NBA Training Camp Primer: Atlantic Division

I get more excited counting down days until NBA training camps open than any other time of the year. I have two fantasy keeper leagues on the go, and I want to see how my current and future project players are going to perform. This will be the first of six articles focusing on each conference and what will be under my microscope.

Atlantic Division

Boston Celtics

There isn’t much competition for playing time for the defending NBA champs and the Three Amigos. The players to watch are Leon Powe and Bill Walker.

Powe dropped to the second round two years ago because people felt he was an injury risk and undersized. If Kendrick Perkins or Kevin Garnett miss any time, Powe will fill in admirably.

Walker was a top Rivals recruit going into college two years ago. Injury fears dropped his draft stock to the second round, as well. He will be interesting to watch. Don’t expect fireworks this year, but he has All-Star talent. But, then again, so does Gerald Green.

New Jersey Nets

Very few teams have as many question marks when it comes to distribution of minutes as the Nets.

Sean Williams caught the NBA by storm with his freakish athleticism early in the year, then he was invisible after the break and wasn’t that impressive during the summer. I’m really beginning to feel Lawrence Frank is not good at developing young players; he didn’t exactly succeed with Marcus Williams.

Yi Jianlian is intriguing, but, once again, he didn’t even look good in the Olympics and everybody looks good in the Olympics! Brook Lopez looked good in the summer and should have a good chance at starting in the post. I can envision Yi at small forward, Josh Boone at power forward, and Lopez at center to start the season.

Chris Douglas-Roberts, Bobby Simmons, and Sean Williams could provide firepower of the bench. Of course, if the starting unit can’t provide enough scoring, Simmons could start at small forward with Yi moving to power forward to instead have Boone, Williams, and Douglas-Roberts coming off the bench. 

New York Knicks

I just read today that the potential deal to send Zach Randolph to the Knicks is squashed. Donnie Walsh: Wake up, dude! I don’t’ care if you have to throw your mother in the deal, get rid of Randolph now! Just be happy teams are interested, that is amazing in itself.

The big news out of New York is that Wilson Chandler has turned from a guy with potential to a star in the present. The Knicks starting unit as of now looks like Chris Duhon at point guard, Jamal Crawford at shooting guard, Chandler at small forward, Randolph at power forward, and David Lee at center.

If Randolph is shipped out, move Lee to power forward and Eddy Curry to start at center. The team should have shipped Randolph and had Milicic at power forward and Lee at center.

I’m not impressed at all with Danilo Gallinari; if he helps at all it may be three or four years from now. He has “bust” written all over him. Jason Thompson or Marreese Speights would have fit in beautifully.

How things unfold in Knickerbocker Land should be exciting to watch in the next three weeks, but make no mistake—Stephon Marbury and Randolph should already be gone. At this point, they are only distractions, which is the biggest asset they have always brought to the table.

You won’t be impressed with Gallinari this fall, but New York will fall in love with Chandler.

Philadelphia 76ers

Not much to watch for in Philly training camp. It will be fun to watch Marreese Speights develop as an NBA player; he has many similarities to Amare Stoudamire.

They have a solid starting unit and quite the energetic second unit with Lou Williams and Speights.

Toronto Raptors

The one word that comes to mind when I think of the Raptors this year is "boring." Perhaps because they have no rookies with upside and Andrea Bargnani hasn’t exactly given us that much to be excited about after two years.

I suppose the thing to watch for in camp is if Bargnani has improved. The biggest question surrounding the Raptors will play out during the year: Can Jermaine O’Neal stay healthy, and how good is he now even if he is healthy?