2013-2014 Central Division Projections

Last season the Indiana Pacers pushed the Miami Heat to the brink of elimination. The Heat’s athleticism was front and center as they escaped the Pacers in a grueling seven-game Eastern Conference Finals series. The Pacers have entered this season as an improved team that is not only looking to get past the Heat in the Eastern Conference, but to also claim their first NBA Championship.

Larry Bird has returned to the Pacers as team president and just as he did in 1998 when he was the team’s head coach, he is trying to get this team over the hump. Bird has improved Indiana’s bench by signing former New York Knicks small forward Chris Copeland, former Brooklyn Nets guard C.J. Watson, and former Houston Rockets forward Luis Scola.

The Pacers are returning their top five scorers from last. Center Roy Hibbert only averaged 11.9 points per game during the regular season, but he increased that to 17 points per game last season in the playoffs. As a result of a knee injury forward Danny Granger was only limited to five games last season, but he has been declared healthy this season which is going to add depth to an already deep Pacers basketball team. Granger has averaged 18.1 points per game for his eight-year NBA career as he was the unquestioned leader of the Pacers. Granger’s role on this team has changed with the emergence of small forward Paul George. Last season in Granger’s absence, George made the most of his opportunity as he averaged 17.4 points per game and earned his first NBA All-Star Game appearance. George has parlayed that into a five-year, $90 million extension to remain with the Pacers which will eliminate any speculation about him leaving next summer as a free agent.

At 45.9 rebounds per game, the Pacers led the NBA in rebounding last season and with a frontcourt of Hibbert, George, Granger, Scola, and power forward David West, that should once again be the case for this season.

Pacers head coach Frank Vogel is hoping to see improved play from his starting backcourt of George Hill and Lance Stephenson. Last season what Stephenson’s third year in the NBA and it was his first year as a starter as he enjoyed career-highs in points (8.8) and rebounds (3.9). Stephenson also was a 46 percent field goal shooter as he is becoming more important to the Pacers team.

This Pacers team is expected to big things in the regular season, but they will be solely judged on what they can do in the playoffs.

Last season was a tough one for the Chicago Bulls, but this band of brothers pulled together for a respectable campaign. The Bulls were without the services of former NBA MVP in point guard Derrick Rose as he recovered from knee surgery. The Bulls went 45-37 in the regular season before they upset the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. The Bulls would go on to lose in the second round of the playoffs to the Miami Heat as they were severely overmatched. Now with a healthy Rose the sky is the limit for the Bulls.

Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau has always preached defense as the Bulls were third last season in points allowed (92.9) and ninth in opponents field goal percentage (.443) You can expect that trend to continue again this season. The Bulls are a tough, hard nosed team that feeds off of the energy of Thibodeau.

Center Joakim Noah is a double-double machine as he averaged 11.9 points per game and 11.1 points per game. Forward Luol Deng averaged 16.5 points per game while forward Carlos Boozer averaged 16.2 points per game. Noah, Boozer, and Deng should be able to see an increase in their offensive productivity for the upcoming season due to Rose’s penetrating ability.

The Bulls bench is once again strong with the addition of small forward Mike Dunleavy who has averaged 11.9 points per game for his 11-year NBA career. The Bulls bench is fueled by forwards Taj Gibson and Jimmy Butler who can explode for 20 points on any given night. Former Bulls first round pick Kirk Hinrich returned to the Bulls last season and his presence will once again be vital in a backup role behind Rose.

After taking a step back last season with Rose expect the Bulls to once again be one of the top-tier teams in the Eastern Conference.

There was a time when deep playoff runs and the Detroit Pistons went hand and hand. The Pistons have not made the NBA Playoffs since 2009, but there is some optimism this season in Motown. Pistons general manager Joe Dumars was extremely active in free agency in the hopes of building a playoff team. Former Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith signed a four-year, $54 million contract to join the Pistons. Dumars also acquired guard Brandon Jennings from the Milwaukee Bucks via a sign-and-trade. Veteran point guard and former NBA Finals MVP Chauncey Billups returns to the Pistons as he had his best years of his NBA career in Motown. The Pistons also have a new head coach in one of Dumars’ rivals during his NBA playing career in Maurice Cheeks. Cheeks was previously a head coach in the NBA with the Portland Trailblazers and Philadelphia 76ers as his coaching experience should be vital in blending young and old on this Pistons team.

Jennings will be a focal point of the Pistons offense, but he cannot try to be everything by himself as this team isn’t built for that. Detroit has a young and athletic frontcourt with Smith, center Greg Monroe, and power forward Andre Drummond. Last season Monroe lead the Pistons in scoring (16.0) and rebounds (9.6) and he knows how to run on the fast break. Drummond is just beginning to come into his own as he is still raw, but extremely talented. 

Getting off to a good start is imperative for this team. The Pistons face the Pacers in the third game of the season which will be the litmus test to see just how much this team has improved.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have not had a winning season since the 2009-2010 NBA season which was also the last season in which LeBron Jam
es suited up for the Cavaliers. The ping-pong balls at the NBA Draft Lottery have gone the way of the Cavaliers as they have earned the first pick of the draft in two of the last three years. Being that the city of Cleveland isn’t a hot destination for big-name NBA free agents, the Cavaliers know that they must build through the draft and for their general manager Chris Grant, that is exactly what he is doing.

The Cavaliers have their backcourt in place with point guard Kyrie Irving and shooting guard Dion Waiters. Last season Waiters and Irving combined to average 37.2 points per game, but they also combined to miss 44 games. Irving has the potential to become one of the best point guards in the NBA, but unfortunately he hasn’t been able to stay healthy during his brief NBA career.

The Cavaliers had the first overall pick of last summer’s NBA Draft which they used on UNLV forward Anthony Bennett. In his one season at UNLV, Bennett averaged 16.1 points per game and 8.1 rebounds per game as the Cavs love his potential.

The man that is charged with getting this young core to work together is Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown. From 2005-2010, Brown oversaw the greatest era of Cavaliers basketball as the team went to the NBA Finals in 2007 for the only time in franchise history. Brown was fired in 2010, but cooler heads have prevailed and he is once again the man leading the way in Cleveland.

In spite of the city of Cleveland not being a hot landing spot for free agents, the Cavaliers were able to sign a few players in free agency in point guard Jarrett Jack and center Andrew Bynum. Bynum is only 25-years of age, but you wonder if his best years in the NBA are in the rear view mirror? Bynum was a two-time NBA Champion as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, but knee injuries have slowed him down. Prior to the start of the 2012-2013 NBA season Bynum was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. After undergoing knee surgery last year Bynum never suited up for the 76ers, but he is looking to revitalize his career in Cleveland as he has averaged 11.7 rebounds and 7.8 rebounds for his seven-year NBA career. Jack has averaged 11.0 points and 4.4 assists for his eight-year NBA career, but more importantly he is a veteran point guard that will teach Irving the tricks of the trade as well as pushing him for minutes on the floor.

The Cavaliers have the potential to be a playoff team, but it revolves around the health of Irving, Waiters, and Bynum.

Last season the Milwaukee Bucks were a playoff team, but they will have a completely different feel in the upcoming season. Former Atlanta Hawks head coach Larry Drew is the new man in charge for the Bucks as he is charged with getting Milwaukee to the postseason in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2004. Before the ink could dry on Drew’s contract he lost the services of his potential starting backcourt as Monta Ellis signed with the Dallas Mavericks and Brandon Jennings signed with the Detroit Pistons. To offset the loss of both Ellis and Jennings, Bucks general manager John Hammond signed shooting guard O.J. Mayo. For his five-year NBA career Mayo has averaged 15.2 points per game, but those numbers should increase this season as he will be more of a featured player in Milwaukee.

When Jennings was traded to the Pistons, the Bucks received a young point guard in return by the name of Brandon Knight. Knight is only 21-years of age and he is still trying to find his way as an NBA point guard. Knight won’t provide the scoring like Ellis or Jennings could, but he is a building block for this team.

After 12 seasons in the NBA it is a homecoming for small forward Caron Butler who is a native of Racine, Wisconsin. Butler has averaged 15.5 points per game for his NBA career, but I don’t see him finishing the season in Milwaukee as he should have some value on the trade market this winter.

What Drew will bring to the table is a team basketball approach which will allow forwards Larry Sanders and Ersan Ilyasova to be apart of the offense. Ilyasova averaged a career-high in points per game last season with 13.2 as he should benefit with the departure of both Jennings and Ellis. If Knight can become a deadly penetrator it will help Mayo, Butler, and Ilyasova on the wings while Sanders can crash the boards.

The Bucks will fly under the radar all season in the Eastern Conference and it will be important for them to establish some continuity early.