2024-25 Atlantic Division Preview

We are officially less than a week away from the start of the 2024-25 NBA season! To celebrate we are doing a brief preview of each division every day leading up to opening tip-off. We will discuss projected lineups and rotations, key players, and any question marks the team may have. For the projected lineups it is a prediction of the starters and the five bench players who will play most if each team has optimal health and success. These are mostly correlated to what is expected, but I sprinkled my own personal opinion in some situations. Any player with an asterisk is someone with a somewhat prolonged injury. Without further ado, here is the Atlantic Division preview!

BOSTON CELTICS

G: Jrue Holiday / Payton Pritchard

G: Derrick White

F: Jaylen Brown / Sam Hauser

F: Jayson Tatum / Xavier Tillman

C: Kristaps Porzingis* / Al Horford / Luke Kornet

Player I Like: Baylor Scheierman

-I think that Scheierman can add some extra size and scoring on the wing. The one place I think the Celtics depth is not fantastic is at that wing position were Brown or Tatum to get injured.

MVP: Jayson Tatum

-Despite having a somewhat underwhelming finals and Olympic performance, Tatum is still one of the 10 best players in the world at worst.

6MOY: Al Horford*

-He provides a veteran presence and versatility off the bench.

X-Factor: Al Horford

-With Kristaps expected to miss some time Horford will be relied upon to replace that production.

The Celtics are reigning NBA champions and are one of the favorites to win it all again. There are no real holes in their team and I expect them to once again be amongst the NBA's elite.

BROOKLYN NETS

G: Dennis Schroder / Killian Hayes

G: Cam Thomas

F: Cam Johnson / Bojan Bogdanovic / Jalen Wilson

F: Ben Simmons / Dorian Finney-Smith 

C: Nicolas Claxton / Day’Ron Sharpe

Player I Like: Dennis Schroder

-He had a fantastic Olympic performance this summer and is someone I think is underrated in his NBA quality.

MVP: Nicolas Claxton

-Probably the only surefire piece that BKN wants to build around for the future. An elite rim protector who hopefully continues to improve offensively.

6MOY: Day’Ron Sharpe

-I really like Sharpe. A very good rebounder I look to him to provide quality minutes whenever Claxton is not on the floor.

X-Factor: Ben Simmons

-If this team wants to truly compete, the old Ben Simmons needs to appear at least occasionally.

In all honesty I expect Brooklyn to be one of the worst teams in the NBA. They have no star power and have so many young projects that do not seem to have that high of a ceiling. I can definitely see them having a whole sale at the deadline to try and continue their rebuild.

NEW YORK KNICKS

G: Jalen Brunson / Cam Payne / Tyler Kolek

G: Mikal Bridges / Miles McBride

F: OG Anunoby

F: Josh Hart

C: Karl-Anthony Towns / Mitchell Robinson* / Precious Achiuwa

Player I Like: Tyler Kolek

-The Knicks lack depth, especially at the guard position. I think Kolek can contribute to the rotation in spot minutes for Brunson as a good rookie facilitator.

MVP: Jalen Brunson

-Coming off an All-NBA season, Brunson is one of the better guards in the league. He is the leader of this team and how he goes New York will go.

6MOY: Mitchell Robinson

-Robinson will be out of commission until around the trade deadline, but I think he will be an important factor upon his return. The Knicks lack size, rim protection, and a lob threat. All things Robinson will provide when he comes back.

X-Factor: Karl-Anthony Towns

-The Knicks sacrificed their depth to bring in another star. If KAT can provide efficient scoring in a new role, look to the Knicks to be one of the scarier offenses in the league.

The Knicks are all in for this season to be the one to bring a trophy back to the Big Apple. They made huge splashes in trading for Mikal Bridges and KAT, while signing OG to a big extension. While their lack of depth is a potential scare, you cannot question that the talent on the roster towards the top of the league.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

G: Tyrese Maxey / Kyle Lowry

G: Paul George / Eric Gordon / Jared McCain

F: Kelly Oubre Jr.

F: Caleb Martin / Guerschon Yabusele

C: Joel Embiid / Andre Drummond

Player I Like: Justin Edwards

-I question the wing depth of the 76ers and I am curious to see if Edwards can maybe contribute at times. I expect him to play mostly G-League but would not be surprised if he earns some minutes, especially if he can find a perimeter shot.

MVP: Joel Embidd

-Pretty simply put he is one of the three best players in the world when healthy.

6MOY: Jared McCain

-This is going to be a huge leap of faith here, but if McCain can provide the scoring at the capacity he has shown in HS and college, I think he will be a key part of the success Philly has.

X-Factor: Kelly Oubre Jr.

-If Oubre can provide quality 3&D minutes I think this will take lots of pressure off of PG, maximizing PG's offensive game.

Like New York, I worry about Philadelphia's depth. But they have an elite big 3 and former MVP. They should once again be one of the top teams in the eastern conference.

TORONTO RAPTORS

G: Immanuel Quickley / Davion Mitchell

G: Bruce Brown / Ja’Kobe Walter

F: RJ Barrett / Gradey Dick / Ochai Agbaji

F: Scottie Barnes

C: Jakob Poeltl / Kelly Olynyk

Player I Like: Jamal Shead

-A player that always plays his hardest and is what I consider to be a "winning" player. I hope he can find himself some minutes

MVP: Scottie Barnes

-He is their best player and some people look to him to make an All-Star jump this season. He provides versatility on both sides of the ball and is one of the more underrated young prospects in the league.

6MOY: Kelly Olynyk

-A quality backup big, I look to Olynyk to be the most consistent bench performer on a team with a lot of young and inexperienced players.

X-Factor: RJ Barrett

-If RJ Barrett can turn into a consistent #2 option, I think he raises the floor of this Raptors team. He has shown flashes during his time in the NBA, but has not quite lived up to his #3 overall draft selection a few years back.

Toronto probably will sink towards the bottom of the east, but I actually think they could be a dark horse to contend for a play-in spot. They have lots of intriguing young talent. If they can get those young players to mesh well with their veterans I can see them being more competitive than people might think.