NBA Recap: Central Division

According to various media reports, the NBA will return at some point during the summer. Ramona Shelburne of ESPN said recently that NBA players and owners want to salvage the season 2019-20 season, "no matter what", even if it's in July, August, or September. Hopefully, the league will return shortly, even if there are no fans in the stands. Most teams have played about 3/4 of their season. Some teams have played as many as 67 games (Dallas and Atlanta), who have just 15 games left. We're going to take a look at the way the league was before it was halted on March 11, after Utah center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. We're going to take a look at each team by division in the NBA and list them in order of their SU record. But we're also going to look at some of the handicapping stats, trends and angles, because once the NBA returns, you'll need a refresher course on how each team has fared overall after the stoppage is over.

Central Division:

1)Milwaukee Bucks:

Record: 53-12 SU, 36-29 ATS, 30-34-1 O/U, 34-5 Eastern Conference.

Odds from Vegas Insider: NBA Finals (12-5), East Finals (2-5)

Eastern Conference Ranking: 1st (6.5 games ahead of Toronto)

Recap:

What a great season for the Bucks! They have dominated the Eastern Conference and if the season continued, they would be on cruise control. They were on cruise control in their last five games, losing four of them to Miami by 16, Denver by 14, Phoenix by nine and the Lakers by 10. Giannis Antetokounmpo played in the Lakers game, scoring 32 points and grabbing 11 boards, but missed the Denver and Phoenix losses on March 8th and 9th due to a knee sprain. The "Greek Freak" is an MVP candidate once again thanks to 29.6 points, 13.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.0 block per game on 54.7% shooting. He's improved his three-point shooting (30.6%), but that along with free throw shooting (63.3%) is still an issue. This is not a one-man team, though many feel that a team needs more than one star to win a championship. Khris Middleton (6-7, 222) may not be a superstar, but he's as close to one as you can. He's averaging 21.1 points per game, 6.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists on 49.9% shooting and 41.8% from beyond the arc. Point guard Eric Bledsoe (6-1, 214) adds 15.4 points and 5.4 assists per game on 48.2% shooting (34.8% 3pt).

Milwaukee has the top record in the NBA because they are very balanced with few weaknesses. They also have an outstanding bench led by Ersan Ilyasova, Robin Lopez, Marvin Williams, Kyle Korver, George Hill (9.6ppg) and Donte DiVincenzo (9.4ppg, 4.9rpg). It's an embarrassment of riches for a team that leads the league in points per game (118.6) and field goal percentage defense (41.3%). They also rank second in field goal percentage offense (47.7%) and first in rebounds per game at 51.7. Having the Lopez brothers (both around 7-feet), even if they aren't great rebounders, allows Antetokounmpo and others to clean the glass.

Key injuries: Eric Bledsoe and Giannis Antetokounmpo had minor knee injuries before the postponement and should be back after the hiatus.

Strengths: Antetokounmpo hasn't even reached his peak yet and he's still one of the top three players in the game. The depth of this team is incredible and the length is impressive. Even if they don't have a pure point guard, they have a very good passing team. They also rank first in defensive rebounding percentage at 81.7% and rebounding percentage at 53.1%.

Weakness: Three-point shooting (35.6%) and free throw shooting (74.2%) could be their downfall in the playoffs. Most of the contenders have two stars. Can Middleton become that clutch player in the playoffs when teams double Antetokounmpo?

Gambling Outlook: If the season resumes late in the regular season, this is a team to either stay away or go against, as they don't have much to play for. They were beginning to rest guys for minor injuries before the season came to a halt. They'll be facing teams with more motivation. This is a team that has covered just once in their last six games.

2)Indiana Pacers:

Record: 39-26 SU, 34-28-3 ATS, 35-29-1 O/U, 24-18 Eastern Conference.

Odds from Vegas Insider: NBA Finals (125-1), East Finals (40-1)

Eastern Conference Ranking: 5th (tied with Philadelphia)

Recap:

Nick Nurse should be the NBA Coach of the Year, but Nate McMillan should be in the discussion. Going 39-26 with star guard Victor Oladipo playing just 13 games due to a major leg injury suffered last season is pretty remarkable. Oladipo started out slowly but wound up scoring 27 points in a 114-111 loss at home to Boston on March 10. He averaged 13.8 points on 39.1% shooting (30.4% 3pt), so he has not come close to regaining his All-Star form. But just as Oladipo was returning, the Pacers lost guard Jeremy Lamb (12.5ppg, 45.1% FG) to a torn ACL and MCLL on Feb. 24. They also lost Malcolm Brogdon (16.3ppg, 7.1apg) on March 4 to a quad injury for likely the rest of the regular season. Now that there is going to be a long hiatus, he should be back whenever the season returns.

