What Can LeBron Do For You? How James' Departure Affects The Central
So now that the dust has settled, and the sun indeed still came up the day after LeBron James decided to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers to join his buddies in Miami, the Central Division picture looks a bit murkier than it did last week.
Looking at the standings from last year, the Cavaliers stand out like a lighthouse in a desert at night. They finished the year with a 15-game lead over the second place Milwaukee Bucks. In fact, the other three teams (Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers) all failed to win more than they lost.
Now, obviously the Central does not exist in a vacuum, and each team has addressed some needs and their rosters figure to shake up quite a bit more between now and the start of the season.
However, as it stands now, we can reasonably see how the departure of James and the inevitable implosion of the Cavs will affect the rest of the Division. Here is a team by team appraisal of what could come to fruition.
Next in line of succession
Of the remaining four teams in the Central, two appear to be head and shoulders above the rest, and those two have done more to help their causes. I'm talking, of course, about the Bulls and Bucks.
Chicago has been an incredibly active player in free agency and trades. They had a very young and talented team to begin with, and they got better by adding former Utah Jazz power forward Carlos Boozer.
Boozer is an excellent fit for the Bulls; he brings toughness, low post scoring, and rebounding to a team that led the NBA in that category. Boozer will basically allow them to beat out every team they play for loose balls and boards, giving them extra possessions on offense and starting the break on defense.
Not everything was addition this summer for Chicago, as they shipped Kirk Hinrich, arguably their best perimeter shooter, to Washington in an attempt to land James. His absence will be felt, especially by point guard Derick Rose who now will be forced to create his own space on offense.
It is incredibly important that the Bulls address this hole in their lineup by going after someone like J.J. Redick or perhaps a cheaper player with a shot. Ray Allen appeared to be a solid fit, but he decided to re-sign with Boston.
Look for Chicago to make a move to bring in a three-point shooter before training camp begins.
At the very least Chicago should be a 50 win team with a great chance at winning the division.
However, the Bucks will be the biggest obstacle to a Bulls return to the top.
Milwaukee was one of the great stories in the NBA last season. Their point guard, Brandon Jennings (pictured), revitalized this basketball purgatory and helped return a little flash to the beer city.
The Bucks were able to make the playoffs despite shooting guard Michael Redd missing nearly the entire season with a knee injury. However, right before the playoffs the injury bug bit again, and star center Andrew Bogut was lost for the season.
Milwaukee made a few small moves, including signing power forward Drew Gooden, and a very good move in re-signing John Salmons and trading for Corey Maggette.
Heading into the season, Milwaukee appears to be nearly as good as Chicago, and perhaps more complete. With Bogut at center, Gooden moves into the power forward spot, Maggette at the three, and Salmons and Jennings in the back court.
This allows Carlos Delfino to come off the bench, as well as Jerry Stackhouse if he chooses to stay. Add to this the likely mid-February return of Redd and Milwaukee suddenly looks like a dangerous team.
Besides potential injuries, the biggest challenge that could face Milwaukee is a potentially soft and thin front court. The wild card for this team could be how well rookie Larry Sanders fits in the mix. If he provides defense and rebounding like he did in college, this team could win the division.
Wild Cards
The Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons had terrible seasons last year. The Pistons struggled with myriad injuries, and the Pacers had trouble jelling as a unit.
Both teams have remained relatively quiet this offseason, although that figures to change at least for the Pistons.
When you look at the Pacers roster, something stands out immediately. This team is very top heavy, and with the draft they continued this trend.
Center Roy Hibbert was a nice surprise last year and has a lot of potential. Troy Murphy is a very good rebounder and provides a nice low post scoring option. And team president Larry Bird has further enhanced his collection of big men by bringing in young guys Tyler Hansbrough and Josh McRoberts.
The real talent of this team lies at the small forward position. Danny Granger has quietly become one of the most talented forwards in the game and his ceiling is immense. In addition, Bird drafted Paul George in the lottery. Mike Dunleavy is also vying for playing time at this spot, leaving small forward in a bit of a log jam.
The real problem facing Indiana is their back court. A starting lineup including Earl Watson and Brandon Rush at the guard positions does not scare anyone. The Pacers thought they had the answer in T.J. Ford, but he played himself into the dog house and likely will be dealt.
