ATLANTIC DIVISION

GUARDS
RAJON RONDO’s name is etched on the trading block. Regardless of where he lands, his injured knee should be 100 percent healthy . . . With an improved three-point shot, AVERY BRADLEY has become a complete player. His defense guarantees minutes regardless . . . MARCUS SMART seems to be waiting in the wings for a Rondo trade. In the meantime, he’ll back up both guard spots. Just like in college, he’ll be brilliant at times, but inconsistent . . . Local product PHIL PRESSEY will stick around as a No. 3 point guard . . . EVAN TURNER was a disaster in Indy. He’ll have a tough time making this rotation . . . MARCUS THORNTON was acquired as a trade throw-in. The Celtics don’t have big plans for the remorseless gunner.

FORWARDS
He’s isn’t a legitimate No. 1 option, but JEFF GREEN will be the go-to guy again. He hasn’t been able to handle the extra defensive attention, becoming increasingly inefficient . . . He has plenty of limitations on both ends of the court, but JARED SULLINGER is a crafty scorer. He’ll get close to starter minutes as the Celtics search for offense . . . BRANDON BASS will see time at the 4 and the 5. He’s made a pledge to improve offensively, but more likely he’ll be a defensive presence and a screen-setter . . . JAMES YOUNG missed most of the summer healing a neck injury. He’s going to do some damage running the floor, but he doesn’t have the skills for the half-court game in the NBA . . . GERALD WALLACE is playing out the string.

CENTERS
KELLY OLYNYK has the most upside in this frontcourt. His rare mobility and skill set for a 7-footer made a difference last year. It’s just a question of whether he can hold up defensively down low . . . TYLER ZELLER gives them another solid 7-footer who opposing defenses have to account for. He’ll fit well in head coach Brad Stevens’ system . . . JOEL ANTHONY isn’t going to get off the bench.

StatFox Take: A full season with a healthy Rajon Rondo should mean a slight improvement for this team, but his future in Boston is uncertain. Regardless of whether or not he’s in a Celtics uniform after the trade deadline, this team has virtually no shot of winning the Atlantic and is most likely headed towards another lottery selection.

BROOKLYN NETS

2013-14 SU record: 49-45 SU (52.1%), 15th in NBA
2013-14 ATS record: 48-45-1 ATS (51.6%), 10th in NBA
Odds to Win 2014-15 Atlantic Division: 15-to-8
Odds to Win 2014-15 Eastern Conference: 30-to-1
Odds to Win 2014-15 NBA Championship: 70-to-1

GUARDS
Even after Paul Pierce came to Brooklyn, JOE JOHNSON remained the clear-cut No. 1 option in Brooklyn. Their offense figures to feature Johnson backing down defenders frequently again this year . . . DERON WILLIAMS seems to be deteriorating rapidly, struggling to stay healthy and losing confidence . . . JARRETT JACK figures to take Shaun Livingston’s old role, playing alongside Williams often to take ball-handling duties off his plate . . . ALAN ANDERSON will see time at both wing spots as a defensive specialist who shoots some corner threes . . . SERGEY KARASEV has some long-term upside, but will do little this year . . . MARQUIS TEAGUE figures to have the edge on MARKEL BROWN for the No. 3 PG job.

FORWARDS
With Paul Pierce gone, MIRZA TELETOVIC has a chance to take on a bigger role. He held his own defensively last year and provides another deep threat to space the floor . . . There’s no telling what, if anything, they’ll get out of ANDREI KIRILENKO this season. He seems to be at a point in his career when he’s just not going to be able to stay healthy . . . BOJAN BOGDANOVIC should give Brooklyn some additional offensive firepower off the bench. He’ll likely be a regular in the rotation by midseason . . . KEVIN GARNETT figures to play a bit more at the 4 alongside Brook Lopez, but there’s pretty much no gas left in the tank for this 38-year-old player . . . Second-round pick CORY JEFFERSON is likely ticketed for the D-League.

CENTERS
The Nets desperately need a healthy BROOK LOPEZ if they’re going to win the Atlantic Division, but they’ll have to monitor his minutes closely after another season lost to injury . . . With Lopez healthy, MASON PLUMLEE will resume his natural role as an energy guy off the bench.

