NBA Season Preview: Central Division

The Diesel has found a new home.

Predicted Finish:

1. Cleveland (67-15)

2. Chicago (46-36)

3. Detroit (42-40)

4. Indiana (38-44)

5. Milwaukee (28-54)

Cleveland Cavaliers – We all know Lebron James is likely the greatest player on earth. But does he finally have the supporting cast needed to pull it all together, now that the Big Aristotle has arrived in Cleveland? Shaq won’t see heavy minutes in the regular season because lets face it, he is there for the long haul. He is there to defend the alien-esque bigs like Dwight Howard and KG in the playoffs.

Anderson Varejao’s re-signing was critical because he is the scrappy, physical big man that most elite teams have on their roster. What he does often doesn’t show up on the stat sheet. A key defensive play in the post or a monstrous offensive board are staples of his game.

The Cavs have also added some high quality reserves in Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon. Both Parker (41 %) and Moon (35%) can knock down shots from the perimeter as their career three point percentage indicates, and they can also defend either wing spot with their excellent length and lateral quickness. The only problem is that they are such similar players there might only be playing time for one of them. If, and it’s a BIG if, Shaq stays healthy through the playoffs, this team has the talent, coaching, and chemistry to win it all.

Chicago Bulls - The Bulls will go as far as Derrick Rose takes them… The Bulls will go as far as Derrick Rose takes them That was no typo. I just wanted to emphasize how critical Rose’s development into his second season is for the entire team. He averaged 20, 6, and 6 in the playoffs and some of the dazzling plays he made were a hint of what is to come. He can be as good a point guard as he wants. He is that gifted. Outside of Rose there isn’t much star power. A big key is going to be the long lost Luol Deng, who is coming off some nagging injuries over the last couple of seasons. He returns to form and it will take a huge burden off of Rose’s shoulders. Just a gut, but I think the Bulls ship out backup point, Kirk Heinrich, and bring in another scorer to make life easier for Rose since B. Gordon is finito. Rose just might be a Wade/Paul hybrid. Scary thought, I know. Just be sure to clear the night’s plans when he is on the tube.

Detroit Pistons – Does Joe Dumars wish he could have Chauncey Billups back or what? Not only is Billups gone, but his replacement in Iverson is gone as well. But one thing it did do was give this team some cap relief and Joe did not hesitate to capitalize. He brought in Charlie Villanueva, “the Twitter menace”, and an explosive scorer in Ben Gordon, who will likely come off the bench. There is some depth up front here as well with Chris Wilcox and Ben Wallace, but does this team have the talent to do anything of significance in the East, the land of the big three? Nope. Why? Rodney Stuckey is nice, but he is no Billups. Nowhere close.

Indiana Pacers – Danny Granger is an absolute stud after putting up 25 points and 5 boards a night last season and an eye-popping 87 FT % and 40 3FG %. Can you say fantasy gold? Cha-ching. The problem is where is the Robin to his Batman? The answer: Not in Indiana. Dahntay Jones as your starting two guard and Troy Murphy and Jeff Foster as your bigs isn’t exactly a playoff caliber lineup. There isn’t much scoring punch on this squad and they will suffer because they aren’t exactly a defensive juggernaut. Granger has a chance to lead the league in scoring this year because they will need him to get 30 to have a chance to win, game in and game out.

Milwaukee Bucks – The Milwaukee Redds… I mean Bucks, are going to have an excellent chance at getting the top pick next year. Basically that is a nice way of saying this team is the dumpster of the NBA this year. When Milwaukee comes to Cleveland for example don’t be surprised if Shaq sits(rests) this one out for “personal reasons”, because If i suited up at center against this team, the outcome wouldn’t change. Keep in mind im not a lick over 180. Out is Jefferson, Villanueva, and Sessions, the Bucks’ second, third, and fourth best players from last season. This team better hope rookie Brandon Jennings is a superstar because if not, youz in some troubles.

Player on the rise: Charlie Villanueva (DET) – The former Husky is a poor man’s Lamar Odom, a guy who can really handle the rock for a man of his size. His arsenal also includes a very solid perimiter jumper to keep defenses honest, which then allows him to take his man off the dribble when the defender closes in on the outside threat. The key part of his game is his mid range jumper. If he creates consistency with that shot, the court will be his playground and he will put up over 20 a game and not to mention, establish Detroit as a definitive playoff team.

Rookie to watch out for: James Johnson (CHI) – The rook from Wake could certainly fill up a stat sheet in college. Averaged 15 ppg and 8 rpg his freshman year along with a surprising 1.4 spg. and 1.5 bpg. He has the size, quickness and versatility to make him an NBA star. But does he want it? He was plagued with inconsistency through out his one and only year of college. He could be the next Granger, but could also very well be a Jared Jeffries. Expect scoring outbursts every so often in his rookie year, but untill he becomes consistent he won’t be a starter.

Tags: 2009, bulls, cavaliers, cavs, central, central division, chicago, cleveland, derrick rose, detroit, james johnson, lebron, lebron james, mike brown, nba, nba preview, pistons