Dunk Base

The Central Division is the most difficult division to break down at this point. Last season the Cavaliers ruled the division under the iron fist of LeBron James. However, LeBron James is no longer there. The Milwaukee Bucks and the Chicago Bulls seem to be the teams at the front of this division. However, don't count out the Detroit Pistons who suffered from a rash of injuries last season. The Cavaliers still have a group of strong players as well. As for the Indiana Pacers, don't count them out either. They had their share of injury problems as well. This analysis will focus on each team and their previous season combined with their draft and what they did in free agency. From there it will look at what they can expect from what they have right now and then look at what they still need to acquire in order to make the most from what they have. So, using last year's standings, let's get it going!

Cleveland Cavaliers

I don't know if any team in the history of the league has taken a hit like the Cavaliers took this offseason. Sure, the Magic lost Shaq to the Lakers, but at the same time they still had Penny Hardaway and a nice supporting cast. The Cavaliers have an aging Antawn Jamison along with a desperate Mo Williams. This team is destined to return to where they came from when they got James. Lucky for them, there's another small forward at the top of next year's NBA draft. It looks like the Cavaliers will have a chance at getting Harrison Barnes. Look for the Cavaliers to finish at the bottom of the division, although I can see them finishing ahead of the Pacers if the Pacers have injury problems that resemble last season.

The Cavs are really in a bad position at the current time that only a high draft pick can resolve, or even come close to resolving. They are going to need something more than Sebastian Telfair or Daniel Gibson to backup the point guard. They are going to need more than Danny Green and Delonte West to backup the shooting guard. As for the 3, it looks like they're down to Jamario Moon with Danny Green backing up there too. With the power forward position they have Antawn Jamison with JJ Hickson as their main reserve. With the center spot it looks like Anderson Varejao along with Hickson backing him up will be the plan, making the often injured Leon Power the backup power forward. Any way you look at it, the Cavs are an injury away from disaster, and even without injuries they're probably not in the playoffs.

Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks were, in a sense, the darlings of the NBA last season. After bringing along John Salmons in what turned out to be a steal of a trade for the Bucks last season, the Bucks went on a run that saw them run to the clear cut second best team in the central division. They still have a very strong starting lineup which looks to be Brandon Jennings, John Salmons, Corey Maggette, Drew Gooden, and Andrew Bogut. While there are injury concerns in there, there are at least reasonable replacements there as backup. Larry Sanders may be a rookie with no offense in any way, but at the same time he can be a great defender off the bat. Michael Redd should be healthy at about the halfway point of the season, and when he is healthy the Bucks should become an offensive juggernaut looking for a defensive identity. This should only be a great situation for coach Scott Skiles.

What the Bucks need to do is add depth down low and depth up high. they have good players to start, but nothing much beyond that either at the 1 or the 5, and a limited amount at the 2. There are some players, but nothing that is really very reliable.

Chicago Bulls

The Bulls were one of those teams that was supposed to get at least one of the big three and glide into the playoffs next season, maybe even getting 2 of the big 3. However, as we all know, it didn't happen that way. After the Heat signed Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh the Bulls went out there and grabbed the next best free agent available in Carlos Boozer, a hard working strongman type. This solved a major problem that the Bulls had the previous year in adding a down low threat on offense. After that the Bulls added a deep threat, which was another glaring omission from their previous team in adding Kyle Korver, who set the record for best three point percentage in a single season during the 2009 season. After that it was Ronnie Brewer, who filled in at the shooting guard vacancy as a defensive shooting guard to replace Kirk Hinrich, only that Brewer is someone who understands his limits better than Hinrich and scores much more efficiently. From there the Bulls added CJ Watson as their bench scorer and have now brought along Kurt Thomas to anchor their defense down low from the big man position along with rookie Omer Asik. Right now the very basic depth chart for the Bulls sees Derrick Rose and CJ Watson as the main guys at the 1 with Ronnie Brewer able to step in and run things if needed. With the 2 it's Ronnie Brewer and Kyle Korver with CJ Watson able to step in and do some scoring with a small lineup. At the 3 it's Luol Deng still there with James Johnson and Kyle Korver backing him up. At the four it's Boozer and Taj Gibson running things with Asik and Thomas as emergency options. At the 5 it's Joakim Noah as the main man with Asik and Thomas behind him. From the sound of it, the Bulls should be able to add a cheap shooter as well to finish off the roster before they go into the Bird rights and such.

The Bulls have done a great job in filling out their roster. Adding a shooter would be the last major concern for the team before taking a chance on a few developent league guys. Right now Derrick Byars, Morris Almond, and either that Gonzaga kid or Chris Richard look to be the best way to fill out the rest of the roster. The Bulls are in place to win this division assuming things don't go horribly wrong with them.

Indiana Pacers

The Pacers are a bit of a mystery to me. Some think that they can typecast them by the color of the skin of half the team, but honestly, first off, that's completely racist, and it's just as bad going from any race to any other race. In other words, racism is wrong, period, even if it's in a socially accepted way. It's just plain wrong, PERIOD.

That being said, the Pacers took some risks during the draft this year, something that is rare for them. Paul George has a ton of potential, and Lance Stephenson, although a safe pick in the second round, still was a pick that was a bit of a surprise for the Pacers. Right now, at the center and power forward spots the Pacers have Foster, Hibbert, Murphy, and Tyler Hansbrough as their main guys. Hibbert has started to show that he can be a decent center at the NBA level and Foster is a proven backup. Murphy has proven himself to be a good offensive power forward, and Hansbrough is going to have to be his backup right now. Outside of that, the Pacers are deep. Mike Dunleavy, Danny Granger, Dahntay Jones, Brandon Rush, and Lance Stephenson all look to limit the playing time of Paul George. Still, the Pacers seem to be strong in the backcourt despite being able to use a little bit of help at the point.

If I'm in charge of the Pacers I'm looking for a true point guard for my team to supplement what is there already. I would also try to throw in a big man who can be, at very least, a strong backup. The Pacers have a lot of prospects, but they need some veteran talent to make sure things are balanced out beyond the wings.

Detroit Pistons

The Pistons tried to make a free agent splash last season with Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon as their major pieces. However, both players suffered through injury for most of the season last year. Both players, while healthy, were streaky. The Pistons did have their high points last season with having Ben Wallace return to them and actually be a reasonable player. On top of that, rookie Jonas Jerebko has looked better than expected. With that said, at the 1, the Pistons look to be in a bit of confusion. Ben Gordon may wind up being the starter with Terrico White being the backup. Either way, you don't want Ben Gordon as your starting 1. As for the 2, it looks like Rodney Stuckey and Rip Hamilton will hold things down there. Daye, Jerebko, and Prince are all legitimate small forward candidates, and as for the power forward spot, Jerebko, Daye, Maxiell, and Charlie Villanueva are the best options. For the center spot, it's Wallace, Monroe, and Wilcox as the main options.

The Pistons just really need to consolidate their talent. They have a lot of guys who are maginally talented who are just not good enough to take a team to the next level, much like the '07/'08 Bulls were. They have the right intentions and whatnot, but just not the right personell or attitude to bring them to that next level, and for the Pistons, it's not like it's a very high ladder to climb.

My predictions for the Central Division during the 2010/2011 season:

1. Chicago Bulls - They just seem to have the best chemistry built right now and have every position covered to the right extent.
2. Milwaukee Bucks - Maggette and Salmons was a nice way to bring some offense along, and despite having Jennings running the point, they should still have a solid defense.
3. Detroit Pistons - At least they still have talented players that they can throw in there. The chemistry looks horrible, but it is at least something that can be fixed throughout the course of a season.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers - Antawn Jamison and Mo Williams...could be worse
5. Indiana Pacers - Doubtful that anyone stays healthy.

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