Division Previews: Central

Central Division

The Overview

A division that lacks supreme competition when compared to others. The Central division has been recently represented by Detroit and Cleveland. With both Milwaukee and Indiana undergoing the rebuilding stage, Chicago still remains searching for a playoff spot after a one-year absence. This year shouldn’t prove to be no different for this division. Some stories to take into account are Detroit’s small signs of deterioration, Chicago’s new leader and Milwaukee’s strong rebuilding efforts.

The Ranks

1. Cleveland Cavaliers
2. Detroit Pistons
3. Chicago Bulls
4. Milwaukee Bucks
5. Indiana Pacers

 

The Previews

1. Cleveland Cavaliers (45-37)

LeBron’s five years with Cleveland have been productively heroic. Since his arrival back in 2003, the atmosphere in Cleveland has been relatively positive. In an astonishing career doomed by lavish reliance. LeBron has undoubtly fulfilled all needs besides an actual Championship year for Cleveland a task that carries a strong degree of difficulty. This season bring forth different strokes for James and company. This off season, Cleveland’s roster changes shouldn’t change the team’s chemistry but should bring a stronger winning feel. Their losses weren’t tremendous (Damon Jones, Devin Brown) but they’ll have somewhat of an effect (Delonte West, Joe Smith). Wally Szczerbiak continues to become a small cancer for the rotation and his departure seems near. The main stories stemming from Cleveland include Maurice Williams arrival and his mesh with James on offense. Williams, who averaged 17.2 points and 6.2 assists for the Bucks last season, isn’t the final piece to the Cavaliers’ Championship hopes, but his presence will have a stabbing effect. This will be another phenomenal year for LeBron James, his experience will continue surface across the league.

Finals Odds: 86%

Player Spotlight: Delonte West

Delonte West’s 3-point shot with 5.4 seconds left that gave Cleveland a 3-1 lead over Washington in the first round may have been West’s biggest shot of his career, but there are more to come. West’s game all through college and the pros has been revolved around the killer instinct swirling around his left-handed jump shot. In college, West’s junior year was highlighted by his 23 points and 9.7 assists per game. Upon entering the NBA, West gained wholesome playing time in his second year, starting all 71 games he participated in for the Celtics. As a starting, he averaged 11.8 points and 4.6 assists per game while only having one year under his belt. His role was slowed down when he was traded to the Sonics due to Seattle’s depth in guards, but once he was traded to Cleveland, he once again showcased his game. With Mo Williams now a Cavalier, West will expect to continue his strong play after a great season that awarded him a multi-year contract with the Cavs in September.

Why they will be NBA Champions.

The Cavaliers were one win away from getting back into the Conference Finals last season. James put the scare on the Celtics after a last steal and dunk to make it a close one before getting eliminated. This season the roster hasn’t changed much really, since it didn’t really have to. Cleveland has the best player in the East and the last thing they want to do is ruin any chemistry that’s obviously building between the team. Instead, they added Mo Williams the quick and talented point guard from Milwaukee. Williams carries crazy ball handling skills along with a polished and deadly jumper. LeBron James will continue to feast on opposing defenses with a great reliable source to kick the ball back to in Williams. The Cavaliers also have one of the best defenses in the East. It’s obvious Ben Wallace has gone back a few steps but he hasn’t lost it all and should be set to lead their tall front court in stopping the ball and clearing the glass. Behind James, anything is possible for Cleveland. His ability to score at will is a factor that will put this club back into the Finals.

Why they won’t be NBA Champions.

The Cavaliers would have to run into Eastern heavyweights such as Boston, Detroit, and Orlando. Teams such as those can edge out James and the Cavs just like Boston and Detroit have done in the past. Pressuring Williams and putting a ridiculously strong effort to eclipse James on defense are the solutions to keeping this team away from going the distance.

 

2. Detroit Pistons (59-23)

“Detroit Basketball” remains the same. No grizzling roster changes, no isolated game plans, 8 consecutive winning seasons that have identified them as respectable playoff contenders and gave them six consecutive Conference Finals appearances. It seemed as though the system was about to going serious construction when trade rumors swirled throughout the media that had big-time success pieces such as Chauncey Billups or Rasheed Wallace going elsewhere. Thankfully, no trades were made and the Pistons remain basically the same. The loss of Lindsey Hunter will hurt some hardcore Detroit fans, but Rodney Stuckey’s impressive year last season provides the quick heal. Detroit’s coaching line has been impressive throughout their 8-year run (Carlisle, Larry Brown, Saunders), their 3 year deal with new head coach, Michael Curry will make it an interesting season for the Piston’s game plan. Their 2-year deal worth 8 million with the entertaining Kwame Brown is also another process to take into account for the team’s development.

