The Toronto Raptors won the Atlantic division with a franchise record 56 wins in 2015-16 – one shy of the Cleveland Cavaliers for the best mark in the Eastern Conference. The Raptors pushed the Cavaliers to six games before bowing out in the Eastern Conference Finals so it’s no surprise they did what they could to keep their core intact this summer. However, three of the four other teams in their division made substantial improvements and that could put Toronto on notice that their time atop the Atlantic won’t last much longer. Here is a look at the offseason grades for every NBA Atlantic division team.
Toronto Raptors
Offseason Grade: C+
Bringing back DeMar DeRozan made a lot of sense for a team that is coming off the best season in franchise history. Everything else the Raptors did left a lot of people scratching their heads. Toronto failed to address its lack of pure scoring with the addition of a three-point shooter that can stretch the floor and they opted to add another center in the draft with the addition of Jakob Poeltl. Bringing in Jared Sullinger to replace Luis Scola makes sense but the Raptors didn’t do enough to address their areas of weakness and that could lead to them taking a small step backwards in the Eastern Conference this coming season.
Boston Celtics
Offseason Grade: A
The fact that Boston hasn’t been able to land a true superstar over the past couple of years has to be frustrating for management and the fans but it’s hard to criticize them based on what they did this offseason. The Celtics did land a star center in Al Horford while also bringing in a talented young guard that could shine from the outset in No. 3 overall pick Jaylen Brown. The Tom Brady experiment didn’t work when it came to courting free agent Kevin Durant but Boston have assembled a solid young team and is still stacked with draft picks for the next couple of years. The Celtics could be on the cusp of becoming perennial contenders and after a strong offseason they are poised to take another step forward in 2016-17.
New York Knicks
Offseason Grade: A-
There are a lot of experts saying the Knicks improved but still aren’t good enough to contend in the Eastern Conference. We will reserve our projections for how they will end up doing and just point out that the roster has been substantially upgraded this offseason. New York added Derrick Rose, Courtney Lee and Joakim Noah to join Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis in its starting five. They also brought in Brandon Jennings, Justin Holiday and Marshal Plumlee to improve their depth. The Knicks are a much better team now than they were at the end of last season and while we won’t pick them to win a championship we fully expect them to be better with a return to the playoffs a very likely outcome in New York.
Brooklyn Nets
Offseason Grade: C+
Brooklyn entered this offseason at a major disadvantage after throwing away multiple draft picks over the last few years and failing to groom young talent. The Nets were smart to throw out some big money offers to restricted free agents and even though they missed out on their key targets they still managed to upgrade their roster. Brooklyn signed Jeremy Lin and Trevor Booker to insert in to their starting lineup and they brought in some veterans to help bridge the gap to their future with Luis Scola and Randy Foye. Taking flyers on players like former first-overall pick Anthony Bennett made a lot of sense considering where the Nets are at in their rebuilding process so they receive a decent grade here.
Philadelphia 76ers
Offseason Grades: A
General manager Bryan Colangelo inherited an absolutely ideal situation when he arrived in Philadelphia with a roster loaded with young talent, a boatload of draft picks and a ton of money available to spend. Colangelo took a methodical approach to this offseason by making Ben Simmons the first-overall pick and while they failed to land a star player they did insulate their roster with veterans like Jerryd Bayless and Gerald Henderson. The 76ers are rumored to be interested in making a trade that will send one of their young big men out of town in exchange for a veteran guard but they have no reason to rush the process. It will be very interesting to see if Colangelo makes another move before the season begins but they have done everything right so far this offseason and get a well deserved A grade for a strong offseason to this point.
