NBA Season Preview Capsules: Atlantic Division – Field Level Media – Professional sports content solutions

1. BOSTON CELTICS

Projected 2024-25 record: 60-22

Last season: 64-18, 1st in Eastern Conference

Last time…
The Celtics are coming off a title run in the 2008-09 season. They posted a 62-20 record but fell in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

FanDuel Championship odds: +310

Roster call
Draft picks:
No. 30, SG Baylor Scheierman, Creighton
No. 54, SF Anton Watson, Gonzaga

DEPARTURES: F Svi Mykhailiuk, F Oshae Brissett
VETERAN SUPPLEMENTS: N/A

Big picture
Last season brought Boston its 18th title in franchise history, which will look to make up for the deficit with a nearly identical team. Even though big man Kristaps Porzingis is expected to play in street clothes until December due to offseason ankle surgery, the Celtics are still in good shape with star wingers Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown leading the way. However, Boston coach Joe Mazzulla isn’t thinking about basking in the glory of a championship, and the 36-year-old has often compared life on the court to the animal kingdom to ensure his team stays in the hunt.

Meet: C Neemias Queta
A 38-year-old Al Horford is poised to take over the deep end while Porzingis recovers, meaning Queta, Luke Kornet and Xavier Tillman will likely take on expanded roles. It will likely be Kornet who serves as Horford’s primary backup, but Queta was a showcase of his efficiency every time he checked into a game last season. He was on a two-way contract for most of the season, and the Celtics obviously liked what they saw from him, as evidenced by the full NBA contract they gave him in early April.

2. NEW YORK KNICKS

Projected 2024-25 record: 58-24

Last season: 50-32, 2nd in Eastern Conference

Last time…
The Knicks reached the Eastern Conference Finals in 2000, getting there with a team that included Rick Brunson. He is now an assistant coach for New York and his son Jalen is at the helm.

FanDuel Championship Odds: +750

Roster call
Draft picks:
No. 25, SF/SG Pacome Dadiet, Germany
#34, PG Tyler Kolek, Marquette (acquired from Trail Blazers)
No. 56, SF Kevin McCullar Jr., Kansas (acquired from Suns)
No. 58, C Ariel Hukporti, Germany (acquired from Mavericks)

DEPARTURES: F Julius Randle, G Donte DiVincenzo, F Bojan Bogdanovic, G Shake Milton, G Alec Burks, C/F Isaiah Hartenstein
VETERAN ADDITIONS: C/F Karl-Anthony Towns, G/F Mikal Bridges, G Cameron Payne

Big picture
Considering how much running he likes to give his starters, New York coach Tom Thibodeau will be living in paradise this season. He has Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, Bridges and Towns at his disposal every night, and the challenge will be keeping this group healthy for a playoff run. The Knicks had to send Randle and DiVincenzo to the Minnesota Timberwolves to get Towns, and it didn’t take long for a rivalry to develop between the two teams as DiVincenzo found himself on New York’s bench during a preseason game last Sunday.

Meet: G Miles McBride
If there’s anything hampering the Knicks, it’s their bench. Someone needs to step up outside of New York’s starting lineup, and the 24-year-old McBride could be up to the task. He took on a huge load at the end of the 2023-24 season, playing 36.7 minutes per game in his final 14 games of the regular season. During that span, McBride averaged 15.2 points, 3.0 assists and 2.8 rebounds.

3. PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

Projected 2024-25 record: 53-29

Last season: 47-35, 7th in the Eastern Conference

Last time…
The 76ers got at least 65 games from Joel Embiid, the star center was named NBA MVP at the end of 2022/23. Embiid played in 39 games (all starts) last season due to a knee injury.

FanDuel Championship Odds: +1000

Roster call
Draft picks:
No. 16, SG Jared McCain, Duke
No. 41, PF Adem Bona, UCLA

DEPARTURES: F Tobias Harris, F Nicolas Batum, C Mo Bamba, G Buddy Hield, G De’Anthony Melton, G Cameron Payne, C Paul Reed
VETERAN ACCESS: F Paul George, C Andre Drummond, G Eric Gordon, G Reggie Jackson, F Caleb Martin, F Guerschon Yabusele

Big picture
Philadelphia has more than enough talent to succeed in the playoffs, but it will only do so if Embiid and George are healthy. The Sixers are putting a lot of faith in the latter, signing George to a four-year, $212 million contract even though he has played more than 60 games just once in the last five seasons. Then there’s Embiid, who told ESPN that his days of playing back-to-back are probably over. Should Embiid or George miss significant time due to injury, Philadelphia could go from title contender to play-in team overnight.

