NBA 2021-22 Atlantic Division Season Preview

TheSportsGeek has you covered for tip-off in the NBA for the 2021-22 season. We are going to go through each division in the NBA and provide a comprehensive preview to get ready for the new campaign.

In our first look at the NBA for the upcoming season, the stacked Pacific Division is going to be a good one with the Lakers, Suns, Warriors, and Clippers all going to be involved.

It will be interesting to see if the Clippers can stay within reach in the absence of Kawhi Leonard. The Pacific is going to be a case of who stays the healthiest, with the edge going to the Lakers if they happen to stay healthy. It’s a big if.

The Pacific Division is the most interesting division in the Western Conference. How about let’s go to the east coast and check out the most interesting division in the Eastern Conference.

The 2020-21 champion did not come from the Atlantic Division, but if you’re looking at these five teams from the bottom to the top, it’s the most competitive in the East.

The Milwaukee Bucks play in a laugher of a division with the Indiana Pacers and Chicago Bulls. I shouldn’t have to mention the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers. Nothing is going on there other than the Bucks dominating again.

“When I get a cut, I think I’m top-5.”

Sound 🔛 for some of @jaytatum0‘s best moments on the mic 🎙pic.twitter.com/Hmy7pUyiLA

— NBA (@NBA) September 20, 2021

It’s a different story in the Atlantic where even the team that is going to finish last will probably be fairly decent. The Toronto Raptors were last a season ago with a record of 27-45, but should be better back at home in Toronto.

Certainly, the team to beat is going to be the Brooklyn Nets, though. Head below for our free NBA 2021-22 Atlantic Division preview.

• Where To Bet On The NBA in 2021

Brooklyn Nets

Notable Additions:

• LaMarcus Aldridge
• James Johnson
• Patty Mills
• Paul Millsap

Notable Departures:

• Spencer Dinwiddie
• DeAndre Jordan
• Landry Shamet

Football is a game of inches, and you can say the same for basketball. The Brooklyn Nets were possibly inches away from going to the NBA Finals.

Kevin Durant big foot ruined a game-winner, as he didn’t get credit for a 3-point shot. Durant and the Nets thought it was a 3, but upon further review, it was only for 2 points.

Get ready, Nets World.

You can’t miss this. pic.twitter.com/EVHkpebhFP

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) August 20, 2021

The game ultimately went to overtime with a 115-111 win for the Bucks. The Big 3 were not active in that series for the Bucks. Durant and James Harden were on the floor, but Kyrie Irving was not.

With the Nets failing to go to the NBA Finals, it has to be considered a failure of a season. They finished the regular season with a record of 48-24 for a one-game deficit behind the Phillies.

The Nets were really slow starters on defense last year. They were getting torched defensively, but credit Steve Nash for getting things together.

There should be better defensive cohesiveness between the Nets right off the bat. If they had it to begin last year, I’m sure the Nets do a couple of games better than the 76ers.

There’s no denying that the Nets are going to be the team to beat in the Atlantic. With the Ben Simmons drama carrying on in Philadelphia, the 76ers might be vulnerable early on.

The following odds are courtesy of BetOnline:

Philadelphia 76ers

Notable Additions:

• Andre Drummond

Notable Departures:

• George Hill
• Dwight Howard
• *Ben Simmons

The Philadelphia 76ers must be happy to see the regular season getting closer. They want to put this offseason in the rear view mirror and just start playing basketball. Is Ben Simmons going to be a member of the 76ers then?

It doesn’t look like it that’s for sure. Simmons did not report to training camp. That is not a surprise after what we’ve seen unfold in the offseason.

ICYMI: @JoelEmbiid‘s era of dominance is staying in the City of Brotherly Love. pic.twitter.com/1zMhXOLz8O

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) August 18, 2021

He was criticized harshly for his playoff performance for not hitting a shot. Simmons was terrible from the field, so there were no lies regarding his shooting.

The guy needs a change of scenery away from Philadelphia. I can’t blame him for wanting on another team, but the 76ers don’t want to get ripped off in a deal for him.

With Simmons not reporting for camp, they are losing leverage. The longer this drags out, the worse it has to be for the Sixers. Doc Rivers reportedly wants to convince Simmons to stay, but he’s mentally checked out.

The 76ers fell in seven games to the Atlanta Hawks in the second-round. After winning the division that was highly disappointing.

They’re going to be a threat in the Eastern Conference once again, but might have to bank on the Nets running into injury problems. Joel Embiid and Seth Curry are back for the 76ers, and they added Andre Drummond.

Is that enough to get past the Nets? Maybe based on their price to win the division the 76ers might be worth a bet, but they are probably going to be in tough this season. I think I’d rather take a chance on the New York Knicks with the better value.

