-in, but miss out on the actual playoffs this year.

Jeff Clark

The Bulls were the feel-good story of the year in the first half of last season. Then they had a built in injury excuse for why they faltered in the 2nd half. So do you buy the chemistry of the fully healthy version of this team? Or do you see a team that needs everything to go right in order to be a contender? I lean more to the later and I think they were overachieving early in the season. With that said, there are some good pieces here and they shouldn’t be a lottery team. But with the glut of good teams in the East, I think they’ll be solidly in the play-in range.

Your turn. Are the Bulls good?

How good are the Philadelphia 76ers?

https://www.celticsblog.com/2022/9/9/23338542/how-good-are-the-philadelphia-76ers-nba-preview

Previewing the NBA Eastern Conference with a staff roundtable on the Sixers

By Jeff Clark Sep 9, 2022, 1:00pm EDT




How good are the Philadelphia 76ers? Did they get better this offseason? Where do you expect them to finish in the Eastern Conference?

Added: P.J. Tucker, Danuel House Jr., De’Anthony Melton

Lost: Danny Green, DeAndre Jordan

Daniel Poarch

Outside of Boston and Milwaukee, I think the Philadelphia 76ers are the Eastern Conference team most likely to punch a ticket to the NBA Finals. I have some concerns about certain roster decisions – James Harden taking a pay cut? Neat! Using that pay cut to sign PJ Tucker for 3 years, $33 million? Weird! – and I wonder about what happens to the defense when Joel Embiid invariably misses time. But by and large, this is an incredibly talented roster with the firepower to hang with anybody in the conference. I think we may very well see the Celtics-Sixers matchup to end all Celtics-Sixers matchups at some point in this postseason.

Adam Spinella

No tandem of players in the Eastern Conference is more formidable than the pairing of Joel Embiid and James Harden. Their offensive games complement each other well, and Embiid’s defensive prowess helps protect Harden on the other end. Tyrese Maxey looks like a stud in the making, Tobias Harris has been bashed so much he’s become underrated, and the addition of PJ Tucker was a nice get for this team. We have real questions about their depth, especially since so many of their bench players are really young. But they have championship-level upside. The Sixers aren’t to be underestimated and look like a 50-win team to me.

Jack Simone

The 76ers got better. There’s no arguing that. Signing PJ Tucker was great for them, and for some reason, no one is talking about the De’Anthony Melton addition. That was amazing value. Are they on the tier of the Celtics and Bucks? I don’t think so. Can they get there if the team gels quickly? Absolutely. I expect a top-four finish at the very least. Anything else should be seen as a massive disappointment.

Jeff Pratt

The 76ers got better this offseason. Adding PJ Tucker and Montrezl Harrell to bolster their frontcourt depth were solid moves. That being said, the most important acquisition Philly made this offseason was a fitter, hungrier James Harden. Harden wasn’t very impressive after joining the Sixers in the middle of last year, but he appears to have slimmed down significantly and could return to his Houston form in 2022. If that happens and Tyrese Maxey takes another small step forward, watch out. I believe Philly will finish as the No. 3 seed behind Boston and Milwaukee this season.

Jeff Clark

This feels like another team that could go either way. They have Finals level upside based on their two stars and a very solid supporting cast. They also have bust potential. Embiid might be the MVP this year, but I’m not sold on “Thin Harden” returning to his heights or even playing at an All Star level. They have a lot of names filling out the rotation, but several of those names are in their mid to late 30’s and Father Time is undefeated. So I’ll split the difference and predict them to land in the 4th or 5th seed.

Your turn. Are the 76ers good?

How good are the Milwaukee Bucks?

https://www.celticsblog.com/2022/9/10/23343123/how-good-are-the-milwaukee-bucks-nba-preview

Previewing the NBA Eastern Conference with a staff roundtable on the Bucks

By Jeff Clark  Sep 10, 2022, 9:00am EDT




How good are the Milwaukee Bucks? Did they get better this offseason? Where do you expect them to finish in the Eastern Conference?

