Comparing the Golden State Warriors to the Atlantic Division
By John Kim
Feb. 27, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) and Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (30) on the court during the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 109-105. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports
The Golden State Warriors will play each team in the Atlantic Division two times. The Atlantic Division will have some of the most interesting divisional rivalries in the NBA this season. After an offseason of shocking trades and divisional gamesmanship, the Brooklyn Nets, Boston Celtics and New York Knicks will be locked in perpetual battle to come out of the regular season on top.
The Boston Celtics have a huge question mark after trading two of their best players, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, to Brooklyn. Rajon Rondo is expected to step up and become the undisputed leader of an absolutely terrible team. Despite being one of the best point guards in the league, Rondo’s numbers will plummet and Boston will finish fourth in the Division.
The Brooklyn Nets are fully expecting to contend for a championship next season. With so many question marks surrounding their new players and first-year coach, those expectations are premature. Still, for a team with multiple former All Stars and future Hall of Famers, the potential is great.
The New York Knicks traded for Andrea Bargnani during the offseason. Adding the seven footer to the roster will help the Knicks make another run at a Division Title.
Toronto will likely hover right around .500. Though GM Masai Uriji has already made drastic changes to the roster, there still is not enough firepower around Rudy Gay to help them make any noise. The Raptors are right where no team wants to be – just good enough to nab one of the last playoff spots in the East and not bad enough to head to the lottery.
The 76ers will likely be the worst team in the NBA next year. With Evan Turner and Thaddeus Young as the two best players on the team, Philadelphia will not be making much noise. They are in full on Tank for Wiggins mode.