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1.
Detroit Pistons |
|
Projected finish: 55-27 |
 2006-07
theme: Rebound without the rebounder. The
Big Ben era is over, but that doesn't mean
the team's run of excellence has to stop. |
| Early forecast:
Getting off to a quick start requires a
strong performance on a four-game road swing
through Utah, Sacramento, L.A. (Lakers) and
Golden State in the season's second week.
The Pistons open the season against the
Bucks, who they dispatched in last year's
first round. |
| Haunting reality:
Regardless of how well Nazr Mohammed fits
in, he'll never be Ben Wallace. That means
the Pistons will lose part of that defensive
identity they had established, which will
force them to work harder to overcome lapses
Wallace used to single-handedly erase. |
| Saving grace:
Detroit will be more well-rounded
offensively without Ben, adding a more
competent fifth option for Flip Saunders to
work with. The Pistons were better
offensively under their new coach a year ago
and are already looking like a well-oiled
machine early in the preseason. |
| X-factor: Tayshaun
Prince appears to be on the brink of
All-Star status. If he breaks out
offensively, the Pistons are going to be the
most difficult team in the Eastern
Conference to match up against. |
 |
|
Nazr Mohammed |
Likely rotation: You
might remember the NBA's best backcourt,
Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton? The
Pistons have even more ammo behind them now,
adding Flip Murray to an arsenal that also
included super sub Lindsey Hunter. Prince
will start at the three, backed up by Carlos
Delfino. Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess,
Mohammed and Dale Davis will work inside,
leaving some minutes to be gobbled up by
former first-rounder Jason Maxiell. |
| Four-casting: No
one will be talking about the Pistons
reaching 70 wins, but surprisingly there
will be few calling for Saunders' head. Flip
won't flip on his intentions to use his
bench freely, keeping his starters fresh for
the postseason. Billups won't let the fact
he's opting out of his contract following
the season to test the market become a
distraction. 'Sheed will post his best
offensive numbers since joining the Pistons
in early 2004. |
| Coach-speak: "I
think last year some of our guys logged a
lot of minutes and I think we need to try to
get them some rest. They have been a lot of
games over the last two years and going to
two Finals. There is no question that
developing our bench has been our main
emphasis." -- Flip Saunders. |
|
2.
Cleveland Cavaliers |
|
Projected finish: 52-30 |
 2006-07
theme: The LeBron Countdown begins. This is
the first of a three-year trek to ensure
LeBron James signs his next deal with the
Cavaliers. The task is to prove he can win a
championship in Cleveland. |
| Early forecast:
The Cavs open against Washington, which is
fast becoming a major rival. Two games with
the Wizards are among the toughest tests on
a fairly light early schedule for Cleveland;
seven of the first 11 games are at "The Q." |
| Haunting reality:
Zydrunas Ilgauskas went M.I.A in last year's
playoffs and might be facing a decline in
productivity. |
| Saving grace:
Larry Hughes and Donyell Marshall got off to
rocky starts with the Cavs, so it bodes well
that the Cavs still managed to persevere
without their expected contributions last
season. Both are better equipped to elevate
Cleveland's level of play in their second
go-round. |
| X-factor: Coach
Mike Brown has big plans in store for
Anderson Varejao, who is expected to play a
critical role in all his schemes. When the
Cavs opt to go small, Varejao will handle
the load at center, run the floor and
defend. He's also going to be pivotal in the
pick-and-roll game now that he has made the
15-footer part of his arsenal. |
 |
|
LeBron James |
Likely rotation:
Although they seemingly try to find someone
to take Eric Snow's job every year, he's
back as the starting point alongside Hughes.
Veterans David Wesley and Damon Jones will
be stable off the bench, but if Brown craves
explosiveness, rookie Shannon Brown could
get a shot at some time. That guy LeBron
will remain the focal point in his hybrid
small forward role, and Marshall will be
spliced in as well. Ilgauskas, Drew Gooden
and Varejao will hog the minutes in the
post. Veteran Scot Pollard is also on hand. |
| Four-casting:
James will claim the NBA's MVP. Varejao will
ultimately end up averaging more minutes
than Gooden. Jones bounces back from a
horrendous debut season by becoming the
long-range threat Cleveland brought him in
to be. Brown will be an instant fan
favorite. |
| Coach-speak: "In
terms of LeBron being in a Cavs uniform, I
knew it was going to be at least for a
couple of more years. Now that he has signed
a deal and he is going to be here even
longer for the long-term effect, you feel
really good about the direction the team and
the organization is heading." -- Mike Brown. |
|
3.
