Knicks still on top as Towns, LeBron raise questions — Atlantic roundup

There were no Atlantic Division games on the schedule yesterday, but it was anything but quiet at the top of the conference. The Philadelphia 76ers (1-0) and New York Knicks (0-1) kept driving headlines for very different reasons, while the Toronto Raptors (0-1) continued to fine-tune their training camp roster.

Knicks: Towns uneasy as champs sit atop starting five rankings

Fresh off a championship and sitting No.1 in a new ranking of the NBA’s best starting fives, the New York Knicks enter the season as the league’s measuring stick. Beneath that shine, Karl-Anthony Towns’ contract situation is causing some concern. With preseason about to begin, Towns says an extension with the Knicks “doesn’t look good,” as the sides remain far apart on money. The contrast is stark: a starting unit rated as the best in basketball, but a cornerstone big man unsure about his long-term future at Madison Square Garden.

76ers: LeBron manages body as new-look lineup examined

In Philadelphia, the focus is split between LeBron James’ health and the feel of a revamped starting five. James is managing chronic arthritis in his left foot along with ongoing back treatment during 76ers camp, forcing the staff to balance his workload against the need to build early chemistry. That chemistry is under the microscope: the Sixers’ new-look starting group has been singled out in league-wide rankings for both its significant upside and the unanswered questions about how the pieces will mesh once the games count.

Raptors: Murray-Boyles comes in lean as Leonard rests and depth shifts

North of the border, the Toronto Raptors’ camp storylines are taking shape on three fronts. Collin Murray-Boyles has reshaped his body heading into his second season, pushing to carve out a bigger rotation role. Kawhi Leonard, meanwhile, is being managed cautiously and sat out the team’s first preseason game. That absence only highlighted concerns about the guards, who struggled to generate offense in that early outing. Around the margins, Toronto has joined several teams in making minor camp moves to adjust depth and search for better backcourt and wing combinations.

Elsewhere, the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets remain at 0-0 and largely off the radar for now, as the Knicks–76ers–Raptors trio continues to dominate the Atlantic conversation heading into the heart of preseason.