2017-18 NBA Preview: Central Division

Cavaliers
PG Isiah, SG Wade, SF Lebron, PF Love, C Thompson
Bench: PG Rose/Felder, SG Smith/Shumpert, SF Korver/Green/Jefferson, PF Crowder/Osman, C Perkins/Zizic

With Isiah injured to start the season (not back until after Xmas at the earliest, right?), I guess they'll have to see what they can get out of Derrick Rose and Kay Felder for a while; I like them both a lot better coming off the bench but they're going to get their starter minutes out of the way early. Word is they'll experiment with Love at center and bring Thompson off the bench, to make room for Crowder at the PF. (Surely they're not going to have to start Perk, right? Run the first play of the game for him and hang his drawings on the refrigerator?) This is a weird collection of old dudes: I've thought Wade and Rose were done for a while now, I was not at all impressed with Korver or Jefferson last year, if Smith gets grumpy his decline could be loud and proud, I've never been enamored with Shumpert. Strangely enough I think Jeff Green fits this team just fine: he'll have a good game off the bench every coupla weeks which is all they really need from him. I'm curious to see if Osman and Zizic will be any good but I doubt they'll play much (Zizic could turn out to be the steal of the Kyrie trade, but he'll likely have to move on to another team before we find out). But Lebron is Lebron and that's why the Cavs will be good. That said, I only have them finishing 3rd in the East this year with 52 wins.

Bucks
PG Brogdon, SG Middleton, SF Antetekounpo, PF Jabari, C Monroe
Bench: PG Dellevadova/Payton, SG Vaughn/Terry/Rush, SF Green/Snell/Teletovic, PF Henson, C Maker

Man, that starting five is pretty tasty, huh? All the better if Maker is ready to be a rock down low. I like Brogdon as much as the next guy but he's pretty much a finished product, I don't think he gets much better; Middleton and Jabari have had major injuries in the last coupla years and as much as I like them I'm not sure how reliable they can be going forward; the Bucks have never quite figure out what to do with Monroe or Henson. So its pretty much up to Giannis to carry this team as far as they'll go. I do love Giannis (most exciting player to watch in the whole league?) but that's a tall order even for him. I'm curious to see how Maker comes along this year and if Vaughn is ready to be a big contributor. The Bucks should be fun, only injuries hold them back, but I don't think there's enough to compete with Lebron or the Celtics just yet. I have the Bucks winning 47 games.

Pistons
PG Reggie Jax, SG Bradley, SF Stanley Johnson, PF Harris C Drummond
Bench: PG Ish/Udrih, SG Galloway/Kennard, SF Bullock/Ellenson, PF Leuer, C Boban

I dunno, I just don't get what Stan Van is doing in Detroit. I like bringing Avery Bradley, I don't mind letting go of Morris or KCP, but Galloway as the big off-season signing and Kennard as the exciting draft pick don't get me too jazzed up. Will the trade rumors be hanging over Reggie Jax all year long? Is that bench good enough to get to 8th in the East? Is Ellenson ready to play? I dunno. I just don't know what I'm looking at. That said, from my perspective the Pistons have been perennial over-achievers. So while I really don't like the look of this roster, I have them getting the 8th spot with 37 wins.

Pacers
PG Collison, SG Oladipo, SF Stephenson, PF Young, C Turner
Bench: PG Joseph, SG Bogdanovic, SF Robinson/Uthoff, PF Sabonis/Big Al/Leaf, C Anigbogu

This is the island of misfit toys team. Collison could be the top 2nd string PG in the league, not sure he's good for all those starter minutes. Oladipo is a nice player but doesn't seem to be much more than that. Stephenson was always a cipher, which worked fine in the Vogel days when the Pacers were a defensive juggernaut but nowadays, they're trying to be a run-and-gun offense, I don't see what Lance gives them. Young is a nice player but not much more than that. Myles Turner is the stud they're building around. Joseph is nice off the bench, Bogdanovic can knock down corner 3's (but not much else), Robinson, Uthoff, Leaf and Anigbogu are probably not ready for the amount of minutes they're gonna get. And as much as I love Big Al, not sure he's of too much help trying to score points off the bench. They've got a lot of nice players but no big stars and not enough consistency to be terribly effective. Their best bet is to try to groom these guys as trade bait. I like them to win 34 games.

Bulls
PG Dunn, SG LaVine, SF Zipser, PF Mirotic, C Lopez
Bench: PG Grant/Payne, SG Pondexter/Eddie, SF Portis, PF Markenen, C Felicio/Stone

How can a team so young have so many cast-offs? Dunn (Wolves), LaVine (Wolves), Payne (Thunder), Grant (Knicks), Stone (Clippers/Hawks), Nwaba (Lakers) have accumulated 9 years of service between them, less then 1.5 on average and yet all are on to their next teams. Also how many young PG's (Koenig, Valentine, Dunn, Holiday, Grant, Payne) does a team need? I thought this team was a mess last year but at least they had veterans, this team is just a mess. They've got a pile of guys with team options (Dunn, Payne, Grant, Portis, Valentine, Mirotic), they get a last look at LaVine before he goes to free agency and they've still got figure out what they've got with Markanen and Zipser. This year is just about talent evaluation. Great! A whole year of scrimmages ahead for the Bulls. They could be a truly awful--is there a 'process' at work or do they just stink? I have them winning 20 games but they could go way under that.