The Atlantic Division: What the heck happened?
Remember when the Atlantic Division was good? Oh, you aren’t old enough? Well, let me tell you a story.
Once upon a time, the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers actually mattered. Boston was rolled in the Eastern Conference playoffs this year, only making its mark during a four-game ousting against the Cleveland Cavaliers by injuring Kevin Love. The Celtics used to be a powerhouse on the way to their league-leading 17th championship, led by the Hall of Fame trio of Kevin Garnett, Paul Piece and Ray Allen.
The Knicks, believe it or not, actually played basketball at one point. New York was a place known as the Mecca of Basketball. These days, it’s just pathetic and sad. The Knicks were one of the toughest teams you had ever seen in the 1990’s with Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley, Anthony Mason and John Starks leading the charge. They were never able to capture a championship, but boy were they gritty and for a defensive-minded city, fun to watch.
Philadelphia also meant winning at one point. Allen Iverson used to light up the Spectrum and later the Wachovia Center, leading a mediocre cast to the 2001 NBA Finals before falling to the dynastic Los Angeles Lakers. Despite the defeat, Iverson ushered in an era of basketball that the 76ers will treasure for the rest of the organization’s history. He was an iconic player in the post-Jordan era, making it seem as though he was hellbent on every possession.
Even the then-New Jersey Nets were a showstopper. With Jason Kidd, Kenyon Martin, Kerry Kittles and Richard Jefferson, the Nets reached the Finals in consecutive seasons in 2002 and 2003, only to be knocked off by superior Western Conference foes. Still, the Nets were highly entertaining, all while reviving the sport in the Meadowlands.
The Toronto Raptors were perhaps the most fun of all five team, despite never making it to the Finals. Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady were the high-wire act of the time, with Air Canada in full effect. It was a division known for starpower and victories for the better part of the 1990’s and early 2000’s, even though the East was inferior at the time (and still is). If nothing else, it was fun to watch those teams.
Fast forward to now, and it’s awful. Give me the star you would pay to watch in the division. Carmelo Anthony? Deron Williams? DeMar DeRozan? I didn’t think so. It’s bad, boring basketball.
In the upcoming 2015 NBA Draft, the 76ers and Knicks are slotted to nab the second and third selections. Both teams must land not only a good player, but a franchise star. It’s been too long for these once-proud franchises, toiling in obscurity.
Bring back the Atlantic. Bring back actual basketball.