Now that Oladipo is back, Indiana could be a dangerous team down the stretch. They have two legit post players in Domantas Sabonis (6-11, 240) and Myles Turner (6-11, 250). Sabonis leads the team in rebounds with 12.4 and averages 18.5 points per game on 54% shooting (25.4% 3pt) with five assists per contest. Turner adds 11.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks on 45.1% shooting (33.6% 3pt). Forward T.J. Warren (6-8, 220) was a nice off-season addition from the Suns last season. He's averaging 18.7 points on 52.9% shooting (37.5% 3pt). his shooting numbers are a little down from last season when he averaged 42.8% from beyond the arc. Defensively, the Pacers are elite, allowing 107.4 points per game (7th) on 44.8% shooting (8th) and 34.5% from beyond the arc (6th). Offensively, they rank third in the league in field goal percentage (47.7%) and 12th in 3-point percentage (36.3%). If they do face No. 4 Miami in the playoffs, the Pacers are 0-2 against them. If they finish 6th and face No. 3 Boston, they are 1-1 against them.

Key injuries: Jeremy Lamb (ACL/MCL) is out for the season. Malcolm Brogdon (leg) could return.

Strengths: Getting Oladipo back is huge. He's a tremendous defender and big-time player when healthy. Not many teams have two skilled big men in Sabonis and Turner. They have pretty good depth despite the injuries and the return of Brogdon with Oladipo gives them a strong and athletic backcourt.

Weaknesses: Despite having Sabonis and Turner, this is not a very good rebounding team. Warren averages around 4.0 rebounds per game and the team ranks 21st in rebounding percentage. If Oladipo is not back to his All-Star form, the Pacers lack a superstar. The loss of Lamb hurts as well as a player who could start or come off the bench and is versatile.

Gambling Outlook: If this Pacers' team was healthy, they could be a tough battle for Boston or Miami. They are a well-coached, solid team, but at times, they just get overwhelmed by better teams in Milwaukee and Toronto. There are championship teams and those that are the fodder. They are the Pacers against the elite squads, but everybody else is fodder for them.

3)Chicago Bulls:

Record: 22-43 SU, 29-35-1 ATS, 34-31 O/U, 15-28 Eastern Conference.

Odds from Vegas Insider: NBA Finals (9999-1), East Finals (5000-1)

Eastern Conference Ranking: 11th (7.0 games behind last playoff spot)

Recap:

The good news for Chicago is that they are in third place of the Central Division. The bad news is that they are 11 games out of the playoff picture. Injuries have doomed the Bulls, who were not expected to compete for a title, but could have been a playoff team had they not lost forward Otto Porter (11.9ppg) for 51 games, Wendell Carter for 22, and Lauri Markkanen (14.7ppg) for 15. Porter finally returned a leg injury and poured in 18 points in 17 minutes on March 2 (on a minute restriction). In his final two games, he poured in 38 points combined and had six steals. At 6-8, 200 pounds, Porter is a lanky shooter (38.7% 3pt) and solid defender, who is not explosive but fits well with Zach LaVine. The super-athletic LaVine has taken another step towards stardom with 25.5 points per game on 45% shooting (38% 3pt) with 4.2 assists. He's more of a combo guard playing alongside Tomas Satoransky, who leads the team in assists with 5.4 per game.

Defense has been an issue as the loss of Porter and LaVine's defensive issues have shown statistically as the Bulls are allowing teams to shoot 47.9% (27th) from the field and 35.3% (14th) from long range. Offensively, Chicago has been even worse, averaging just 106.8 points per game (26th), 44.7% shooting (25th) and 34.8% from long range. They also struggle on the boards, averaging just 41.9 rebounds per contest (28th). Markkanen averages just 6.3 rebounds at 7-0, 240 and is having shooting issues (42.5% FG, 34.4% 3pt). He's regressed from last season, having averaged 18.7 points on 36.1% three-point shooting and 9.0 rebounds. The good news is that the Bulls have a pretty solid young nucleus led by the players mentioned above Carter Jr. (11.3ppg, 9.4rpg) and rookie Coby White (13.2ppg, 35.4% 3pt). White has to find a position, because if he's a point guard, he's averaging just 2.7 assists in 26 minutes per game. But White has found a shot after not having one early in the season. He's fast with the ball and in his last nine games, he's averaging 21.7 points per game.

So this year may be over in terms of playoff hopes, but Chicago remains a few players away and some good health before they can start to compete in the East.

Key Injuries: Zach LaVine (quad) missed the last four games, but should return after the hiatus. PG Kris Dunn (MCL) is questionable for a return.

Strengths: The young nucleus led by White, Carter, Porter and Markkanen. LaVine's ability to take over games should help when they become a good team.

Weaknesses: Defense. Some guys (LaVine, Markkanen) need to step up on that end. Markkanen needs to get tougher on the glass. Rebounding is an issue as they rank tied for 28th in rebounding percentage and 25th in defensive rebounding percentage. Depth is not very impressive.

Gambling Outlook: If the season resumes, the Bulls look pretty good with Porter back, assuming everybody else is back. Check on their lineups and make sure they are not in tank-mode. Some teams will just play the youngsters and that's basically all Chicago has, so they can't go that deep on the bench.

4)Detroit Pistons:

Record: 20-46 SU, 26-39-1 ATS, 39-26-1 O/U, 13-31 Eastern Conference.

