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[QUOTE="jncuse, post: 3649803, member: 1969"]
I think the Nets are the second best playoff team in the East if healthy.  But I am sure Durant will load manage, and the Artist will ask for similar load management.   The Artist will probably also have a few fits at some points.  So that limits their success in the regular season.   But they can certainly figure it out all out come play-off time.  So I would like their value at +260 to win the East, and not Toronto at +900.    But if we are talking about regular season it's a different sotry.

I like the value of the Raptors at +400 to win the Atlantic as compared to Brooklyn at +160.  I don't think the Raps are much of a playoff threat this year, but the Raptors have always been a good regular season team.  
The Raps were a 60-22 team last year paced over 82 games.  They played at a 63-19 pace in the 22 regular season games that Kawhi did not play in 2019.   They won 59 games the year before.   They seem to be equipped for regular season success.

They have a coach who is not afraid to play his guys heavy minutes, they don't load manage, and most importantly they play hard on defence with a desire to win as much as anybody (nature of the core).   It's a good formula for regular season success.   But when other teams ramp up the intensity in the playoffs that regular season edge for the Raptors is lost.

They are a little weaker than last year, but Gasol and Baynes is a wash.   The downgrade from Ibaka to Boucher is significant, but it can't be worth more than 5 games.
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