National Basketball Association

NBA Central Division: 5 Burning Questions For The 2016-17 Season

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 6:48 p.m. ET

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The NBA defending champions reside in the Central division, as do four other teams with playoff hopes. What burning questions await these teams?

Feb 1, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) dribbles the ball around Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Cavaliers won 111-106 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

The Eastern Conference’s Central Division has produced some of the greatest teams in recent NBA history. The Bad Boy Pistons, Jordan’s Bulls, Reggie Miller’s Pacers, the “No-Star” Pistons, LeBron’s Cavaliers. 27 of the last 30 years the Central Division has put a team in the Eastern Conference Finals, and 10 times over that span produced the NBA champion.

Last season the Cleveland Cavaliers continued the tradition, upsetting the Golden State Warriors and bringing home Cleveland’s first title in decades. Will the chemistry of last year’s Finals run keep this team rolling, or will they take their foot of the gas?

The Indiana Pacers and Chicago Bulls both overhauled their starting lineups, the former to “run” and the latter to … collect star power. Both are risking defensive traditions in order to ignite offenses and climb the standings. Will their offseason moves pan out?

The Detroit Pistons approached the season full of optimism for a bright future, but an injury to Reggie Jackson will hold them back out of the gate.

Similarly, the Milwaukee Bucks’ plans for a bounce-back year may have been sundered when Khris Middleton went down with a torn hamstring.

While the Cavaliers are a playoff lock, the other four teams could all finish from fourth to 14th in the conference. What early questions rise for each team? Will the answers help reveal the fortunes of the Central Division teams?

The burning questions start in Cleveland with a secretly large hole to fill in their backcourt.

Oct 10, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert (4), forward LeBron James (23), and forward Richard Jefferson (24) laugh on the bench against the Atlanta Hawks in the third quarter at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Cavaliers 99-93. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Will the Cleveland Cavaliers Miss Matthew Dellavedova?

Positions in the NBA are a fluid concept, especially in a world of switching and small-ball. The position a player mans on offense may be different than the role he fills on defense.

LeBron James is the epitome of this fact, running the offense at one end and guarding power forwards on the other.

Thus LeBron James has always spawned a certain type of role player, one who can play off-the-ball on offense while still guarding point guards at the defensive end.

Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole were such players in Miami, and Matthew Dellavedova was the man for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Dellavedova is a tenacious defender, hounding opposing ball-handlers until they give up the ball or make a mistake. His length allows him to guard every sort of point guard, and players from Stephen Curry to Jeff Teague struggled against his pesky defense.

On the other end of the court, Dellavedova fit perfectly with LeBron James. The Australian point guard hit better than 40 percent of his three-pointers last season, many of those catch-and-shoot receptions from James and the other Cavaliers.

Dellavedova will be just fine, moving from Cleveland to a Milwaukee team running their offense to a combo forward as well in Giannis Antetokounmpo.

He can continue to guard with ferocity and knock down open shots.

The unknown is with Cleveland and how they will replace Delly, especially with third point guard Mo Williams out after surgery earlier this month. Williams’ status is further complicated by his retirement talk and the fact he didn’t report to training camp.

Second-round rookie Kay Felder steps up as the nominal backup, unproven and unable to run an NBA offense at this early stage in his career.

While Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith are both able defenders, neither brought the hustle or drive that Dellavedova did each and every game. While the talent on Cleveland will sustain them at the same level, there is not one player on the roster to adequately replace Delly’s impact.

Oct 6, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers mascot Boomer entertains fans during a game against the Chicago Bulls at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Will Their New-look Offense Raise the Indiana Pacers’ Ceiling?

Last season a Pacers team projected to finish in the lottery fought their way into the playoffs instead, pushing Toronto to a Game 7 in their first-round series.

The team’s balance was a familiar one under head coach Frank Vogel, as the Pacers ranked third in defensive efficiency and 23rd on offense.

Team president Larry Bird made the decision that to win moving forward the Pacers needed more from their offense, and Vogel was sent packing. In his place assistant Nate McMillan was promoted to head coach.

McMillan previously coached in Seattle and Portland, where he amassed a .514 winning percentage.

The changes didn’t stop at head coach, as Bird reconstructed the roster as well. George Hill was traded for Jeff Teague to provide a new hand at point guard. Solomon Hill, Ian Mahinmi, and Jordan Hill left town, replaced by Thaddeus Young and Al Jefferson.

