What is going on in Brooklyn and Atlanta

[Vermont Green]

I looked at the box score for the Brooklyn LAC game last night.  Their whole starting lineup did not play except Joe Johnson.  No Williams, Pierce, KG, or Lopez?  Are they tanking?  All kidding aside, could they be blowing up?  What is going on with them?

And Atlanta, yes they are 6-4 but have only beaten Tor, Sac, Orl, Cha, Phi, and NYK.  I am not sure I see a playoff team out of that roster but who knows.

I always liked the 2015-2017 picks (or swaps) with Brooklyn but I never thought it would be a lottery pick for 2014.  I am really surprised that Brooklyn is not good.  I am guessing that Williams is more injured than I knew and now Lopez too?

[Endless Paradise]

All of the starters save for Johnson suffered some injuries on Friday, ranging from presumably minor (Pierce, KG), to mild (Deron), to possibly a bit more concerning (Lopez, who was seen in a walking boot).  They'll be fine; it's early in the season.  Indiana played pretty mediocre ball until the All-Star break and they ended up going to the conference finals.

[kingtutts]

Its way to early to make those observations.  In the LEastern conference both of these team will make the playoffs.  Our best case scenario is they sneak in at the 7th and 8th seeds and hovering around .500 records.

[BudweiserCeltic]

You don't see Atlanta as a playoff team? They got an upgrade this year in talent, they made the playoffs last year, and the East is weaker this year...

So, no playoffs for them really?

Cross your fingers for the team to get some injuries their way because they're easily playoff bound otherwise.

[cman88]

it would be nice if Brooklyn ends up around the 6th-8th seed gets us a pick right outside the lottery...which we could move into the top 15 like how we got Olynyk

but so far, this trade has worked out for the C's....Garnett looks cooked(averaging 6ppg on 30% shooting?) and Pierce doesnt look as effective

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

I was being a little sentimental for a while but now, I have my mind together. I want BKN to lose (atl too), I want them to beat Mia and LA any time they face them but other than that, I'm a Celtics fan, them losing is best for US!

I'm sure BKN will turn it around at some point, they will make the playoffs for sure. Atl will probably make it too. I'm still excited when either of them lose, SHOW ME THE PICKS BABYYYYYYYYY!!!!

[kozlodoev]

They're just working hard to give us a top pick this draft. That is all.

 

[JBcat]

I wouldn't be surprised in the 2nd half of the season after the Heat, Pacers, and Bulls you have roughly 10 teams within 5 games of each other fighting for the last 5 spots of the playoffs.  I don't think there is that much separation between the rest after the top 3 teams.  Especially if the Nets injuries continue I can't seem them separating from that group.

[JBone4eva]

If our pick from BK protected at all? and what is the deal with the pick we received from the clippers?

[Birdman]

Nets will be okay

[Birdman]

If Hawks stay healthy, they can be a playoff team

[LooseCannon]

I wouldn't be surprised in the 2nd half of the season after the Heat, Pacers, and Bulls you have roughly 10 teams within 5 games of each other fighting for the last 5 spots of the playoffs.  I don't think there is that much separation between the rest after the top 3 teams.  Especially if the Nets injuries continue I can't seem them separating from that group.

Time to fire up the NBA conspiracy theory machine and suggest that the refs are being told to keep a lot of teams close to the playoffs to prevent some horrible blatant tank games later in the season?

[JBcat]

I wouldn't be surprised in the 2nd half of the season after the Heat, Pacers, and Bulls you have roughly 10 teams within 5 games of each other fighting for the last 5 spots of the playoffs.  I don't think there is that much separation between the rest after the top 3 teams.  Especially if the Nets injuries continue I can't seem them separating from that group.

Time to fire up the NBA conspiracy theory machine and suggest that the refs are being told to keep a lot of teams close to the playoffs to prevent some horrible blatant tank games later in the season?

I just think some teams are more talented than they were last year to count them out of the mix as of now like the Wizards, Magic, Pistons, Cavs, Bobcats, Raptors, and more.
  It should make things more interesting at least for the playoff run.

[hwangjini_1]

If our pick from BK protected at all? and what is the deal with the pick we received from the clippers?

briefly stated, atlanta has the right to swap first round picks with brooklyn this year. the celtics will receive the less desirable of those two picks.

e.g. if atlanta's record is better than brooklyn, they get brooklyn's pick. celtics get atlanta's pick.

if brooklyn's record is better than atlanta, atlanta keeps their pick. celtics get brooklyn's pick.

there are NO protections on either pick. theoretically, boston could wind up with the first and third pick in the entire draft....but don't hold your breath waiting for it happen.

the most likely scenario is probably the celtics pick in the 1-7 range (good!) and the atlanta/brooklyn pick somewhere in the 20s, which ain't bad.

[LooseCannon]

I wouldn't be surprised in the 2nd half of the season after the Heat, Pacers, and Bulls you have roughly 10 teams within 5 games of each other fighting for the last 5 spots of the playoffs.  I don't think there is that much separation between the rest after the top 3 teams.  Especially if the Nets injuries continue I can't seem them separating from that group.

Time to fire up the NBA conspiracy theory machine and suggest that the refs are being told to keep a lot of teams close to the playoffs to prevent some horrible blatant tank games later in the season?

I just think some teams are more talented than they were last year to count them out of the mix as of now like the Wizards, Magic, Pistons, Cavs, Bobcats, Raptors, and more.
  It should make things more interesting at least for the playoff run.

Since when has common sense trumped the idea of David Stern behind the curtain pulling strings?