Preview: Celtics Face Bigger Atlantic-Division Challenge In 2008-09

September 23, 2008 8:04 p.m. EST

Boston, MA (AHN) - The Boston Celtics will have to maneuver through a more challenging Atlantic Division during the 2008-09 NBA season in their quest to repeat as world champs.

The frustration of 50 combined years of playing time without a championship is behind Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and the rest of the Celtics squad.

They battled through more playoff games and lost more games than any other championship team on its way to the title.

The aging "big three" will have to face a much-improved Atlantic Division without valuable sixth-man James Posey.

Posey signed a four-year, $25 million contract with the New Orleans Hornets as a free agent in the off-season.

The starting five of PF Garnett, SF Pierce, SG Allen, PG Rajon Rondo and C Kendrick Perkins may need to play more minutes if Glen Davis, Leon Powe and rookie J.R. Giddens can't fill the void left by Posey's departure.

The Toronto Raptors picked up six-time all-star Jermaine O'Neal in a trade with the Indian Pacers.

With the emergence of Jose Calderon at the point, it made sense to move budding star PG T.J. Ford and acquire a big man to play alongside Chris Bosh.

O'Neal may be in decline and coming off injury-plagued years, but the Raptors can still rely on him to provide a presence in the middle on both sides of the floor.

The starting five of C O'Neal, PF Bosh, PG Calderon, SG Anthony Parker and SF Jamario Moon can compete with the best of the NBA and will give the Celtics a run for their money at the top of the Atlantic.

The Philadelphia 76ers made a bold and significant move by signing 20-point, 10-rebound man Elton Brand to a five-year, $79 million contract.

Brand is one of only four active players to average 20 and 10 along with superstars Tim Duncan, Shaquille O'Neal and Kevin Garnett.

The Sixers surged late last year to make the playoffs without Brand, so look for the starting five of PF Brand, C Samuel Dalembert, SF Thaddeus Young, SG Andre Iguodala and PG Andre Miller to improve on last year's seven seed.

The New Jersey Nets traded leading scorer Richard Jefferson to the Milwaukee Bucks for Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons in an effort to rebuild.

New Jersey still has the dynamic Vince Carter and emerging star point guard Devin Harris, whom they acquired from Dallas last year in exchange for Jason Kidd.

We'll have to wait and see if the starting five of C Brook Lopez, PF Nenad Krstic, SF Jianlian, SG Carter and PG Harris can get the Nets back in the playoffs.

The New York Knicks roster is filled with pricey contracts and overpaid players that new head coach Mike D'Antoni and new president of basketball operations Donnie Walsh have attempted to move to no avail.

Zach Randolph, Eddy Curry, Malik Rose, and Stephon Marbury are not only overpaid, but also do not fit into D'Antoni's run-and-gun style of play.

The storied franchise still regularly sells out Madison Square Garden, even if the starting five of C David Lee, PF Randolph, SF Jared Jeffries, PG Chris Duhon and SG Jamal Crawford don't give fans much to cheer about.