Report by Brendan Sullivan and Benjamin Peisch
Brendan Sullivan takes a weekly look at the NBA teams in the Atlantic Division - Boston Celtics, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors - and breaks down what happened the week before and what to expect in the week ahead, as well as injuries and trades.
Recap Rewind: The mighty Atlantic Division is still in the doughy hands of Brian Scalabrine and the Celtics, as it will be for the rest of the year, barring catastrophe. Although the Celtics recently endured their first skid of the season, losing three of four (a loss to the lowly Bobcats and two to the surprisingly decent Wizards), the Celtics got back on track with a win over the Portland Trailblazers, the team to beat in the NBA. The problems that the Celtics have been facing are twofold- 1) point guard play with Rajon Rondo hobbled and 2) poor shooting performances from Ray Allen.
Notable News: The Celtics have struggled to set up the offense quickly and efficiently with Tony Allen and Eddie House running the point, and with RayRay shooting terribly from the floor the C's have had an alarmingly difficult time getting points for such a high-powered roster. However, the Celtics also know that Rondo's injuries are relatively minor and Ray Allen will always have his slumps for short stints. When both happen at once, however, the Celtics may be in trouble- which is why they are rumored to be on the lookout for buyout candidates Damon Stoudemire and Sam Cassell. One asset they have is their coach is the newly crowned Eastern Conference All-Star Coach, Doc Rivers, the forward-thinking genius behind the developing "play your older and most-likely-to-get-hurt players as many minutes as possible in blowout victory" strategy that is sure to sweep the league.
Fast Forward: The Celtics look to continue their winning streak against the Raptors, their JV team (the Timberwolves) and the Magic this week.