Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren have the Detroit Pistons off to a hot start

 

                                             (Cade Cunningham. Credit: Paul Sancya/AP Photo) 

The Detroit Pistons are off to an impressive 17-4 start, defeating the Atlanta Hawks 99-98 on Monday, December 1st. Leading the way for the Pistons is point guard Cade Cunningham, who is averaging 28.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 9.4 assists, and 1.2 steals per game on 45.6% shooting from the field, 31.2% shooting from 3-point range, and 81.5% shooting from the foul line. After going 44-38 and finishing 6th in the Eastern Conference, the Pistons are now in first place in the East, looking like an NBA Finals contending team. 

Cunningham is obviously the engine that makes this Pistons team go. He's doing it all: scoring at an elite level, facilitating, rebounding, etc. He's simply sensational. But what's really helped them take the next step into being NBA championship contenders is the emergence of forward Jalen Duren, who is averaging 19.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game. Last year, Duren was averaging 11.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game. The rebounding and rim protection were there, but he's really taken a leap forward in his ability to score. Now that they have a legit one-two punch and also a nice third option in Tobias Harris (15.2 points), this Pistons team appears to have the pieces to make a real run at a championship this year. 

The biggest question for them is can they keep it up? The NBA season is such a grind and a lot of times teams that get off to hot starts like this fade as the season goes on. Playing this well for a quarter of the season is one thing, but to play this well for an entire season is another level. It'll be fun to see if the Pistons can keep this up and where they're at once we hit the All-Star break. That will tell us a lot about what kind of team this really is. I for one would love to see them make a deep run this year. It's been too long since the Pistons were this relevant. 

NBALord.com on X (Twitter): @nba_lord 

NBALord.com on Facebook: @NBALordNation 

NBALord.com on Bluesky: nbalorddotcom.bsky.social 

Ben Parker on Facebook, IG, Threads, X (Twitter), YouTube, & Bluesky: @slamdunk406 

NBALord.com Central Division Preview

Up next in my division preview series is the Central Division, home to the Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Milwaukee Bucks.

After years of rebuilding and putting the right pieces together, the Milwaukee Bucks finally appear to have a team capable of doing some serious damage. They're 8-2 at the moment and anything but a fluke. Giannis Antetokounmpo is averaging 26.1 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game on 53.6% shooting from the field, making him one of the most dangerous players in the NBA. In addition to "The Greek Freak", Khris Middleton is averaging 19.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game on 49.3% shooting from 3-point range while guards Eric Bledsoe and Malcolm Brogdon give the Bucks some additional weapons in the back court.

What is perhaps most remarkable about the Bucks' 8-2 start is the fact that they're doing this without Jabari Parker, who signed a two-year, $40M contract with the Chicago Bulls last summer.  Parker was viewed as an integral part of their future and for them to be playing such stellar basketball with him no longer a part of their plans is a testament to how good "The Greek Freak" is and also how smart their front office is. Most teams would have had a hard time parting ways with a guy of Parker's caliber, but the Bucks' recognized they could succeed without him and appear to have no reason to second guess their decision.

With the Eastern Conference wide open, the Bucks have to be viewed as serious contenders to reach the NBA Finals. Gianni Antetokounmpo is arguably the best player in the NBA and he seems ready to lead his team deep in the playoffs. This is undoubtedly shaking up to be the most exciting season in Milwaukee in a very long time.

Led by Victor Oladipo, the Indiana Pacers have one of the more balanced and deep teams in the NBA. In addition to Oladipo, who is averaging 22.5 points per game, the Pacers have five players scoring in double figures per game (Thaddeus Young, Bojan Bogdanovic, Myles Turner, Domantas Sabonis, and Tyreke Evans). This depth and balance allows them to compete with teams that have more talented players.

Where the Pacers really do damage is with their efficient shooting and ability to force turnovers. They are 4th in the NBA in field goal percentage (49.3%) and tied for 6th in steals (8.5 steals per game). They do a really good job of finding easy baskets for one another, making them tough to stop when they have the ball.

