The Central has been dominated by Chicago these last two years, but without Derrick Rose, the division is up for grabs. Indiana will enter as the favorite. They finished third in the East last year and bring back their starting five. Milwaukee barely missed the playoffs last year and look like they will be on the fringe once again. Cleveland and Detroit are rebuilding, hoping their young talent will pan out.
1. Indiana Pacers
Indiana surprised last year. They finished with the fifth-best record in the league and took Miami to six games in the second round of the playoffs. The Pacers play great defense, with center Roy Hibbert guarding the paint and the 6'10" Paul George using his athleticism to guard the perimeter. Indiana's offense starts with Danny Granger. He is a consistent 20-point scorer who can slash as well as shoot. Power forward David West and point guard George Hill round out the starting lineup. D.J. Augustin will be a key contributor off the bench. He is the new backup point guard following the departure of Darren Collison.
2. Chicago Bulls
Hearts across the Windy City were ripped out last spring when Rose went down with a severe knee injury in the first game of the playoffs. Bulls fans cannot wait to see their star on the court. Until then it's up to Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah to carry the load. Point guard will be by committee with Kirk Hinrich, Nate Robinson and rookie Marquis Teague all chipping in. Chicago needs Rip Hamilton to produce this year after being hurt most of last season. Taj Gibson will a key off the bench. He is a defensive upgrade and his play will determine if the Bulls amnesty Boozer after this season. Expect Chicago to finish in the 4-6 range in the East. Tom Thibodeau is a great coach and the Bulls play too good of defense to miss the playoffs.
3. Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks begin their first full season of the Brandon Jennings-Monta Ellis experiment. After trading Andrew Bogut last year, the Bucks will play a slew of big men including Samuel Dalembert, Drew Gooden, and rookie John Henson. Doron Lamb is another rookie that will give Milwaukee some scoring and shooting. And Ersan Ilyasova is a nice small forward who was among their leaders in scoring and rebounding last season. Back to Jennings and Ellis. Both these guys need to have the ball and both take a lot of shots. How is that going to work? It's up to coach Scott Skiles to figure that out.
4. Detroit Pistons
After missing the playoffs the last three years, the Pistons drafted another talented player in Andre Drummond. He is a raw center that will struggle to score right away, but has all the size and athleticism you could ask for. The Pistons have had success with their last two first-rounders. Greg Monroe is a nice big man who can score and excels at passing. Brandon Knight had a nice rookie year in 2012 and will be a solid point guard to build around. Veterans Tayshaun Prince and Corey Maggette will also provide some scoring, but it will be a long year in Detroit unless their young players can really improve.
5. Cleveland Cavaliers
After Dan Gilbert ate his words about his Cavs winning a championship before the King, he went out and drafted Dion Waiters fourth overall. While not a terrible pick, there were better players on the board. The Cavs love their point guard, Kyrie Irving, who is a rising star in the league. Cleveland will also rely on their two young big men, Tristan Thompson and Tyler Zeller. Thompson was drafted fourth overall last year and was likely the reason the Cavs didn't choose Thomas Robinson in the draft this year. Zeller is a nice center who has a high basketball IQ and can run the floor with ease. This Cavs team will go as far as Irving takes them, which is why it's important for him to stay healthy.
Stay posted as we preview the West, starting with the Pacific.
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