Added: Joe Ingles, MarJon Beauchamp

Lost: none

Daniel Poarch

Giannis Antetokounmpo is very likely the best basketball player on the planet, and as long as he’s healthy, the Milwaukee Bucks will be threats to return to the NBA Finals. They gave the Celtics all they could handle in a seven-game series loss in the second round of last season’s playoffs, and that was without the services of sidekick Khris Middleton. With Middleton returned to the lineup and a quality rotation of useful role players complementing Milwaukee’s Big Three, it’s a safe bet to expect the Bucks to finish near the top of the Eastern Conference once again. One X-factor: newly signed Joe Ingles, who would fit Mike Budenholzer’s system to a T if he can overcome his age and recovery from a torn ACL to provide productive NBA minutes once again.

Adam Spinella

Let’s be honest: this season could have ended very differently for the Celtics with a healthy Khris Middleton and a few different shooting performances in the postseason. Milwaukee is still an incredibly tough opponent with the best player in the East, an All-Star pair of guards next to him, and experience throughout the organization. Milwaukee’s flaw is in their depth, which renders them unable to survive one injury to the core. Giannis alone can propel this team to the top seed in the East. They didn’t necessarily get better this summer, but I don’t think they really got worse either.

Jack Simone

The Bucks are the best team in the East outside of the Celtics. And they might even be better than the Celtics. The Joe Ingles addition was nice, but the real prize was them re-signing Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton to longer deals. If you look at the East from a tiered perspective, it should be Boston and Milwaukee on top, then a huge gap, then the next group. They’re the real deal, and as long as Giannis Antetokounmpo is there, that will remain the case.

Jeff Clark

Giannis is flat-out the most unstoppable force that there is in the NBA right now. At times the Celtics have been able to frustrate him, or get him slightly off his game plan. But that only means a 25 point night instead of a 35 point night. His team knows how to play with him and play off of him and their defense is top notch. They didn’t improve much this offseason, but they were good enough to be a legit Finals contender last year and should be again this year.

Your turn. Are the Bucks good?

How good are the Miami Heat?

https://www.celticsblog.com/2022/9/10/23343112/how-good-are-the-miami-heat-nba-preview

Previewing the NBA Eastern Conference with a staff roundtable on the Heat

By Jeff Clark  Sep 10, 2022, 11:00am EDT




How good are the Miami Heat? Did they get better this offseason? Where do you expect them to finish in the Eastern Conference?

Added: Nikola Jović

Lost: P.J. Tucker

Daniel Poarch

Every day, I feel more and more inclined to fade the Miami Heat. It may not be the smartest gamble, as their core trio of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry are certainly talented and experienced enough to have a chance against basically anybody. Around them, though, I’m not convinced of how helpful this supporting cast is in a playoff series. They have a lot of shooters (like Duncan Robinson) but also a lot of guys that can’t see the floor in playoff situations (like Duncan Robinson). They’ll be very good, and they’ll finish near the very top of the Eastern Conference in the regular season, but I don’t think this team is very likely to make a return to the NBA Finals.

Adam Spinella

Your individual take on the Heat likely has to do with how much you buy into “Heat Culture”. They typically overachieve and pluck good players out of obscurity. Adebayo, Butler and Lowry are all All-Star talents, and Tyler Herro is a good offensive piece. The loss of PJ Tucker will be felt, and they appear a tad thin on the wings to me. This is a small team that can really shoot it, so they’ll be in a ton of games, but to me they aren’t in the top echelon of the East. A firm 4-5 seed

Jack Simone

For some reason, the Heat are always slept on. Outside of the awkward 2020-21 season, they’ve consistently been one of the top teams in the league. That being said, they had a rough offseason. Losing PJ Tucker was a tough blow, and they didn’t do anything to replace him outside of drafting Nikola Jovic. They’ll still be a top-six team, but depending on the development of other squads, that could mean being closer to six than one.

Jeff Clark

The Heat are very good, and Coach Spo is always going to maximize the talent that he’s given. With that said, it feels like this group may have peaked already. Which is probably why Riley is looking to land a star (they were mentioned in the Durant and Mitchell trade talks fairly often). The problem is that they only have Tyler Herro and picks to offer up. Can they finally make a move to add another piece? If not, they might be resigned to being the “team nobody wants to face in the playoffs.”

