Ladies and Gentleman, welcome back for another NBA Season and with it another series of our Division predictions on WebTMG. To get things started I’ll have a look at the Central featuring my Pacers.
CHICAGO
PG: Dunn, Satoransky, White
SG: LaVine, Valentine
SF: Porter
PF: Markkanen, Young
C: Carter Jr., Kornet
Thoughts
Bulls have built up a nice young core here, but will it all gel together and push them back into the lower end of the Eastern Conference playoffs picture?? LaVine, Carter Jr., and Markkanen are the future being banked on here, along with the time-share at PG between Dunn, Satoransky and White. I expect they view White as the future but tough to see him getting enough minutes with Dunn in town and Satoransky coming off a solid World Cup. Otto Porter is the concern at SF for me, and they don’t have much to back him up. My guess if they run some 3-guard line-ups here with either LaVine or Satoransky playing the 3.
Prediction
Their best will yield a playoff berth in the 6-8 spot, but not yet sure they can sustain the form for the whole 82 game slate. 34-48 which is +12 wins on a year ago.
CLEVELAND
PG: Garland, Dellavedova
SG: Sexton, Knight, Clarkson
SF: Osman
PF: Love, Nance
C: Thompson, Zizic
Thoughts
It was ugly a year ago in failing to reach 20 wins and I’m predicting more of the same this season. No real roster improvements here while their closest division rival – Bulls – have improved. Last season I predicted some in-season moves and will do so again of Love, maybe Thompson or Knight to help round out some depth on a playoff team elsewhere. No point writing much else for this mess, to quote Obi Wan – “These aren’t the droids (players) we’re looking for. You can go about your business. Move along.”.
Prediction
Yuk, 16-66 and will make the Knicks look all-World.
DETROIT
PG: Jackson, Rose
SG: Brown, Kennard
SF: Snell, Mykhailiuk
PF: Griffin, Morris, Johnson
C: Drummond, Maker, Wood
Thoughts
Since I’m going to rate them down this year, it will be the season the Pistons finally click – you watch!! Perennially over-hyped by yours truly my patience has worn out with R-Jax, Griffin and Drummond. Morris is a handy handcuff for Griffin when he no doubt misses a few games injured. Rose may win the starting gig from Jackson at some stage if he can continue to build back half his MVP season form. The SG/SF rotation looks a mess though and quality swing men are proving to be key in the current NBA. Pistons just look too old school – hoping a roster constructed similar to the 80’s Bad Boys might come back in vogue. It won’t, they struggle and things will get blown up either at trade deadline or next off season.
Prediction
Yawn! 36-46 and not in the hunt. Griffin is on the move…
INDIANA
PG: Brogdon, A.Holiday, McConnell
SG: Oladipo, Lamb
SF: Warren, McDermott, J.Holiday
PF: Sabonis, Leaf
C: Turner, Bitadze
Thoughts
The post PG13 rebuild can start to bear fruit here. Tough start to the year until Dipo returns but the depth is there to make a go of it until he’s back and settled in. Brogdon could be the best Pacer PG since Mark Jackson and he has some help too. The flexibility added through guys like Warren and Lamb will be handy too, enabling some big guard lineups or stretch 4’s – exactly the opposite of the issue I called out above in Motor City. Big man depth is a worry though. Not a lot behind Sabonis and Turner, reliant on Warren to play that stretch 4 and Bitadze to be a diamond. Some chance Leaf will get an opportunity but I suspect playing a 4 man D with him on the court will wear thin pretty quick.
Prediction
I like what is being built here. Brodgon, Warren and Lamb an overall upgrade over Collison, Bogdanovic and Young but still falling short of the division crown to the Bucks. 49-33.
MILWAUKEE
PG: Bledsoe, Hill
SG: Matthews, DiVincenzo
SF: Middleton, Korver
PF: G.Antetokounmpo, Ilyasova
C: B.Lopez, R.Lopez
Thoughts
Was last year their year?? A golden chance blown by the late season changes in Toronto to surround Kawhi with the talent required? Luckily Giannis only turns 25 in December so still yet to be in his prime, so I’m thinking last season was the first in their window. Yes an opportunity lost, but not the end of the road for this talented group. The damage could be at SG though with Brogdon moved across to a division rival, Matthews is a downgrade. On the plus side, DiVincenzo was out three quarters of last season so they should get a good look at him this campaign. I liked the look of the C spot last season too with Henson and Maker available rather than the two Lopez boys. Once again it is Giannis’s team though and his play will dictate the fate of this franchise once again. Hopefully he can answer the finals questions this year and get that monkey off his back as the Bucks will head into the post season as divisional champs and likely a top-3 seed in the East.
Prediction
Slight fall from last season by around 3-5 wins, but still good enough for a high East seeding and home court at least through the Conference Semi’s. 57-25.