Therefore, it appears likely that Indiana will make a move at some point this season. If they feel that they have a shot at winning, they may attempt to pry a veteran shooting guard or point guard away from another mid-level team.
However, until they shore up their back court they will continue to be towards the bottom of the pack.
The Pistons, however, are the true wild card in this division. Every other team seems to be fairly predictable in where they may fall in the standings. Detroit, though, has the potential to really disrupt the flow of this division.
Last year the Pistons were devastated by injuries. Boasting an incredibly healthy roster during their long playoff runs of the past decade, basketball karma seemed to finally bite the Pistons in the back side.
After signing Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon, the Pistons attempted to re-load immediately and avoid the dreaded rebuilding phase.
Sadly for them, Villanueva appeared to be more interested in playing Twitter than he was in playing defense, and Gordon got injured early and never seemed to find his stroke.
Team president Joe Dumars appeared to really take his team's demise hard and vowed to bring back the "toughness" and "grit" from past years. In particular, they needed to address their thin front court and clear up their log jammed back court.
In the lottery, they drafted Georgetown's Greg Monroe, a very skilled if soft big man. In the second round, they may have obtained the steal of the round by grabbing Terico White, a combo guard.
Looking at the Pistons roster, like the Pacers, something appears to be missing. As the roster stands now, Ben Wallace will probably play center with last year's surprising rookie Jonas Jerebko playing power forward. Depending on how well he adjusts to the pro game and if he shows toughness, Monroe could become the starting center by mid-season.
Tayshaun Prince will likely return for the beginning of the season at the small forward spot, although his expiring contract and good reputation make him a very valuable trading piece.
Rodney Stuckey will likely remain at the point, with Rip Hamilton returning to the shooting guard spot. Gordon could be the sixth man with Austin Daye, White, and DeJuan Summers seeing time at both the small forward and shooting guard spots.
However, the Pistons are not set up right now to succeed. They just have too many guards on the roster. Hamilton figures to be the key here. Given that a lot of teams have struck out in free agency, Hamilton likely will receive a lot of attention as the season approaches.
Minnesota's Al Jefferson appeared to be a very good fit, but Detroit decided to not get involved in the bidding and he appears headed to Utah.
Right now, Detroit needs to zero in on a big man on a team that needs a shooting guard and pull the trigger. Indiana or Charlotte would be a logical trading partner, but Dumars likely will not trade within the conference, let alone the division in Indiana's case.
More likely, he will try to make a move with a Western Conference team. A few teams come to mind out west - Denver, Oklahoma City, and San Antonio. Given that most teams don't match up perfectly with Detroit in a need for need basis, this will likely be a multi-team package.
Dealing Hamilton would allow Detroit to start Gordon along Stuckey, which would spread out the defense and allow Rodney to make plays. The key to this pairing is whether or not Gordon can play defense against point guards, and if Stuckey can distribute the ball more effectively.
Do not underestimate the impact of having a great passing big man like Monroe. The rookie needs to establish his own low post scoring ability before he starts setting up teammates, but having a big man that can distribute becomes contagious. Look at the Sacramento Kings of the early part of the decade and the Spurs and Lakers during their runs - a big man that can pass opens up the offense and gets everyone involved.
That being said, Detroit must deal Hamilton in order to have a shot at competing in this division.
The Cavs
Poor Cleveland. They were unable to win it all with James, so how on earth can they win without him?
Heading into the season, Antawn Jamison and Moe Williams are the only viable offensive options for this team. Barring a slew of moves before the season opens, this team appears to be rudder-less with no real options moving forward. This team is in the throes of rebuilding and everyone knows it, except their owner Dan Gilbert.
The longer they go without realizing this as a whole, the longer it will take for them to become relevant again. Could this lead to the Cavs picking up and moving to Pittsburgh? Gilbert does not have any loyalty to Cleveland as he made his money in Detroit, and the steel city definitely has a stronger economic climate.
Probably not right away, but keep an eye on this idea.
Bottom line
This appears to be a two team race between the Bucks and the Bulls. However, neither team has much experience winning, so this will leave the door open for the Pistons if they are able to make a move or two.
The loss of James definitely shifts the balance of power in what was a very lop-sided division a year ago and everyone else benefits from this move. However, if you are Joe Dumars or Larry Bird, you have got to like your chances a lot more today than you did a month ago.
