2012 Central Division Preview

The Central Division is quite a bit more eclectic than the Atlantic. We've got the team with the 3rd most titles ever - but all within a span of eight years, a team that's had a lot of good players and a lot of bad luck, another team akin to the Knicks and Sixers with a very long history, a team composed almost entirely of ABA players, and a team that's been around for quite a while yet still hasn't managed to keep any point guards or big men. It's a weird grouping. I'm excited to see how some of these rosters pan out in the standings.


Chicago Bulls
PG - (2011) Derrick Rose - 79.4 ($7.919)
SG - (1989) Michael Jordan - 914.6 ($10.650)
SF - (1995) Scottie Pippen - 381.6 ($8.519)
PF - (1992) Horace Grant - 106.0 ($7.899)
C - (1979) Artis Gilmore - 87.1 ($9.283)


Bench:
(1971) Bob Love - 87.9 ($7.925)
(1971) Jerry Sloan - 46.2 ($6.852)
(1971) Chet Walker - 95.6 ($6.678)
(1977) Norm Van Lier - 68.6 ($6.218)
(1995) Toni Kukoc - 45.6 ($6.108)
(1994) B.J. Armstrong - 50.2 ($5.314)
(1987) John Paxson - 38.3 ($4.767)


Well, that starting lineup pretty much makes itself. And I don't know why, but it just seems very odd to me that three players - Love, Sloan, and Walker, all had their best years (as Bulls) in 1971. Anyway, the Bulls don't have the greatest of benches, but I'm still picking them to win this division based on that starting five.


Cleveland Cavaliers
PG - (1989) Mark Price - 107.3 ($6.555)
SG - (2009) LeBron James - 320.6 ($9.833)
SF - (1990) Hot Rod Williams - 32.0 ($7.122)
PF - (1992) Larry Nance - 53.3 ($8.010)
C - (1991) Brad Daugherty - 97.7 ($7.514)


Bench:
(1997) Terrell Brandon - 36.8 ($7.082)
(1979) Campy Russell - 23.5 ($6.335)
(1997) Tyrone Hill - 20.5 ($6.309)
(2009) Mo Williams - 16.2 ($6.279)
(2005) Zydrunas Ilgauskas - 65.7 ($6.217)
(1973) Austin Carr - 26.5 ($6.196)
(2010) Anderson Varejao - 20.2 ($5.201)


Guess what, Cleveland! You get to keep LeBron! (At least until he cracks 320.6 with the Heat. He's at 65.4 after one season, so it'll probably be a little while yet. Unless he starts winning championships... I mean, unless Dwyane Wade starts winning championships for him.) Anyway, that's not a bad starting five, with a couple nice players coming off the bench. I'm not expecting anything great from this squad, but I think they'll probably make the playoffs.


Detroit Pistons
PG - (1985) Isiah Thomas - 284.2 ($7.098)
SG - (1993) Joe Dumars - 184.3 ($7.185)
SF - (1997) Grant Hill - 153.2 ($8.866)
PF - (1974) Bob Lanier - 139.1 ($8.698)
C - (2002) Ben Wallace - 179.7 ($7.823)


Bench:
(2006) Chauncey Billups - 189.3 ($7.644)
(1952) Larry Foust - 131.0 ($7.452)
(1984) Bill Laimbeer - 178.2 ($7.181)
(1971) Dave Bing - 134.7 ($7.117)
(1958) George Yardley - 126.8 ($7.106)
(1960) Gene Shue - 90.1 ($7.042)
(2006) Richard Hamilton - 129.0 ($5.988)


Weird Random Omissions: Bailey Howell & Dennis Rodman. They finished 13th and 14th for the Pistons. I blame Richard Hamilton for making three All-Star games. Yes. That actually happened. If you ask me twenty years from now how many All-Star games Richard Hamilton made during his career, there's a 99% chance I'll say zero. Bailey Howell should be on this team, but I'm not bending the rules for anyone else, so, them's the breaks, as they say. (I feel like Rodman should be, too, but I really don't know who else I'd kick off. Gene Shue, I suppose, but he did make five All-Star teams, one All-NBA 1st team and one All-NBA second team. So... he's kind of earned his spot.)


Okay, all that being said with my rant about those two guys being left off the team, this team is still pretty loaded. The starting five isn't as good as the Bulls, but the bench is considerably deeper. It'll be interesting to see how that plays out during the season.


Indiana Pacers
PG - (1976) Don Buse - 27.6 ($7.286)
SG - (1990) Reggie Miller - 244.7 ($8.035)
SF - (1970) Roger Brown - 90.9 ($7.963)
PF - (1975) George McGinnis - 71.4 ($8.291)
C - (1971) Mel Daniels - 104.6 ($8.352)


(2003) Jermaine O'Neal - 101.6 ($7.564)
(1970) Bob Netolicky - 34.9 ($7.220)
(1977) Billy Knight - 46.8 ($7.145)
(2008) Danny Granger - 30.0 ($6.844)
(1996) Dale Davis - 57.8 ($6.068)
(1990) Vern Fleming - 26.0 ($5.903)
(1995) Rik Smits - 53.0 ($5.739)


Disqualified Players:
(1993) Detlef Schrempf - 30.0 ($7.410) higher score with Thunder (Sonics)


This is weird. This is basically an ABA team. Four of the five starters (everyone but Miller) is from an ABA season, with two of the next top three bench players being ABA players (although Knight's best season was an NBA season.) It'll be an interesting experiment.


Milwaukee Bucks
PG - (1984) Sidney Moncrief - 194.1 ($8.021)
SG - (2001) Ray Allen - 78.3 ($7.970)
SF - (1979) Marques Johnson - 134.8 ($7.630)
PF - (1997) Vin Baker - 39.7 ($8.070)
C - (1985) Terry Cummings - 65.7 ($7.003)


Bench:
(2006) Michael Redd - 45.1 ($7.460)
(1997) Glenn Robinson - 35.9 ($7.130)
(1985) Paul Pressey - 24.9 ($6.858)
(1975) Bob Dandridge - 111.4 ($6.648)
(1970) Jon McGlocklin - 46.7 ($5.949)
(1987) Ricky Pierce - 31.5 ($5.539)
(1976) Brian Winters - 36.2 ($5.488)


Disqualified Players:
(1972) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - 361.8 ($11.598) higher score with Lakers
(1971) Oscar Robertson - 90.3 ($7.636) higher score with Kings


Well, this team is loaded... with shooting guards. Seven of them to be precise. (WIS has Moncrief, Allen, Redd, Pressey, McGlocklin, Pierce, and Winters all listed as shooting guards for their given "best" years.) I moved Moncrief over to point guard because he did play point occasionally and because this team has no true point guards, or centers for that matter. (Other than the guys that are disqualified because they're on other teams... Man, would they help this squad a lot.) This team might be the ultimate experiment in just jacking up three's. They're starting big men (Baker and Cummings) aren't all that big, and the best they can do for backup are Glenn Robinson and Bob Dandridge. Who aren't bad players by any means, but nicknames aside, they aren't going to be banging bodies in the paint with anyone very successfully. I just have no idea what to expect here. It sure will be interesting, though.