The pre-season buzz is a bit hyperbolic for the Celts. I think they'll be a middle of the road team, but placing them ahead of the Wizards and putting them right there in contention with the Raps for the Atlantic Division seems premature.
Deep though they may be, the Celtics still lack top end talent, so I expect them to have their ups and down and finish close to .500.
The Raps may have underwhelmed in the playoffs yet again, but they've still won 48 and 49 games the last two seasons, and they might be better this year. The Wizards have John Wall. I think the Pacers will be right there with the Celts, too, thanks to the return of Paul George.
I sure hope they're right about the Nets. I still think not having any reason to tank makes a difference, especially in the East. Hard to get a bottom 5 record when you have no reason not to try to win as many games as possible. It's not like they have any younger players that need to see the floor. The vets in Brooklyn will get all the floor time they could ever want and then plenty more.