Bird wanted his team to play fast while not giving up any ground on defense, a combination that was to raise this team back to the level of contender.

Teague made an All-Star appearance with the Atlanta Hawks, initiating their egalitarian offense while in Atlanta. While ostensibly he plays faster than George Hill, his upgrade on offense is minimal compared to the downgrade defensively the swap will provide.

Add in Thaddeus Young at power forward, and along with shooting guard Monta Ellis the Pacers will be trotting out three minus defenders in their starting lineup, plus second-year player Myles Turner who is still growing into his role as rim protection.

Even if the offense leaps into the top 10, if the defense falls into the bottom 10 the myriad of moves won’t change their fortunes.

The issue is that even on offense the changes don’t make sense. McMillan is an experienced coach, but he never ran a fast-paced offensive system at his previous stops.

Teague, Ellis, and Paul George are all ball-dominant players — getting an offense to flow with those pieces will be difficult at best.

In making all of these moves, the Pacers may have moved their ceiling in the wrong direction. If defense wins championships, their new-look offense may win them a pick in next summer’s lottery.

Oct 17, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris (34) and guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (5) celebrates during the third quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Which Detroit Piston is Ready to Make “The Leap”?

In just two years Stan Van Gundy has completely remade the Detroit Pistons in his image. Offensively shooters surround the main action of a 1-5 pick and roll, and defensively Andre Drummond protects the rim while the rest of the team switches 1 through 4.

Using his cap space this offseason before signing Drummond’s max contract allowed Van Gundy to create a deep roster filled with young talent. No player on the team is older than 29, and the projected starting lineup averages out at 25 years old.

None of the core pieces will hit unrestricted free agency for another three seasons.

The Pistons made the playoffs last season as the eighth seed, and natural growth from the roster — plus offseason additions to shore up the bench — should result in more wins. But for the Pistons to truly climb the ladder they need one of their young players to make “the leap.”

There are three tiers of players on the roster, and each has room for growth. Andre Drummond is one of the league’s best centers, making the All-NBA 3rd team last season.

But he is a player with glaring weaknesses, especially his poor free-throw shooting.

Last season Drummond hit 35 percent of his free throws, and teams used that to stymie the Pistons’ offensive attack by intentionally fouling Drummond. Poor foul shooting is a nasty spiral, as players begin to change their aggressiveness because they are afraid to get fouled.

If Drummond can improve his foul shooting, cut down on turnovers, and add to his versatility scoring around the rim, he will pull this team up with him.

The Pistons have a few mid-tier players as well with room to grow. Reggie Jackson is a perfect fit for the Van Gundy system, with a natural feel in the pick-and-roll and great chemistry with Drummond. Jackson’s road to a breakout season is improved scoring, especially around the rim, and a reduction in turnovers.

Last year he was a fringe All-Star; if he comes back from injury as an improved player he could crack into the club.

Kentavius Caldwell-Pope and Tobias Harris are both talented rotation pieces, and each has upside as they grow into their roles. Caldwell-Pope is one of the league’s premier wing defenders, but offensively he has an opportunity to unlock even more ahead of free agency next summer.

Harris can score, but if he can improve his long-range shooting and lock in on defense this team could take another step forward with him.

Finally, the player most likely to see improvement is second-year player Stanley Johnson. Only 20 years old, Johnson already brings elite athleticism, strength, and swagger. Marcus Morris is a fine NBA player, but if Johnson can replace him in the starting lineup the Pistons’ ceiling goes up.

Regardless of where the improvement comes from, a leap forward by any of this team’s core could mean a much better finish to the season.

Apr 11, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Khris Middleton (22) drives against Orlando Magic guard C.J. Watson (32) during the first quarter of a basketball game at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Does the Loss of Khris Middleton Doom the Milwaukee Bucks?

Two seasons ago the Milwaukee Bucks shocked the league, winning 26 games more than the season before and boasting the league’s second best defense. Last year saw a fall back to earth as the team traded out veterans for younger options and added Greg Monroe.

This season was supposed to be the Bucks’ return to the postseason, where the length of their defense and the full arrival of Point Giannis was going to decimate opponents.

