Editor’s Note: This is the fifth installment of our annual six part series of division previews. If you missed you the Pacific Division , the Northwest Division, Southwest Division, or Southeast Division previews, click away on the links provided above.]

Toronto Raptors

Additions: Danny Green (trade with Spurs), Kawhi Leonard (trade with Spurs), Greg Monroe (free agent), Kay Felder (free agent)

Subtractions: DeMar DeRozan (traded to Spurs), Alfonzo McKinnie(waived), Jakob Poeltl (traded to Spurs)

Outlook: The way the Raptors acted during the summer created a great chance for some poetic justice to go down. They traded away DeMar DeRozan, who was with the team for nine years and did nothing but work his butt off and keep his head up high alongside Kyle Lowry, and brought in a cold weather hating, gruff, small forward who played just nine games last season and did not look like he did when he won Finals’ MVP in 2014. Yea, Kawhi is better in a vacuum than DeMar, and he may well represent a better way to make the Finals; but, there’s something to be said about giving the old Lowry and DeRozan Raptors one more run now that LeBron James has taken his Hollywood dreams to actual Hollywood. James took the Raptors out for three straight playoffs in a brutal manner. Toronto went 2-12 against the King during his second run with the Cavs. With James out of the way though, the East belongs to the Raptors in story book form.

Except, it probably won’t. They traded a loyal guy for a chance at a former Finals’ MVP that might be the least known nut bag in the room just by virtue of not speaking enough to know what level crazy he is. There’s a chance the Raptors could make the Finals, but the basketball Gods will most likely not allow it; it’s a crapshoot even if everything goes perfect with Leonard given how much the Celtics are getting back this season. And, here’s where the poetic justice comes in. What if DeMar DeRozan and the Spurs take out LeBron? It’s not likely, but basketball has a way of making karma seem very real.

The team didn’t really improve or get worse. They just changed one star position for another, and, despite ditching coach Dwane Casey, will most likely look the same since their new coach is simply a former assistant. The defense may get better with Leonard, but the team chemistry, which has been a huge plus, could be shot if he doesn’t improve his attitude from last year.

What success looks like: The Raptors need to make the Eastern Conference Finals and ultimately the Finals. Kawhi’s future  seems like it is not in re-signing with the Raptors. He’s made that pretty clear. A Finals run and a win may make him rethink that. This may be their last run for the Finals, before they auction off their vets and start building around younger talent.

Cavalier Theft Targets: One of the best things the Raptors have done is actually develop young talent while remaining competitive. OG Anunoby, Delon Wright, and Pascal Siakam, would be worth looking at. They’ve all had some playoff experience in all of their seasons too. If the Raptors want to go all in, Kevin Love could be someone they look at to pair with Leonard and Lowry, and the Cavs would have to demand some of those young team controlled contracts be in the trade.

Preseason Grade: B, The Raptors should get a C, but they made a move, which they should be applauded for, even if you don’t agree with it. A lot of teams in their position would have stayed put with LeBron James leaving the conference. Apparently though, they didn’t think LeBron leaving was enough for them to make the Finals and they swung big.

Record Prediction: 55-27

Philadelphia 76ers

Additions: Wilson Chandler (trade with Nuggets), Mike Muscala (trade with Hawks), Zhaire Smith(drafted No. 16), Landry Shamet(drafted No. 26), Shake Milton(drafted No. 54), Jonah Bolden (drafted No. 36 in 2017)

Subtractions: Justin Anderson (traded to Hawks), Marco Belinelli (signed with Spurs), Richaun Holmes (traded to suns), Ersan Ilyasova (signed with Bucks), Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot

Outlook: The 76ers are still young and still developing. They pretty much stayed put during the offseason and simply traded out Ersan Ilyasova and Marco Belinelli for Wilson Chandler and Mike Muscala. Both guys are slight downgrades offensively but slight upgrades defensively, which won’t mean much considering the Sixers sported the 3rd best defensive efficiency in the league last season. Despite Sam Hinkie being gone, Philly is still taking a process like long view of their team. Many teams in their situation would try to expedite the process of becoming contenders by bringing in a bunch of vets to bolster their young guys. Fortunately, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons showed so much promise last year that there was just no need to do that. J.J. Reddick provided more than enough professional locker room presence for the whole team.