While the Pacers are not a team picked to reach the NBA Finals, they do have the pieces to win a series and make some noise in the playoffs. Especially if they are able to get home court advantage for the first round and stay healthy. Few teams have the depth and balance that they have, making them one of the more intriguing teams in the NBA.

The Detroit Pistons are led by Blake Griffin, who so far seems to be enjoying his time in the motor city. Griffin is averaging 28.6 points and 10.9 rebounds per game this season while Andre Drummond is averaging 17.6 points and 15.4 rebounds. Together, Griffin and Drummond form a very formidable front court, making it hard for any team to get rebounds and find success in the paint.

The problem for the Pistons is their lack of depth. Reggie Jackson is a nice player as is Ish Smith, but after that it really starts to tail off. The Pistons need one more weapon in order to be really competitive. The hope for them has been that Stanley Johnson will be that additional weapon, but so far he doesn't appear to be up to the task.

With Griffin and Drummond at the helm, the Pistons should be in the mix to make a playoff appearance, but that's the extent to which I see them succeeding. Those guys simply need more help and right now they don't have it.

Zach LaVine is having a really nice season for the Chicago Bulls, averaging 26.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game while Jabari Parker is averaging 14.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. The Bulls hope that with LaVine and Parker as their core for the future, they can start to move in the right direction.

While they do have some promising pieces like Justin Holiday and Wendell Carter, Jr. in addition to LaVine and Parker, this Bulls team is too young to make any noise this season. They have some growing pains to go through this season before they see the fruit of their labors.

For the Bulls, the main thing to see is if LaVine and Parker can both stay healthy. They've had injury issues in the past, casting doubt on their abilities to carry a franchise. If they are able to play the bulk of the games without incurring any serious injury, it should be a good season in the Windy City regardless of what the team's record is.

In the post-LeBron James era, the Cleveland Cavaliers are expected to struggle. They decided to fire Tyronn Lue early in the season and Kevin Love is out for an extended period of time due to a toe/foot problem. Such a combination is certain to yield a lot of losses. So long as Love is out, this team is going to struggle to find any sort of identity as he is the best player they have.

The main thing to look for this year in Cleveland is how well rookie point guard Collin Sexton performs and who else looks like a good piece to put around him. A combination of Kevin Love and Collin Sexton could be intriguing, but they aren't enough to make this team competitive. They need some pieces around them.

I personally see this as a year of cleaning house in Cleveland. Tyronn Lue won't be the last to go. They'll probably look to find trading partners for J.R. Smith and Tristan Thompson and hope to get some assets back that they can use to build for the future. Whether or not they'll find any takers remains to be seen, but they should at least try.

What's frustrating for the Cavaliers is they are cellar dwellers again, but at least they won a championship in the LeBron James era. They've overall had a good run, but now it's time for them to start from scratch and build a team that can once again compete.

To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Google Plus, click here. 

To connect with Ben Parker, click here. 

Wednesday Windmill: Are the Detroit Pistons now for real after landing Blake Griffin?

                                          (Ryan Garza. Detroit Free Press) 

On Tuesday, I provided analysis of the Blake Griffin trade from the perspective of the Los Angeles Clippers. Today I want to do the same thing from the perspective of the Detroit Pistons. For details on the trade itself, I went through that on Tuesday as well. Click here for that in case you missed it.

At the moment, the Pistons are 23-26 and 1.5 games back of the 8th seeded 76ers in the Eastern Conference standings. By adding Blake Griffin, who is averaging 22.6 points, 5.4 assists, and 7.9 rebounds, the Pistons have now put themselves in the drivers seat to take the 8th seed and possibly move up as high as 4th or 5th. However, this move is much more about the future as opposed to making a late playoff push. The Pistons made this move to compete for championships in the future.

I've always been a big fan of Blake Griffin and believed in his abilities. His combination of skill and charisma make him the perfect face for any NBA franchise. Especially a team with a lot of history like the Pistons. By having a franchise player, the Pistons finally have an identity and something to get them excited about for the future. Griffin won't hit unrestricted free agency until the summer of 2022, so they have some time to put the right pieces around him. What helps is that they already have a really good big man to pair with Griffin in Andre Drummond, who has been named as John Wall's replacement in the All-Star Game. Drummond is averaging 14.8 points and 15.3 rebounds per game, making him one of the most dominant inside presences in the NBA. Together, Griffin and Drummond should form one of the most dynamic frontcourts in the NBA.

