The last-place Raptors are the only Atlantic Division team playing this evening on a six-game night in the NBA, as they take on the Nuggets in Denver. Toronto is also the division's only sub-.500 team. That doesn't mean every Atlantic squad is pleased with its record so far, though, since the Celtics would surely wish for better than 9-8. There's plenty of season left, though, and in the meantime, here's a roundup from the league's best division so far.
- MarShon Brooks exceeded expectations in his rookie year, but the Nets put him on the trading block over the summer, and now the second-year player finds himself out of the mix as minimum-salary addition Keith Bogans has been the better fit so far. Tim Bontemps of the New York Post has the details.
- Celtics offseason acquisition Courtney Lee credits a meeting with coach Doc Rivers and a cameo in the starting lineup for his improved play following a slump, observes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. Coming off the bench has proven a challenging adjustment for Lee and Jeff Green, as A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com points out.
- Mike Kurylo of The New York Times outlines the improvement of Chris Copeland, a surprising addition to the Knicks out of training camp who's been seeing more playing time of late.
- Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com shares 10 observations about the Knicks from the season's first month, and the team's new faces figure prominently.
- One of the most effective offseason moves for the Knicks was behind the scenes, as new shooting coach Dave Hopla has made a difference, notes Jeremy Bauman of SheridanHoops.com.