NBA Atlantic Division Preview: Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets in Fierce 3-Team Battle

There was no shortage of James Harden memes last season taking cheap shots at the shooting guard s paunchy physique. Harden was a gym rat all off-season and showed up to training camp in much better condition.

This last year and half, I really wasn t healthy enough to put the proper work in like I m used to, said Harden. This summer was huge for me in that aspect.

A healthy and svelte Harden is on a mission with Joel Embiid to deliver a long-awaited NBA championship to Philadelphia.

Embiid was bitter that he lost out in the closest MVP race in two decades. Nikola Jokic from the Denver Nuggets won the MVP in back-to-back seasons, and Embiid came in a close second place. Embiid comes into this season with a chip on his shoulder. He never lacked motivation, but injuries slowed down the big man the last couple of postseasons.

He suffered an orbital fracture during the playoffs first round and missed a few key games against the Miami Heat during the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The 76ers were 51-31 last season and finished in second place in the Atlantic Division behind the Celtics. The 76ers are +300 odds to win the Atlantic this season, but they re worthy of a flier because of the shaky nature of the Nets and the Celtics missing their head coach.

Amidst the Durant trade rumors, the Toronto Raptors saw a spike in their futures prices across the board, including their NBA Championship odds, Eastern Conference title odds, and Atlantic Division odds. There was a week or two this summer when the Raptors were one of the leading contenders to land Durant in a trade with the Nets. With Durant remaining in Brooklyn for now, the Raptors are back to being the sleepy team north of the border.

The Raptors are led by Pascal Siakim, Fred VanVleet, and last year s NBA Rookie of the Year, Scottie Barnes. OG Anunoby asked the Raptors to trade him after he lost playing time to an up-and-coming Barnes.

The Raptors are a long shot to win the Atlantic at +1300 odds.  If the Raptors and head coach Nick Nurse can placate Anunoby, they can compete for the Atlantic title. Otherwise, they might be battling for a spot in the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament.