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 6 articles focusing on each conference and what will be under my microscope.

Atlantic Conference

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

Bill 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 SF, Boone at PF and Lopez at C 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 SF with Yi moving to PF and having Boone, Williams, and Douglas-Roberts coming off the bench. 

New York Knicks

Just read today that the potential deal to send 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 potential to a star in the present. The Knicks starting unit as of now looks like Duhon at PG, Crawford at SG, Chandler at SF, Randolph at PF and David Lee at C.

If Randolph is shipped, move Lee to PF and Curry to start at C. The team should have shipped Randolph and had Milicic at PF and Lee at C. I’m not impressed at all with 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 beautiful.

How things unfold in Knickerbocker land should be exciting to watch in the next 3 weeks, but make no mistake, 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 Wilson Chandler.

Philadelphia 76’ers

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 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.