This is the fourth installment of my NBA previews, for older installments, there are links below.
Northwest Division, Pacific Division, Southwest Division
Boston Celtics
What's New: First rounder JaJuan Johnson provides the team with an athlete in the post. He's not very polished on the block, and at 225 pounds, he will get pushed around by bigger post players, but Johnson has big time athleticism and a good outside shot that could eventually extend to NBA three-point range. Fellow former Purdue alum E'Tuan Moore is a solid spot-up shooter (.400 from 3 last season), but like Johnson will need to add bulk.
Biggest Concern: The original "Big Three" are aging, as Ray Allen (36), Kevin Garnett (35) and Paul Pierce are approaching the twilight of their careers, and time is quickly running out for their championship aspirations. The Celtics are an old team, and could potentially lose young players Glen Davis and Jeff Green to free agency.
Outlook: The Celtics will be playing with a sense of urgency this season, as this may be the last season that Garnett, Allen and Pierce play together. The integration of Johnson and Moore will be vital, as will the growth of second year guard Avery Bradley, as Rajon Rondo is currently the only elite player on this team that's not on the down-slope in their career.
New York Knicks
What's New: 1st round pick PG Iman Shumpert is a physical specimen who's length and athletic ability will make him successful on defense early in his career. At 6'6", Shumpert is also good off the dribble, and a strong finisher near the rim, but his shot selection and mechanics will need work (.406 FG last season at Georgia Tech). C Josh Harrellson is a big body (6'10", 275 pounds) who works hard on the boards, and has a decent low-post game. While he won't see a lot of minutes for the up-tempo Knicks, Harrellson will be a Madison Square Garden favorite for his rugged play.
Biggest Concern: With C Ronny Turiaf hitting free agency, the team could be woefully thin in the frontcourt. The team could go to play small ball, but that would have Amar'e Stoudemire guarding bigs like Joakim Noah of the Bulls and Dwight Howard of the Magic, which would take away some from his offense. The lack of a second low-post scorer will continue to put a lot of pressure on Stoudemire, but Carmelo Anthony is very solid for a small forward in the post.
Outlook: The Knicks have a lot of talented offensive players outside of Anthony and Stoudemire. Chauncey Billups is a very good three point shooter, as is Toney Douglas, and Landry Fields seemingly always takes smart shots within the flow of the offense. How the Knicks defend against scoring bigs will determine how far they go, but Knicks fans should see their team in the playoffs again this season.
Philadelphia 76ers
What's New: Former USC Trojan Nicola Vucevic is a big body who tested very well at the NBA pre-draft camp. At 7'0" and 255 pounds, Vucevic has a very solid offensive game, and uses his length well (7'5" wingspan) on the boards. He does have slow feet, and will struggle defending the pick-and-roll, but should fit into Philly's front line rotation very well. Second round pick Lavoy Allen is a stretch '4' who rebounds well, but struggled with consistency at Temple. Allen will likely spend some time in the D-League.
Biggest Concern: Re-signing Thaddeus Young has to be priority #1 for Philadelphia. While not an elite player, Young is a solid 3/4 who shot a career best 54.1% from the field last season, and is a weapon on the fast break. Elton Brand is aging, and the 76ers will need to have either Marreese Speights, Vucevic or free agent center Spencer Hawes to step up. Andre Iguodala needs to be more assertive on offense this season, as he is an underrated playmaker with the ball in his hands.
Outlook: The Sixers have a lot of young talent, as Jrue Holiday had a breakout second season (11.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.7 steals), but will need to improve on his shooting. In order for this team to reach the playoffs, the team needs to have Speights play consistent basketball, as his inconsistent effort landed him in coach Doug Collins' doghouse several times last season.
Toronto Raptors
What's New: #5 overall pick Jonas Valanciunas is a talented athlete for a big man, and plays with a non-stop motor. He has good length (7'4" wingspan at 7'0"), and has good touch around the basket, but will need to add some muscle to his frame to avoid being pushed around by some of the league's bigger centers. Former Timberwolves coach Dwane Casey takes over for Jay Triano, and will be tasked with developing this talented but young roster.
Biggest Concern: The overall inexperience and youth on this team is a concern, as only Leandro Barbosa and Jose Calderon are over 26 years old and currently under contract. Outside of DeMar DeRozan, the other guards on the roster are average to below-average on defense, which will put a lot of pressure on young big men Andrea Bargnani, Ed Davis and Valanciunas to block shots.
Outlook: The Raptors are in rebuilding mode, but young players like Jerryd Bayless and DeRozan can improve their consistency, and Ed Davis can continue to improve, this team could be ready to fight for a playoff berth when the 2012-2013 season rolls around.
New Jersey Nets
What's New: Shooting guard MarShon Brooks will be able to come in and compete for a starting spot right away. Brooks has a killer instinct on offense, and uses a quick first step to attack the basket, and his great length and solid athleticism mean he has the physical attributes to be a "plus" defender some time down the road. Forward Bojan Bogdanovic is a versatile small forward, but will likely be spending at least one more season in Europe due to contract buy-out issues. Fellow second round pick Jordan Williams is a big body who rebounds well, and has a solid low post game. Williams is not an explosive athlete, and has struggled with conditioning issues in the past.
Biggest Concern: Mikhail Prokhorov has proven he's willing to spend to try and build a winner, but Deron Williams appears unwilling to sign a contract extension with the team at this time. Ownership will need to try and add more talent to make New Jersey a more enticing place to play for Williams, or their heavy spending for his acquisition will be for-naught. Travis Outlaw's performance after signing a five year, $35 million contract was disappointing, and could be an amnesty clause casualty.
Outlook: With Williams and C Brook Lopez, the team has a couple of talented players. Lopez will need to return to his 2009-2010 form, as he regressed some last season. If the Nets can acquire a solid free agent (Nene should be high on their list), then this team will have a good shot at making the postseason, and have a solid nucleus for their anticipated move to Brooklyn in the 2012-2013 season.
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