2026-27 NBA Season Preview: Celtics, Knicks, Raptors, Sixers, Nets (Atlantic Division)

With the regular season set to tip off on Oct. 20, let's close out the preview series by taking a look at where each team in the Atlantic Division stands. As always, we'll break down what to like and be concerned about, a lineup to watch and a reasonable range for them to finish in the standings.

Previous divisions: Central • Southwest • Northwest • Pacific • Southeast

It was clear that Jayson Tatum wasn't quite himself as he made his (somewhat surprising) return to action late last season. That version of Tatum averaged 22-10-5 in 16 regular-season games, then ramped that up to 23-11-7 during six playoff games.

It should come as no surprise that, after a full offseason, he looked fantastic in preseason action. The mix of drives, shotmaking, and (improved!) playmaking all popped on film. Do not be surprised by an MVP-level campaign if he stays upright.

I'm pretty excited about Paul George's fit here. For a team that wants to get 3s up, keeps the ball moving with timely passes, and could stand to force more turnovers defensively, George feels pretty hand-in-glove.

Speaking of the defense, I'm ready to watch Derrick White fly around again. Him plus a fun cast of (young) wings, Tatum's versatility (surely the cross-matches will be back), and a pair of quality rim protectors in Neemias Queta and Mitchell Robinson should, once again, lead to an elite unit.

We should know about the bucket-getting by now from Payton Pritchard, but have we seen his comfort as a playmaker during this preseason run? Insert your grains of salt here, but boy does he become even more interesting if he's ready to make a playmaking leap.

Teams really have to deal with 48 minutes of Queta or Robinson on the offensive glass. That doesn't sound like fun at all.

The obvious one is how healthy Tatum and/or George will be. Beyond that, a team that already didn't generate a ton of shots at the rim traded its best guy (Jaylen Brown) for a wing that doesn't really get to the rim anymore in George.

A lot of pressure will be placed on Tatum to "solve" that issue, but I don't know how fair it is to place that heavy of a burden on him with everything else he'll be tasked with. I'm just a little concerned about how jumper-heavy they could be against the league's best, switchiest defenders.

It's obvious to say, but the Celtics really do need healthy campaigns from Tatum and George for all of this to work. I'm curious what kind of maintenance plan we may see from George specifically.

I would expect a bounce-back year in terms of scoring efficiency for White, but it does need to happen. He'll need the shooting to return, lest teams lean further into tossing unders and switches at him. Quietly, he's seen his rim rate drop in each of the past five seasons, with a career-low 7.3% of his shots coming inside of three feet.

LINEUP TO WATCH: Pritchard-George-Tatum-Queta-Robinson

We've already gotten a taste of the double-big look during preseason, but I'm excited to see more of it.

There's plenty of creation available between the Pritchard/George/Tatum triumvirate, with multiple on-and-off ball screening partners to play with. This is also the most size you could put around Pritchard defensively, if you're worried about that sort of thing.

The Celtics already have the (regular season) formula down: suppress turnovers, win the glass, take a ton of 3s, and keep their opponents off the free-throw line. Staying true to those principles, paired with (or at least, headlined by) an MVP-caliber season from Tatum, feels like an easy-to-envision pathway to the East's top seed.

The East is tough, which could put them in the 7-10 range by default. Beyond that, there's a level of production needed from the big-name wings (Tatum, George) for this team to reach its ceiling. Injury woes to either would limit the floor, and I do have mild concerns about how jumper-dependent the team may be.

Any time you can win a championship and bring back virtually everyone of consequence, you have to do it.

There's obvious star power here. You have two-way versatility. The bench unit may not contain an A+ reserve, but it's filled with complementary, scalable talent. Mike Brown is a fantastic coach with a stronger proof-of-concept to point to now. The vibes should be high here.

Sign me up for even more Karl-Anthony Towns (pay him!) usage as a hub. His ability to stretch out defenses with his shooting, make decisions as a passer, and attack different types of defenders off the bounce makes him one of the most unique talents in the league. He should be phenomenal in Year 2 of this system.

Jalen Brunson is one of the most ridiculous (complimentary) bucket-getters I've ever seen, especially at his size. I'm excited to watch him continue frying defenders.

Having a wing/forward trio of OG Anunoby (hopefully he finally makes an All-Star team), Mikal Bridges (LIMBS!), and Josh Hart (pay him, too!) is such a luxury, man. It's a pleasure to watch them guard and toggle matchups with ease.

Hey uh … have we seen Andre Drummond this preseason? They may not miss Mitchell Robinson all that much if this is the version they're going to get.

They just won a championship and most of the rotation remains intact. I don't have major questions here.

The most pressing thing for me is what level of force and focus they come out of the gates with. They have a proven, title-winning formula they can lean on; will they be locked in enough, particularly on the defensive end, to get through the slog of the regular season with top-tier seeding, or will they prioritize getting through healthy and hopefully ramping things up by the end of the year?

I generally believe in the second unit, but there's a stray "what if the guard creation goes backwards?" thought at the back of my head.

