The first half of the NBA season has ended! Man, was that fast. At this point in the season NBA teams are either trying to win games in order to get into the playoffs or lose games in order to get a higher pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Please join us as we take a division by division look at the NBA and what you might be able to expect for the rest of the regular season.
Central Division
Cleveland Cavaliers: The Cavaliers are currently atop the Central Division and after a season that saw the Cavs go 19-2 followed by a 6-13 stretch the Cavs essentially started over by trading away six players at the Trade Deadline. They still have LeBron James so all should be right with the world. The Cavaliers have the third worst defense in the NBA and fifth best offense and head into the second half riding a four game winning streak. 13 of their remaining 26 games are against below .500 teams which over the season is 18-9 against.
Prediction: The Cavaliers will win the Central and finish the regular season as the three seed in the East.
Indiana Pacers: If I told you at the beginning of the season the Indiana Pacers would be number two in the Central and the fifth seed in the East would you have believed me? Seeing believes and the Pacers are a real thing. The Pacers traded away Paul George and not only did their offense get better but their defense remained the same. The Pacers are riding a three game winning streak heading into the second half but they have just nine of their next 24 games against teams below .500 and have a 13-17 record against teams over .500.
Prediction: The Pacers are probably going to finish the regular season third in the Central good for seventh in the East.
Milwaukee Bucks: The Bucks fired Head Coach Jason Kidd on January 22, 2018 and since then the Bucks are 9-3. We can argue the merits of this firing until we are blue in the face but the results speak for themselves; since the firing the Bucks went from 15th to the fourth best team in the NBA in several categories. The Bucks enter the second half of the season winners of seven of their past ten. Of their remaining 25 games 12 of them are against below .500 teams and with the Bucks being 20-6 against below .500 teams.
Prediction: The Bucks are in a real groove and that should carry them to second in the Central and that should see them as the fifth seed in the East at the regular season.
Detroit Pistons: The Pistons were dealt a huge blow when Reggie Jackson sprained his ankle but a pre trade deadline trade for Blake Griffin seems to have softened the blow a bit. The Pistons are 5-3 with Griffin and have gone from 18th to 10th in several categories. Of the 25 remaining games on the Pistons schedule 12 of them are against below .500 teams and the Pistons are just 12-7 against teams below .500.
Prediction: The Pistons are a much better team with Blake Griffin. I see the Pistons finishing fourth in the Central and will narrowly miss the playoffs this season.
Chicago Bulls: The Bulls have little hope to reach the playoffs but they are a young exciting team that competes hard every single night. Players like Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen are fun to watch. The Bulls are the sixth best defensive team in the league but their slower pace doesn’t seem suitable for sharpshooters like Justin Holiday and Denzel Valentine. Of the 25 games on their schedule 13 of them are against below .500 teams. This could hurt their tanking plan as they are 12-6 against below .500 teams.
Prediction: The Bulls will finish fifth in the Central and won’t be making the playoffs. I think they are better than at least ten NBA teams and at seasons end might finish 19th or 20th.
Up next: The Southeast Division.
Follow Phil @Flashtennis31 and The Phil Naessens Show.