StatFox Take: The Nets went all-in last year for an NBA championship and were wildly disappointing. Now Lionel Hollins gets his crack at making this team a winner and he’ll do that by slowing down the pace of their offense. Brooklyn is a contender to win the Atlantic Division, but they will not be a top three team in the Eastern Conference.

NEW YORK KNICKS

2013-14 SU record: 37-45 SU (45.1%), 19th in NBA
2013-14 ATS record: 38-44 ATS (46.3%), 24th in NBA
Odds to Win 2014-15 Atlantic Division: 11-to-4
Odds to Win 2014-15 Eastern Conference: 30-to-1
Odds to Win 2014-15 NBA Championship: 60-to-1

GUARDS
A huge upgrade over Raymond Felton, JOSE CALDERON’s shooting and low turnover rate make him a good fit in the triangle offense. Defense will be an issue . . . His shot selection will always be laughable, but J.R. SMITH will still have the occasional blow-up game . . . IMAN SHUMPERT never looked right last season. He won’t get bumped from the rotation, but he’s in danger of getting just part-time minutes . . . He’ll defend, and if his strong shooting as a rookie wasn’t a fluke, TIM HARDAWAY JR. will push his way into the starting five . . . PABLO PRIGIONI is a poor man’s Calderon . . . SHANE LARKIN has some long-term upside, but is unlikely to contribute this season.

FORWARDS
The triangle offense should play to CARMELO ANTHONY’s strengths and open things up a bit more than the iso-heavy system they ran under Mike Woodson. He’ll be in the running for another scoring title . . . It’s another year of ANDREA BARGNANI. The Knicks are too thin to not play him, but his defense is atrocious and he hasn’t shot it well in years . . . AMAR’E STOUDEMIRE’s monster deal expires after this season, and a trade is a possibility. In a best-case scenario, he can be effective for 20 minutes or so per night . . . Second-rounder CLEANTHONY EARLY has a chance to break into this rotation. He’ll defend and pick up some hustle points . . . QUINCY ACY and TRAVIS OUTLAW will provide some much needed depth and energy for a team that can sometimes be lackadaisical on the court.

CENTERS
With Tyson Chandler gone, it will be up to SAMUEL DALEMBERT to pick up the defensive slack. He’s a capable rim protector and could be in for as much playing time as he’s gotten in years . . . JASON SMITH is another defensive-minded big man. He’s good in space but is not a polished shot blocker . . . COLE ALDRICH was good enough late last season to earn a bench spot in the 2014-15 campaign.

StatFox Take: The Knicks were one of last season’s most surprisingly bad teams. They came into the season with high expectations, but missed the playoffs in one of the weakest Eastern Conference fields of all-time. Derek Fisher takes over as head coach and president Phil Jackson will see his vision of the team begin to play out. New York's odds to win the division are quite favorable with the team having an excellent chance of winning the Atlantic, but they are not a good bet to win the Eastern Conference.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

2013-14 SU record: 19-63 SU (23.2%), 29th in NBA
2013-14 ATS record: 36-46 ATS (43.9%), T-27th in NBA
Odds to Win 2014-15 Atlantic Division: 100-to-1
Odds to Win 2014-15 Eastern Conference: 250-to-1
Odds to Win 2014-15 NBA Championship: 650-to-1

GUARDS
MICHAEL CARTER-WILLIAMS wasn’t the most legit Rookie of the Year, but he had his moments. He should be a little more efficient in his second season, and Philly certainly doesn’t have a better alternative at the point. A shoulder injury will likely keep him sidelined for the first three weeks of the upcoming season . . . TONY WROTEN makes some highlight-reel plays and will likely start at the 2. He’s too erratic to be in the rotation for a playoff team . . . As for the rest of the backcourt, ELLIOT WILLIAMS is looking to revive his career, and he's no worse than James Anderson and Hollis Thompson, who were starting for this team last season . . . Injuries have all but ended JASON RICHARDSON’s career. He’s on the final year of his deal, and might not play in 2014-15 after suffering a stress fracture to his right foot in late October . . . ALEXEY SHVED could play some quality minutes at both guard spots for this team.