Finals Odds: 84%

Player Spotlight: Rodney Stuckey

Stuckey’s college career can be explained by his nine 30-point games and three 10-assist games while playing for Eastern Washington University. In Detroit, the 6′5” guard emerged as a fearless player with a scorer’s mentality. Stuckey’s rookie season for Detroit was a solid one at best, but his playoff performances gave him prominent exposure. Stuckey’s pro career began with amazing stats during the post season, 32.1 ppg. and 9.1 apg. Then he broke his hand. The fracture caused him to miss a huge portion of the regular season, but his comeback provided compensation. While in the playoffs, under 23 minutes, Stuckey averaged 8.2 points and 3.4 assists per game last season. He became a reliability along with Maxiell off the bench. With the Pistons nucleus still intact, Stuckey should expect to get more playing time around a crafty set of veterans that should guide him to become a main attraction in Detroit.

Why they will be NBA Champions.

Next to the Spurs, the Pistons are one of the playoff teams to stay away from. Their expanding growth and experience in the post season has put them above the rest when it comes to the games that actually matter. Even though they showed some slip up last season to Philadelphia, the Pistons are best at exploiting team’s weaknesses. They were on the verge of completely destroying the team’s nucleus but didn’t in the end. Detroit comes back into this season with Maxiell in the starting line-up, his play will damage opposing defenses nightly. When it comes to serious, realistic talk, the Pistons always have their name in the bag and it should remain that way with their youth players adapting to the winning scheme.

Why they will be NBA Champions.

Poor, lackadaisical shooting could be one of the key things preventing this team from moving deeper into the post season. The Pistons can’t run out of gas in the post season, nor show any signs of age. The team still lacks a true center and can’t afford Rasheed to play emotionless in the playoffs. It will be interesting to see what they do to Kwame Brown, as long as they keep the ball away from him when it matters late in the season.

 

3. Chicago Bulls (33-49)

The new era begins. First-time coach, Vinny Del Negro and the number one Draft pick, Derrick Rose arrive in Chicago to give the Bulls a winning face. The six-year extension with Loul Deng is bigger than anyone can imagine for this franchise. The Bulls possess one of the deepest rosters in the league. Tyrus Thomas’ breakout year is still on hold, and the Bulls’ low-post scoring remains as the only issue. Collectively, this group will provide it’s loyal followers a bright season and future. While the Eastern Conference remains to get stronger, Chicago’s playoff hopes turn into a squeeze. Their off season proved out to be strong after finally settling a deal with their most efficient shooter, Ben Gordon in the beginning of training camp.

Finals Odds: 59%

Player Spotlight: Tyrus Thomas

Tyrus Thomas’ pro-career began when he was drafted by the Blazers as the fourth overall pick to then be traded to the Bulls. The Bulls gave up their number 2 draft pick, LaMarcus Aldridge, in hopes that the 6′8” forward would errupt to a killer in the front court. They targeted his freakish jumping ability along with his great shot-blocking skills. In his first year with Chicago, Tyrus had his limited moments of explosiveness, but lacked productivity for the Bulls with 5.2 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. Heading into his second season, many expected Thomas to break out or at least have a much better season but Tyrus just couldn’t live up to the expectations. Heading into future years, it’s relatively hard to count out Tyrus Thomas’ potential with the exclusive shades of blocks and dunks he sparingly has throughout the season.

Why they will be NBA Champions.

With Derrick Rose now on board, Chicago’s upcoming season will catch plenty of attention whether they do good or bad. Rose, who isn’t afraid the attention and can easily get dirty when in the big stage could benefit from this. Derrick’s last college game turned out to be the National Championship game. Despite the loss, Rose tallied 18 points, 8 rebounds and 6 rebounds, his play doesn’t change when the stakes are high. After such a bad season, people tend to forget this team was two wins away from playing in the Eastern Conference Finals two seasons ago. The Bulls are a young and talented team that could get it together with new leaders in their coaching and point guard spots.

Why they won’t be NBA Champions.

It’s kinda hard to completely swap a team’s attack when they were ranked 26th in offense and only notably added Derrick Rose to the roster to change everything. Unless there’s an unmatchable chemistry within the team’s guards, the Bulls could be headed for a better season than last year, while still missing the playoffs.

