Despite several offseason moves that have made the division a more dangerous place, the Celtics' sights remain set on the Heat.
HARTFORD – The Atlantic Division is strengthened. Celtics coach Doc Rivers knows it.
But despite several offseason moves that have made its division a more dangerous place, Boston's sights remain set on a Southeast Division team.
"We just feel like all the other teams are going to be just opponents – we're going to beat and handle them. But (the) Miami (Heat), we need to run through them," guard Courtney Lee said.
Lee arrived in Boston Sept. 4 and was surprised to see film of last season's Game 7 against the Heat playing in the practice facilities every day. Ironically, Lee sounded a bit like Heat forward LeBron James when discussing how many times Rivers mentions Miami each practice.
"Not once, not twice, not three times, but more," Lee said before the Celtics met the New York Knicks in a preseason contest at the XL Center Saturday night. "It's non-stop. Practice situations, it's like, 'What are you going to do? This is LeBron, this is (Dwyane) Wade.' We feel like we're going to play against them tonight."
Despite his obvious focus on Miami, Rivers did admit the Atlantic Division, which the Celtics have won for five straight years, has improved and shouldn't be as easy for the Celtics to dominate.
The Knicks made the playoffs last season, added several veterans and could benefit from a full year of chemistry between Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, assuming the pair's problems can be mended with a few game-plan changes and several Stoudemire sessions with Hakeem Olajuwon.
The Brooklyn Nets may or may not be able to defend the perimeter and likely won't have cap space for the foreseeable future, but they boosted their offensive firepower significantly and should be much more competitive.
The Philadelphia 76ers took the Celtics to seven games last season and could be more formidable with Andrew Bynum, especially against the chronically rebound-challenged Celtics.
When asked whether he considers the Knicks to be Boston's top competition in the Atlantic, Rivers said, "I think it's a deep division. I think obviously New York's one of them. Philly is improved. When you add a Bynum to your team, you're a better basketball team. New Jersey has improved – er, Brooklyn has improved. So it's going to be a hard division. We preferred it the way it was two or three years ago. Now, listen, you have to fight to win this division."
Rivers joked about not being considered such an old team when compared to the Knicks, who added four players at least 35 during the offseason – Pablo Prigioni (35), former Celtic Rasheed Wallace (38), Jason Kidd (39) and Kurt Thomas (40).
"They've surpassed us as being the oldest team. We enjoyed being called the new kids on the block, the young kids," Rivers quipped before turning serious. "But all of (their additions) can play. I think they'll help them."
The streak of division titles has been nice, but Lee didn't leave money on the table to join the Celtics just for a chance to log a better regular-season record than the Knicks.
"It feels good to have those conversations again, about winning a championship and really having that confidence and believing that we can get back to the Finals and win it," he said.