5 Things I Think I Know About the Central Division
With the vision of the 2009-’10 NBA season becoming more and more clear each day, we’ll take a look at each division and what we think we know about each. Sure, there are a lot of things that could change before opening day, but we have a pretty good idea of how each team will look and where we think they’re headed in the upcoming year.
First up, 5 things I think I know about the Central Division …
5. I think I know that the Cavs will be the most-hyped team in the League.
Is this any surprise? With two of the most well-known basketball players in the world playing on the same team, you’ll have no problem finding storylines to talk about in Cleveland. Though, to be fair, I think the hype is both legit and deserved. Not only do they have one of the best starting fives in the NBA with the acquisition of Shaq, they now have a very deep bench with the additions of Jamario Moon and Anthony Parker. Hell, they could still add a fairly big name player that can contribute by the time the season starts. We all know that Shaq certainly brings with him a media storm to an already heavily publicized team, but unlike his hype on the Suns, this time it’s actually worth hearing.
4. I think I know that the Pistons off-season won’t make them a better team.
I’ll preface this by saying that if you’re going to use almost all of your $20 million in cap space, and you’re not going to wait to rebuild, and you don’t wait to see what other options are out there, and you don’t expect (or want) to contend for a championship for a very long time, and you want to masquerade as an “improved” team … then Detroit’s off-season wasn’t all bad. Joe Dumars essentially gave up on any big name free agent signing in 2010 with the additions of Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon. Doing so, Charlie and Ben will join Detroit’s squad of an aging Rip Hamilton, an underrated Tayshaun Prince, and Rodney Stuckey as their top-tier players. Really? That’s worth $20 million? Originally, when I heard of this deal, I thought they might use Ben and Charlie as trade bait; but their bloated contracts leave nothing to be desired by other teams. I envision no more than 45-48 wins by the Pistons max for the next several years. Sorry, Detroit fans. You deserve better.
3. I think I know that the Pacers and the Bucks will combine for about 65 wins.
Both teams have star players (Danny Granger, Michael Redd), both have solid role players (Mike Dunleavy, Andrew Bogut), and both have rookies that should be fun to watch (Tyler Hansbrough, Brandon Jennings). But, does anyone really think that either team will win more than 30-35 games each? They didn’t do enough to bolster their team’s inefficiencies, they play in a very competitive division, and both teams don’t have a very deep bench. Last season, the Pacers and Bucks combined for 70 wins. However, with a much improved division and conference, both teams should see their total wins drop closer to 32 or 33.
2. I think I know that the Bulls are, as always, unpredictable.
Did anyone expect them to play as well as they did against the Celtics in the playoffs last year? Sure, Boston was without KG but Chicago played their ass off each game and won the respect of basketball fans everywhere. This season, however, is a bit more unpredictable not just with the loss of Ben Gordon to the Pistons, but with a possibly healthy Luol Deng, and the ever-so-often head-scratching moves of 2nd year coach Vinny Del Negro. Will the Bulls find a way to make it work on a consistent basis? Will they have the same head coach to end the year as they did at the beginning? Will Derrick Rose blossom into a top-three point guard? You could make a case for so many things that could or couldn’t happen on this Bulls team … but that’s what we’ve come to expect from Chicago.
1. I think I know that the Central Division will be the most interesting to follow in the NBA.
How could it not be? With Lebron, Shaq, Rose, Granger, the new-look Pistons, and a handful of exciting rookies to look out for including Brandon Jennings, the Central Division is (finally) going to be entertaining to watch all around. Don’t you agree? You could find multiple reasons to watch every team in this division. Whether it be for star-power on the Cavs, catching a Bulls game to see Rose’s crossover or Del Negro’s miscues, or even the Bucks to check in on Jennings’ progress, each team will be entertaining (to say the least) in 2009-’10.
What’s your take on the Central Division?
5 Things I Think I Know About the Atlantic Division
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August 6th, 2009 at 11:24 am
The Real Tyrone says:
You ain’t know shit yo.
No doubt y’all that them Pacers make them playoffs - team’s lead by a talented cat granger and got some solid ballers around him y’all. Them Pistons are definitely gonna be rockin the Palace this year - they won’t be winning no championships but a sweet-shootin cat like Ben Gordon’s gonna be helpin them make them playoffs y’all.
True thugs never lie.
-The REAL Tyrone
August 6th, 2009 at 11:42 am
Otto says:
Yeah and true thugs don’t post detailed critiques of entries on internet sites either.