 

4. Milwaukee Bucks (26-56)

Another team that faced immense changes. Unfortunately, all these changes will move them one or two spots higher than what they finished last season. The woe-shooting Desmond Mason is gone, along with Bobby Simmons and Yi Jianlian. New arrivals such as Richard Jefferson, Luke Ridnour and rookie, Joe Alexander are players worth watching for avid Milwaukee followers. The mix between the new and old players is also an stimulating factor. Michael Redd’s patience with below-average disappointing seasons is beginning to hit Jermaine O’Neal status.

Finals Odds: 31%

Player Spotlight: Ramon Sessions

The 56th pick in the 2007 NBA Draft from the Bucks turned out to be Sessions, a 6′3” point guard with great decision making and passing skills. Sessions’ negatives were listed as a poor shooter that lacks the league’s average athleticism. After spending some time in the NBDL, once averaging 29.6 points, 8 rebounds and 12.3 assists per game in three games for his team, Sessions was moved back up to the Bucks. In his debut, the weaknesses were exposed, when he scored just two points. Sessions continued going at it with the Bucks, play less than 10 minutes in his first five games. In his ninth career game, he sank a game-winning shot to beat the Wizards and get his name cycling through the league. Four days later, Ramon had his breakout game, scoring 8 points and 10 assists. From then on, Sessions averaged exactly 13.4 points and assists in his final seven games for Milwaukee. Most notably, on April 14th, when the rookie went on to break a franchise record, with 20 points and 24 assists. Sessions’ late stats marked him as assist machine for the Bucks’ exotic offense, with Williams gone, he should see more looks for his teammates and possibly new records.

Why they will be NBA Champions.

The Bucks made a healthy amount of shifts to their roster heading into the 2009 season, adding some more veterans to their young team. Richard Jefferson is a straight baller for the league and even though he may not like his new location, it’s not going to change. Assuming that Redd brings that winning attitude he received from the Olympics, Bogut, Jefferson and Villanueva would help push this team to make them a contender. This team does have size along with perimeter shooting, mixing both of these elements correctly could be deadly.

Why they won’t be NBA Champions.

Neither Ramon Sessions or Luke Ridnour can turn into destructive point guard machines overnight. This team needs a strong point guard with experience to bunch this squad together right. Even though they’re tall, this team could be one of the softest in the league. It’s been five years since this team had a winning record, it’s doubtful they’ll strap things together so quick after a 26-56 finish last season.

 

5. Indiana Pacers (36-46)

After their first year under Coach O’Brien the Pacers couldn’t avoid their need for more weapons on the floor. The season began with an impressive 3-0 start, before dipping into a 6 game losing streak, that became the story of the season. Relying on Danny Granger and Mike Dunleavy isn’t always a pleasant compromise, therefore their losses continued to stack up throughout the year. Their off season was expected to be something to watch, and it was. Indiana nearly cleaned house, taking away the former face of the franchise in Jermaine O’Neal. But the current young Indiana crew consisting of newcomers, T.J. Ford, Jarrett Jack, Brandon Rush, Roy Hibbert and Nesterovic isn’t a horrendous bunch.  The Pacers defy reconstruction. With all these guards, Jamaal Tinsley’s days are numbered, which isn’t a terrible thing. The maturation and development of Granger appears to be going super, with Granger averaging 5.7 more points per game than last season. Time will be the only tough thing to swallow for this team’s success.

Finals Odds: 24%

Player Spotlight: Danny Granger

The young Granger entered the NBA during the downside of the Pacers franchise. His rookie year was a decent one, with humbling stats of 7.5 ppg. and 4.9 rpg. As the Pacers continued to deteriorate, Granger’s role grew more and more. He saw much more playing time in his second season, starting 57 games compared to his rookie season’s 17. Last season Granger’s role exploded, averaging 19.6 ppg., 2.1 apg., and 6.1 rpg. Danny became a default starter for Indiana, starting the 80 games he played. Still, the 6′9” forward is only 25 years of age with a bright future in front of him. In a roster stuffed with swingmen around his size, Granger’s unique skill will continue to help lead Indiana to a better future. 

Why they will be NBA Champions.

Four years ago, Indiana possessed the best record in the league at 61-21 (yes, that includes the Western Conference). Of course, times have changed and so have the people, drastically. With all these new players in the Indiana line-up, players such as T.J. Ford, Jarrett Jack and Brandon Rush are paired alongside Daniels, Granger and Dunleavy. Who knows, Ford and Granger could develop some magic wins to develop a winning groove for this struggling team to slip them into the post season. Maybe the player Indiana receives for Tinsley could add on to that groove. 

Why they won’t be NBA Champions.

The Pacers are simply not ready to face what their opponents will bring to the table this season. Nearly every time stacks up better than this club, making it nearly impossible for this team to create runs. The team lacks a true, bonafide, compelling leader and won’t see success until they find one.