Chicago Bulls |
|
Projected finish: 50-32 |
 2006-07
theme: Win now. Adding Ben Wallace and P.J.
Brown is proof Chicago is done reloading. |
| Early forecast:
Getting a glimpse of these fortified Bulls
might be a tougher ticket than the city's
beloved Bears, undefeated and all. There
won't be a lot of basketball played at the
United Center in the opening month, largely
in part to a seven-game road swing
highlighted by a character-building stint
through Texas for dates with the Mavericks,
Rockets and Spurs. |
| Haunting reality:
Despite getting a significant defensive
boost from their new acquisitions, the Bulls
still lack a legitimate scoring threat in
the post and must avoid becoming overly
reliant on jump shots. |
| Saving grace:
Chicago's young stars are ripe and ready to
tackle greater challenges. This should be
the year Kirk Hinrich, Luol Deng, Ben Gordon
and international veteran Andres Nocioni
consistently tap into their talents. |
| X-factor: Gordon
will ultimately make the difference between
Chicago being good and great. His streaks
dictated the Bulls' success last season, and
it became obvious they can be special if he
can become a dependable scorer and stronger
all-around player. |
 |
|
Kirk Hinrich |
Likely rotation:
There's no doubt about the starting
backcourt this preseason. Hinrich and Gordon
get the nod, backed up primarily by Chris
Duhon. Adrian Griffin will be used to help
shut down opposing scorers; rookie Thabo
Sefolosha could see a little action in that
role, too. Deng and Nocioni should be on the
court together often, but for now, neither
has been named the small forward. Brown and
Wallace will serve as the defensive pillars
inside, with former starters Malik Allen and
Michael Sweetney backing them up. Top pick
Tyrus Thomas' athleticism should net him an
opportunity to fit in somewhere, but it's
hard to see where. |
| Four-casting: Talk
of the Bulls moving a few of their young
studs for another superstar to push them
over the top will make the rounds at the
deadline. After a slight dip in his scoring
and rebounding numbers last season, Wallace
will be re-energized and more productive.
Similar to his earlier days with Detroit,
Big Ben will be his team's only All-Star.
Much like Pistons fans, Bulls followers will
complain that they're constantly
disrespected. |
| Coach-speak: "We
really felt like we needed someone who could
really give us confidence defensively. We've
been a good defensive team, but we have
fouled too much. Ben is historically a low
foul player, a low turnover player, and he's
so far just sort of seamlessly fit in. Our
guys like him, and you can tell that they
just sort of naturally look to him as sort
of the backbone of our defense." -- Scott
Skiles. |
|
4.
Indiana Pacers |
|
Projected finish: 41-41 |
 2006-07
theme: They're speeding up the tempo. Are
they running away from the recent past?
Could be. Where they're going, no one knows. |
| Early forecast:
The Pacers are going to feel like they're on
tour in the opening month, jetting back and
forth between home and away. On every
Wednesday in November, they'll be on the
road. Every Friday game is at home. The
first three Saturdays? Back on the road.
That's a lot of travel. |
| Haunting reality:
The best chance the Pacers have of excelling
at playing fast and taking advantage of
their athleticism lies on the shoulders of
Jamaal Tinsley. Given his propensity for
injury, their heavy reliance on him is
disconcerting. |
| Saving grace: Rick
Carlisle has found ways to succeed with
whatever parts he has had at his disposal
for years now. He'll find a way to get the
most out of his players and deliver another
playoff team. |
| X-factor: Al
Harrington is back where he started. What he
learned while he was gone will play a big
role in what he's able to bring to Indiana,
which is counting on his versatility and
hoping for All-Star numbers. That would
necessitate a step up from what he has
demonstrated to date. |
 |
|
Stephen Jackson |
Likely rotation:
Tinsley will run the show most of the time
(they hope) backed by Sarunas Jasikevicius
and Darrell Armstrong. Stephen Jackson --
when not wrestling with legal trouble --
leads a wing rotation that features Danny
Granger and Marquis Daniels. Harrington will
play all three frontcourt positions and
start alongside Jermaine O'Neal. Athletic
newcomers Maceo Baston and Josh Powell will
see backup minutes. When Carlisle opts for a
more traditional center, David Harrison and
Jeff Foster are available. |
| Four-casting:
Indiana will regret lacking perimeter
scoring punch, a problem it hasn't faced in
two decades. Judging by past results,
Jackson's off-court problems won't keep
Carlisle from accomplishing his goals.
