TSN.ca's Atlantic preview: How improved are the Celtics?

Ahead of the regular season tipping off on Tuesday night, TSN.ca looks at a burning question facing every NBA team.

In the Atlantic, the Boston Celtics look to challenge the Cleveland Cavaliers' dominance atop the East, while the Toronto Raptors attempt to add a new dimension to their offence and the Philadelphia 76ers hope trusting the process finally bears fruit.

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Are the Celtics that much better?

The Boston Celtics got one of the NBA’s biggest makeovers in the off-season with one goal in mind – knocking off the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Despite finishing in the top spot of the Eastern Conference, general manager Danny Ainge made one of the summer’s biggest free agent splashes in signing forward Gordon Hayward.

But that wasn’t the most significant move Ainge made. Once point guard Kyrie Irving made it clear he wanted out of Cleveland, Ainge brought him to Boston.

The price was steep. Going back to Cleveland was Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, a second-round draft pick in 2020 and Brooklyn’s 2018 unprotected first-round pick, almost certain to be in the lottery.

In come Irving, Hayward, Jayson Tatum and Marcus Morris. Out go Thomas, Crowder, Avery Bradley, Kelly Olynyk and Amir Johnson.

While they now have two superstars, their new-look may present some depth concerns. Five of their top seven in terms of minutes per game last season now wear different uniforms. This will force young players like Tatum, third-year guard Terry Rozier and sophomore forward Jaylen Brown to shoulder major minutes.

Their defence may take a hit, too. Olynyk and Johnson led the green and white in defensive rating at 107. Bradley and Corwder weren’t far behind at 108.

Irving’s rating sits at 112.

And then there’s Thomas, who was third in the league in points per game last season at 28.9. In just over two years in Boston, Thomas emerged as one of the top scorers in the NBA. He averaged 24.7 points a night during his tenure, the highest total in franchise history for the Celtics. Not Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Paul Pierce or John Havlicek, but Thomas.

Irving has never scored above a clip of 25.2, so even at his best he may not eclipse Thomas’ scoring. There’s also questions about Irving’s ability to lead a team. Before LeBron James made his return to Cleveland in 2014, the Cavaliers, led by Irving, struggled mightily. According to the Washington Post, they were outscored by 5.1 net points per 100 possessions with Irving on the court. Last season, the Cavaliers had a net rating of minus-8 while Irving was on the court without James.

So there are question marks in Boston. Big deal. Every other team, outside of maybe the Golden State Warriors, has them. When it’s all said and done the Celtics should once again find themselves near or at the top of the Eastern Conference. Even if they don’t take a huge step forward.

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Are the Nets the NBA’s worst?

At first glance, July 12, 2013 was a landmark day for the Brooklyn Nets. They pulled off one of the biggest trades in NBA history, acquiring Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Jason Terry and D.J. White from the Boston Celtics in exchange for five players and three first-round picks (2014, 2016 and 2018) and the right to swap picks in 2017.

After a semi-successful season in 2013-14, the Nets went into a downward spiral and have missed the playoffs in each of the past two years.  Last season, they were the NBA’s worst, going 20-62. Because of the trade, the Nets are being forced to rebuild without draft picks.

They did get a bit of a makeover in the off-season, bringing in D’Angelo Russell, Timofey Mozgov, Allen Crabbe and DeMarre Carroll. Their only notable loss was Brook Lopez, going to Los Angeles in the Russell/Mozgov trade. 

As most last-place teams do, the Nets struggled on the defensive end. They allowed opponents to score 112.5 points per game – second worst in the NBA – and yielded the second highest opponent’s field goal percentage of 41.6. Carroll’s veteran presence should help shore up some of that, but there’s only so much he’ll be able to do.

While Brooklyn seems likely to improve on their 20-win total from last season, so does every other cellar-dweller.

The 24-win Phoenix Suns took forward Josh Jackson with the No. 4 pick. He should fit in nicely with an up-and-coming young core of Devin Booker, T.J. Warren and Marquese Chriss. The 26-win Los Angeles Lakers should still out-pace the Nets – even if they’re half as good as LaVarr Ball says his son will make them. The 28-win Philadelphia 76ers are poised to vault themselves into the Eastern Conference playoff picture, leaving the Nets few other teams compete with the “race” for last.

Oh, and they still don’t have a scheduled first-round pick next summer.

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With Melo gone, what’s next for the Knicks?

There aren’t many sure things in life, but the sun rising in the east and setting in the west is one.  Despite what Kyrie Irving may have to say, the earth rotating on its axis while circling the sun is another. The New York Knicks shooting themselves in the foot is a third.

Last year, they did it more than usual. Point guard Derrick Rose went AWOL for a Jan. 9 game against the New Orleans Pelicans. Franchise legend Charles Oakley was arrested and forcibly removed from Madison Square Garden after an incident on Feb. 8 involving security and owner James Dolan. Then-team president Phil Jackson waged a public war of words with Carmelo Anthony over his play style and all but demanded he waive his no-trade clause for a deal out of town. And all that drama fails to mention the club’s 31-51 record to miss the playoffs for the fourth straight year.   