FORWARDS
The 2014 draft was deep, allowing Philly to land a first-round value in second-rounder K.J. McDANIELS. He’s certainly better than anyone the Sixers trotted out at the 3-spot last season . . . HOLLIS THOMPSON could keep a starting job warm again . . . Another second-rounder, JERAMI GRANT, could play his way into the rotation. He’s talented, but he’s also something of a ’tweener, and like most Syracuse guys sitting in a 2-3 zone, Grant never learned how to play one-on-one defense . . . ARNETT MOULTRIE has been something of a problem child in Philly, but he’s good enough to make this rotation if he turns it around effort-wise . . . LUC RICHARD MBAH a MOUTE is here as a mentor for Joel Embiid.

CENTERS
NERLENS NOEL is ready to make his debut. His collegiate rates suggest he’ll rebound and block shots. The question marks are durability, functional strength and offensive game. He’ll get to learn on the fly . . . JOEL EMBIID’s foot problems will keep him out until at least midseason, and the Sixers will certainly play it safe with him. On raw talent, he’s a future star. The questions are durability, and whether he can co-exist with Noel.

StatFox Take: It’s highly possible that the 76ers will be selecting with the 1st pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. The team traded Thaddeus Young for practically nothing, but they do get Nerlens Noel back from a torn ACL. Noel will have his bright spots, but that won’t be enough to keep this team from the bottom of the pack for yet another season.

TORONTO RAPTORS

2013-14 SU record: 51-38 SU (57.3%), 12th in NBA
2013-14 ATS record: 48-38-3 ATS (55.8%), 4th in NBA
Odds to Win 2014-15 Atlantic Division: 5-to-4
Odds to Win 2014-15 Eastern Conference: 30-to-1
Odds to Win 2014-15 NBA Championship: 60-to-1

GUARDS
DeMAR DeROZAN has evolved from raw athlete into dangerous scorer. He gets to the line frequently enough that he’s virtually guaranteed a 20-PPG average . . . There’s some long-term worry with KYLE LOWRY. His stocky body type leaves little room for error on those contested threes he hits, and there’s some question of motivation now that he’s been paid. But he was so good last season, that the chances of a fall-off seem low . . . Along with being the primary back-up at point guard, GREIVIS VASQUEZ will play alongside Lowry at times to take ball-handling pressure off of him . . . LOUIS WILLIAMS should be closer to 100 percent in his second season off ACL surgery, though he’s looking at a fourth guard role in Toronto.

FORWARDS
AMIR JOHNSON will lead the rotation at the 4, providing rim protection, rebounding and hustle baskets . . . He’s streaky, but uber dunker TERRENCE ROSS is reinventing himself as a three-point shooter . . . Stretch 4 PATRICK PATTERSON has added a corner three to supplement a below-the-rim game . . . TYLER HANSBROUGH’s spastic style is a thing of beauty . . . JAMES JOHNSON returns to Toronto. He’s more versatile than his doughy frame would suggest . . . Undersized big CHUCK HAYES will throw his weight around for 15 minutes a night . . . Draft night stunner BRUNO CABOCLO is likely headed for the D-League . . . Ditto DeANDRE DANIELS . . . Not too long ago multiple teams fought over LANDRY FIELDS, but those days are long gone.

CENTERS
JONAS VALANCIUNAS still has to add some nuance to his game (such as making physical contact with a defender when he sets a screen) if he’s going to get full-time minutes. But the big upside is still there . . . LUCAS NOGUEIRA, a 2013 first-rounder picked up from Atlanta, gives them a rim protector . . . GREG STIEMSMA was added in early September to provide depth at the center position.

StatFox Take: The Raptors kept their core in tact this offseason and added some nice pieces off their bench in Lou Williams and Lucas Nogueira. This is a team that plays well together and does it on both sides of the ball. They are a great pick to win the Atlantic Division and it wouldn’t be completely out of the question to see them come away with the top seed in the East.

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