Jan 12, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) controls the ball defended by Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard (12) during the third quarter at the Barclays Center. The Rockets defeated the Nets 113-99. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
In this edition of Charting the NBA’s Atlantic Division installment, we highlight the potential of a Brook Lopez-less Nets team
More from Atlantic
- NBA Rumors: Is it inevitable that Donovan Mitchell will end up with Knicks or Nets?
- NBA Rumors: Joel Embiid willing to ‘ride out’ James Harden situation?
- NBA Trade Rumors: Knicks had initial interest in splash move for James Harden?
- New York Knicks are the perfect situation for a disgruntled superstar
- The Toronto Raptors are operating without a clear plan for the future
Welcome one and all to this week’s installment of Charting the Atlantic. In these weekly posts we comb through the upcoming days for each Atlantic Division team, make predictions, and highlight players to watch out for.
Philadelphia 76ers
Current Record: (8-33)
Predicted Record: (8-37)
The Philadelphia 76ers face a relatively tough stretch over the course of the upcoming week. Following their loss on Monday afternoon to the Washington Wizards, they tackle a slew of tall tasks for a young team struggling on both sides of the ball.
The Sixer Sense
On Wednesday night, they play host to the New York Knicks in a clash of the bottom two teams in not only the Atlantic Division, but the Eastern Conference over all. Both teams have obvious short comings, however, the one thing that the 76ers fall even shorter with than the Knicks is their lack of a star presence.
Friday, the division-leading Toronto Raptors roll into the Wells Fargo Center for the Sixers’ second contest of the week. The Brett Brown coached squad faces a major disadvantage in the matchup with the Raptors’ offense, which currently is rated first in the NBA (according to Basketball Reference).
The final two games of the week for Philly will come on the road against the Memphis Grizzlies and the New Orleans Pelicans, Saturday and Monday respectively. Both teams sport superior stats this season and, as a result, have a distinct advantage against the underwhelming roster of the 76ers.
Player to Watch: Trade rumors have surrounded PG Michael Carter-Williams since last year’s draft. He boasts impressive stats and a Rookie of the Year Award thus far in his young career, yet it appears other teams still are not quite sold on him. Many cite the poor roster that surrounds him as the primary reason for his well rounded stat-line. This week he faces some very good point guards in Kyle Lowry, Mike Conley, and the man he replaced in Philly, Jrue Holliday. How he performs this week in comparison to the guards he’s facing could be a huge determining factor in whether or not the 76ers are able to move him before the trade deadline.
Next: Boston Celtics