NBA Central Division Preview
This division is easily the best division on paper before we tip off the first game of the 2005-2006 season. Detroit has a new coach in Flip Saunders. Larry Brown left Suanders arguably the best starting five in the NBA. The Indiana Pacers will have all-star Ron Artest back in the starting line up. Lebron James got much needed with the acquisition of Larry Hughes and Donyell Marshall. The Chicago Bulls are coming off their first trip to the playoffs since the Jordan era. The Bullls will be hard pressed to replace Curry in the post. Milwaukee will more than likely finish last in the division despite having one of the best offseasons of any team in the league. Detroit Pistons Flip Saunders has plenty of talent on his roster as he tries to take the Detroit Pistons back to the NBA Finals for the third straight season. The Back court is solid and possibly the best in the Eastern Conference with PG Chauncey Billups (16.5 ppg, 5.8 apg) and G Richard Hamilton (18.7ppg, 4.9rpg). The frontcourt is the best defensively in the entire league. Ben Wallace (9.7ppg, 12.2rpg, 2.38bpg), Defensive Player of the Year, anchors the post. Rasheed Wallace (14.5ppg, 8.2rpg, 1.46bpg) teams with Tayshaun Prince (14.7ppg, 5.3rpg) at the forward postions. F Antonio McDyess (9.6ppg, 6.3rpg) comes off the bench to provide solid depth in the front court and the addition of ageless Dale Davis adds even more. F-C Darko Milicic has shown some ability in the preseason and may get some minutes if he continues to improve. The Pistons are the reigning conference champs until another team represents the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals. Indiana Pacers The Pacers have two dominating most dominating forwards in PF Jermaine O'Neal (24.3ppg, 8.8rpg) and SF Ron Artest (24.6ppg, 6.4rpg, 3.1apg). Artest is coming off the biggest suspension in NBA history for going into the stands in the brawl in Detroit. If Artest can keep his cool the Pacers will be a threat in the East. Head coach Rick Carlisle did an incredible job last season to get the Pacers to the playoffs with all the injuries and suspensions that his roster endured. PG Jamaal Tinsley (15.4ppg, 6.4apg, 4.0rpg) is one of the most underrated floor generals in the league and needs to stay healthy to distribute the ball to his capable teammates. SG Stephen Jackson (18.7ppg, 4.9rpg) would be one my first picks to have with me in a bar brawl. Jackson has won a championship with the Spurs Helped Spurs win 2003 NBA Championship, averaging (12.8ppg, 4.1rpg and 2.7apg) assists in 24 playoff games. The Pacres will need to have F Jonathan Bender stay healthy this year and use his talents. Anthony Jones will back up Tinsley at the point. The Pacers have an ace up their sleeve with European superstar Sarunas Jasikevius. In three games against the U.S. in the 2004 and 2000 Olympics, he averaged 23.3ppg. Austin Croshere, Jeff Foster and David Harrison will solidify the post and free up space for O’Neal to operate inside. The Pacers are deep enough and have the Talent to win the division and then some. Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star G-F LeBron James (27.2ppg, 7.4rpg, 7.2apg) will come into his third season knowing that this time he has a supporting cast that can relieve the scoring burden off of his shoulders. The Cavaliers front office did a phenomenal job in the off season to improve the roster. They resigned All-Star C Zydrunas Ilgauskas (16.9ppg, 8.6rpg) and will be dominant if he can stay healthy Larry Hughes (22.0ppg, 6.3rpg, 4.7apg, 2.89spg) was brought in as a free agent to give the Cavs an outside scoring threat and one of the best perimeter defenders in the game. F Donyell Marshall (11.5ppg, 6.6asp) is one of the best 3 point shooters in the league and is capable of lighting up the scoreboard on any given night. PG Jones (11.6ppg, 4.3 apg, 226 3-pointers) ran the point for Miami last season and is deadly from far away. F Drew Gooden (14.4pp, 9.2rpg) has reported to camp in good shape and give the Cavs added toughness in the post. G-F Ira Newble will come off the bench to spell the guards. Youngsters G Sasha Pavlovic and F Luke Jackson will be very active coming off the bench. James needs to become a team leader and pick his spots during the season to ensure he doesn’t burnout when the playoffs roll around. Chicago Bulls Head Coach Scott Skiles could have easily been the coach of the year last season for getting the baby Bulls into the playoffs for the first time since the Jordan ERA. The Bulls did it the old fashion way, they earned it by allowing their opponents the lowest shooting percentage in the league. Ben Gordon, with his fourth quarter heroics, was the sixth man of the year but will be starting next this year next to PG Kirk Hinrich (15.7, 6.4 apg, 3.9 rpg) to form one of the best young courts in the league. The Bulls plan on moving C Tyson Chandler (8.0, 9.7, 1.76 bpg) to the pivot after re-signing him to a six-year, $75 million deal in the off season. The verdict is still out whether he will be able to fill Curry’s shoes in the pivot. I am very impressed with the Fs Andres Nocioni (8.4ppg, 4.8 rpg) and Luol Deng (11.7ppg, 5.3rpg) were solid contributors as rookies and should be better this season. Nocioni is an enforcer while Deng is the best offensive player in the front court if he can stay healthy. In trading Curry to New York the Bulls got a few post players that will give then added depth. Sweeny and Thomas will fill in nicely while free agent Songalia will provide scoring off the bench. The Bulls will not sneak up on anyone with their defensive intensity and will need more offensive success in the post to compliment the perimeter scoring. Milwaukee Bucks The Bucks were active in the off season getting help in the post for the outstanding perimeter. The first good move the Bucks made was landing HC Terry Stott, a disciple of George Karl. Michael Redd (23.0ppg, 4.2rpg) is one of the best shooter in the league. TJ Ford has recovered from his spinal cord injury and should make the Bucks offense go and will get the ball to Redd in the right spots. The most improved player last season, Bobby Simmons (16.4ppg, 5.9rpg, 2.7apg, 1.41spg), was signed after a stellar season for the Clippers and will be a consistent player for years to come. F Dan Gadzuric (7.3, 8.3 rpg, 1.31 bpg) will start or see significant minutes off the bench. Number #1 draft pick Andrew Bogut will need some time to adjust to the physical play of the NBA. In just the last few days the Bucks sent Desmond Mason and an unconditional draft pick to the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets in exchange for Center Jamaal Magloire (11.7ppg, 8.9rpg). This should ease some of the pressure off of Bogut’s shoulders and kept him simulate at his own pace. The Bench will be weak with Ervin Johnson trying to help in the post and Toni Kukoc coming in to spell the perimeter players. The Bucks will need time to learn Stott’s new system but they have the talent to improve as the season goes on. Expect to see a lot of offense out of the bucks this season.
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