2018-2019 North Division Preview
Aug 27, 2018 16:15:00 GMT -5
Portland Trail Blazers and teefbe like this
Post by Miege22 on Aug 27, 2018 16:15:00 GMT -5
Last but not least, the North Division preview. Talk about a wildcard division. Last year we pegged the Brooklyn Nets as the fourth best team here, but recognized they were the swing team given their top-end talent. Well, they up and won the whole dang thing. This year, much like the Southeast, this feels like a crap shoot. Brooklyn kept their top-2, but filled out most of the roster with unproven youth. The Raptors, long a playoff mainstay, could be in for a tough year with Porzingis and Cousins hurt. Boston changed over almost their entire team. Cleveland is going with a youth movement. And Chicago is more or less the same.
1. Brooklyn Nets
2018 record: 11-5
Playoff finish: NBA Champions
PLAYERS ACQUIRED: Derrick Favors, Jaren Jackson Jr., Mo Bamba, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kevin Knox, Ante Zizic, Kyle O'Quinn, Malcolm Brogdon, Pascal Siakam
PLAYERS LOST: Robert Covington, Cody Zeller, Hassan Whiteside, Ed Davis, Courtney Lee, Dennis Smith Jr., Joe Ingles, Taurean Prince, DeMarre Carroll
The jury is out on a lot of the players the Nets added to the roster. Four of the players they added haven't played a minute in the NBA. A fifth, Zizic, hardly played any non-garbage time minutes. That is a lot of spots filled by unproven players. However, the Nets still have LeBron James and James Harden, both of whom will likely be in the top-10 once again among fantasy players. They swapped out Hassan Whiteside for Derrick Favors. The top-3 is mostly the same, but the Nets are banking on a lot of young players. In addition to the guys listed above, they'll also be counting on leaps from Cedi Osman, Pascal Siakam and Timothe Luwawu. There's also an outside shot here that De'Anthony Melton, the D-League signee, could make his way to the big club. Given the uncertainty of the rest of the division, the Nets are almost in this position by default. However, this summer could be their big off-season.
PROJECTED RECORD: 12-4 (1st in East)
2. Chicago Bulls
2018 record: 8-8
Playoff finish: N/A
PLAYERS ACQUIRED: Marcus Smart, Lonnie Walker IV, TJ Warren, Alex Len
PLAYERS LOST: Elfrid Payton, Trey Lyles, Rudy Gay, Noah Vonleh, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
The Bulls followed up their first playoff appearance in franchise history by just missing out on a second straight trip. They fell a game short of the Magic and Wizards for the playoffs, but they return most of last year's roster. The Bulls will have another season of their dynamic center duo of Andre Drummond and Nikola Vucevic. They'll have a full year of D'Angelo Russell, who looked really good as the lead ball-handler in Brooklyn before getting hurt. They also have rookie phenom Donovan Mitchell going into his second year in the league. The Bulls added Marcus Smart and TJ Warren to the roster this summer, both of whom should be upgrades. Other than that, this team is really counting on internal improvement. If they don't get it, things could go south. That said, there is a lot of money coming off the books for the Bulls, which could put them in the perfect spot to strike in a good free agent class.
PROJECTED RECORD: 9-7 (5th in East)
3. Boston Celtics
2018 record: 6-10
Playoff finish: N/A
PLAYERS ACQUIRED: Joel Embiid, Nikola Mirotic, Brook Lopez, Jordan Clarkson, Avery Bradley, Bojan Bogdanovic, Jerome Robinson, Taj Gibson, DJ Augustin, Ryan Anderson
PLAYERS LOST: Ish Smith, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Clint Capela, DJ Wilson, Jeff Green, E'Twaun Moore, Marcin Gortat, Michael Beasley, Patrick McCaw, Wayne Ellington, JJ Barea
The Boston Celtics had a new owner last summer that came in and totally revamped their roster. Through 8 weeks, the Celtics were just 1-7, but they were battling. They won 5 of their last 8 games, improving their win total by 5 games. It was an impressive turn around... and the Celtics flipped almost their entire roster this past summer. The Celtics turned Clint Capela and Bogdan Bogdanovic into Joel Embiid, went out and signed Niko Mirotic and other solid vets, and they should get the return of Danilo Gallinari and Dion Waiters, both of whom were injured almost all of last season. This is the swing team right here. This is the team that, if they catch the breaks they didn't get last year, will win 10 games and make the playoffs. This is probably one of the predictions that feels the least solid, and if you caught me on a different day, the Celtics would be listed as the division winner here. But with Tampa Bay and Colorado taking up two spots, this is where Boston falls. Don't bet on this record though.
