Who Will Win the NBA Atlantic Division?
Thursday January 24,2013 : NBA Betting – Who Will Win the Atlantic Division?
Almost no one would have bet that the Brooklyn Nets would be in contention for a playoff spot after the mid-point of the season. After all, this is still almost the same Nets team that was laughed out of New Jersey last season. There have been a few additions to the roster, but people did not expect those additions to have any real effects. It turns out that players like Joe Johnson were exactly what the Brooklyn Nets needed to be successful. A late-season coaching change seems to have helped the Nets as well, which is another surprise. P.J. Carlesimo is 11-2 since replacing Avery Johnson.
People are completely shocked with the New York Knicks as well. The loss of Jeremy Lin to the Houston Rockets was offset by the addition of Jason Kidd. But people still wondered if Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony would be able to co-exist on the same team. When the season started, Stoudemire was injured and had to watch as Anthony led the Knicks to one of the best records in the NBA. The fear was that Stoudemire would upset the team chemistry by coming back into the starting lineup. Much to everyone’s surprise, Stoudemire took a bench position when he returned and he has been there ever since.
With Boston fading from the picture, we now have to consider which team will rise to the top of the Atlantic Division. At this point, the Nets and Knicks are only separated by a single loss on the Nets’ side. But these are two teams headed in different directions. The Nets ran a 9-1 record in its last 10 games where the Knicks were only able to muster four wins in its last 10 games. Even with Anthony in the lineup, the Knicks seem to be struggling. Most teams would start experimenting with lineup changes to try and get out of a losing situation. If the Knicks start messing with its starting lineup, then that could cause a lot of problems.
The Knicks is waiting for key players such as Raymond Felton to return from injury, and that will help New York to get back on the winning path. But we wonder if the Knicks’ issues are deeper than that. All of the drama that has been surrounding Carmelo Anthony lately has acted as a distraction and that indicates that it may be easier to distract the Knicks than originally suspected.
A well-known sports caster was quoted as saying, back in December, that the Nets will have to start “playing like the Nets” at some point. But Brooklyn just keeps on forging ahead and extending its honeymoon with its new home city. There is a very good chance that the Nets will be the team that can sustain its winning ways as the season comes to an end.
Click here to read more about the new Brooklyn Nets.
Pick: Brooklyn Nets