August 6th, 2009 at 11:49 am
YOUNGFED says:
Trust in Joe D “WE DO!!!!”
August 6th, 2009 at 11:49 am
karizmatic says:
Yeah Cleveland will be the most hyped team in the league mos definitely, though they really did nothing to address the matchup problems they had with Orlando. If I was Mike Brown I’d start Parker at the two and start West at the point. Of course that’s never going to happen but at least I can try that lineup on 2k10.
I think the Pistons have one more blockbuster trade in them and we might see them become a team to watch. If they keep what they currently have then yeah they will probably be a 40-45 win team. I’m expecting a trade of Rip or Tayshuan or maybe even both before all-star break.
I think the Pacers can win at least 40 games this season. I think they might surprise a lot of people. Granger is really their only big offensive weapon but he’s dangerous. It depends on how TJ Ford plays so that kind of sucks for them. Nonetheless Pacers and Bucks? Yeah they only win about 65 combined even if the Pacers put up 40 wins. I think you’re underestimating the Pacers and overestimating the Knicks though.
I think the Bulls are going to be solid this year. I love their lineup if they go with Rose, Salmons, and Deng on the perimeter. Thomas isn’t the greatest but I like how he fits with Chicago, same with Noah. They are going to be a good team. I actually think the loss of Gordon is going to help them. I don’t think too highly of him.
August 6th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
LB says:
I think I know that the Pacers will have the whitest squad this year. They can trot out a lineup of Travis Diener, Mike Dunleavy, Troy Murphy, Psycho-T, and Jeff Foster haha.
August 6th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
JH says:
The “REAL” Tyrone is right about Granger and the Pacers potential…but has to keep in mind that not everybody can come out of a division a winner. Even the dreaded Southwest division with the “Texas Triangle” & New Orleans has Memphis to beat up on.
Last year…only 1 team (Cleveland) came out of the Central with a record above .500. I don’t expect that the Central division to suddenly morph into the Southwest and have 4 legit playoff teams. For every winner…there has to be a loser.
August 6th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
Mark says:
Dont sleep on the bucks, they were pushing for playoffs until injuries caught up with them, this year a healthy redd and bogut plus a bunch of young guys (Johnson, Jennings, Warwick, Alexanda, Sessions??) could make a run, skiles will have this bunch playing D and pushing the tempo, although he will probably do himself out of a job in doing so, just like in chicago!
August 6th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
slikrik says:
What the f is ben york talking about with the bucks and pacers only winning a combioned 65 ish games ?? Indiana was a handful of close games away from making the playoffs, and with danny buckets making setady progress, no reason they dont or cant win at least 40 games.
August 6th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
DuckIII IS GAY says:
Luol Deng is the most overrated player in the league. He can’t shoot 3’s, take an old woman off the dribble or play in the clutch. He is pure crap. A finesse power forward pretending to be a 3. He is also the most brittle player in the league.
August 6th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
Steve says:
I know I know that Ben York doesn’t know jack chit about much of anything.
Your whole entry is just silly and shows that you have about as much knowledge of the NBA than a slightly uninformed fan in Memphis does.
August 6th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
the_don_mega (representin' the 3 stars and a sun) says:
“Not only do they have one of the best starting fives in the NBA”
- i ‘m not sure about this…
August 6th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
Kudabeen says:
Ben:
Tayshaun is underrated??? He dogged it…His playoff performance was as if he just some stole his game (think Space Jam)…He was a major reason Detroit sucked, because he wasn’t getting involved to fill the gaps like years past…Things got tough and Piston fans really got to see “best” of their players. Antonio, Bynum, and Jason were the only ones willing to get dirty…Stuckey too, but I’m not feeling him due to the fact that he is being given way too much way too fast…We’ll see what he becomes.
I do want to see them send RIP packing…Send him to the Mavs for Josh Howard and both teams get better…
Or if they can flip either him or Prince for AK47 both teams get better…
August 6th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Ben York says:
@Kudabeen - I agree about trading Rip, but Prince was injured in the playoffs, that’s the sole reason why his performance was lacking.
August 6th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
Darkness says:
lol good one Otto
5) Them and the Celtics
4) They’ll be better, just not that much better. They subtracted AI, whose impact was minimal, yet added Gordon and Villanueva, plus Stuckey got a full year as a starter.
3) Haven’t watched enough of their games to comment
2) Agreed. Too many question marks. You D-Rose will improve significantly, you know Salmons will keep gunning, but after that? Which Loul Deng will show up this year. How much (or how little) will thier young bigs progress?
1) I can see that
August 6th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Nukky G. says:
Cavs 63-19
Pistons 43-39
Bulls 41-41
Pacers 38-44
Bucks 36-46
August 6th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
Ben York says:
@Nukky G - I like those picks. I’d have the Bucks and Bulls a bit lower but all in all, solid.
August 6th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
Brown says:
The signing of Gordon should be the writing on the wall that Rip is on the trade block. No way they can keep both of them happy. I don’t see Gordon as an $11 million sixth man.
August 6th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Ben York says:
@Steve - Thank you for the kind words. Out of curiosity, what don’t you agree with? The Cavs won’t be good? It’s not an exciting division?
August 6th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
james p says:
come on now. They bucks should at least get around 40 wins. they were in the playoff hunt until the about the march without micheal redd. next season they will have both plus warrick , jennings, and hopefully an improved alexander.
August 6th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
the cynic says:
This division is boring, unless pre-game rituals are your thing
August 6th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
BERN BROGDEN aka BINO BROWN STR8 UP N DOWN says:
5. I KNOW you’re right about this one!
4. It won’t make them better in the short-run but I see cap space and 4 studs, 5 including “AGING” Rip. Sooooooo, the future they might end up being better.
3. I want to agree but I can see the Pacers hanging around at the 8 or 9 spot. But yeah, BUX - GONE. PISTONS - FORK IN IT…hmmmmm, INDY - MAYBE.
2 YUP - And if Tyrus and Noah really step up thier O…ooooooOOOOOHH BOY!
1. It’s only because of that hyped up team…
…or Dumas doings…or Larry’s ‘dream’ team…or Jennings runnin-n-gunnin with Redd…or that unpredictable squad….so I guess it seems…
You MIGHT be right but I like the Atl and SW divisions BETTER.
August 6th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Heckler...formerly 'Yallallreadyknow' says:
Ben York
man, you are reaching. where the hell did dime find you? must be some nepitism going on in that office.
Central division will be the most interesting to follow? PLEASE tell us you are not serious?!!? it never has been, and it never will be.
August 6th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
Nukky G. says:
@ James P
Warrick and Jennings are both solid additions and I’m a huge fan of Meeks (although he has to learn to do things other than scoring) but they still lost Jefferson and Sessions is as good as gone.
40 W’s isn’t out of the question, but I see that as their ceiling. I guess we’ll all just have to wait and see…
August 6th, 2009 at 7:04 pm
sans says:
Pacers will beat out the Pistons for the playoffs.
This is the second time I’ve said it, the Pistons have no frontline anymore. BG didn’t hurt the Bulls because their big men were all hustle guys with limited skills. They rebounded, and that’s about it. When I think Charlie V, I think Twitter and jacking jumpers, not hustling hitting the boards. Maxiell’s a backup for life.
The Pistons should sign Jonathan Bender so Amir Johnson will have someone to talk to about never realizing their potential. Or maybe trade a bloated contract for Dorell Wright or Andray Blatche so he has some peers. Regardless, Detroit is getting dunked on a lot in the coming year.
216 for LIFE! Go Cavs!
August 6th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
Tim says:
sans
Pistons traded Amir Johnson to Milwaukee…
I see the Pistons being at about 4 or 5 in the East…they wont have a lot of wins…but i think they will look like a much more competent TEAM…ie they will be executing what they should and thats it…not arguing, no drama…just basketball…
And as a Pistons fan, that is good enough for me for this year…last year was a mess, it wasn’t about just basketball, it was about everything else.
It’ll be ten times better to just watch basketball,a nd not worry about Iverson’s little attitude problems every day…
and Stuckey will still be top flight one day…
August 16th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
Joe says:
Joe D did the right thing in free agency. He signed two very young high caliber players. You give the Bulls credit for their playoff performance, which was lead by Ben Gordon’s outstanding play. Charlie Villanueva is only 24 years old, he is going to be great.
Next years free agency is going to be a circus, where every team is going to be biding on the big name guys. If we waited and tried to go after one of them, we would end up grossly overpaying whomever we would sign, getting only one impact player. Detroit got two.
You’re moronic if you don’t foresee a blockbuster trade happening in Detroit. Rip and Tayshaun are on the market it seems. If Joe D moves one or both of them, Detroit could land the last piece of the puzzle, a dominating center. When that happens, Detroit will be a top contender again.