PROJECTED RECORD: 6-10 (8th in East)
4. Toronto Raptors
2018 record: 10-6
Playoff finish: 1st round
PLAYERS ACQUIRED: Collin Sexton, Tyson Chandler, Cheick Diallo
PLAYERS LOST: Tyler Ulis, Pascal Siakam
Not much has changed for the Raptors in terms of additions and subtractions. The main reason for this prediction is the uncertainty surrounding DeMarcus Cousins and Kristaps Porzingis. Cousins is returning from an achilles injury, a potential death knell for big men, and he'll be doing it on a team that won't give him nearly as many opportunities. Porzingis hurt his knee late in the season, and there is no timetable for his return. He could be out for the entire season. If Porzingis and Cousins can't give the Raptors anything, they'll be relying heavily on Devin Booker and rookie Collin Sexton. Jaylen Brown has potential to make the leap, but he'll be in a situation where he won't have a super heavy workload. The Raptors could get a nice bump from De'Aaron Fox, but without Cousins and Porzingis, it could be a tough season for the Raptors.
PROJECTED RECORD: 3-13 (9th in East)
5. Cleveland Cavaliers
2018 record: 8-8
Playoff finish: N/A
PLAYERS ACQUIRED: Trae Young, Buddy Hield, Thon Maker, Mikal Bridges, Josh Okogie, Mo Wagner, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Jake Layman
PLAYERS LOST: John Wall, Klay Thompson, DeWayne Dedmon, Allen Crabbe, Mason Plumlee, Mario Chalmers, Nikola Mirotic, Wesley Johnson
And now, what appears to be the one team foregoing on next season. The Cavaliers had hopes of making the playoffs last season, but injuries and disappointing seasons resulted in a .500 record. The Cavaliers responded by moving John Wall and Klay Thompson for picks and young players. They packaged two top-10 picks to move up and take Trae Young, a player that projects to be a fantasy stud in time. Of course, if it all pans out for the Cavs, it's highly unlikely to be next season. The projected record is highly unlikely to happen. Injuries and schedules will allow the Cavs to churn out a few wins, but this is the team eyeing the first pick in the 2019 draft. They also have Memphis' pick, which won't be a lottery pick, but will certainly help. Add a guy like Cam Reddish or Zion Williamson to this core, and it could be scary. This year, though, will be about moral victories.
PROJECTED RECORD: 0-16 (10th in East)
1. Brooklyn Nets
2018 record: 11-5
Playoff finish: NBA Champions
PLAYERS ACQUIRED: Derrick Favors, Jaren Jackson Jr., Mo Bamba, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kevin Knox, Ante Zizic, Kyle O'Quinn, Malcolm Brogdon, Pascal Siakam
PLAYERS LOST: Robert Covington, Cody Zeller, Hassan Whiteside, Ed Davis, Courtney Lee, Dennis Smith Jr., Joe Ingles, Taurean Prince, DeMarre Carroll
The jury is out on a lot of the players the Nets added to the roster. Four of the players they added haven't played a minute in the NBA. A fifth, Zizic, hardly played any non-garbage time minutes. That is a lot of spots filled by unproven players. However, the Nets still have LeBron James and James Harden, both of whom will likely be in the top-10 once again among fantasy players. They swapped out Hassan Whiteside for Derrick Favors. The top-3 is mostly the same, but the Nets are banking on a lot of young players. In addition to the guys listed above, they'll also be counting on leaps from Cedi Osman, Pascal Siakam and Timothe Luwawu. There's also an outside shot here that De'Anthony Melton, the D-League signee, could make his way to the big club. Given the uncertainty of the rest of the division, the Nets are almost in this position by default. However, this summer could be their big off-season.