Your turn. Are the Heat good?

gyso wrote:How good are the Atlanta Hawks?

https://www.celticsblog.com/2022/9/5/23330938/how-good-are-the-atlanta-hawks-nba-preview

Previewing the NBA Eastern Conference with a staff roundtable on the Hawks

By Jeff Clark  Sep 5, 2022, 9:00am EDT

How good are the Atlanta Hawks? Did they get better this offseason? Where do you expect them to finish in the Eastern Conference?

Added: Dejounte Murray, Maurice Harkless, Justin Holiday, Frank Kaminsky, Aaron Holiday, A.J. Griffin

Lost: Danilo Gallinari, Kevin Huerter, Delon Wright, Kevin Knox, Gorgui Dieng

Bobby Manning

It’s hard not to love adding Dejounte Murray for draft picks and Danilo Gallinari. I’m curious how Trae Young will adapt to less ball time after being the most ball-dominant player in the league in recent seasons. His father and others who saw him before his NBA career have lauded his off-ball abilities. I’ll need to see it. It’s strange to see John Collins back after the trade rumors of the past few years. He was reportedly done with Atlanta. Now he’s back and coming off a down season. Onyeka Okongwu and De’Andre Hunter are excellent young players and the foundation of a more defensive roster into the future. They’ll be better this year, maybe even above the play-in line, but some of Derrick White’s inconsistencies in Boston have me wondering how much Murray’s rise was a product of great Spurs coaching.

Bill Sy

Vegas has them pegged at 46.5 wins. I figure that’s about right. Dejounte Murray is a huge addition as a do-it-all point guard, but that also means the ball in Trae Young’s hands less. I’d be surprised if they were hosting a play-in game in April.

Daniel Poarch

Everything comes down to the Dejounte Murray fit. As a big, versatile guard with defensive chops, there’s potential for him to thrive as a co-star alongside Trae Young, covering up for the deficiencies in Young’s game. That said, the two guards are going to have to learn to coexist if this is going to work, as neither can be quite as ball-dominant as they’ve become accustomed to over the past few seasons. Overall, I still feel like the Hawks are one move away from being a real threat, but as-is, this team should be solidly very good, and land somewhere in the middle of the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

Adam Spinella

I’m begging Nate McMillan to play Trae Young off-ball a little more. They have a legitimate All-Star guard in Dejounte Murray next to him, and enough bigs on the team to functionally set off-ball screens while Trae whizzes around the floor. They lost a little bit of depth, but their top-6 is really good and playoff-caliber. They’ll finish somewhere between 6 and 9 in the East and likely win 45 games, which is a very good outcome, even if not a major improvement over last year.

Jack Simone

The Hawks absolutely got better this offseason. Dejounte Murray is a great co-star for Trae Young, in my opinion, and he definitely elevates their defense. The John Collins situation is a bit weird, but is looks like he’s going to be on the roster again (despite being in trade rumors for the past two summers). Regardless, they should be fighting for the sixth seed, but the East is very tough.

Neil Iyer

The only way Atlanta gets a top-6 seed is if De’Andre Hunter makes an all-star caliber leap and Trey Young commits to playing off-ball. Otherwise, I don’t see this team making much noise, and their 2021 Eastern Conference Finals run will increasingly look like a fluke. Trey is outstanding and doesn’t get enough credit for being the unstoppable offensive force he is. But he doesn’t seem to make others better, and I think Dejounte Murray – who thrived last year playing with the ball – will have a tough time replicating his breakout 2021-2022 season. He’s not a spot up shooter, and will he really want to compete on defense after continually watching Trey jack up 30-footers? It’ll seem like a bad trade by January, and they may try to recoup draft capital by moving John Collins.

Nothing more to add other than what I previously posted under another thrad

Hawks

They made a block buster trade in the deal that pairs Trae with Dejonte Murray.  It will cost them 3 first round picks and a swap.  As you know Gallinari was part of that trade where he was subsequently waived and then picked up by the Celtics.  
The Hawks also moved Kevin Huerter to the Kings for veteran wings Justin Holiday and Moe Harkless.  A future 1st rounder was also included (to the Hawks)

The Hawk also signed Frank the Tank Kaminsky (one year at the Vet min)

The most obvious issue with the Hawks begins and ends on the defensive side of the ball.  Huerter was a reliable shooter but he simply was not a high level defender.  The Murray trade gives the Hawks a guy that practically averaged a triple double last season.  The only question mark will be how Trae and him are able to coexist .  Overall, I like the trade although 3 first rounders plus a swap seems at least one pick too many.

