Kathy Willens/AP
You knew this one was coming.
For the 12th-year running, the NBA polled all 30 of its general managers on the happenings of the league. Questions ranged from “Which team will be most improved in 2013-14?” to “Which player is best at moving without the ball?” to “Why in the hell won’t the Boston Celtics admit their tanking?”
Okay, I made that last one up, but only because I think it should’ve been a question. Any tanking-related questions would have sufficed, really. I’ve been advocating for their inclusion since this thing came out (this exact one, not 11 surveys ago).
Moving right along, there were the usual questions, including the ones where participants would pick the winner of each division. As per usual, there were no surprises. Alright, there were some.
A majority of the general managers picked the Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers, Brooklyn Nets, San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Clippers to win their respective divisions. The only sort-of shocking revelation there is the Pacers being chosen over the Chicago Bulls in the Central Division. Indiana received 51.7 percent of the vote to Chicago’s 48.3. I would have figured most for picking the Bulls, with Derrick Rose returning and all. Maybe the front-office suits know something about Joakim Noah’s health that we already do (oh wait…)
Nothing else was a major surprise, including the pick for the Atlantic Division. Brooklyn’s been touted every which way possible since trading for Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. I won’t say it’s made me sick, because it hasn’t. But it is implied, strictly for effectual purposes.
Unlike most, I’m just not has high on the Nets. Garnett and Pierce were solid acquisitions. Better than solid, actually. They give the Nets an identity, and Brooklyn sorely needed an identity. Beforehand, they had some big names to run with—Deron Williams, Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson—but they lacked that emotional edge. The get-up-on-your-feet feeling just wasn’t there. With Garnett and Pierce, it is.
But they’re old. They’re both so old. Watching them in the playoffs, I’m not sure if they’ll help push the Nets to where they want to be.
On the flip side, the New York Knicks have become both underrated, and overrated. People won’t pick them to win the Atlantic because their offseason wasn’t as flashy, but it was still pretty damn good.
Metta World Peace and Beno Udrih were picked up for cents on the dollar, and the Knicks traded some spare parts (and draft picks) for Andrea Bargnani, a former No. 1 scoring option. Chemistry could become a problem in the Big Apple, but the same is true of Brooklyn. Both teams have major new pieces that need to be worked.
Health is a gargantuan-sized question mark for both teams. Carmelo Anthony’s shoulder is awkward, Amar’e Stoudemire’s knees are shot, J.R. Smith’s knees are eh and Iman Shumpert’s an injury waiting to happen. In Brooklyn, they’ll inevitably deal with foot problems for Lopez and Williams always seems to get banged up, too. Garnett and Pierce are also injury risks at their age.
For the most part, these teams are evenly matched. But there’s just something about the Nets that makes me think they’re not going to win this division. This isn’t to say they won’t go further in the playoffs than New York. That’s not what I’m getting at. I’m talking the division exclusively.
Brooklyn is built for the playoffs. Jason Kidd may adorn Garnett, Williams and Pierce in bubble wrap during the regular season before letting them loose in the spring. New York is going to capitalize off that. The Knicks are also deeper. Much deeper. So deep that deciding who to play could become problematic for coach Mike Woodson (though injuries tend to fix the rotation anyway).
Provided they’re healthy—Stoudemire not included—the Knicks are going to take that division. As for what happens after, well, ask me again in December. Maybe January. Make it February, just to be safe.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com. Follow @danfavale on Twitter for his latest posts and all things NBA.