Granger will be the most valuable of the
Pacers' many wings. Jasikevicius will be far
more productive than he was in his
disappointing first season. |
| Coach-speak: "We
feel like our lengths, our athleticism have
improved. We want to be able to play a style
that is a more athletic style. We want to be
able to pressure the ball and get
deflections, get steals, get out of
transition and get some easy baskets. I like
the changes for our team." -- Rick Carlisle. |
|
5.
Milwaukee Bucks |
|
Projected finish: 30-52 |
 2006-07
theme: Take another step forward. Charlie
Villanueva is the next big piece. Can he fit
seamlessly into the Bucks' resurgence? |
| Early forecast:
Andrew Bogut (leg sprain) and Bobby Simmons
(heel) will be absent from the lineup at the
onset, and the schedule isn't merciful. None
of their home games are gimmes, while all
seven of their road games are against
competent conference foes. |
| Haunting reality:
Bogut's career is off to a rocky start. The
acquisition of Jamaal Magloire, meant to
ease his transition into the league,
hindered him tactically. Now comes the
injury, which sets back his progress in a
season where experience is precious. |
| Saving grace:
Villanueva will get more touches in Bogut's
absence, giving him an opportunity to get
loose early and gain confidence. Of course,
this will only be a good thing if Charlie
doesn't get off to a slow start. |
| X-factor: Mo
Williams is eager to prove he belongs as a
starting point guard in the league. He's
resolute about his ability to do whatever it
takes, be it score or distribute, to
eliminate doubts about him and help the
Bucks win games. |
 |
|
Andrew Bogut |
Likely rotation:
Williams will get the first nod at the
point, but Steve Blake is right behind him.
Charlie Bell can also help out on those
chores, too, but he'll predominantly be used
as Michael Redd's backup. Ruben Patterson
will step into the starting five at small
forward with Simmons out, and it's
conceivable Ersan Ilyasova or David Noel
might see token minutes behind him.
Villanueva will get heavy minutes alongside
Gadzuric while Bogut mends, with Brian
Skinner the primary backup for both post
positions. |
| Four-casting:
Patterson will impress in his starting stint
and become an invaluable part of Terry
Stotts' rotation. Redd will be the
highest-ranked scoring guard not at the
All-Star Game. Williams will become one of
the league's surprise stat stuffers. Bogut
will put together a strong finish to raise
hopes for next year. |
| Coach-speak: "Now
with some of the player transactions that
we’ve had, I would expect for him (Bogut) to
have a more prominent role on the offensive
end. The court should be opened a little bit
more to take advantage of his passing skills
and defensively there’s a big responsibility
on all our big men to really protect the
paint. My expectations for him are to keep
improving on both ends of the court." --
Terry Stotts.
|
CENTRAL DIVISION HONOR ROLL |
|
First team |
| F
LeBron James, Cleveland
Cavaliers |
| F
Jermaine O'Neal, Indiana
Pacers |
| C
Ben Wallace, Chicago Bulls |
| G
Chauncey Billups, Detoit
Pistons |
| G
Richard Hamilton, Detoit
Pistons |
|
|
Second team |
| F
Tayshaun Prince, Detoit
Pistons |
| F
Rasheed Wallace, Detoit
Pistons |
|
F/C Al Harrington, Indiana
Pacers |
| G
Kirk Hinrich, Chicago Bulls |
| G
Michael Redd, Milwaukee
Bucks |
|
| Top
Rookie: Tyrus Thomas, Chicago Top
Sixth Man: Anderson Varejao,
Cleveland |
|
