Ranking The Central
The Central Division wasn’t considered the best division in the NBA last season; in fact it may have been the worst division in the league. It was home to the team with the best record, however, in the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls used the weakened division to their advantage going 15-1 against division rivals, the best mark in the NBA.
The Indiana Pacers were the only other team from the Central to make the playoffs, and they made it with a losing record. The Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons, and Cleveland Cavaliers were all lottery teams this past season with Cleveland earning the second-worst record in the league.
With the draft having taken place and the Bucks, Pistons, and Pacers being involved in major draft day trades, it’s time to take a look at where these teams will finish in the 2011-2012 season.
1. Chicago Bulls
The Bulls aren’t going to sneak up on anyone this season, so it’s going to be very hard for them to repeat their surprise success of last year. They are bringing back almost their entire team, so it’s possible they come close to the 62 wins from the previous season. The only rotation players they may lose are Kurt Thomas to free agency and Keith Bogans, who has a non-guaranteed deal for next year so his future is still up in the air.
The Bulls have made it clear they intend to upgrade their weakest position, shooting guard. They have been linked to just about every available shooting guard via trade or free agency, from Monta Ellis to Jason Richardson. The issue of course, the Bulls are over the current salary cap and with a new CBA on the horizon it’s uncertain whether they will have any money to spend in free agency.
Also, for the Bulls to land a starting caliber guard via trade they will have to give up something. Taj Gibson and Omer Asik are the assets most teams covet. If both or either of them is moved, how do the Bulls replace what they do for the team? Gibson and Asik are rim protectors who fit into coach Tom Thibodeau’s defensive system perfectly.
If the Bulls do land one of these top shooting guards without having to give up a big part of their core, the Bulls should continue to the be one of the top teams in the East and a threat to make their first trip to the Finals since 1998.
2. Indiana Pacers
The Pacers made a draft day trade for George Hill that should help them get tougher as well as improve their cohesiveness on offense. Hill is a combo guard who will compete with Paul George for the starting shooting guard spot. He brings an unselfish attitude he acquired during his time with the San Antonio Spurs and the ability to score the ball from almost anywhere on the court. Whether he starts or fills the role of sixth man, Hill should help the Pacers improve on a 37-45 record from last season.
The big news with the Pacers though, is they are some 20 million under the cap, meaning they could be major players in free agency. With the acquisition of Hill, it’s likely the Pacers turn their free agent dollars towards finding a dominant power forward alongside center Roy Hibbert. The best power forwards on the market are a group including David West, Carl Landry, Kenyon Martin, and Kris Humphries. West figures to be a primary target.
The Pacers problems aren’t on the offensive end (they averaged almost 100 points a night), their issue is defense. Last season they gave up almost 101 points a game. If the Pacers can add another defensive piece or two, and their young guys, like Tyler Hansbrough and Darren Collison continue to improve, the Pacers will find themselves back in the playoffs for a second consecutive year.
3. Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks traded away the tenth overall pick in the draft and Corey Magette to add veteran leader Stephen Jackson. Jackson is expected to move right into the starting backcourt with Brandon Jennings and should help improve their offense, which scored the fewest points in the league last season. There is no question Jackson is an upgrade and his playoff experience will help the Bucks compete for one of the last spots in next year’s playoffs.
{AUTHOR_BOX}The real issue for the Bucks though, is Andrew Bogut’s health. Over the last three seasons Bogut has missed a total of 76 games, and last year even when he played he didn’t appear to be 100%. Bogut is crucial to everything the Bucks do on defense and offense. Over the last two years he’s averaged more than 2.5 blocks per game and for his career is better than a 52% shooter from the field.
If Bogut isn’t healthy, adding complementary pieces like Jackson, Beno Udrih, and Shaun Livingston won’t be enough to earn another trip to the playoffs. The Bucks need everyone from Jennings, Drew Gooden, and especially Bogut to not only be healthy, but also be at their best
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers are coming off a record setting year for futility that saw them lose 26 consecutive games and at one point 36 of 37 games. When it was all said and done the Cavs ended up with the second-worst record in the league and the top pick in the draft.
Cleveland selected point guard Kyrie Irving with the first overall pick and big man Tristan Thompson with the fourth pick. These two players give the team, and fan base hope for the future, but it’s unlikely they will help much this season in terms of wins.
It will also be interesting to see what the Cavs decide to do with veterans Baron Davis and Antawn Jamison. Both are likely to be on the trading block and could bring back assets that could help Cleveland in the future. Jamison is an expiring contract and while Davis may begin the year as the starting point guard, it’s hard to imagine he ends the year taking minutes away from Irving.
The Cavs won’t compete for a playoff spot this upcoming season, but with the defensive-minded Byron Scott coming back for a second season as head coach and the influx of athleticism Irving and Thompson will provide, it’s hard to imagine Cleveland being as bad as they were last year.
5. Detroit Pistons
Pistons fans and management have to hope last season was the team finally bottoming out. They missed the playoffs for a second consecutive year and won only 30 games. Unfortunately, they still haven’t hired a head coach and the roster is in flux with Tayshaun Prince and Tracy McGrady most likely leaving via free agency and Richard Hamilton has been on the trading block for almost a year.
The Pistons are one of the teams that are going to compete for the worst record in the league, and if they have the internal issues they had last year, like staging a boycott of practice, it’s quite possible they end up with the most ping-pong balls in the lottery.
The Pistons added combo guard Brandon Knight in this year’s draft and while Detroit believes he was the best player available, he also plays a position that is a strength for the Pistons. Rodney Stuckey and Ben Gordon are both players that need the ball in their hands to be at their best, and with Knight, those touches are going to go down.
If the Pistons can’t bring in a strong coach who can figure out a way to get everyone in the locker room on the same page, this could be one of the worst season’s in Pistons history.
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