Boston Celtics vs. Atlanta Hawks Rosters and Predictions: Who Has the Best Chance of Toppling Cavs in the Eastern Conference of the 2016-17 NBA Season?
As the 2016-17 NBA season draws nearer, debates start to spark regarding which team in the Eastern Conference has the best chance of dethroning the reigning NBA champion. For one, the Cleveland Cavaliers will once again face the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks. These are some of the teams that are considered as the biggest obstacles of LeBron James' championship- winning squad.
The Rising Celtics
Most analysts believed that the Celtics will be the Cavaliers' biggest Eastern obstacle. ESPN Insider Kevin Pelton released early 2016-17 NBA projections this month and ranked the Celtics as the second best team in the Eastern conference, a step below the Cavaliers.
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Pelton projected that the 17-time NBA champion team will win around 50 games in the 2016-17 season, a modest improvement from its 48-win finish last season. He attributed the slight improvement to the acquisition of center-forward Al Horford during this free agency period.
Moreover, Jorge Sierra of Hoops Hype also made the same projections that the Celtics have the best chance of facing Cleveland in a seven-game series. He predicted that the team will ace the Atlantic Division and rank second in the Eastern Conference.
Sierra stated that the roster of the Celtics has the depth, cohesiveness and abundance of talent. He cited the shot-making abilities of guard Isaiah Thomas and phenomenal defense of Avery Bradley, Marcus Smart and Jae Crowder.
Sierra also added that the acquisition of Horford upgrades the Celtic's pool of talent without hurting the successful chemistry last season. But he opined that the Celtics lack veteran leadership, making the squad incapable of beating the Cavaliers.
A Rematch with the Hawks?
The Hawks are also widely considered as the team that has the best chance of beating the Cavaliers. The anticipation is understandable after they advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time last season and faced the Cavaliers.
Despite the impressive performance last season, some projections do not favor the Hawks in the upcoming season. J. Michael of CSN Mid-Atlantic predicted that the team will end up with 48 wins and a No. 4 seed, a huge drop from its previous 60-win finish.
According to Michael, adding center Dwight Howard, forward DeAndre Bembry, forward Taurean Prince, point guard Jarrett Jack and point guard Kirk Hinrich are not good enough to sustain the team's impressive performance last season. He also added that losing Horford to the Celtics during the free agency period is not ideal.
Rohan Nadkarni of Sports Illustrated agreed that Horford was a big loss for the Hawks. He said that replacing Horford with an older Howard is one of the team's worst moves this offseason.
