The NBA’s Central division is set to be the best in the Eastern Conference once again in 2015-16 with the defending NBA Finalist Cleveland Cavaliers set to lead the way followed closely by the Chicago Bulls. They’re not just the two best teams in the division; they’re arguably the two best in the conference. We’ll see them square off many times in the regular season and then likely in the playoffs again. And, oh yeah, there’s a few other teams in the Central.
Here’s our 2015-16 preview of the division:
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers started slow last season but they heated up from the midway point on and finished with 53 wins for the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland doubled down in the playoffs when LeBron James led them to the NBA Finals despite losing Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving along the way.
While they eventually fell short, they reloaded in the offseason with all three players returning. LeBron, Love and Irving will form an impressive big three and the supporting cast is stronger. The Cavaliers addressed their depth with the addition of veteran point guard Mo Williams and a healthy Anderson Varejao will boost the frontlines. The Cavaliers have the highest projected win shares in their division and should have no problem leading the Central division from start to finish.
Chicago Bulls
Only Cleveland has a higher projected win share total than the Bulls and for good reason. They finally moved on from Tom Thibodeau and brought in Fred Hoiberg to coach a team that underachieved last season Thibodeau had always made the most out of the talent at his disposal with lesser teams but with the addition of Pau Gasol and return of Derrick Rose, he failed to get this team over the hump. The main issue appeared to be that he overworked his stars to the point where fatigue showed come playoff time. That won’t happen under Hoiberg as he will have more of an emphasis on keeping the star players healthy and fresh while giving the youngsters on the roster the opportunity to prove themselves. Gasol, Rose, Joakim Noah and Jimmy Butler will lead the way again but look for Nikola Mirotic, Doug McDermott and rookie first-round pick Bobby Portis to have bigger roles than they would have under Thibodeau. This is a talented squad that’s already a playoff team and the hope is that a coaching change gets them closer to a ring. See: Golden State Warriors.
Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee finished with a .500 record under head coach Jason Kidd a year ago. There is potential for them to improve on that mark in 2015-16 as they look to take another step forward as a talented young team. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Jabari Parker and Michael Carter-Williams all return with an additional year of experience.
The Bucks added to their roster in the offseason when they brought in center Greg Monroe and veteran point guard Greivis Vasquez. Milwaukee might not be ready to challenge Cleveland and Chicago at the top of the Central division, but they will finish third and return to the playoffs as a young team on the rise.
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Indiana Pacers
There will be a lot of hype about the return of Paul George for a full season but Indiana lost a lot of key pieces from their roster – including heart and soul power forward David West. They might not be ready to overtake a Milwaukee team that is on the rise in the Central division.
The addition of Monta Ellis will help provide some scoring and George is still a rising star despite missing most of last season with a broken leg, but the Pacers will have a tough time catching the Bucks for third in the Central division. The more likely scenario has them taking a step forward from a year ago and challenging for a .500 record as they continue their reload.
Detroit Pistons
Detroit will be talked about a lot as a potential sleeper pick to make some noise in the Central division but with the Cavaliers and Bulls locked in at the top as well as the Bucks and Pacers looking to take a step forward, there just isn’t any room for them to climb out of the basement.
The loss of center Greg Monroe doesn’t help matters and while a full season from Reggie Jackson should provide a boost, the reality is that this Pistons team still isn’t deep enough to expect them to make the postseason. Detroit might very well challenge Milwaukee and Indiana for position within the Central division but it’s unreasonable to expect much more than that for 2015-16.
