Tp !
At the end of the year we were better than the raptors, which was evident head to head and second half recordwise.
I also don't see the Knicks nets or sixers outpacing us
I think the Knicks could easily be a top 4 Eastern team given their cap room+Healthy Carmelo+ high draft pick.
Good chance they add at least one All Star caliber player with Carmelo and could also trade their pick for another high caliber stud.(or draft one ie Dangelo Russell or Mudiay who could come in straight away and have an impact).
I worry that a lot of teams that should have been better than us this year, will catch up to where they should be this season. Pistons without Smith, Knicks with Carmelo, Pacers with Paul George, Nets with Lopez and Young+Williams+Johnson etc, Bobcats with Walker +Jefferson being healthy.
If we don't add any free agents and just add via the draft I think there's every chance we are a good 5-10 wins out of the playoffs.
I'm not as bullish on the Knicks.
They have Carmelo, who is coming off of a knee injury (often players don't get back to their pre injury self until two years after their surgery). A pick that could be one but it also could be five where they will get a player that probably won't be ready to lead a team immediately (Towns fouls too much, Okafor and Russell don't play d, Mudiay can't shoot, Porzingis is too skinny).
With out really any quality players behind those two assets I don't see a star signing there. Even if one does, they probably won't have much depth since the roster will essentially have to be completely made over from last years version that had few NBA quality players.
The Nets were worse than the Celtics last year (both in record and head to head). They are up against the cap, so the best they could do is bring back their current squad. They also swapped picks with Atlanta so they select at the end of the first. The status quo is pretty much the best they can hope for.
As to the non Atlantic teams you mentioned (although this probably shouldn't be discussed in this thread).
The Pacers could be better, but people that are expecting them to return to their quality of before George's injury are going to be surprised. West looks cooked and might not come back, Hibbert is likely going to be moved which pretty much leaves George Hill and Paul George from those contending teams. That and we aren't sure George will be completely back to his old pre injury self.
Counting on Al Jefferson to be healthy, is not something I would bet on.
Topic: Realistic goal: Win the Atlantic (Read 3424 times)