What remains to be seen is what the ceiling is of this Pistons team. Can they compete for a championship in the coming years? Are they a real threat to challenge the Celtics? Provided they make more good moves, I don't see why not. As you know, I thought the Clippers could have built a really competitive team around Griffin in the coming seasons, so I have no reason to doubt that the Pistons can do the same. Especially since they are in a weaker conference.

While the Pistons still have more work to do to get where they want to get to, landing Blake Griffin is a huge first step for them. What's scary is that Griffin isn't done getting better. He keeps adding more tools to his kit every year, so he's definitely not over the hump. As a matter of fact, I'm not even sure if he's hit his ceiling yet. The Pistons struck gold with this trade and should become a major force in the Eastern Conference over the coming seasons. Goodbye Lob City, hello Motor City.

To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here.

To connect with NBA Lord on Google Plus, click here. 

Tomahawk Tuesday: Trading Blake Griffin means the Los Angeles Clippers are rebuilding

                                                  (Credit: Keith Allison. Click here for source) 

On Monday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news that the Los Angeles Clippers traded Blake Griffin to the Detroit Pistons. The full deal is as follows: The Clippers send Blake Griffin, Brice Johnson, and Willie Reed to the Pistons for Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, Boban Marjanovic, a protected 2018 first-round pick, and a 2019 second-round pick.

The Clippers are trying to convince people that they are not rebuilding, but don't let them fool you. That's exactly what this trade means. When looking back on it, the Clippers' decision to trade Chris Paul to the Rockets was already an indicator that they were looking to rebuild, but their decision to part ways with Blake Griffin just confirms it. It also appears to only be a matter of time before they part ways with Lou Williams and DeAndre Jordan as well.

Given that Blake Griffin is 28 years old and won't hit unrestricted free agency until the summer of 2022, I'm surprised the Clippers made this move. I understand that they fell short of their goals of winning a title during the Chris Paul era, but Griffin is still young enough to build around for the next five years. I would have thought the Clippers would have instead decided to hang onto Griffin and build the whole team around him as opposed to shipping him off when he actually might have his best basketball ahead of him.

Advocates of the move will say that Blake Griffin is too injury prone and not a guy who you can build a championship team around. The former has some merit to it, but I'm not convinced either claim is true. I've always liked Griffin's game and he has shown the willingness to improve his game every season. Griffin is already one of the top players in the game and as I said earlier he's not done getting better. The Clippers could have chosen to make Griffin their franchise centerpiece and continue to build an exciting brand of basketball in Los Angeles. Instead, they've chosen to ship off their most exciting player with the hopes of building a championship contender through the draft and free agency.

If you are guaranteed to draft the second coming of Hakeem Olajuwon or something along those lines, then parting ways with Blake Griffin makes sense. But there's no guarantee the Clippers get such a piece via the draft or free agency. Tanking is always a risky proposition because it relies on getting the right pick via lottery, selecting the right player, and also the health of that player. When you have a known commodity like Blake Griffin that has panned out and is committed to getting better, you hang onto that player every time unless you know you have really good odds of getting something better in return. The Clippers don't seem likely to get a better piece, which is why I'm not feeling this move for them.

It feels like today's NBA has embraced this "championship or bust" mentality and while I certainly respect teams for wanting to go all out to win a title, you need to do that with a strategy that will actually pay off. Trading away your franchise player because he hasn't yet led you to a title isn't always the right move to make. Sometimes it's better to be patient and see what you can accomplish with that player as opposed to blowing the whole thing up and wishing upon a star.

Blake Griffin is one of the top players in the league and is not going to be an easy guy to replace. The fact that this move doesn't replace his production or guarantee that the Clippers will replace his production down the line is reason enough for me to dislike the move. I question whether or not this move will pay off for the Clippers in the way that they think it will.