PROJECTED RECORD: 12-4 (1st in East)
2. Chicago Bulls
2018 record: 8-8
Playoff finish: N/A
PLAYERS ACQUIRED: Marcus Smart, Lonnie Walker IV, TJ Warren, Alex Len
PLAYERS LOST: Elfrid Payton, Trey Lyles, Rudy Gay, Noah Vonleh, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
The Bulls followed up their first playoff appearance in franchise history by just missing out on a second straight trip. They fell a game short of the Magic and Wizards for the playoffs, but they return most of last year's roster. The Bulls will have another season of their dynamic center duo of Andre Drummond and Nikola Vucevic. They'll have a full year of D'Angelo Russell, who looked really good as the lead ball-handler in Brooklyn before getting hurt. They also have rookie phenom Donovan Mitchell going into his second year in the league. The Bulls added Marcus Smart and TJ Warren to the roster this summer, both of whom should be upgrades. Other than that, this team is really counting on internal improvement. If they don't get it, things could go south. That said, there is a lot of money coming off the books for the Bulls, which could put them in the perfect spot to strike in a good free agent class.
PROJECTED RECORD: 9-7 (5th in East)
3. Boston Celtics
2018 record: 6-10
Playoff finish: N/A
PLAYERS ACQUIRED: Joel Embiid, Nikola Mirotic, Brook Lopez, Jordan Clarkson, Avery Bradley, Bojan Bogdanovic, Jerome Robinson, Taj Gibson, DJ Augustin, Ryan Anderson
PLAYERS LOST: Ish Smith, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Clint Capela, DJ Wilson, Jeff Green, E'Twaun Moore, Marcin Gortat, Michael Beasley, Patrick McCaw, Wayne Ellington, JJ Barea
The Boston Celtics had a new owner last summer that came in and totally revamped their roster. Through 8 weeks, the Celtics were just 1-7, but they were battling. They won 5 of their last 8 games, improving their win total by 5 games. It was an impressive turn around... and the Celtics flipped almost their entire roster this past summer. The Celtics turned Clint Capela and Bogdan Bogdanovic into Joel Embiid, went out and signed Niko Mirotic and other solid vets, and they should get the return of Danilo Gallinari and Dion Waiters, both of whom were injured almost all of last season. This is the swing team right here. This is the team that, if they catch the breaks they didn't get last year, will win 10 games and make the playoffs. This is probably one of the predictions that feels the least solid, and if you caught me on a different day, the Celtics would be listed as the division winner here. But with Tampa Bay and Colorado taking up two spots, this is where Boston falls. Don't bet on this record though.
PROJECTED RECORD: 6-10 (8th in East)
4. Toronto Raptors
2018 record: 10-6
Playoff finish: 1st round
PLAYERS ACQUIRED: Collin Sexton, Tyson Chandler, Cheick Diallo
PLAYERS LOST: Tyler Ulis, Pascal Siakam
Not much has changed for the Raptors in terms of additions and subtractions. The main reason for this prediction is the uncertainty surrounding DeMarcus Cousins and Kristaps Porzingis. Cousins is returning from an achilles injury, a potential death knell for big men, and he'll be doing it on a team that won't give him nearly as many opportunities. Porzingis hurt his knee late in the season, and there is no timetable for his return. He could be out for the entire season. If Porzingis and Cousins can't give the Raptors anything, they'll be relying heavily on Devin Booker and rookie Collin Sexton. Jaylen Brown has potential to make the leap, but he'll be in a situation where he won't have a super heavy workload. The Raptors could get a nice bump from De'Aaron Fox, but without Cousins and Porzingis, it could be a tough season for the Raptors.
PROJECTED RECORD: 3-13 (9th in East)
5. Cleveland Cavaliers
2018 record: 8-8
Playoff finish: N/A
PLAYERS ACQUIRED: Trae Young, Buddy Hield, Thon Maker, Mikal Bridges, Josh Okogie, Mo Wagner, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Jake Layman
PLAYERS LOST: John Wall, Klay Thompson, DeWayne Dedmon, Allen Crabbe, Mason Plumlee, Mario Chalmers, Nikola Mirotic, Wesley Johnson
And now, what appears to be the one team foregoing on next season. The Cavaliers had hopes of making the playoffs last season, but injuries and disappointing seasons resulted in a .500 record. The Cavaliers responded by moving John Wall and Klay Thompson for picks and young players. They packaged two top-10 picks to move up and take Trae Young, a player that projects to be a fantasy stud in time. Of course, if it all pans out for the Cavs, it's highly unlikely to be next season. The projected record is highly unlikely to happen. Injuries and schedules will allow the Cavs to churn out a few wins, but this is the team eyeing the first pick in the 2019 draft. They also have Memphis' pick, which won't be a lottery pick, but will certainly help. Add a guy like Cam Reddish or Zion Williamson to this core, and it could be scary. This year, though, will be about moral victories.
PROJECTED RECORD: 0-16 (10th in East)