2012-2013 Projections: Central Division

This year's Central Division could prove to be one of the tougher divisions in the league. With Chicago and Indiana as playoff teams, Milwaukee just barely missing out on the eighth seed, and Detroit and Chicago with some nice young pieces, this could be a competitive division.
















Chicago Bulls

2011-2012 Record: 50-16

Place in Division: 1st

Head Coach: Tom Thibodeau

Key Additions: Kirk Hinrich, Marco Belinelli, Nazr Mohammed

Prediction: 49-33

Scoop: "If" seems to be the headline for the Bulls for this season. Chicago seems to be in a stand-still, sort of holding their breath until they are assured that Derrick Rose is healthy. If Derrick Rose returns to form, the Bulls will be just fine. They brought back Kirk Hinrich as a solid scorer off the bench, and also added size in Mohammed to make up for the loss of Omer Asik. Although there is a ton of upside, there are a lot of question marks surrounding this team. How is Joakim Noah's ankle? How will they make up for the loss of John Lucas III, C.J. Watson, and Brian Scalabrine? (kidding on the last one) Is Richard Hamilton all done? So, if  Hamilton can still play, if Noah is O.K., and most importantly, if Derrick Rose can return to his M.V.P. form, the Bulls will be one of the top three teams in the East.















Cleveland Cavaliers

2011-2012 Record: 21-45

Place in Division: 5th (last)

Head Coach: Byron Scott

Key Additions: Jeremy Pargo, C.J. Miles

Prediction: 27-55

Scoop: Although their record the past two seasons is not very impressive, believe it or not, Cleveland is headed in the right direction. After being blind-sided by...well...you should know by now, Dan Gilbert has taken the path of most resistance and started from scratch. With Kyrie Irving as the cornerstone of the franchise for what they hope to be many years to come, the Cavs have started to put pieces around him to lead this franchise from mediocrity to credibility. It will take a while, but Cleveland is headed down the right path. 

Detroit Pistons 

2011-2012 Record: 25-41

Place in Division: 4th

Head Coach: Lawrence Frank

Key Additions: Corey Maggette, Kyle Singler* (rookie)

Prediction: 26-56

Scoop: After making the mistake of keeping their core together too long, Detroit is now paying the price. Since their remarkable run from 2001-2008, the Pistons have experienced a major drop off. The Palace is not a fun place to be anymore, not matter how entertaining PA announcer John Mason's voice is. Detroit has an odd mix of veterans (Ben Wallace, Corey Maggette, Tayshaun Prince) and young players (Will Bynum, Brandon Knight, Greg Monroe). They seem to be in basketball purgatory- stuck between trying to be competitive and building for the future. Until this franchise figures out which way they want to go, look for another down year in the Motor City.

Indiana Pacers

2011-2012 Record: 42-24

Place in Division: 2nd

Head Coach: Frank Vogel

Key Additions: Sam Young, D.J. Augustin, Gerald Green, Sundiata Gaines

Prediction: 45-37

Scoop: The sky's the limit for these Indiana Pacers. The loss of Larry Bird will be undervalued, but Frank Vogel knows what he's doing. Indiana should continue to be near the top of the East, but they're gonna need Roy Hibbert and Danny Granger, the latter of whom goes MIA waaayyyyyy too much, to go to the next level if they want to be serious contenders. D.J. Augustin is a solid pickup, and with the way they feed off each other and do not have one super star, this team should be as good if not better than they were last year.

Milwaukee Bucks 

2011-2012 Record: 31-35

Place in Division: 3rd

Head Coach: Scott Skiles

Key Additions: Samuel Dalembert, Joel Pryzbilla

Prediction: 38-44

Scoop: Boy the BMO Harris Bradley Center is a depressing place, no? Anyway, what to make of these Bucks? Scott Skiles is a disciplinarian who has tried to get these guys to play solid team basketball, but that has not worked. Monta Ellis is a nice player, but is he a real All Star to build your team around? Drew Gooden is a dinosaur, Brandon Jennings is a Jekyll and Hyde type of player, and Samuel Dalembert is highly overpaid. Can they make it all work? Doubt it. Maybe the low expectations will help.