As good as Drummond has looked in limited preseason play, he simply isn't the down-to-down rim protector that Robinson was or is. I do wonder, in light of some of the Towns questions and some of the back-of-roster injuries (and waiving) if that'll be an issue that perks up this year.

More of a complaint than a concern: I can't believe Towns and Hart didn't get paid before the season. I expect both to be professional but come on.

LINEUP TO WATCH: Brunson-Shamet-Bridges-Anunoby-Towns

Since Shamet joined the Knicks back in 2024-25, he's logged 161 minutes with the starters in place of Hart. The Knicks have won those minutes by 55 points (+9.0 net rating) while shooting "only" 35.5% from 3 as a unit.

Shamet in the lineup for Hart largely takes the big-on-wing gambit off the table for defenses, unless they want to risk it with Anunoby. I'd like to see more of this look.

The defending champs, fresh off one of the most dominant playoff runs in NBA history, are returning nine of their top-10 players in playoff minutes per game. Continuity, good health, and a heightened level of consistency on the defensive end would put the top seed in play.

Regular season boredom could be enough for them to slide down the standings in a tougher Eastern Conference. Within that lens, I'd keep an eye on how consistently they hit the right notes defensively.

WHAT TO LIKE: Scottie Barnes, leveling up

Barnes has been one of the league's most versatile players almost from the time he stepped foot in the league. The defense is DPOY-level, and he's able to oscillate between on-ball and dirty-work duties offensively.

Watching him turn the scoring aggression up to 11 during last year's postseason moved me. Seeing him sustain that aggression during preseason action has me ready to make some incredibly bold predictions concerning him. For now, though, I'll just say I'm excited to watch him play basketball.

Adding Kawhi Leonard to this group is an instant ceiling-raiser. He's coming off the best scoring season of his career, and should both fit naturally in a lot of the off-ball actions that head coach Darko Rajaković has baked into Toronto's half-court offense, and serve as a clear-a-side security blanket whenever they need him. Oh, the roster context allows him to continue being utilized in a primary off-ball role defensively. Good luck passing or dribbling around him.

Collin Murray-Boyles as a concept. Yes. Please and thank you. I'll be keeping an eye on the non-rim scoring — touch shots, middies, the occasional 3 — but I'm a big fan of pretty much everything else.

I'm ready for Jamal Shead and Ja'Kobe Walter to be incredibly rude to opposing reserves. I'm excited for the Raptors defense in general.

BIGGEST QUESTION MARK: Half-court offense

Kawhi was brought in to (help) solve the issue, but it's worth monitoring what things will look like when he's on the bench. My baseline worry is less about the talent — though I do have overall shooting questions for the roster — and more about how teams will guard them.

Will Barnes' aggression, if it continues, make him a more consistent draw-two threat? Can Immanuel Quickley or RJ Barrett score (efficiently) enough to garner more aggressive coverages? If defenses are largely OK with switching and staying home, I'd be less enthused about their prospects.

Though Murray-Boyles is the future of the frontcourt, the Raptors do still need the screening and general connective work that Jakob Poeltl provides. Ideally, he'd serve as a competent bridge to the more fruitful Barnes-Murray-Boyles minutes. I just hope Poeltl is healthy enough to provide that service.

More curiosity than concern, but I wonder where the Raptors land in terms of their pick-up points defensively. They started incredibly high last year before getting torched — and ultimately dialing back the pressure a bit.

LINEUP TO WATCH: Quickley-Barrett-Leonard-Barnes-Murray-Boyles

Let the record reflect that the only reason I didn't continue the top-seed trend here is because I don't believe Kawhi will play enough regular-season games to take some of my half-court and offense and shooting questions off the table. He may simply be the answer in a playoff context.

Their elite defense and transition attack is still enough of a formula to churn out wins, especially if Barnes takes another step forward.

If this is a 40-game (or worse) campaign from Kawhi, familiar questions on the offensive end could lower their ceiling. Those, plus the overall strength of the conference, could have them in the 7-10 range.

Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, and Joel Embiid in the same lineup sounds like some 2K nonsense. That it's a real thing — with Brown and James being acquired within three weeks of each other — is kinda wild!

Man, that's so much talent to play with, though. Maxey and Brown are downhill demons in their own right who should juice Philly's transition attack. LeBron and Embiid are half-court pillars that can force defenses into tough decisions. I'm excited to see how quickly these four are able to build chemistry with each other.

VJ Edgecombe has "two-way star" written all over him, especially as he grows as a half-court scorer. Being able to play off the gravity of four All-Star caliber players should make for an easy context, even if I'd selfishly love for him to get a healthy dose of self-creation reps to accelerate his growth.

I've been saying it pretty consistently this summer, but I'm such a big fan of the Dean Wade fit. A big wing defender willing to fill gaps on the other end — cut, hit the offensive glass, and make connective passes — should vibe nicely with this group.

Actually, to zoom out: I really appreciate the work Philly did with this bench. Snagging Wade, Anfernee Simons, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (if he's rejuvenated in a win-now spot) could turn out to be really stealthy work.

