National Basketball Association

NBA: Previewing the Central Division

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Jun 22, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving, forward LeBron James and guard J.R. Smith laugh during the Cleveland Cavaliers NBA championship celebration in downtown Cleveland. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

As we enter the 2016-2017 NBA season, the Central Division has produced an NBA champion, the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Central Division should be an interesting division this season due to all the offseason moves that were made in order to compete in the East.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have finally won a championship in Cleveland for the first time in 52 years. The curse has been broken. Entering the NBA season, they will be defending their title. Like any other reigning champion, it isn’t going to be easy, as teams in the Central Division have made changes in their roster in order for them to compete with the Cavaliers.

The Chicago Bulls had quite an offseason, trading away Derrick Rose to the New York Knicks and Joakim Noah departing for New York. The Bulls, however, did add Rajon Rondo and surprisingly enough, Dwyane Wade to the roster.

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The Indiana Pacers also had a solid off season. Despite losing game seven to the Toronto Raptors, the Pacers added solid pieces in the offseason in order to contend for a championship.

The Detroit Pistons surprised everyone by making the playoffs and finishing eighth in the Eastern Conference. Despite them getting swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers, they did give the Cavs a hard time in the series. We will have to see how the Pistons respond this season after making it to the playoffs.

The Milwaukee Bucks can’t be counted out. They have a really young core that is ready to make a splash this season after missing the playoffs this season.

Let’s have a more in depth look in the Central Division.

Milwaukee Bucks

Apr 11, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Jabari Parker (12) brings the ball down court during the first quarter of a basketball game against the Orlando Magic at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

The Milwaukee Bucks perhaps has the most talented young roster this season. While they may have finished 33-59 last season, let’s not count out the Milwaukee Bucks just yet.

Led by Giannis Antetokuonmpo, the Bucks have a high ceiling. Aside from Antenekuonmpo, they still have Jabari Parker, who is improving, and Greg Monroe, who is a solid big man. With the addition of Thon Maker in the draft, the Bucks perhaps have the most athletic big men in the NBA.

With the additions of Matthew Dellevadova from Cleveland, Mirza Teletovic from the Phoenix Suns, and Xavier Henry, who just signed with the team recently, expect some scoring off the bench. Michael Carter Williams returning from injury also helps their cause. Before he got injured, MCW averaged 11.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game while shooting 45.2 percent from the field. His return will help the Bucks because he does everything for them.

Perhaps the player that will get the most attention is Antetokuonmpo. After the All-Star break, he averaged 19/9/7. Those are really good numbers as it shows he can do a bit of everything on the floor. Antetokuonmpo was at his best at the point guard spot because he was able to attack more and played a role as a play maker. While his three point shot (25.7 percent) and jump shot (24.3 percent) isn’t quite there yet, coach Jason Kidd was able to utilize Antetokuonmpo’s length and athleticism to attack the basket and make plays. Expect him to take a great leap forward in year four.

This season for Milwaukee should be an improvement. With Parker still getting better, expect the Bucks to make some noise in the Eastern Conference.

Detroit Pistons

Apr 24, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond (0) takes a shot during the first quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Coming off a playoff appearance, the Detroit Pistons made a lot of noise by finishing with a record of 44-38 last season and giving the soon to be NBA champions, the Cleveland Cavaliers, a tough four-game series.

Led by the improving Reggie Jackson, who averaged 18.8 points and 6.2 assists per game, expect him to step up more this season and emerge as a leader. Andre Drummond, who was named an All-Star last year, earned himself a five-year, $130 million contract. He averaged 16.2 points per game and led the league in rebounds at 14.8 per game. With that huge contract money being given to him, let’s see how he performs throughout the season.

The Pistons have solid young players such as Stanley Johnson and Kentavious Caldwell Pope. Expect Johnson to come off the bench with solid numbers as he is improving under coach Stan Van Gundy. Let’s not forget about Tobias Harris, who played a role in the Pistons’ playoff run, averaging 14.5 points per game in the postseason while shooting 45.7 percent on the field.

If Detroit wants to return to the playoffs and improve, it all lies on Drummond and the numbers he puts up. Jackson also has to step up as a leader if the Pistons want to improve. If young players like Johnson and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope improve, expect the Pistons to send themselves back to the playoffs for a second straight year.

Chicago Bulls

Jul 29, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Dwayne Wade (right) and Bulls general manager Gar Forman pose for a photo after addressing the media after a press conference at Advocate Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

One might say that the Chicago Bulls had the most intriguing offseaon this year. It all started when they traded Derrick Rose, Justin Holiday, and a 2017 second round pick to the New York Knicks for Jose Calderon, Robin Lopez, and Jerian Grant. This signaled the end of the Derrick Rose era in Chicago. Joakim Noah also left for the Knicks to a 4-year, 72 million dollar contract. Pau Gasol left for the San Antonio Spurs as well. These moves clearly show that the Bulls team are now Jimmy Butler‘s team.

Under head coach Fred Hoiberg, the Bulls have missed the playoffs, but with their offseason moves, we will see how Hoiberg responds in year two.

The Bulls seemed to be in a rebuilding mode, but they went right ahead and signed Rajon Rondo. Rondo, who averaged 11.9 points, 11.7 assists and six rebounds last year, was a player that the Bulls could not pass up. While he isn’t a shooter that Hoiberg needs, Rondo doesn’t need to shoot for the Bulls as he can facilitate to players like Butler, Doug McDermott, Nikola Mirotic, and others.

Perhaps the most surprising move of the offseason: signing Dwyane Wade. Wade, after a fallout with Pat Riley, decided to go back to his hometown Chicago. This season will be the first time that we will see Wade not in a Miami Heat jersey.

With these moves being made, this shows that the Bulls are still trying to remain competitive as possible. With Gasol’s departure, expect forwards like Taj Gibson, Mirotic, and Bobby Portis to have a bigger role for the Bulls at the 4 and 5. Lopez isn’t such a bad substitute himself. He gives the Bulls defense and is a durable player.

Perhaps the most intriguing matchup this season is the Bulls versus the Cavs. We get to see LeBron James and Dwyane Wade go at it again and this time as division rivals. With the Bulls having a young squad, expect Wade, Rondo, and Butler to lead the young Bulls this season. While Wade and Rondo said that the Bulls is “Jimmy Butler’s team”, how will the three of them mesh this season?

Indiana Pacers

Apr 26, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) controls the ball as Toronto Raptors guard Norman Powell (24) tries to defend during the fourth quarter in game five of the first round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. The Toronto Raptors won 102-99. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

Another team in the Central Division that made it to the playoffs last season, the Indiana Pacers didn’t go down against the Toronto Raptors without a fight. They took them to seven games but unfortunately, they couldn’t win game seven in Toronto. Nonetheless, the Pacers can only look forward and make things better.

The Pacers started off with not resigning Frank Vogel and promoting Nate McMillan, the assistant head coach, to the head coaching position. It’s clear the Pacers are looking in a different direction.

Indiana had a really solid offseason, acquiring Jeff Teague from three team trade that sent George Hill, their former point guard, to the Utah Jazz. The Pacers finally got themselves a solid point guard that they have been looking for a while now. Teague scores and he takes chances at the basket to score. Alongside Paul George and Monta Ellis, there will be a lot of points on the board.

The Pacers also acquired Al Jefferson from free agency. Jefferson is a solid center that can score with his back to the basket. As a veteran, he can help mentor Myles Turner, their draft pick from last year. He has huge potential and who better to help Turner reach his potential than Jefferson? Let’s not forget the acquisition of Thaddeus Young from the Brooklyn Nets, who can score, rebound, and play tough. The solid pieces that were added to the team can make them a real championship contender like they were a few years ago.

Speaking of Turner, he has potential to make more noise for the Pacers this season. In 60 games, he averaged 10.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game in 22.8 minutes. Those were pretty solid numbers for a rookie. If Indiana plans to go far, Turner will have to explode and improve in his second year, which he will. He has the tools to make a difference for the Pacers this season.

Although good moves were made this offseason for the Pacers, the team still runs through Paul George. Fresh off the gold medal from the Olympics, expect George to elevate his game to the next level and have his teammates following him as a leader. Expect really big things to happen to the Indiana Pacers this season as they look to contend for a championship.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Jun 22, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James celebrates during the NBA championship parade in downtown Cleveland. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Cavaliers, fresh off winning the NBA championship, will enter this season with a target on their backs. Despite all the drama dealing with the firing of former coach David Blatt and the hiring of Tyronn Lue, the Cavs still managed to pull of one of the greatest feats in NBA history. They defeated the 73-9 Golden State Warriors, who had the greatest regular season of all-time. It’s not about Cleveland beating them, but it was about how it happened.

The Cavs, down 3-1 in the series, were the first team in NBA Final history to come back from that deficit. Now, entering the 2016-17 season, they have a bigger target on their backs as teams like the Warriors have improved and retooled their roster. The main question is: how will the Cavs respond this season to defend their title?