Rose and Anthony are gone, Jackson was fired and Oakley is no longer allowed in Madison Square Garden. With a new season about to begin, the Knicks are hoping for a fresh start.

That start revolves around Kristaps Porzingis. After two outstanding seasons to start his career, the Knicks are looking for him to grow into the superstar many think he’s capable of becoming. With a scoring jump of almost four points per game last season and subtle improvements in the rest of his statline, 2017-18 could be a huge year for the 22-year-old.

But he’ll need some help. The signing of guard Tim Hardaway Jr. after his breakout season with the Atlanta Hawks gives the Knicks a decent one-two punch on offence. Nineteen-year-old rookie Frank Nitilikina may take some time, but could develop into a nice two-way guard for the Knicks in the coming seasons.

New York hopes beyond hope that their young core develops as planned because they will be limited when it comes to free agency. The signing of Joakim Noah to a four-year, $72 million deal last summer  means that the Knicks may have to go bargain-hunting for the next couple summers to fill out their roster.

All in all, the Knicks should struggle again this season but fans are hoping to see highlights of what’s to come with their young core. They just hope those highlights come on the court and not off it like last year.

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Have the Sixers finally arrived?

They called it “the process.” Almost everyone else called it “tanking.” With a combined win total of 73 over the past four seasons – by far the lowest in the NBA – it’s clear what the Philadelphia 76ers were trying to do. After four top-three picks in the last four years, including two first overalls, the 76ers finally have their pieces. The question is, do they fit?

The answer might lie with the health of their core. Star centre Joel Embiid has played just 31 games in three seasons. When he did manage to get on the floor, he produced. His 20.2 points per game coupled with 7.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks make him one of the top big-men in the league. Or at least that’s what the Sixers thought when they handed him a lucrative five-year, $148 million deal at the end of training camp.

Ben Simmons – at one point compared to LeBron James talent and play-style wise – has also struggled with injuries so far in his young career. So much so that it hasn’t really even begun yet. The No. 1 overall pick of the 2016 draft missed his entire rookie campaign with a fracture in his right foot. Despite early injury woes, hopes are still sky-high for Simmons after averaging nearly 20 points per game at LSU. A healthy tandem of Embiid and Simmons in the front court could give teams match-up nightmares for years to come.

And then there’s this year’s No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz. The Sixers pulled off a swap with the Boston Celtics just days before the draft, sending their third pick and a future first rounder to Boston. The move was presumably done so Philadelphia could move up to select Fultz.

Given what they got from the point guard position last year, it was probably a smart move. Neither Sergio Rodriguez nor T.J. McConnell averaged more than eight points per game or seven assists.

The Sixers also got a lot better from deep, inking sharpshooter J.J. Reddick to a one-year, $23 million contract.  They ranked just 25^th in three-point percentage last season despite attempting the seventh most. With Reddick, that’s likely to improve.

Their win total of 28 is almost sure to go up, but it’s safe to assume the Sixers will need some time to gel. If their pieces fit and stay on the floor, the Sixers could contend for a low-to-mid-Eastern Conference playoff seeding. If not, fans may have to wait a season or two for the 76ers to really hit their stride. Either way, the tanking appears to be over. And that’s something Sixers fans should look forward to. 

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Can the Raptors incorporate the three-pointer?

When the Toronto Raptors were swept away 4-0 in their second-round series at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers, it looked like big changes were on the horizon.

“We fought them hard, we played them tight, we played them tough,” said Raptors guard Norman Powell following the loss.

And they did, but the reality was clear. They didn’t have a chance.

Despite the LeBron James effect, the Raptors are in the midst of their best string of seasons in franchise history. They have had back-to-back 50-plus win seasons and sport one of the best back courts in the NBA. While an eventual knock out at the hands of the Cavaliers may feel inevitable for Raptors fans, there’s still plenty to look forward to. But will it be enough to push them over the top?

If they want to hang amongst the NBA’s elite, they will have to improve their three-point shooting. In 2016-17, the Raptors sat at 21^st in three-pointers made. The top four? Houston Rockets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors. With a combined record of 226-102 last year, those teams know a thing or two about winning.

This hasn’t caught the Raptors by surprise. Team president Masai Ujiri and head coach Dwane Casey discussed modernizing the Raptors’ offence in the off-season to include more three-point shots and fewer one-on-one sets. 

The Raptors’ resurgence from three-point land needs to start with DeMar DeRozan. He shot a dismal 26.6 per cent from beyond the arc last season. That’s well down from the league average of 35.8.

DeRozan’s status as one of the best scorers in the NBA is undeniable, but he could make himself – and the Raptors – even better if he expanded his range. This will force defences to adjust and open up the floor for other three-point shooters like Kyle Lowry, Serge Ibaka and the newly-acquired C.J. Miles.  

The difference in three-point shooting was clear in the Cavs’ playoff sweep of Toronto in May. For the series, Cleveland shot 46.6 per cent while the Raptors came in at an even 30 per cent. Until that changes, not much else will.