Meet: F Guerschon Yabusele
Yabusele broke into the league in 2017 with one of the 76ers’ fiercest rivals, the Celtics, but only lasted two seasons in Boston before taking his talents abroad. However, he caught everyone’s attention at the Paris Olympics when he dropped 20 points on 6 of 14 shooting as France lost 98-87 to the United States in the men’s basketball gold medal game. Having frontcourt depth behind Embiid never hurts, and Philadelphia may have found a diamond in the rough.

4. TORONTO RAPTORS

Projected 2024-25 record: 35-47

Last season: 25-57, 12th in the Eastern Conference

Last time…
The Raptors had back-to-back losing seasons in 2011-12 and 2012-13. However, Toronto finished over .500 in each of the next seven seasons and reached the postseason each time, highlighted by a title in 2019.

FanDuel Championship Odds: +100000

Roster call
Draft picks:
No. 19, SG Ja’Kobe Walter, Baylor
No. 31, PF Jonathan Mogbo, San Francisco
No. 45, PG Jamal Shead, Houston (acquired from Kings)
No. 57, PF Ulrich Chomche, NBA Academy Africa (acquired from Timberwolves)

DEPARTURES: G Gary Trent Jr., F Jalen McDaniels, F Mouhamadou Gueye
VETERAN ACCESS: G Davion Mitchell, C Bruno Fernando

Big picture
Although Toronto has some promising young talent, it finds itself in an Atlantic Division full of heavyweights like the Celtics, Knicks and 76ers. RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley arrived from New York last season to flank star attraction Scottie Barnes, and they should have even more defined roles across the line in year two. New addition Mitchell could also provide a boost after faltering after a productive rookie season (11.5 points, 4.2 assists per game) in his last two seasons with the Sacramento Kings.

Meet: G Gradey Dick
Dick is expected to be a full-time starter after coming off the bench in 43 of his 60 games last season, his rookie year. Once spring came, he found himself getting big minutes, and the 20-year-old did well, averaging 12.6 points in his final 22 games of the season. If Dick can continue to make progress in the right direction, the Raptors’ starting lineup won’t just be whitewashed, and Toronto could end up clinching a play-in spot.

5. BROOKLYN NETS

Projected 2024-25 record: 21-61

Last season: 32-50, 11th in the Eastern Conference

Last time…
The Nets made the playoffs in 2023, but that feels like decades ago considering they began a complete rebuild. A franchise that once featured Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden together will now try to avoid a last-place finish in the East.

FanDuel Championship Odds: +100000

Roster call
Draft picks:
None

DEPARTURES: G/F Mikal Bridges, G Lonnie Walker IV, F Keita Bates-Diop
VETERAN ACCESS: G Shake Milton, F Bojan Bogdanovic, F Ziaire Williams

Big picture
Out with the old and in with the new wasn’t quite the case for Brooklyn this summer, as the Nets didn’t have a single pick in the 2024 draft. Sure, a new coach could help liven things up, but Brooklyn’s front office certainly didn’t do Jordi Fernandez any favors when it came to building a roster for his first season at the helm. With the spotlight looking far, far away from the Nets, perhaps Ben Simmons will thrive from the minimal pressure and start playing at an All-Star level again. The 2018 Rookie of the Year played in just 15 games (12 starts) a season ago and averaged 6.1 points, 7.9 points and 5.7 assists.

Meet: G Cam Thomas
Thomas will be one of the few reasons to watch Brooklyn basketball in the next five-plus months. The 23-year-old Thomas, an explosive scorer who finished seventh in Most Improved Player voting last season, dropped at least 40 points four times during the 2023-24 season. With Bridges now across town with the Knicks, the Nets’ offense will run through Thomas, who should end up on the All-Star list.

–Field level media