To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Google Plus, click here. 

Eastern Conference Playoffs Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Detroit Pistons

           
                               (1) Cleveland Cavaliers (57-25) vs. (8) Detroit Pistons (44-38) 

     The last time the Detroit Pistons made the NBA Playoffs in 2009 the Cleveland Cavaliers swept them in the first round. Seven years later, the Pistons hope for a better outcome and come in with a renewed sense of confidence in themselves. As for the Cavaliers, they are looking to make quick work of the Pistons and stay healthy as they prepare to make a deep playoff run.

     Even though the Cavaliers have their eyes on an NBA championship and the Pistons have had their eyes on a playoff berth as their primary goal, it should not be assumed that this will be an easy series for the Cavaliers. The Pistons have a lot of talent and size, which are key ingredients to any upset recipe. In addition, they have nothing to lose and have way less pressure on them.

     The Pistons have a nice blend of backcourt play and frontcourt play. Their point guard Reggie Jackson averages 18.8 points per game and 6.2 assists per game while their center Andre Drummond averages 16.2 points and 14.8 rebounds per game. This balance in the frontcourt and backcourt makes the Pistons a tough team to take out.

     It isn't simple enough to shut down the perimeter or control the glass. You have to do both in order to be successful against them. If the Pistons get good production from Reggie Jackson and Andre Drummond, they'll give themselves a shot at winning this series because of the supporting cast they have around them. Forwards Ersan Ilyasova, Tobias Harris, and Marcus Morris do a good job of stretching the floor and banging down low. Plus, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope does a good job at the wing position on both ends of the floor.

     The bottom line is that the Pistons have the pieces to win this series should the Cavaliers fall asleep at the wheel a bit. The Pistons are dangerous and definitely a team that should not be taken lightly because of their seed. The Cavaliers will have to play good basketball to win this series.

     That being said, the Cavaliers have LeBron James, who is arguably the best player in the world. LeBron James is so good that he alone makes the Cavaliers the favorites to win this series. He is averaging 25.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game and very quietly having another MVP caliber season. Then, when you add Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, and even J.R. Smith into the equation, it really becomes hard to pick against the Cavaliers in this series. The Pistons have a lot of really good players, but the Cavaliers an all-time great in LeBron James and a borderline superstar in Kyrie Irving.

      The bottom line is that the Pistons are a very good team with a lot of really nice pieces but the Cavaliers are simply better because they have LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. I hate to make things as simple as that after singing the Pistons' praises, but that's just how it goes. I do expect the Pistons to get at least one game in this series and maybe two. But, I'm going to say that at the end of the day, extra rest will motivate the Cavaliers to not allow this series to get to a Game 6. The Cavaliers will win this series 4-1, but it will be a battle.

Note: Game 1 of this series is Sunday at 3:00 PM EST on ABC.

2014-15 Central Division Preview

   
     I conclude my previews of the Eastern Conference with my preview of the Central Division, home to the Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons, and Cleveland Cavaliers. Like my other previews I will list the teams in order of where I think they'll finish with their projected win total in parentheses.

                                           

                                                        

                                                           Cleveland Cavaliers (57) 

     The Cleveland Cavaliers have gone from being cellar dwellers in the Eastern Conference to being favorites to win the Central Division. That kind of transformation can happen when LeBron James and Kevin Love get added to your team. There is no doubt that the Cavaliers will be good, but we still don't know how good. 

     Will they win the Eastern Conference title? Will they win the NBA championship? These are the questions that are on the minds of NBA fans everywhere and ultimately only time will answer these questions for us. However, it is my responsibility on here to give you my honest opinion and answers to both questions. 

     In response to the first question, I think the odds are around 75% that they win the Eastern Conference title. I give 20% to the Bulls and 5% to the rest of the conference. With the way that this Cavaliers team is built, one has to put them as the odds on favorite to win the Eastern Conference even though this group as a unit remains unproven. As for winning the NBA championship, I give them 35% odds. The Spurs are still my pick to win the NBA championship, and after them you have the Thunder and the Clippers who I also think could threaten to win the title as well. 

