Central Division champions of a year ago, the Chicago Bulls, did little to improve their team during the offseason. As point guard Derrick Rose continues to work his way back from a devastating ACL tear, the team must rely on their other four starters not wearing #1 on their jerseys. The Bulls lost Omer Asik, Ronnie Brewer, Kyle Korver, and C.J. Watson to free agency. The team faces an uphill battle playing without 2010 MVP Derrick Rose.
The Indiana Pacers lost to the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. After scratching and clawing for a shot at the title, the Pacers came up just short. Previous General Manager Larry Bird will be missed, but the team found an adequate replacement in Donnie Walsh.
The Portland Trailblazers tried to snatch up Indiana’s center Roy Hibbert to a four-year, $58 million deal. The Pacers matched the offer and retained their big man out of Georgetown. The team surprisingly traded point guard Darren Collison to the Dallas Mavericks for center Ian Mahinmi. They hope Mahinmi can bolster their interior defense.
Milwaukee didn’t make too many adjustments to their roster this offseason. The team will continue to forge a new identity after their blockbuster trade midseason in 2011. The Bucks traded center Andrew Bogut to the Golden State Warriors for shooting guard Monta Ellis and small forward Epke Udoh. Milwaukee re-signed power forward Ersan Ilyasova. The team has faith in the combination of Ilyasova, standout point guard Brandon Jennings, and their other young players.
The Detroit Piston’s major acquisition this summer came on draft day. Detroit took center Andre Drummond out of Connecticut with the ninth overall selection. Drummond is one of the most physically gifted big men to come out the draft since Dwight Howard, but former coaches and scouts question his work ethic. If the young center can produce, he would create a respectable duo with Detroit’s starting center, Craig Monroe.
The Central Division in the Eastern Conference boasts some of the most dynamic young talent in the league. Point guards Kyrie Irving, Derrick Rose, and Brandon Jennings all have the ability to take control in a game. Hope is high in Cleveland as training camp begins. A once so distant playoff birth suddenly seems within grasp. Kyrie Irving believes the time has come.
“I have high hopes for us,” said Irving. “Obviously our No. 1 goal is to make the playoffs this year and were definitely going to attain that as long as we continue to get better and as long as we compete every single night.”
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