The following odds are courtesy of BetOnline:

Boston Celtics

Notable Additions:

• Denis Schroder
• Al Horford
• Enes Kanter
• Josh Richardson

Notable Departures:

• Tristan Thompson
• Evan Fournier
• Kemba Walker
• Tacko Fall

If we’re going to look at the odds for the Celtics to win the Atlantic Division, the Celtics aren’t being given much of a chance at +750. I can’t give them the edge over the Nets, but they might be worth a sprinkle if you want a big money ticket.

The Celtics finished .500 last season with a record of 36-36. Really, really disappointing. There isn’t any other way to summarize what the Celtics did last season.

One day closer to more Celtics basketball ☘️3️⃣3️⃣ pic.twitter.com/SMLRGMNzxz

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) September 17, 2021

The talent was there, and they looked great in spots and beat some good teams here and there. However, the Celtics were just too inconsistent and they failed to generate a strong push.

The Celtics were bounced in five games to put an end to a turbulent campaign. I liked what that team showed at times, especially defensively, but that’s not enough in a division featuring the Nets and 76ers.

They have a lot of turnover with three contributors out going into this season. Evan Fournier, who was acquired in a trade with the Orlando Magic, Kemba Walker, and Tristan Thompson all found new teams.

Al Horford and Enes Kanter are fine additions to the roster, though I don’t believe they gained anything from their roster a season ago. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, along with Marcus Smart are back in Boston.

That’s a decent core. Several dominoes will have to fall in front of them to get to the top of the Atlantic, though.

The following odds are courtesy of BetOnline

New York Knicks

Notable Additions:

• Evan Fournier
• Kemba Walker
• Quentin Grimes

Notable Departures:

• Reggie Bullock
• Elfrid Payton

The most intriguing team in the Atlantic Division has to be the New York Knicks. The Knicks are on the upswing and expect to go places soon. There weren’t many James Nolan chants for him to sell the team, so that was a great sign of the team doing well.

The Knicks finished with a record of 41-31 behind a lockdown defense. They brought pressure every night.

It was so refreshing for Knicks’ fans to see a roster that actually went out and gave their all. That’s something that was lost in NYC for a while now.

RJ from the corner was on point!

42.8% from the spot to be exact 🎯 pic.twitter.com/XCx62GEXmC

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) September 21, 2021

The defense conceded just 104.7 points per game, which was good for first in the NBA. Holding a team under 105 points per game in the NBA in this era is a huge accomplishment. They just lacked an extra punch offensively.

So what do they do? Sign Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker. They’re staying in the Atlantic, but it isn’t with the Celtics in 2021-22. Fournier and Walker join a team that already has some talent, including RJ Barrett and Julius Randle.

Tough one for the Celtics, as they’ll have to deal with Fournier and Walker often this season. The way I see it, the Knicks are only going up, and while they may need the Nets to get banged up, the best value might be in NYC in 2021-22.

The following odds are courtesy of BetOnline:

Toronto Raptors

Notable Additions:

• Precious Achiuwa
• Scottie Barnes
• Goran Dragic
• Sam Dekker

Notable Departures:

• Kyle Lowry
• Aaron Baynes
• Rodney Hood
• Stanley Johnson

The Toronto Raptors are the last team to win the championship in a full season. We had the bubble Covid championship at Disney, and then last year started late with a reduced schedule. Therefore, the Raptors were the most recent team to win a normal season.

They are finally back in Toronto and going to be playing games at the Scotiabank Arena in 2021-22. The Raptors looked like a bunch of nomads on the road constantly last year.

It felt like all of their games were on the road. Back at home in Toronto, expect a little more out of them.

Kyle Lowry is out and in Miami after a sign and trade with the Heat. The deal for Goran Dragic ended an era in Toronto basketball that fans will never forget up north.

It was a heck of a ride which included a championship. He’s one of the most underrated point guards in basketball, and now the torch is being passed to Fred VanVleet.

VanVleet has largely played in the shadow of Lowry, but he’ll have an opportunity to show that he can be a go-to guard for the Raptors.

P.S. 🖤
No place like home💯
Tdot what you saying? pic.twitter.com/H3Cgc6natS

— pascal siakam (@pskills43) September 20, 2021

After much speculation around a trade, forward Pascal Siakam is back. He and head coach Nick Nurse butted heads last season, and they’ve appeared to smooth things over apparently.

If a trade is going to be done before the deadline, Dragic is probably the most likely to go. The Raptors wanted to deal him, though they didn’t find a good deal following the Lowry trade.

The No. 4 pick in the draft, Scottie Barnes, should be an interesting one to see develop. He’s a bit raw, maybe more raw than Jalen Suggs who was on the board, but the upside is sky high with Barnes. His production in 2021-22 will likely mean playoffs or no playoffs for the Raptors.

I think too many people are sleeping on the Raptors this season. That’s always the case, nothing new there. They aren’t ready to compete for the Atlantic title, but a trip to the playoffs as a bottom seed wouldn’t be surprising in the least.

The following odds are courtesy of BetOnline: