Toronto Raptors
Additions: Chris Boucher, Danny Green, Deng Adel, Eric Moreland, Greg Monroe, Jordan Loyd, Kawhi Leonard, Kay Felder, Kyle Collinsworth
Subtractions: Malcolm Miller, K.J. McDaniels, DeMar DeRozan, Lucas Nogueira, Davion Berry, Alfonzo McKinnie, Bruno Caboclo, Nigel Hayes, Jakob Poeltl
Vegas Over/Under: 55.5
My take:
Toronto won 59 games last year, and improved substantially in the offseason. It's a bit baffling to me why Vegas has the over/under set so conservatively here; I'm very much reminded of last year's Rockets over/under, which was at 57. This will come down to health luck, but there is no question that swapping DeRozan for Leonard is worth a bunch of wins, and that's ignoring the fact that Green is a pretty solid role player who will fit the Raptors system well.
I'm further excited about the development of Delon Wright. Losing Poeltl was a bit of a bummer, but when you can get an MVP contender, you push the chips in the middle and go all-in. It feels like the East is going to come down to Toronto vs. Boston, and I am so here for it.
Boston Celtics
Additions: Brad Wanamaker, Jeff Roberson, Marcus Georges-Hunt, Nick King, PJ Dozier, Robert Williams, Walt Lemon Jr.
Subtractions: Xavier Silas, Shane Larkin, Daniel Ochefu, Jonathan Gibson, Jarell Eddie, L.J. Peak, Andrew White III, Daniel Dixon, Jonathan Holmes, Greg Monroe, Abdel Nader
Vegas Over/Under: 58
My take:
The team that came within a hair of dethroning LeBron is now (re)adding two all stars to the mix. Given how amazing Tatum and Brown both played last year, one has to think that trading Hayward is under consideration, but the irony is that the only was Hayward and his huge contract will find any suitors is if he bounces back from injury and lives up to it. At which point, you're back to square one, because why would you ever trade an all-star player who's actually worth his big contract!?
Boston is a frighteningly good team. There's some hope for rivals that Horford isn't getting any younger, and the Celtics don't have a ton of depth at the big man position, but they have so many options at the point guard and wing position. They can bomb you with shooters. They can play a pesky defense-oriented lineup. They can put teams in some really uncomfortable pick-and-roll spots between Irving, Tatum, and Horford.
I expect to see Boston and Toronto in the Eastern Conference Finals, unless there are some bad injuries again.
Philadelphia 76ers
Additions: Anthony Brown, Jonah Bolden, Landry Shamet, Mike Muscala, Norvel Pelle, Shake Milton, Wilson Chandler, Zhaire Smith
Subtractions: Trevor Booker, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Larry Drew II, James Young, Nik Stauskas, Richaun Holmes, James Blackmon Jr., Jacob Pullen, Justin Anderson, James Michael McAdoo, Kris Humphries, Marco Belinelli, Ersan Ilyasova
Vegas Over/Under: 54
My take:
One of the saddest things about the 76ers is that The Process worked so hard to get a great young core, and it succeeded masterfully, but any time Philly fans brag about how they have a whole bunch of young talent and how bright the future looks, Celtics fans just yawn and point at Tatum, Brown, Rozier, and, oh yeah, Kyrie Irving, who is only 26. And Boston didn't have to do much tanking to get those players in the draft.
I like Philly a lot, they are just a few hairs behind Boston in talent (and in a worse salary situation). The Process put the team in a good situation, but it's far from a certain future dynasty, because getting out of the Atlantic year after year against the Celtics is going to be tough (but entertaining for fans).
I wouldn't hate anyone for betting either over or under on this team, but it's a bet that I'd stay away from.
Brooklyn Nets
Additions: Alan Williams, Dzanan Musa, Ed Davis, Jared Dudley, Jordan McLaughlin, Kenneth Faried, Mitch Creek, Nuni Omot, Rodions Kurucs, Shabazz Napier, Theo Pinson, Treveon Graham
Subtractions: Trevor Booker, Dante Cunningham, Akil Mitchell, Jeremy Lin, Quincy Acy, Rashad Vaughn, James Webb III, Jeremy Senglin, Jacob Wiley, Milton Doyle, Tahjere McCall, Kamari Murphy, Yakuba Ouattara, Nik Stauskas, Isaiah Whitehead, Tyler Zeller, Sean Kilpatrick, Jahlil Okafor, Timofey Mozgov
Vegas Over/Under: 32
My take:
They can't keep staying bad, can they? There are real NBA-caliber players on this squad, and even though some, like Davis and Faried, overlap in position, they have vets like Carroll, Crabbe, and Dudley. Oh, and HOLY COW does Jaret Allen look like he's on the way UP:
Jarett Allen violently blocks Blake Griffin on a dunk attempt FOR THE SECOND TIME IN A WEEK.
— Nikko Ramos (@NikkoRMS) October 17, 2018
MAYBE IT’S TIME TO LET THE OLD WAYS DIE pic.twitter.com/aiXWVFWPFK
It just feels like this team has enough talent to beat those truly awful teams most nights, and squeak away a few wins from good teams. I wouldn't be shocked if they are contending for a playoff spot in late February or March.
New York Knicks
Additions: Allonzo Trier, John Jenkins, Kadeem Allen, Kevin Knox, Mario Hezonja, Mitchell Robinson, Noah Vonleh, Paul Watson, Phillip Carr
Subtractions: Michael Beasley, Ramon Sessions, Doug McDermott, Mindaugas Kuzminskas, Willy Hernangomez, Johnny O'Bryant III, Xavier Rathan-Mayes, Kyle O'Quinn, Nigel Hayes, Jarrett Jack, Troy Williams
Vegas Over/Under: 29
My take:
I...don't have much to say here. The Knicks are a bad team. They don't appear to really have any aspirations to become a better team. I'm about equally suspicious of the "Durant to New York" rumors as I was of the LeBron rumors back in 2010. It takes a lot more than the allure of Broadway to attract big time players in the modern era. The whole "big market" thing might have been a huge factor in the days before NBA League Pass, Twitter, Instagram, and nationally televised games 5 nights a week, but those days are gone (as evidence, I submit Russell Westbrook's endorsement list. Would it really be much bigger if he were a Knick?).
It feels like the Knicks have just been shuffling deck chairs for a while. I don't see them accumulating lots of picks (or using the ones that they do have well). Obviously a big free-agent summer could change eveything -- maybe Durant and Jimmy Butler decide to team up and go there together. For now though...I'll take the under.