Will the Central Division get any better around the Chicago Bulls this season after a strong preseason debut from the Indiana Pacers?
The NBA Preseason slate tipped off on Oct. 4 as five teams were in action on two different continents, three different landmasses, and with a team from a different league. There was also one Central Division foe of the Chicago Bulls in action to kick off the preseason. That Central Division foe of the Bulls in action on Friday morning was the Indiana Pacers, who faced the Sacramento Kings in India.
That set of preseason openers on Friday morning featured the Pacers and Kings squaring off in India and the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers battling at the University of Hawaii. That was a fun set of games that saw the preseason debut of NBA stars like Rockets shooting guard James Harden and Kings guard De’Aaron Fox.
The Pacers got the best of the Kings in the preseason opener in a 132-131 overtime thriller.
On Oct. 5, the Pacers followed that up with yet another win over the Kings. The second win just came in more convincing fashion, by the final score of 130-106. It is weird seeing a usual defensive power like the Pacers putting up so many points. Granted the Kings defense was nothing to ever write home about.
With all this in mind, we can start the discussion through the preseason of how the Central Division picture could be shaping up around the Bulls.
Head coach Nate McMillan and the Pacers look to have a grip on a spot in the upper echelon in the division. And clearly reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks should have a clean grasp on the top spot in the Central Division.
But there’s wiggle room for the rest of the pack behind the Bucks and the Pacers. Even teams like the Detroit Pistons and the Bulls could challenge the Pacers for that second spot in the division standings.
During the offseason, the Pistons made the move to land the former Bulls superstar point guard Derrick Rose on a two-year contract worth $15 million. D-Rose gets to link up with the former Clippers superstar power forward Blake Griffin in Detroit. That could be a fun team to watch that puts up around 40-45 wins this season.
Getting to that mark of 40-45 wins could be difficult for the Bulls. Head coach Jim Boylen will be relying more heavily on the potential rising star duo that is shooting guard Zach LaVine and power forward Lauri Markkanen. LaVine and Markkanen could be the two best candidates for first-time All-Star selections this season.
A good spot for the Bulls in the division standings, led by Markkanen and LaVine, could be in third or fourth. Pushing for that second spot would likely mean a collapse by the Pistons and the Pacers, which isn’t likely to happen.
And the team down in the basement of the Central Division in all likelihood is former Michigan Wolverines head coach John Beilein and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs will be looking to take the next step behind veteran forward Kevin Love and second-year point guard Collin Sexton.
This could be a fun season for Boylen and the Bulls in the Central Division. The Bulls and the Cavs are the two most likely teams to improve just by virtue of how bad they were last season. But the Pistons, Pacers, and Bucks should all be looking at solid playoff spots this season as well. The Central Division could be the best in the Eastern Conference from top-to-bottom this season.
But the Atlantic Division could have something to say about that with the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, and Brooklyn Nets all in the mix.