Then arguably their best two-way player in Khris Middleton went down with a torn hamstring, and his return is tentatively scheduled for March.

If Milwaukee is going to climb back into the postseason, the onus is on the rest of the roster to do so. The last two seasons they depended heavily on Middleton’s shooting and defense, and will need to replace both to field a competent team.

The Bucks are better equipped to replace the former this year, signing two above-average snipers in the offseason.

Matthew Dellavedova shot 41 percent last season from behind the arc, and Mirza Teletovic hit a shade less than 43 percent on his own triples.

While neither play Middleton’s exact position, more shooting on the roster will only help a team that was parched for them otherwise.

The defense on the wing will be more difficult to replace. Middleton’s replacements are a variety of young and mediocre players, none of which have consistently started in the NBA.

Rashad Vaughn was Milwaukee’s pick in the 2015 draft, but his play in preseason has demonstrated he’s not the answer on either end of the court. Rookie Malcolm Brogdon has defensive ability, but isn’t ready to shoulder a major minutes load as he adapts to the NBA.

That leaves Tony Snell, acquired from the Chicago Bulls a week ago. He has the physical tools to be a competent wing defender, and last season the Bulls were ten points better on defense than when he sat.

But his first two years in the league he was a poor defender; did he improve, or was last season more of a fluke?

For the Bucks to defend well enough to rejoin the playoff crowd, they need players to step up around the roster and fill in for Khris Middleton. While not the biggest name on the roster, Middleton was probably the team’s best player the last two seasons.

If Milwaukee can do so, there is enough talent to push into the bottom of the playoff bracket. But Middleton’s injury took a probability into a long shot, something Milwaukee fans did not want to hear.

Oct 6, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; (From R-L) Chicago Bulls Jimmy Butler, Rajon Rondo, and Dwayne Wade watch from the bench during their game against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Pacers won 115-108. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Can the Pieces Fit Together For the Chicago Bulls?

Two seasons ago the Bulls decided their coach was to blame for a mediocre finish, and Tom Thibodeau was sent packing. The team was both more injured and more inept last year under Fred Hoiberg, and so this past summer it was the team that experienced the major overhaul.

Former MVP Derrick Rose was traded to the New York Knicks in June, and Joakim Noah followed him there in free agency.

Pau Gasol signed with the San Antonio Spurs, E’Twaun Moore went to the New Orleans Pelicans, and Tony Snell was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks just days before the start of the season.

Chicago’s identity before last season was defense, and under Thibodeau the team consistently out-performed their talent and made it a fight for any team to score on the Bulls.

Last year Hoiberg attempted to install a wide open offense focusing on running the court and shooting three-pointers.

Somewhat amazingly, the Bulls managed to avoid both areas when adding players this offseason.

Chicago now has a trio of point guards, only one of which is a competent defender (the newly acquired Michael Carter-Williams) and none of which is even an average three-point shooter.

Rajon Rondo headlines the position, fresh off a season in Sacramento where he filled the box score while doing little to help his team win.

Dwyane Wade was the team’s biggest signing, as Wade gave up on the Miami Heat’s attempts at negotiation and went to his childhood hometown of Chicago.

At this point in his career, Wade is still a talented scorer with the ball in his hands. But his lack of regular-season three-point shooting and consistent defense make this another shaky signing.

Robin Lopez is the team’s new center, acquired in the deal for Rose. While a stout rebounder, Lopez is an average defender at best, and can score only when in direct proximity to the basket. He can neither replace Noah’s rim protection nor Pau Gasol’s scoring.

This leaves Fred Hoiberg with a difficult choice with his final starter. If he chooses Nikola Mirotic, the team will have only one plus defender in All-Star wing Jimmy Butler.

But if he goes with Taj Gibson to shore up the defense, no starter will be even an average three-point shooter. In today’s NBA, that’s a recipe for disaster.

In the end, Chicago may be too far into that recipe to stop now. The Bulls’ best playmaker is Jimmy Butler, but with Rondo and Wade aboard there will a lot of uncomfortable “sharing” as they try to exist together. The pieces don’t fit, and that’s not a sudden surprise for the Bulls.

After years of success under Tom Thibodeau, the entire Bulls organization seems to have lost its way. They don’t have an apparent plan, and they are not making smart moves. As the rest of the Central Division seeks to improve, the Bulls are heading in the wrong direction.