     But with that all being said, this Cavaliers team looks ready to compete with those kind of teams right away. LeBron James is the best player in the NBA, Kevin Love is the best power forward in the NBA, and Kyrie Irving is a top-five point guard.Those three alone make them the favorite to win the East, but when you look at the rest of the team, it becomes really hard to figure that they won't win the Eastern Conference crown. In addition to the three superstars I mentioned, they also have Shawn Marion, Mike Miller, Dion Waiters, Anderson Varejao, and Tristan Thompson. Those five players form a really nice supporting cast for the Cavaliers' "Big Three" and should provide the additional help needed to get the team over the top. 

     Marion provides veteran leadership and scoring, Miller provides a three-point threat, Waiters provides an additional scoring punch that should produce around 13-14 points per game, and both Varejao and Thompson will grab rebounds and do all the dirty work. This team is very nicely constructed to win right away, and so I expect them to do just that. I'm just not sure it will all come together so nicely that they win the entire NBA championship in just one season together. 

                                                         

                                                 Chicago Bulls (52)

     

     The Chicago Bulls are a really tough nut to crack. On paper the team looks fantastic. They have Derrick Rose healthy, they added Pau Gasol, and they got some nice rookies in Doug McDermott and Nikola Mirotic. There really isn't a weakness on this team. They can score, they can defend, and they can rebound. The only question mark surrounding this team is health (primarily the health of Derrick Rose). If this team stays healthy, they will prove to be the biggest obstacle for the Cleveland Cavaliers to hurdle in the Eastern Conference. If they don't stay healthy (i.e. if Derrick Rose gets hurt again), they will have a hard time getting out of the first round of the playoffs. 

     With so much hinging on the health of Derrick Rose, this team will have to find ways to keep Rose healthy and limit the number of minutes he plays throughout the regular season. In my opinion, Rose shouldn't play more than 36 minutes on any given night. I.e. He should get at least one full quarter of rest each night. Doing this would cost them wins in the regular season, but it would also likely ensure them a championship caliber team in the playoffs. Rose seems healthy enough to play 36 minutes per game, but beyond that I wouldn't push him. 

     In addition to the health of Derrick Rose, I think a lot of this team's success hinges on the coaching mind of Tom Thibodeau, a defensive guru who is allergic to offense. At some point, the Bulls' front office has to wonder whether or not Thibodeau is too defensive minded. I said above that they have no weaknesses, but I was only referring to their player personnel. The players they have can score just fine, rebound just fine, and defend just fine. 

     But Thibodeau for whatever reason has the tendency to try to win off defense and rebounding alone, which might come back to haunt the Bulls. So far Thibodeau has gotten a hall pass for his shortcomings due to Rose being injured, but if Rose is healthy and the Bulls don't come close to winning the Eastern Conference, odds are good Thibodeau gets fired after the season. 

     Overall, I really like this Chicago Bulls team. They have the pieces to contend and win the NBA championship this season. It will be especially interesting to see what Pau Gasol brings to the table and what kind of role he plays in the development of their rookie European big man Nikola Mirotic. If Gasol produces at a high level and if Mirotic starts to show signs of being a key piece for the future, the Bulls will likely have higher than 20% odds of winning the Eastern Conference. 

                                                 

                                                 

                                                  Indiana Pacers (43) 

     With Paul George likely missing the entire season, this team will have a hard time making the playoffs. The only way this team can make the playoffs is if Roy Hibbert comes out of hiding and actually plays like a big man who isn't allergic to rebounds. Hibbert has to step up and prove his worth this season. If he struggles and can't lead out, this team should try to trade him at all costs and possibly cut him. You can't have your team relying on the mentally weak and that's what Roy Hibbert was last season. If he proves to still be a mental midget, the Pacers will have no choice but to part ways with him. 

     As for the rest of the team, only David West seems to be a guy who this team can rely on for any sort of stable and consistent production. You know that he'll put up solid numbers around 13-14 points per game with around 7 or 8 rebounds, but that kind of production won't be enough for this team to make a dent in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

      You might be thinking "What about George Hill?". George Hill is a disappointment in my book. He averaged 10.3 points and 3.5 assists per game last season. That is nothing close to the kind of production that the team needs from him and I don't see any reason to think he'll be any better than last season. Of course, if he could step up and average around 15 points per game in George's absence, that would be huge. 