Odds from Vegas Insider: NBA Finals (n/a), East Finals (n/a)

Eastern Conference Ranking: 13th (10.5 games ahead of the playoffs)

Recap:

It's amazing that a team with 16 games left and 26 games under .500, still has a mathematical shot of making the Eastern Conference playoffs. Realistically, Detroit is not making the playoffs. In fact, they are tanking for a higher pick. At some point, they had to make that decision and with Blake Griffin (15.5ppg) having played just 18 games due to a lingering knee issue, the Pistons were going nowhere. He underwent knee surgery in January and you have to wonder how much he can do for the rest of his career if he has little explosiveness. With Griffin hurt, the Pistons traded rebound-machine Andre Drummond (17.8ppg, 15.8rpg) to Cleveland for Brandon Knight, John Henson and a 2023 second-round pick. Drummond had one year left on his deal, but a player option for $28.8 million. So they got rid of a contract and Knight's a free agent, so that frees up cap room. That's what Detroit needs right now after also releasing Reggie Jackson. Derrick Rose is one of the few bright spots (18.1ppg), but he's not the future.

At this point, Detroit needs about five more rookies and should just start over. They rank 28th in field goal defense (48%) and 19th in three-point defense (36.1%). They shoot it well from deep (36.7%) and 45.9% (19th) from the field overall. Despite having Drummond for most of the season, Detroit still ranked 21st in rebounding percentage and 24th in defensive rebounding percentage. They lost five straight games before the hiatus. In their last game, they started Thon Maker, journeyman big Christian Wood (32pts, 7 rebs), Tony Snell, Knight and Svi Mykhailiuk. So with that lineup, it will be tough to see them win more than a game or two of their 16 left.

Key injuries: Blake Griffin (knee) is out for the season. The rest of the injuries should heal during the hiatus.

Strengths: Cap space. Wood may have finally found a home. He's still just 24 and is averaging 24.2 points over his last 10 games. At 6-10, 214, he's not Drummond, but his length and three-point shooting ability (38.6%) makes him an intriguing player for the future.

Weaknesses: Everything. They have a roster full of cast-offs and role players right now. They should play hard every night because they have players fighting for their future. But they don't have enough talent to compete on most nights.

Gambling Outlook: This could be the worst team in the league right now in terms of talent. Despite that statement, they did cover four of their last six games. They will play hard if the season resumes and Rose is back healthy with Henson. But it's hard to bet on a team that is so lacking talent, unless the lines are out of control. The fact that they lost by single digits to Utah and the Thunder is impressive.

5)Cleveland Cavaliers:

Record: 19-46 SU, 29-34-2 ATS, 36-29 O/U, 12-32 Eastern Conference.

Odds from Vegas Insider: NBA Finals (n/a), East Finals (n/a)

Eastern Conference Ranking: 15th (12 games ahead of the playoffs)

Recap: We go from bad to worse as the Cavaliers for whatever reason, decided to add Drummond in a trade with Detroit. They didn't give up a first-round pick, which is a good thing. Drummond could decline the player option next season, but who will give him more than $28 million? So Cleveland might be stuck with one of the best rebounders in the game next season, but let's go back to the beginning when the Cavs decided to hire John Beilein as the head coach. The aging college coach was not the right fit for a young team of multi-millionaires. It worked out in Michigan and West Virginia, but not in the NBA. J.B. Bickerstaff took over on Feb. 14 and there were some positives. The Cavs beat Miami, Philadelphia, Denver and San Antonio, but lost to Chicago in their last game.

The addition of Drummond (17.7ppg, 15.2rpg) has made them more competitive and takes a little bit more pressure off of scoring guard Collin Sexton (20.8ppg) and Kevin Love (17.6ppg, 9.8rpg, 3.2apg), who surprisingly was kept during the trade deadline. They also still have Tristan Thompson (12ppg, 10.1rpg) to come off the bench or start. So with all this talent, why do the Cavs stink? Go with the point guard situation where Darius Garland (12.3ppg, 40% FG) is starting next to Sexton. He's averaging just 3.9 assists, while Sexton is producing 3.0 assists and 2.4 turnovers per game. The defense has been atrocious this season. Cleveland is allowing 114.8 points (23rd), 49.1% shooting (30th) and 37.5% from beyond the arc (25th). They average 106.9 points per game (25th), 45.8% shooting (20th) and 35.1% htree-point shooting (22nd). So offense is not very good either.

Key injuries: Their injuries are nagging ones. Nothing serious.

Strengths: Rebounding. Thompson and Drummond will pound the glass. Love is a quality rebounder as well. They rank 13th in the NBA in rebounding percentage.

Weaknesses: Passing. Sexton is a chucker and the Cavs lack a creator in the frontcourt. They also lack long, defensive wings. This is just a poorly put together team that needs to start drafting well. They'll have their chance to most likely pick in the top five whenever the NBA Draft takes place.

Gambling Outlook: As bad as the Cavs team is, they do have some talent and they were somewhat motivated when Bickerstaff took over. They are not going to make a late playoff run, so watch out if they start to rest guys like Drummond, Love and Thompson. They did cover five of their last nine games, so they could be an underrated cover team late in the season.