All this team needs to do right now is focus on building chemistry. In their playoff run last season, Joel Embiid missed the first two games against the Miami Heat due to a facial fracture and when he came back the team looked brilliant. He fit nicely with Ben Simmons and the game came to him. Against the Celtics though, Embiid became a bit of a black hole. In their only win against the Celts, he took 15 shots. In the remaining four games, he averaged about 22 attempts a game. This season is going to be about getting the offense set up to properly share the ball and avoid falling into the trap of just throwing the ball down low when the pressure is on. Markelle Fultz didn’t really play last season and will need to be integrated into an offense with one lead ball handler already. There’s not a ton pressure for him to work out right away though. Fultz is like the fifty dollar bill you find in an old card you never bothered to open from your grandparents. You blow it on a scratch off. If it hits, you’re eating steak for dinner. If it misses, at least you aren’t out anything life altering.

What success looks like: The Sixers are aiming to hit the Finals and they have a great chance to do so, but that’s not going to be the true mark of success for them. They need Joel Embiid to play more than 63 games this season and they need people to not groan in horror any time he falls to the ground. Markelle Fultz needs to perform too. He got what many people called the “yips” when he basically forgot how to shoot a basketball last season. He seems to be bouncing back though.

.@MarkelleF on the jump shot everyone is talking about.

Full video: https://t.co/ernhVIOxR1 pic.twitter.com/yfOubR4LLP

— The Players' Tribune (@PlayersTribune) September 20, 2018

His release is a little too Shawn Marion for my liking, but the Sixers aren’t hiding video of it, so there’s confidence in it.

Cavalier Theft Targets: Unfortunately, everyone the 76ers have that the Cavs could use are pieces that they probably won’t trade. I’d love me some Robert Covington though. He’s the type of mid-level grinder that Cleveland folks could embrace. He’s the perfect level of competent. He won’t take over games, but he will give you something to talk about on occasion. If the 76ers want Kyle Korver for him, the Cavs should do it in an instant.

Preseason Grade: A, The 76ers are showing restraint in how they build their team and are focused on long term success.

Record Prediction: 50-32

New York Knicks

Additions: Mario Hezonja (free agent), Noah Vonleh (free agent), Kevin Knox (drafted No. 9), Mitchell Robinson (drafted No. 36)

Subtractions: Michael Beasley (signed with Lakers), Kyle O’Quinn (signed with Pacers)

Outlook: The Knicks will not be winning a lot this season. Kristaps Porzingis tore his ACL and all reports seem to be hinting that he won’t be back until after Christmas time. If New York is smart, a big if here, there will be tanking this season. There will be young dudes playing absurd amounts of minutes. There will be Kevin Knox trying his hand at four different positions on the floor. And, at the end of the season, there will some knowledge gained about what guys like Frank Ntilikina, Mario Hezonja,  Emmanuel Mudiay, Mitchell Robinson, Noah Vonleh, and Knox are capable of.

Outside of seeing what talent they actually have, if the Knicks are trying to go super wild on us and be a legitimate franchise, they will figure out a way to move vets like Courtney Lee, Lance Thomas, and Enes Kanter to prepare for free agency next season. They could even try to get some sad sucker to take on Joakim Noah‘s contract. They can possibly open up two max salary spots if they play their hand right.

What success looks like: The Knicks have a hodgepodge of young players. At the end of the season, the hope is that that group of players is a variety pack of craft beer like the wonderful Sierra Nevada Beer Camp packs that come out yearly and not the four varieties of Genesee Cream Ale packs you use to accompany a four course Top Ramen meal. The Knicks would also be pretty happy if somehow Tom Thibodeau’s basketball addled mind has traveled back in time to 2013 and he wants to flip Jimmy Butler for Noah, who it must be noted averaged 5.4 assists and 11.3 boards a game that year. The math works. Be worried if you’re a Wolves fan.

Cavalier Theft Targets: The Knicks are hungry to be winners, but it seems like they’re being more patient these days, otherwise they’d rush The Zinger back from his ACL injury. Nonetheless, if they somehow acquire Jimmy Butler this season, they might be on the hunt to grab another star, and Kevin Love would be on their radar. In that case, the Cavs should go for Frank Ntilikina, Kevin Knox, and a solid veteran like Courtney Lee to keep the team stable. Those guys give Cleveland more upside, and ensure they land in the lottery without acting recklessly.

Preseason Grade: I, The Knicks are getting an incomplete right now. They haven’t messed up yet, but I’m watching.

Record Prediction: 25-58

Brooklyn Nets

Additions: Ed Davis (free agent), Jared Dudley (trade with Suns), Kenneth Faried (trade with Nuggets), Treveon Graham (free agent), Shabazz Napier (free agency), Dzanan Musa (drafted No. 29), Rodions Kurucs (drafted No. 40)

Subtractions: Darrell Arthur (traded from Nuggets, then traded to Suns), Dante Cunningham (signed with Spurs), Dwight Howard (traded from Hornets, then waived), Jeremy Lin (traded to Hawks), Jahlil Okafor (signed with Pelicans), Nik Stauskas (signed with Trail Blazers), Isaiah Whitehead (traded to Nuggets)

Outlook: For what has seemed like an eternity, the Nets haven’t owned their first round pick. This year that changes, and even though they have promising youngsters in Spencer Dinwiddie, D’Angelo Russell, Allen Crabbe, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Joe Harris and big man Jarrett Allen, they will most likely end up with a decent draft pick. This team is intriguing though in the sense that they are almost plug and play Eastern Conference contenders.

In the offseason, they added Ed Davis, a man who does no wrong and essentially acts as a net positive anytime he is on the floor. He won’t win you a game, but he’s not going to torpedo anything. They also added Jared Dudley and Kenneth Faried.  Those three paired with DeMarre Carroll, who had his highest scoring and rebounding season yet last year, make up a legitimate old guard. The young men on the team paired with them will make them respectable.

Dinwiddie, a 6’6” point guard, and Russell should work well together (They didn’t play together much last season because Russell was injured). They’re both able scorers and combined for 11.8 assists a night, without dribbling the air out of the ball. Crabbe is instant offense as a sixth man and should probably come off the bench eventually. Harris is a legitimate floor spacer. Yet, all the Nets guys form a team that needs one man with some special pzazz to be scary. Who that player is, is yet to be determined. Although, Jimmy Butler has said he’s down with being traded to the Nets.

What success looks like: The Nets probably don’t want to make the playoffs quite yet. They finally get their own pick this year and need to take a swing on a possible homegrown star. If their own players develop and they draft well, they’ll be a scary chemistry based team next season.

Cavalier Theft Targets: Spencer Dinwiddie is the obvious guy for the Cavs to chase. If they could pair him with Colin Sexton, the Cavs could have a young backcourt with great all-around skills. Unfortunately, the Nets won’t be looking to trade for any washed or low upside players.

Preseason Grade: A, The Nets brought in enough mid-career vets to help their players develop in a competitive setting. They also cut ties with guys they didn’t believe in. They aren’t trying to give unsuccessful young guys too much of a chance if they aren’t into them.

Record Prediction: 36-46

Boston Celtics

Additions: Brad Wanamaker (free agent), Robert Williams (drafted No. 27)

Subtractions: Shane Larkin (signed to play in Turkey), Greg Monroe (signed with Raptors), Abdel Nader (traded to Thunder), Rodney Purvis (traded from Thunder, then waived)

Outlook: Recently for my job, I had to go to another state to help open a new kitchen. Here’s a little background about my job and me: I work for a large specialty grocer that makes prepared foods and made to order food and opens lots of new stores. They’re pros.

At each opening, the company sends a lot of management people to help. Every time there is a lot of arguing. Lower level employees will be told sixty-five different ways to scramble eggs. The location of the eggs that are being scrambled will have their location in coolers changed 8,000 times a day by well meaning managers. And, up and coming managers, will go and move the eggs for the eight thousandth and first time in hopes of making a name for themselves by finding the most perfect spot for the eggs to rest. When everyone finally leaves to return to their home stores, they are pissed off and beat down from trying to be in charge.

That’s what the Celtics are going to deal with this season. So, here are some facts: Kyrie Irving will be back to their team this season after missing the playoffs with a knee injury and post-surgical infection. Gordan Hayward will be back after a horrific ankle injury that very well could be career altering. Terry Rozier will be back after averaging 5.2 boards, 5.6 assists, and 16.2 points in a Kyire-less playoff run. Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who also proved themselves in the playoffs, will be back too.

Usually having so many talented guys would be an awesome problem to have, but Brad Stevens will probably be dealing with too many awesome cooks and too many guys that are looking to cement their names as “awesome” cooks. This team will need to whip a magic sauce for chemistry or they may have some issues.

What success looks like: Boston will be excited if they figure out a rotation that lets all the talent on the team feel fulfilled, while still playing defense and sacrificing for each other. They can’t utilize a my-turn-your-turn system. A run in the Finals would make them pretty happy too.

Cavalier Theft Targets: Terry Rozier should be on the Cavs’ radar. He’s an Ohio native. He’s from Shaker Heights, but he knows the deal. He knows Cleveland’s the best. He has all-around star potential, and it’d be such a great story for the Cavs to be able to trot out another local legend.

Preseason Grade: D The Celtics have three young guys with high basements and high ceilings and two or three legit stars depending on what you think of Al Horford. They should have figured out a way to either go all in with the young guys or all in with veteran talent this summer. They’re going to have a money situation on their hands when the young guys need extended and Kyrie Irving is playing on a super max. Boston is betting that Brad Stevens is going to smooth over these issues, and that’s a risk they probably could have avoided and should have avoided.

Record Prediction: 60-22