NBA

NBA Swing Gives You 30 Teams, 30 Questions: Central Division

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For the last handful of years, the Central Division of the NBA has been dominated by the Milwaukee Bucks. While the 2021 champs remain at the top of the division and near the top of the Eastern Conference, other division rivals are begging to rise in the standings. The Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers both had solid seasons and are looking to grow more this upcoming season. The other two division teams in Detroit and Indiana both had difficult seasons but are taking the right steps towards being a playoff contender. While health is the key issue for the Bucks and Bulls, looking towards the next handful of years will be key for Cleveland, Detroit, and Indiana. 

 

Milwaukee Bucks: Can a healthy team return to the Finals? 

 

Heading into the 2021-22 season, the 2021 NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks looked to reach the mountaintop once again. The team looked promising all season, finishing with a 51-31 record, third in the east. Everything was looking good for Milwaukee in their first-round series against the Chicago Bulls until Bucks star Khris Middleton went down with a knee injury. Later determined as an MCL sprain, Middleton would miss the rest of the Bucks playoff run. Milwaukee would lose in seven games to the Boston Celtics, who would end up going to the NBA finals. Having a wrist surgery in the offseason, many reports expect Middleton to fully recover. In addition, the Bucks re-signed key players including Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton, and Jevon Carter. The team also signed veteran Joe Ingles to a one-year deal, although most of the season will see him recovering from a knee injury. Looking to the upcoming season, the Bucks will bring back most of their roster from the last couple of seasons. A healthy Giannis Antetokounmpo can carry his team far, but a healthy Khris Middleton will be needed for the Bucks to make another deep run. With teams like the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers improving, the Bucks could have serious competition all season and heading into the playoffs. There is no telling if a healthy Bucks team would have beaten the Celtics in the 2022 Eastern Conference Semifinals, but a healthy team could give fans some of the best games in the 2023 playoffs. Even with the current injuries on the team, many sports betting outlets have the Bucks with the second-best odds of winning the 2023 championship. 

 

Chicago Bulls: What can they accomplish with and without a healthy Lonzo Ball? 

 

After several years of being towards the bottom of the East, the Chicago Bulls made a splash last season after signing DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso, and Lonzo Ball. Chicago had a strong start to the season, leading the East as late in the season as late February. While they had strong performances from Zach Lavine and DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball was a key contributor on both ends of the court. Unfortunately, the Bulls lost Ball to a knee injury in late January, playing less than 40 games. Although he had surgery and has been rehabbing for months, the Bulls are not sure if Lonzo will be ready for training camp. The team’s signing of Goran Dragic was seen as a bad sign for the status of Lonzo Ball’s recovery. In the last three months of the season without Ball, Chicago dropped to one of the worst defensive and three-point shooting teams. There is no doubt that if Lonzo is healthy, he can play at least 60 games, the Bulls will be in the conversation as one of the best teams in the East. If Lonzo misses significant time this upcoming season, there is no telling where the Bulls could end up in the standings. While the team is easily a playoff team with their current roster, Lonzo is one of their key defensive and three-point shooting players. The hope for the organization and fans is that Lonzo can return and be healthy, but it’s likely they’ll have to prepare for the possibility he may not be at 100% for a long time if he’s ever at 100% again. 

 

Cleveland Cavaliers: Can they do enough to attract a star in the offseason? 

 

The Cleveland Cavaliers surprised many last season by competing with some of the league’s best teams. Darius Garland had a great season, resulting in his first All-Star appearance. Evan Mobley was one of the best rookies all season and was a finalist for the award. Veterans Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio had solid seasons (although Rubio was traded following an injury) as well. The Cavs would end up barely missing out on the playoffs, losing both of their play-in tournament games. In the offseason, the Cavs made several important moves including the signing Darius Garland to a rookie max extension, re-signing Ricky Rubio, and bringing in veteran Robin Lopez. With some movement expected to occur in the East this season, could the Cavs surprise everyone again? A core including a healthy Garland, Mobley, and Caris LeVert have shown they can compete with the rest of the league. Kevin Love has proven he can be a reliable provider off the bench. With the potential returns of Rubio and Colin Sexton this upcoming season, the Cavs could be doubted and overperform. But is the current team enough for a deep playoff run? There are several free agents in 2023 who the Cavs could go after. One star the Cavs should go after is Andrew Wiggins. The Warriors star is coming off his first All-Star season and winning his first championship. Averaging splits of 17.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 2.2 APG, Wiggins would have more room to grow in Cleveland. The Cavs could be a key contender for Andrew Wiggins, who will most likely leave Golden State. If the Cavs can do enough this upcoming season, they may be able to attract the star they drafted first overall in 2014. Adding Wiggins may be the key to becoming a serious contender in the East. 

 

Detroit Pistons: Can they surprise the doubters? 

 

The Detroit Pistons have been at the bottom of the Eastern Conference in recent years, last making the playoffs in 2019. In the last three years, the Pistons have not won more than 25 games in a season. Last season, the team with 23-59, the third worst record in the league. There was a glimmer of hope for the team in rookie and 2021 first overall pick Cade Cunningham who put up 17.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 5.6 APG in 64 games. Alongside Cunningham, the Pistons saw good production from Saddiq Bey, Jerami Grant, and Marvin Bagley III following his trade from the Sacramento Kings. In the offseason, the Pistons have made several moves in hopes of bettering the team. In the 2022 draft, Detroit selected guard Jaden Ivey out of Purdue in hopes of having a great young backcourt with him and Cunningham. Only playing in two Summer League games, Ivey put up 15.5 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and 4.0 APG. In July, the Pistons traded forward Jerami Grant to the Portland Trailblazer for Gabriele Procida, one future first-round draft pick and two future second-round picks. The team also acquired rookie center Jalen Duren and veteran guard Kemba Walker in a trade from the Knicks. With these new additions, many outlets and media personalities do not see much improvement from the Pistons. Outlets like Bleacher Report have the Pistons over-under for the 2022-23 season at 27.5, only four more wins than last season. While some may see this as a surprise, the Pistons have plenty of tough competition in the Eastern Conference alone. In 52 games against Eastern Conference teams last season, the Pistons went 18-34. With teams in the East continuing to grow, can Detroit move up in the standings? Or will they have another disappointing season that ends in early April? 

 

 Indiana Pacers: Can the team successfully build around Haliburton and Hield? 

 

For the last few seasons, the Indiana Pacers have been one of the more tumultuous teams in the league. The 2020-21 season was tough as the team dropped off and head coach Nate Bjorkgren was a coach filled with drama. Last season, the Pacers hired head coach Rick Carlisle, who returned to coach the team after 14 seasons. Although the team continued to struggle, some hope came from trades, specifically Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield from the Sacramento Kings. In 26 games, Haliburton put up 17.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 9.6 APG, showing he has what it takes to be a starting guard in the league. Also in 26 games, Hield put up 18.2 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 4.8 APG. The trade with the Kings gave the Pacers a young starting backcourt that can put up numbers. With Haliburton going into his third season, he is only going to grow in the league. Recent reports have come out that the Pacers are looking to build around the backcourt duo. While the roster does not look great, they have promising pieces in rookie Bennedict Mathurin, Chris Duarte, and Jalen Smith. Indiana also has a valuable player in Myles Turner who has been at the center of Pacers rumors for years. With the Eastern Conference only growing, the Pacers may struggle to compete. If they can successfully build around Haliburton and Hield, they could make the play-in tournament. But what will it take to build around the two? Moving Myles Turner to a win-now-team for picks or promising young players is only the start of what will help the Pacers build around their two young guards.

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