As part of my NBA preseason rankings I will be ranking the best players by position in each division. Here’s the Atlantic division.
PG Rajon Rondo- Boston Celtics- 11.9 pts. 11.7 ast. His offensive game has expanded immensely since coming into the NBA. His jump shot isn’t great, but much more efficient than it used to be. He’s also one of the best passers in the game, and I expect him to take another big jump this year.
SG Joe Johnson- Brooklyn Nets- 18.8 pts. 3.9 ast. He’s always been one of the more underrated players in the NBA, but that doesn’t take anything away from his talent. He’s a silky shooter that stays out of the spotlight, but always makes a big impact on the box score. Teaming up with Deron Williams should keep defenses off him as well.
SF Carmelo Anthony- New York Knicks- 22.6 pts. 6.3 reb. Coming off a down year can bring out the best in a player, and Carmelo certainly didn’t play his best last season. He’s easily the most veritable player in the conference and maybe in the entire league.
PF Amare Stoudemire- New York Knicks- 17.5 pts. 7.5 reb. Injuries and inconsistent play riddled him last year, but a full offseason and a more consistent line-up around him should help Amare regain his form this season. His energy and tenacity around the rim will be critical for the Knicks if they want to make the playoffs.
C Andrew Bynum- Philadelphia 76ers- 18.7 pts. 11.8 reb. An intrical part of the off-season’s four team trade is ready to prove why he’s the best center in the league after being replaced by the Lakers. If he can stay healthy there’s no reason to believe he can’t be a 20 point 15 rebound guy this year.
Bench- Deron Williams- Brooklyn Nets- 21.0 pts. 8.7 ast. More explosive offensively than Rondo, but not as sound all around, which is why he has trouble getting everything out of his teammates. Rondo has the uncanny ability to make everyone around him better. Williams is the better scorer, but until he learns to utilize his teammates more efficiently, he’ll never be elite.
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Best of the Southwest Division
Best of the Northwest Division
Best of the Southeast Division
“intrical” is NOT a word!! WTH??? “Integral” maybe???