     With Paul George going down, the loss of Lance Stephenson will loom large this season. He is a guy who could have given David West real help. He'll be a great fit in Charlotte and will be sorely missed this season. Had he been on the team, I would say that the Pacers make the playoffs for sure. But without him, it's gonna be dicey. 

     Overall, this team is going to struggle without Paul George. Frank Vogel is going to get a hall pass this year if the team misses the playoffs as he should. He's a fantastic coach who held the team together as if they were a wooden house made out of Popsicle sticks. He did the best he could, but his guys let him down. This year, he just doesn't have the horses. This will be a lost season for the Pacers, but perhaps Vogel can learn more about the rest of the guys he has on the team and find out who he wants for the future. Especially Hibbert and Hill. 

               

                                               Milwaukee Bucks (32) 

     The Bucks are entering a new era with new ownership, a new coach, and a new face for the franchise. There is reason to be hopeful for the future, but as for this season, this Bucks team is going to struggle. I have full faith in Jabari Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo being a dynamic duo in five years, but right now they'll have to go through some growing pains. A successful season for the Bucks will be if Jabari Parker is in the running for rookie of the year and if Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to show why he should have been the #1 overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft. 

     Their head coach Jason Kidd will be heavily scrutinized this season. He left Brooklyn in a rather bizarre and unusual way amid whispers of him wanting more power in the organization. If he doesn't do a good job coaching these guys, he'll look like a real clown. Of course, if the team plays well under him, then due to his age, Milwaukee may feel confident that they have a coach for the future. 

    The last real important thing to look for in this team is how Larry Sanders plays. The team is paying him a ton of money and he better prove that he is worth it. He has the potential to be a fantastic big man in the NBA, but he regressed last season. Some felt it was due to Larry Drew's poor coaching, but no matter how you slice it, Sanders needs to bounce back. 

     In conclusion, don't expect the Bucks to do anything big this year. They'll be exciting to watch, but they won't produce a lot of wins. Check back on this team in five years and see where they are at. 

                                            

           

                                               Detroit Pistons (30)

     The Pistons are a weird combination of talent and confusion. They have some talented pieces with Andre Drummond, Greg Monroe, Brandon Jennings, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Josh Smith, and yet the team doesn't know how it all fits together. Their formula for success seems to be "lets throw talent on the court and see what happens". It's like a weird science experiment involving baking powder, sulfuric acid, salt, water, and a wire. It could produce something cool, but more likely it will produce a disaster of some kind but you just don't know what. 

     Greg Monroe got retained in restricted free agency for this season, but next season he'll be an unrestricted free agent. This has to worry the Pistons since he is likely the best piece they have and he isn't likely to stay on a team that is so dysfunctional. Andre Drummond is also promising, but like Monroe he isn't likely to stay once he can leave, either. He hits free agency in 2016, so the Pistons have a little more time to convince him to stay but not much more. 

    The real problem with this team is Brandon Jennings and Josh Smith. Both guys are what Seinfeld calls "chuckers". They just chuck the ball at the rim and see what happens. They play basketball like they are playing a game of craps which usually doesn't work out so good. 

    Ultimately, the Pistons need to get rid of Brandon Jennings and Josh Smith in order to be successful. Sadly, both guys have massive contracts that nobody will want to take on which means that the Pistons will stink again this year and will be lucky to get more than 30 wins. 

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord 

Central Division Preview

My preview for the 2013-14 NBA season continues as I now switch from the Western Conference to the Eastern Conference. The first division I will preview in the Eastern Conference is the Central Division, home to the Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons, and Cleveland Cavaliers. As I have been doing for each preview, I will address each team in order of where I see them finishing in the division. 