Nate has stated that he wants to play Trae off the ball more.

Assessment

The Hawks should be better defensively.  Their offense should still be lethal because they now have a high scoring backcourt with Murray who can get to the rack.  Collins, Capela and De'Andre Hunter round out their starting 5.  With the 16th pick they drafted AJ Griffin out of Duke, a long athletic wing who just knows how to play at both ends.  B+.  I would have given them an A except for the number of 1st rounders they gave up for Murray.  As good as Murray is, he is a poor 3 point shooter.

gyso wrote:How good are the Cleveland Cavaliers?

https://www.celticsblog.com/2022/9/7/23330950/how-good-are-the-cleveland-cavaliers-nba-preview

Previewing the NBA Eastern Conference with a staff roundtable on the Cavs

By Jeff Clark  Sep 7, 2022, 11:00am EDT

How good are the Cleveland Cavaliers? Did they get better this offseason? Where do you expect them to finish in the Eastern Conference?

Added: Donovan Mitchell, Ricky Rubio, Robin Lopez, Raul Neto

Lost: Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton, tons of draft picks

Jeff Clark

I definitely respect the move to go all in with this group. It isn’t often that you can add an All Star to your young, developing group and have them all be relatively along the same timeline. How it all works on the floor is the next big question. I think it could work beautifully and the linchpin holding it all together is Evan Mobley. He and Jarrett Allen supply the frontcourt defense that should make up for some deficiencies the undersized backcourt could have. Then Evan’s continued development on the offensive end should unlock a lot for Mitchell and Darius Garland. This group may need another year of seasoning to figure it all out, but they’ll be dangerous for years to come.

Bobby Manning

This group is a real sleeper in the east. Darius Garland is an offensive engine and it’s hard to imagine a better running mate offensively than Donovan Mitchell. Both should relieve the enormous scoring and creation burdens each player carried for their respective teams. Mitchell shot 42.9% on catch-and-shoot opportunities in 2020-21. Garland buried 43.2% playing next to Collin Sexton that season. They’ll need to figure out how to work around starting a pair of 6-1 guards without great wing depth. The Mitchell trade left them with a pair of future first-rounders to offer, as well as Kevin Love and Caris LeVert’s expiring contracts to match almost any deal in the league.

Isaac Okoro and LeVert and leave plenty to be desired in that most important position in the sport, though Okoro is only 22 and has great physical tools. They need a wing to emerge and at least provide some three-point shooting. They’ll miss Ochai Agbaji and Lauri Markkanen. Evan Mobley should’ve won rookie of the year for as good of a rookie defensive season as you could imagine. Jarrett Allen might be the second best rim protector in basketball behind Rudy Gobert and can score too. The Ricky Rubio return is huge. He orchestrated this group’s best play last year and his return and their lack of a playoff berth last year allowed them to effectively acquire LeVert for a second-round pick. If the offense takes a step forward, they’ll be a challenging team to defeat in the playoffs and finish as high as fourth in the east.

Daniel Poarch

Well, that trade sure changed a lot, didn’t it? The Cavaliers already had a very compelling – but very young – core trio of Evan Mobley, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen, and now with their blockbuster deal with the Utah Jazz, they’ve added 25-year-old, three-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell to the mix. These Cavs now feature four guys who should garner All-Star buzz this season, and Mitchell adds an element of playoff seasoning that they otherwise lacked (beyond the ever-reliable Kevin Love, now a Sixth Man of the Year candidate). The very-small backcourt of Garland and Mitchell will be put to the test defensively, but if any team could ever compensate for such a weakness, it would be the one with Mobley and Allen patrolling the paint. This should be, at worst, a mid-tier Eastern Conference playoff team; I’d be shocked if they ended up in the Play-In Tournament. (edited)

Jack Simone

Before the Donovan Mitchell trade, the Cavaliers were going to be fighting for a playoff spot. But now, they’re going to be fighting... for a playoff spot? The trade definitely made them better, but it only put them on the same tier as the Raptors and Heat. The Celtics, Bucks, 76ers, and Nets should still be above them, and that means one of those seven teams will be in the Play-In. (Side note: Is Mitchell really Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, three firsts, and two swaps better than Collin Sexton? I don’t think so.)

Adam Spinella

The Donovan Mitchell trade pushes the Cavs into the rare territory of having three All-Stars on their roster — and that’s not counting Evan Mobley! There’s a great deal of talent here, and many of the pieces mesh well together. The Cavs snuck into the play-in last year after a poor finish to the season; injuries really hindered them down the stretch. How good the Cavs will be depends on the leap that Mobley takes. The Cavs are still young within their core, so it feels like they’re a year away. I feel like they’re in the mix to be a 6-7 seed in the East.

Neil Iyer

I’m surprised the Donovan Mitchell trade was so universally applauded, because I don’t think it guarantees them 50 wins or a top-6 seed. Levert, Mitchell, and Garland are all gonna need their shots, and I’m skeptical whether they’ll adhere to an offensive system that allows for them to coexist. Kevin Love was a good sport about coming off the bench on last year’s young roster, but now that they’re in win-now mode, maybe he believes he should start. Because of this, I think JB Bickerstaff will start Mobley at the three with Love and Allen as the bigs. Sure, Mobley has the outside shooting and perimeter defense to hold his own, but aren’t those skills more valuable when playing the five? Because of their lack of veteran wings, Dean Wade and Cedi Osman must embrace 3-and-D roles and allow their talented guards to dominate the ball on offense.

My Notes

I guess I need to upgrade the off season grade I gave them from a B- to and A-.  Mitchell and Garland give them a high scoring dynamic pairing in the back court.  Losing Sexton does not make a big difference because he only played 11 games last year and him and Garland are a small back court.

Do you think the number of unprotected 1st rounders was too much?  What about the 2 swaps?

Will their back court be able to defend as well as score?

My first take on them before the Mitchell trade

Cavs were a surprised team until they were totally inept at winning games down the stretch run to maintain their positioning in the standings.   They should be a solid team again and Sexton should be back.  Dynamic guard Garland got paid. Last year they found success with their 2 big lineup and the play of Darius Garland.  I still think they are too small in the backcourt at the PG spot.   With the 14 pick in the NBA draft they landed Ochai Agbaji, an impressive 6' 5" guard/wing.  They resigned Ricky Rubio to a 3 year $18. 4 million contract.  How many ACL injuries has it been?  They also signed Robin Lopez for vet minimum money.  I would give them a B- in the offseason.

gyso wrote:How good are the Brooklyn Nets?

https://www.celticsblog.com/2022/9/7/23330973/how-good-are-the-brooklyn-nets-nba-preview

Previewing the NBA Eastern Conference with a staff roundtable on the Nets

By Jeff Clark  Sep 7, 2022, 1:03pm EDT




How good are the Brooklyn Nets? Did they get better this offseason? Where do you expect them to finish in the Eastern Conference?

Added: Royce O’Neale, T.J. Warren, Edmond Sumner, Markieff Morris

Lost: Bruce Brown, Andre Drummond, Goran Dragić, James Johnson

Bobby Manning

Sean Marks made some good moves during the Kevin Durant trade saga. Royce O’Neale is exactly what this team missed on the perimeter last year, and even though the Bruce Brown loss hurts he could be an upgrade. T.J. Warren is the perfect buy-low candidate for a comeback season playing alongside other stars. The fact that he didn’t garner much free agent interest isn’t encouraging though. The stars are what matter here. Does Durant want to be here? If he does, he played like a MVP candidate early last season. Kyrie Irving’s on-court abilities aren’t in doubt, and he’ll need to prove himself reliable for his next contract.

I loved the Ben Simmons fit when he arrived at the trade deadline. Now, I actually need to see him on the floor again to believe when he last played over 14 months ago. He’ll need to embrace guarding centers for this roster to work. Steve Nash’s defensive shortcomings as a coach loom large and he might’ve lost Durant’s faith. Last time we saw Nic Claxton, he shot 1-for-11 at the free throw line in an elimination game. Can it be all about basketball here? If so, and it hasn’t been for three years, they’re a great team on paper. They’re still one that matches up poorly against Boston come playoff time. Pencil them in around the four or five seed, though I wouldn’t be surprised if this era falls apart by mid-season.

Daniel Poarch

This is Schrödinger’s Basketball Team, and we’re not going to have any idea what they actually are until the box gets opened. No team in the league has more going on behind-the-scenes than the Nets, and the fact that this whole offseason saga resulted in no substantial change is perhaps the most perplexing possible outcome. At the end of the day, this is still a team with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and a solid toolbox of useful role players, and if they stay relatively healthy, they should be at least a mid-tier playoff team. But would any of us really be surprised if this team’s house of cards finally collapsed on itself this season?

Adam Spinella

Betting on volatile stocks is never a good idea, so assigning a preseason win total to the ultimate wild card in the NBA is a fool’s errand. On their best days, they have three All-Stars, two of the best ISO scorers in the world, and a ton of veterans and shooters surrounding them. On their worst, they have two of the least reliable personalities in the league, lack defensive-minded personnel and are rather inexperienced down low. They could win 50 games on talent alone, or blow up in mid-December and barely resemble this group we see before us.

Jack Simone

Yes, the Nets got better. Adding TJ Warren, Edmond Sumner, Royce O’Neale, and Markieff Morris definitely qualifies as getting better, but it’s never been about the talent with Brooklyn. It’s about whether or not they can stay healthy and avoid drama. If they can do both of those things, they’re a top-four seed. If not, hello Play-In Tournament.

Neil Iyer

I don’t care about the internal turmoil or the unreliability of their stars, the Nets are still a juggernaut with a roster equipped to win a championship. Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons might inexplicably go missing for a week, but when they’re playing at their peak abilities, they perfectly complement Kevin Durant – Kyrie as a secondary scorer and Simmons as a playmaker/defender. They’ve got sharpshooters with Patty Mills, Joe Harris, and Seth Curry; young players poised for improvement in Kessler Edwards, Cam Thomas, and Nic Claxton; and reliable veterans with Royce O’Neal and TJ Warren. Durant + secondary stars + competent role players = championship contender. They only thing standing in their way is themselves.

Jeff Clark

The Nets are weird. I’ve officially given up on trying to figure them out.

Nets Update

Now that Durant is in agreement to return to the Nets I thought it would be a good idea to update things a bit.

Putting question marks aside and there are several, this team should be right in the thick of things in the EC.  On paper they have a lot of talented highend players.

The big unknown will be Ben Simmons who has not played since the now infamous June 30, 2021 meltdown in a game 7 loss to Atlanta.

Nash could really crap out or look like a really heady coach.  No one on the Nets should be looking at Simmons as that 3rd scorer for them.  He is a tremendous defender, ball handler and distributor.  He is at his best when he is running in transition.  I think that we may even see some small ball center from him.  

The roster is filled with shooters in Durant, Irving and Harris.  Curry and Patty Mills can both light it up from deep. They also added TJ Warren who is a solid all around player when healthy as well as defensive player Royce O'Neal. Claxton is the center and they still have CAP holds on Aldridge and Griffin. Other big issue, what about their center rotation?

And my previous comments from another thread

Nets

This team finds themselves at a crossroad mainly because their 3 best players are all questionable for different sorts of reasons.

The Durant trade request must have hit them like a brick upside the head.  Especially with it coming on the heels of Kyrie Irving opting in.  This is a train wreck.

The Nets will trade him if they can extract a king's ransom.  First problem, 'HIS' preferred teams do not have sufficient assets to make a trade for him.  If the Nets are using any framework that resembles the recent UTAH/MN blockbuster deal or even the Atlanta/SA eye popping trade, they are likely to be in for a big surprise.

Durant's trade value is unique because he is still a great player however there are teams out there that simply do not value him as much as the Nets do.  Teams like the Bucks and the Celtics are already built to make a run so they really do not need him to win.

If I was running the Nets I would do everything to retain him but if there is really a falling out between him and Kyrie things will be uncomfortable.  Kyrie could have signed elsewhere if a certain team could have signed him as a FA.  Kyrie went back because he could not find a better deal than opting in.

I have not even mentioned Ben Simmons.

The Nets do not want to go back into a rebuild.