BIGGEST QUESTION MARK: Frontcourt health

I don't have to spill much virtual ink on the importance of LeBron and Embiid staying healthy. The Sixers simply won't reach their ceiling without them. A quieter subplot worth monitoring is the depth behind Embiid.

Adem Bona isn't back yet ( though he should be soon ), and Ariel Hukporti is unfortunately out for the season after rupturing his Achilles. A world where Embiid and his backup plans are hurt, especially with the Sixers' financial limitations, does not sound like a fun one.

I'll just say I'm fascinated to see what level they can get this defense to. There's a chance they're more than solid, with Brown giving more consistent effort with a lighter scoring load, Edgecombe continuing to grow on that end, Maxey's continued buy-in, and the back-line roaming (and communication) of LeBron and Embiid. It could also go the other way, with the off-ball defense in particular giving me headaches. We shall see!

Tied to that, the Sixers were one of the worst defensive rebounding teams in the league last year ( 69.1 defensive rebound rate, 27th ). They weren't much better with Embiid on the floor . I have some real questions about how consistently they'll be able to end possessions.

LINEUP TO WATCH: Maxey-Simons-Edgecombe-Wade-Bona

The starters are the easy call, but I'm fascinated by what the staggering is going to look like. There hasn't been much to glean from on the preseason front, but I'd like to see them keep Maxey and Edgecombe paired together. Let the young guys push the pace, while LeBron and Embiid could lead a more methodical attack. If it does play out that way, I'd be interested in seeing this group together.

The pathway is simple: the Core Four meshes well (and plays 60+ games together), Edgecombe continues to progress, and an underrated bench unit fills gaps at a high level. The potential is certainly there.

There are obvious health concerns with Embiid, and age concerns with LeBron. The depth behind Embiid is worthy of questions, even if I'm personally enamored with some of their options. There's a world where health concerns limit the ceiling, and defensive concerns (especially the rebounding) limit their floor.

Last year, I was in on the Nets having a sneaky good defense; they gave me only one good month , but boy was I vindicated for that singular month!

My intrigue is on the other end this time around. Michael Porter Jr. is coming off a career-high campaign where his shooting led the dance, but his passing chops popped in a way we weren't accustomed to seeing. Add in a chip-on-shoulder Julius Randle to put pressure on the rim, be moved around the board, and introduce his own brand of playmaking, and the Nets quietly have two pillars to make life easier on everyone else.

Egor Dëmin shot the leather off the ball as a rookie, a pleasant surprise based on some of the pre-draft intel that surrounded him. Sadly, he didn't get to the rim enough to complement that shooting, or unlock avenues for his passing chops to shine. Summer league plus preseason play has been a whole lot of Dëmin putting his head down and generating deeper paint touches. Consider me amused.

With that, I've liked a lot of what I've seen from Mikel Brown Jr. so far. He has some real juice as a creator, and a poise in ball screens that should serve him well moving forward. Him plus Dëmin could be a fascinating duo for years to come.

Noah Clowney and Day'Ron Sharpe aren't household names, but they're quality basketball players that I'm excited to see more of. Clowney shoots, is comfortable creating off the bounce, and flies around defensively (though that's not always a good thing). Sharpe entered the league as an offensive rebounding monster, and has since shown more comfort as a passing hub, shooter, and at-the-level defender.

I was bullish on the Nets' defense last year because of the cast of wings they had — and the full-court pressure they could provide — along with the versatility of Nic Claxton when healthy. A lot of those wings are gone (though Keon Ellis and Terance Mann certainly aren't slouches), Claxton is in Chicago, and there will be a lot of Porter Jr. and Randle minutes.

I will not be making any bold proclamations about this unit, though head coach Jordi Fernandez will earn Coach of the Year equity from me if he's able to establish a level of competence.

While I'm generally intrigued by the offense, a team with this many young guards in the rotation just screams "we will struggle with turnovers at some point." They're going to hum on their best nights, but I worry a little about their per-possession consistency.

How long are Randle and/or Porter Jr. going to be here, exactly? And if they're moved, what will that do for the development context of Brown Jr. and Dëmin?

LINEUP TO WATCH: Brown Jr.-Dëmin-Porter Jr.-Clowney-Sharpe

This is the "let 'em hoop" group for me. Give Brown Jr. and Dëmin a runway offensively; let Clowney and Sharpe be chaos agents defensively. Porter Jr. is there to get shots up when called upon, or at least open up space for everyone else. This is quietly a pretty big lineup, too. They'll likely lose their minutes together, but I at least want to see it.

There are two All-Star-caliber players on the roster; a chip-on-the-shoulder campaign from Randle and another flame-throwing season from Porter Jr. could give the Nets a higher baseline than given credit for. Dëmin growth, Brown Jr. looking comfortable early, some interesting frontcourt pieces (Sharpe, Clowney) with Jordi Fernandez pulling the strings … I'd keep an eye out.

This could be a turnover-heavy offense paired with an awful defense. I would imagine the top-end talent (Randle, Porter Jr.) will be in trade rumors; the Nets cashing in on either of them would make the team worse in the short term. Worst record in the East is in play.