Chicago Bulls: 

The Chicago Bulls are coming off a season in which they were without their star point guard Derrick Rose, who not only is the MVP of their team, but also a former MVP of the league. Despite Rose's absence, I felt that the Bulls were still a very dangerous team given their great defense and rebounding. Their style of basketball was too much for the Brooklyn Nets to handle in the first round of the playoffs last season, and it even gave the Miami Heat problems in the second round of the playoffs. Unfortunately for the Bulls, their health ended up costing them in the end, but nobody questioned their fighting spirit. This season, things look much better for these Bulls since they have Derrick Rose back. If Rose can return to his MVP caliber form, or something very close to it, then the Bulls are going to be a threat to win the entire NBA championship because they have every other piece of the puzzle to beat the Miami Heat. They have Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer down low to get rebounds and provide a legitimate threat offensively in the paint; they have Luol Deng as a legitimate side kick to Derrick Rose on the wing; and they collectively play really good team defense. The way to beat the Miami Heat is to play great defense, rebound the basketball, and not turn the ball over. The Bulls are great at all of those things, which is why they are a threat to win the NBA championship. The bottom line for the Bulls is that if they can stay healthy, then they'll be a serious threat to win the NBA championship. If they aren't healthy, then they won't be much of a threat to win a championship. But regardless of even their health, you can rest assured that they will play hard every night and not be an easy win for any team including the Miami Heat. I know I'm going out on a limb picking them to beat out the Indiana Pacers for the division title, but I really think that if Derrick Rose is back to his old self, there is no team better than the Bulls in this division. 

Indiana Pacers: 

The Indiana Pacers took the Chicago Bulls' place as division champions last season and also took the place of the team out in the Eastern Conference that could legitimately scare the Miami Heat. Like the Bulls, the Pacers pride themselves on their defense and their rebounding. In addition, the Pacers have also found their own superstar in their young small forward Paul George, to whom they just gave a lucrative contract extension earlier this fall. George is coming off a season in which he averaged 17.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. The Pacers expect him to do even better this season and continue to show why he's going to be a superstar in the NBA. In addition to Paul George, the Pacers also have a great front line of David West and Roy Hibbert to control the paint and provide a sound offensive threat down low like the Bulls have with Boozer and Noah. Plus, they've also added Luis Scola to the mix, giving them even more versatility on the block, especially on the offensive end. The only real concern for the Pacers is going to be the health of small forward Danny Granger, who will be out for the first three weeks of the regular season due to a calf injury. Before Paul George emerged, Granger was their star, but now that it's Paul George, the Pacers need to figure out how to get Granger and George to co-exist. More importantly, how to integrate Granger in such a way that the chemistry developed last season doesn't get hurt by his presence. Their head coach Frank Vogel definitely has a difficult task on the Danny Granger front, but he won't have the difficult task of trying to coach a mediocre team to success. He has a great group of guys to work with who certainly have what it takes to get back to the Eastern Conference Finals, and maybe even reach the NBA Finals. If the Chicago Bulls are not at full strength, expect the Indiana Pacers to win the central division title. Regardless of where they finish in the division standings, I don't expect them to drop outside the top four of the Eastern Conference. They will be a team with home court advantage in the first round, and will also be a team that will once again be on the cusp of winning a championship. What of course remains to be seen is how much better they are as a result of the off-season moves they made along with the return of Danny Granger.

Detroit Pistons: 

The Detroit Pistons have a whole new look this season thanks to the additions of Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings. The Pistons have overnight gone from being a team in the race to get the most ping-pong balls for the draft, to being a team in the race for a playoff spot. The transformation of this team is actually quite stunning given where they were last season. Brandon Jennings is one of the more undervalued point guards in the NBA, and Josh Smith is one of the more underrated stars in the NBA. Sure Jennings isn't Chris Paul or Stephen Curry, but unless you can have one of those top flight guys, Brandon Jennings is as good an option as you are going to find. The same goes for Josh Smith, who may not be of the likes of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, or Paul George, but still nonetheless is a legitimate player who can turn any team into a playoff caliber team. As for the rest of the team, the Pistons look pretty good. They have a solid front court featuring Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe, and a decent back court to go with Jennings with players like Chauncey Billups and rookie shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The bottom line for the Pistons is that they should have what it takes to get the 6th or 7th seed in the Eastern Conference and make the playoffs, but nothing beyond that. They won't win a series or make any noise in the playoffs, but just being back in the playoffs will be a big enough of a deal this season. One thing that could maybe change their fortunes is what they end up doing with young center/power forward Greg Monroe. There are rumors that he could be on the trading block, and given his abilities, they could get a lot back for him should they want to trade him. Monitoring the status of Greg Monroe will be one of the more interesting things to watch for this season in addition to seeing how many crazy shots Brandon Jennings and Josh Smith attempt to make.

 Cleveland Cavaliers: 

The Cleveland Cavaliers are going to be a very interesting team this season, and also might end up being the team that takes the biggest leap in terms of improvement from last season. They have a lot of very promising players on their team in addition to their  young 3rd year all-star point guard Kyrie Irving, who averaged 22.5 points and 5.9 assists last season. Those additional players are shooting guard Dion Waiters, who is entering his second season in the NBA, power forward Tristan Thompson, who like Irving is coming off his sophomore season in the league, and the current #1 overall pick Anthony Bennett, a talented power forward out of UNLV. These young players along with Kyrie Irving make the Cavaliers a team with a very bright future, but not a team that will even sniff a playoff spot. However, there is one player that they have that could make them a playoff team this season, and perhaps even a championship caliber team. That player is Andrew Bynum, who is coming off an utterly embarrassing season in with the Philadelphia 76ers. Bynum didn't play one minute of basketball for the 76ers last season, and in the process completely destroyed the franchise. Fortunately for the Cavaliers, they aren't putting their whole future on the shoulders on Andrew Bynum, since their whole future is on the shoulders of Kyrie Irving. But with that being said, they could end up being a really dangerous team should Bynum return to being the type of dominant center he was with the Lakers.  Especially since they also have another really good big man in Anderson Varejao. Dominant big men are hard to come by in the NBA, and when healthy Andrew Bynum is arguably the best center in the entire NBA. That's why they are a contending team. If you have the best center in the game and a top five point guard, you by default have to be considered a contending team. Now you might be wondering why I still have the Cavaliers finishing fourth in this division and not second or third. The reason is because there are too many unknowns surrounding Andrew Bynum. Will he play? Will he not play? If he does, how much will he play and what type of impact will he make? It's hard to predict, which is why I have to temporarily place the Cavaliers at the spot where they are at. I'm fully aware that I could be wrong about where they finish up, but for now I need to take the conservative position and say that they'll finish fourth in the division and be one of the teams fighting for the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs. 

Milwaukee Bucks: 

The Milwaukee Bucks are clearly going to be the worst team in this division. Brandon Jennings is now on the Pistons and Monta Ellis is now on the Mavericks, which means that the building blocks for their franchise are almost gone except for their young center Larry Sanders, who they just gave a very lucrative contract extension to earlier this fall. The Bucks do have a promising young point guard in Brandon Knight, whom they got from the Pistons, and also a promising young forward in John Henson to go with some solid veterans along the wing such as OJ Mayo, Ersan Illyasova, and  Caron Butler. But when looking at the rest of the teams in the division, it is clear that the Bucks are going to stack up a lot of losses. I know it sounds like a really bad thing to be in this type of situation, but actually the Bucks are in a much better situation than they were last season for a number of reasons. One of those reasons is that they weren't going anywhere with Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings as their one-two punch, so they might as well move on and start a new chapter in their history. Plus, they have some interesting young players to develop such as Brandon Knight, John Henson, and rookie small forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (who I actually drafted in fantasy basketball this season). Last but not least, the 2014 NBA draft is supposed to be filled with a ton of all-star talent which every team is going to want to get their hands on. By being bad, the Bucks are setting themselves up for success in terms of getting a high draft pick. Bucks fans certainly won't have much to cheer for this season, but they definitely should take comfort in knowing that where they are this season is actually a lot better place than last season in terms of building for the future. It may not feel like it at times, but believe me, the Bucks are closer to being a contending team by rebuilding than they are by sticking it out with Jennings and Ellis. 

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord