Lights- Camera- Action: The NBA New Year : Atlantic Division

In all the euphoria of the Boston Red Sox’ historic World Series victory, another basketball season has quietly gotten under way. Over the next two weeks, I will preview each team in both conferences and make predictions on how each team will fare in their chances of winning the NBA title.

So, without further ado, away we go.

I’ll start with the Eastern Conference, and more specifically, the Atlantic Division.

Philadelphia 76ers

The Sixers are a team in transition, so it’s a little tough to gauge just how mediocre they’ll be. They have a new head coach in Jim O’Brien, and Allen Iverson will be moving over to the point guard position after playing the majority of his career at the `two.’ The Sixers do have Kenny Thomas, an underrated workhorse at power forward, and a quartet of competent young players in, center, Samuel Dalembert, shooting guard, Willie Green, small forward, Kyle Korver, and rookie, Andre Iguoadala. Glen `Big Dog’ Robinson is still a capable scorer, but it should be interesting to see how much Iverson passes the ball, especially, after coming off the worst season of his career. Believe it or not, they could actually win this division, but then again, so can almost every other team in the Atlantic.

Boston Celtics

My beloved Celtics haven’t come close to winning a title since they last hoisted a banner in 1986, and I can guarantee, barring an earth shattering miracle, that they won’t be sipping any champagne after this season is over either.

Danny Ainge, a wonderful shooter during the Celtics’ heydays of the 80’s, has made some strange moves since taking over as the director of basketball operations last year, and this season featured more of the same with Ainge going out and acquiring an aging Gary Payton and gimpy Tom Gugliotta. The Celtics did, however, draft three talented players this past June, in high schooler, Al Jefferson, and guards, Tony Allen and Delonte West.  The Celtics could make the playoffs this year, but don’t expect any more miracles from any teams residing in Beantown.

New Jersey Nets

The Nets have imploded! Literally.

They tore apart a team that went to two consecutive NBA finals by shipping off all-star forward Kenyon Martin and competent shooting guards Kerry Kittles, and Lucious Harris. Now, Jason Kidd wants out also. The only question here is, how long will it be before Richard Jefferson gets the message too? If the Nets make the playoffs this year, it’ll make the Red Sox championship look miniscule in comparison.

New York Knicks

Isiah Thomas has worked small miracles since taking over as general manager last year, but it’s a shame he can’t suit up anymore because the floundering Knicks could use all the help they can get at this point. The addition of Jamal Crawford now makes the Knicks have two gunners in their backcourt and no competent big men to go along with them. Sounds like a formula for failure to me.