Archives For Central Division

SCH Division Preview Hub

Jefferson —  October 26, 2010 — 1 Comment

New Season - New Logo

The Salt City Hoops staff has been hard at work previewing each of the contenders in the NBA.  Sure the season starts today, but come playoff time, only 16 teams will get to play in the second season – and have a shot at the Larry O’Brien trophy and a place in the hall of NBA champions.  Add the Utah Jazz to this list, and there are 19 teams fighting for 16 spots.  Who will be left on the outside looking in?

We’ve evaluated the key matchups, sounded the high notes and the low notes, revisited (sometimes painfully) the history between the franchises, scrutinized the players and coaches, and given you an outlook for the coming season.  Here, then, to kick of the 2009-2010 NBA season are links to each of those previews:

Atlantic Division: Boston Celtics |  NY Knicks

Central Division: Chicago Bulls |  Milwaukee Bucks |  Indiana Pacers

Southeast Division: Atlanta Hawks |  Charlotte Bobcats |  Miami Heat | Orlando Magic

Northwest Division: OKC Thunder |  Denver Nuggets |  Portland Trailblazers

Pacific Division: LA Lakers |  LA Clippers |  Phoenix Suns

Southwest Division: Houston Rockets |  San Antonio Spurs |  Dallas Mavericks

Be sure to check back during the season to see how we did in our prognosticating!

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Division Previews: Milwaukee Bucks, Central Division – Eastern Conference

Mychal —  October 19, 2010 — 2 Comments
In the final days leading up to regular season action, SCH will be posting divisional previews of the top teams in all six NBA divisions. Come back early and often for updates.

Fear the Deer

Key Matchups

D-Will vs Young Buck

Brandon Jennings wasn’t supposed to be this good.  In just his 7th game in the season he dropped 55 points on the hapless Golden State Warriors.  He never looked back.  While he didn’t quite score in volumes like that again he did steadily improve.  He’s a fast and nimble point guard with a killer floater.  But he’s 6’1″ and weighs 169 pounds wet.  Just the type of player that Deron Williams eats for breakfast.  Jennings will be improved in his sophomore campaign but unless he grew 3 inches and put on 30 pounds this is going to be a rough matchup for Jennings.

Brandon also struggled last year with his jumper only hitting 32.3% on 2s away from the rim and has trouble finishing inside against bigger opponents, only 39.7% – worst mark for any player with 200 attempts or more.  Expect the Jazz to get Deron isolated against Jennings in the post often.  Defensively the Jazz’s tendency to allow more 3s than most teams could allow Jennings to burn them.  This is a guy that can light up anybody for 30+ points if the conditions are right.  But Deron’s size should bother Jennings all game long.  If Deron seems to have trouble guarding his speed the Jazz could potentially put Raja Bell on the Young Buck.  You don’t want to see Raja when he gets angry.

Advantage – Jazz

Corey Maggette/John Salmons vs. Andrei Kirilenko/Raja Bell

I know that in Utah the matchup that will get all the press will be Big Al vs. Andrew Bogut, but that matchup won’t determine the game.  What, you say?  How do these teams’ second best players not impact the end result?  I’ll show you.

The Bucks last year were the 3rd best team in defensive efficiency.  Out of 100 possessions opponents only got 94.05 shots up on them.  What does that mean? Well, for a Jazz team that averaged a FG% of 49% getting less shots means less points.  Less shots turns a 49% field goal percentage to a 47% field goal percentage if you count those lost possessions as misses instead of simple lost possessions.  What does that have to do with Maggette and Salmons?

[Author's Sidenote:  This team is going to give Miami fits.  Really.]

For all of the Bucks defensive strengths they were an offensive mess.  They ranked 23rd in offensive efficiency – only averaging 97 points a game.  Their offense received a shot in the arm when it acquired Salmons in an offseason trade.  He was their offense most nights.  Now in the offseason the Bucks added Maggette to boost this offense.  The quickest way to put the Bucks’ offense in a standstill is to shut these two down.  It will be AK and Bell’s responsibility.  It will be a rough night.

The Jazz are known for taking risks on defense.  This by default results in fouls – a lot of fouls.  Maggette is the league’s best at getting to the charity stripe.  Expect Maggette to bring a tent, a sleeping bag, and some marshmallows to the game because he’ll be camped at the free throw line all night.

Advantage – Milwaukee.

High Notes | Low Notes

This is an up and coming team.  They overcame injuries to key players (Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut) to have a successful season, still made the playoffs without arguably their best player (Bogut), and even managed to push Atlanta to 7 games shorthanded.  Now they have reloaded in the offseason by adding Maggette, Drew Gooden, and Chris Douglas-Roberts.  This will no longer be an offensively challenged team.  They were already a good team despite their offense being ranked 23rd in the Association.  Now they added offensive firepower to a top 5 defense.  If Brandon Jennings can continue his development as one of the best up and coming point guards in the league and Maggette can buy into playing defense expect the Bucks to be a top 10 team.

History

All time series is tied 41-41; 1-1 last season season.

The Milwaukee Bucks only allowed the Jazz to score 99 points a game in their two meetings last season.  The only teams to do better? Atlanta, L.A. Lakers, Boston, and (gasp!) New York.  To make matters worse the Jazz averaged 23 assists per game against them and shot a miserable 30% from 3.  Milwaukee gives the Jazz offense fits.

2005 #1 draft pick out of Utah, Andrew Bogut, will make his annual reunion tour with his beloved Utah.  Technically he’s from Australia but it’s a homecoming of sorts.

The most recent meeting between these two was a physical match that resulted in ex-Jazzman Carlos Boozer being ejected from the game with 16.7 seconds left while disputing a non call.  It was one of those close losses (even though the final score doesn’t give the game justice) the Jazz wish they could have had back.

Player/Coach Notes

Scott Skiles and Jerry Sloan are known for their hard-nosed approach to defense.  Both will agree that it doesn’t matter how many points a player can score; if the player can’t play defense he’s not cut out for this league.  In fact, last season while Scott Skiles’ Bucks allowed only 94.05 shots per 100 possessions the Jazz allowed 94.91 per 100.

Watch the sidelines.  Skiles and Sloan could set a record for most combined scowls in a game.

Outlook

Fear the Deer.

This is a team that despite numerous weaknesses made up for it with their defensive prowess.  This year’s model now is more potent on offense and will continue to test teams on the defensive end.  They lost to the Hawks in the 1st round of the playoffs last year.  But they were arguably without their best player and still managed to push the Hawks to 7 games.

Watch out for this team.

They are the Bizarro Heat.  Defensively sound.  If Bogut can stay healthy for the season the Bucks could surprise some people in the East as a 4 seed.

[Author's Note:  This team is built like the 2004 Detroit Pistons that beat the powerhouse 2004 Lakers.  Defensive minded and hard-nosed.  I would love to see the Bucks play the Heat in a 7 game series.  Delicious basketball right there.  Milwaukee could very well be their Kryptonite.  Just a prediction.]

The Jazz split the season series with them 1-1.  But the Jazz’s win against them came before the Salmons trade.  The Bucks then went on to win 14 out of their next 16 games after that trade.  Don’t forget that the Jazz’s loss to the Bucks last season came during that stretch.

I see the Jazz splitting the season series against them with each team winning at home but the Jazz will play the Bucks on the back end of a back to back after playing the Clippers this season.  That might spell disaster and allow the Bucks to steal one in Utah while Utah is licking their wounds from battling inside against the man child, Blake Griffin, and the Geico Caveman, Kaman.

Follow Mychal on twitter.  (@My_Lo)

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Division Previews: Indiana Pacers, Central Division – Eastern Conference

Jeff Lind —  October 19, 2010 — 4 Comments

In the final days leading up to regular season action, SCH will be posting divisional previews of the top teams in all six NBA divisions. Come back early and often for updates.

Key Matchups

Darren Collison vs. Deron Williams/Earl Watson

It’s hard to say exactly what the key matchups are going to be here. The Pacers always seem to be trading out half their roster, and basketball is a game of chemistry.  From a Jazz perspective, I think I’m most excited to see how Darren Collison matches up against elite point guards like Deron Williams. It’ll be interesting to see how he fits into/runs the offense and if he really is as good as he looked running things in CP3’s absence last year. When you’re playing behind one of the elite PG’s, all you have to do is NOT be terrible and everyone is happy. He overachieved in that situation, and now it’s time to see if that was a contract/one time thing, or if he is the real deal.

Danny Granger v. Andrei Kirilenko (or anyone he plays).

Keep an eye on Danny Granger, who still stands as the Pacer’s biggest threat to any and all opponents (averaged 24.1 ppg last season). He’s an extremely high scoring player with an ability to stuff the stat sheet on any given night… the real question with Granger is this: will he take time away from scoring to do the other menial (read: “fundamental”) things that he could do well? He’s the kind of player that has the ability to take over a game at a moment’s notice… if he really wants to. A healthy (contract year) Andrei should be able to limit his scoring opportunities, or at least slow him down and force Granger to use his teammates.

High Notes | Low Notes

The Pacers are a high octane offense. They run. Hard. They score fast and often, so if you can’t slow them down then you have to keep up. Unfortunately (for them), they have been terrible on the defensive side, which makes keeping up a bit easier.

The Pacers weren’t particularly great at anything last year. They were 16th in scoring, 19th in rebounding, and 23rd in points allowed, so until they pick some of those categories up, they’ll never really compete for the East.

History

Utah is 36-35 all time versus the Pacers, splitting two games last year. Last March when Utah played in Indiana, Granger scored 44 points (and had a 4 point play), showing how dangerous he really is. The Pacers need a playoff spot this year, and they can punish defenses that don’t take them seriously. If the Jazz sleep on them at all, it’ll be a quick loss. Saying that, if the Jazz play hard, they should dispense of Indiana pretty handily.

Here’s a random stat for you: On October 22, 1989 the Jazz scored their fewest points in franchise history (65) versus Indiana (in Indy). That game also stands as Utah’s greatest loss differential (-35). What’s that mean to the team this year? Nothing, but you’ll sound smart when you toss those numbers out over lunch when the Jazz face the Pacers this year.

Player/Coach Notes

As the second fastest team last year (I feel like I’ve mentioned their speed 15+ times in this article), you can bet that the Pacer’s coach, Jim O’Brien, will keep the team running. Add Collison’s ability to distribute the ball from point, and you can look for the Pacers system to improve from last year. Saying that, if I had to bet my life on one game between Jim O’Brien + Darren Collison, and Jerry Sloan + Deron Williams, I’m going with our Utah boys. Every. Single. Time.

Outlook

The Pacers need to do three things to have a successful season:

1) Develop their core: At some point, you have to play the hand you’ve been dealt. Granger is healthy, they have a great distributor in Collison, and you have some solid pieces (Rush, Dunleavy, Hansborough). You know you’re not going to challenge for the top of the east, but you can focus on developing the team and finally establishing a core to build around.

2) Stay healthy: Everything hinges on this. It seems silly because every team needs to stay healthy, but the Pacers are working with a razor thin bench, which means they have almost no margin for error. If they lose any key players, the season could slip away quickly.

3) Make the playoffs: The top of the east is strong, but the bottom is still a bit of a mess. The Pacers have a good opportunity to squeak into the 7 or 8 spot this year. Do that and make a bit of a stand with your core team intact, and I’d consider the season a success.

Follow Jeff on Twitter!

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Division Previews: Chicago Bulls, Central Division – Eastern Conference

Brian Henderson —  October 19, 2010 — 3 Comments

In the final days leading up to regular season action, SCH will be posting divisional previews of the top teams in all six NBA divisions. Come back early and often for updates.

Overview

Welcome to the Derrick Rose show, which now boasts a cast of supporting characters that will make the Bulls one of the toughest teams in the league this year. The Bulls were 41-41 last year, and nabbed the eighth seed in the playoffs, where they were eliminated by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round—their second first round exit in as many years. Sure, the Bulls lost veterans Kirk Hinrich and Brad Miller, but after adding Jazz-Lite (Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver, and Ronnie Brewer), these Chicago Dawgs are ready to nip at the heels of Orlando, Boston and Miami in the East. Expect Chicago to contend for the fourth or fifth seed in the East this season.

Key Matchups

D-Will vs. D-Rose

Williams and Rose will be a marquee matchup. To be sure, Rose loves the fast break and he has the edge as a pure scoring threat. D-Will, though, distributes the ball better than Rose—which difference may be more systemic than talent-based. Ultimately, if Williams implements Coach Sloan’s plan for him to improve the use his size on smaller defenders in the paint, he will be virtually unstoppable with his offensive repertoire, even for Rose.

Big Al vs. Noah & Boozer

Joakim Noah is one of my favorite players in the league. He moves to the symphony inside his own head, and delights NBA fans with his impassioned play and ever-improving game. Expect another statistical crescendo from Noah this year, in scoring and rebounding, especially now that he can team up with Boozer in the post. With outside shooting strengthened, Chicago will finally be able to spread defenses and prevent the double teams that have hindered them under the basket the past few years.

Millsap vs. Deng

Mentor to Deng: The Late, Great Manute Bol

Deng has been a steady performer in the league for 6 years now—averaging 15.8 points and 6.5 boards for his career. Nevertheless, he has probably not met expectations for his progress as a player. Could he finally demonstrate his latent star power that he has not quite tapped yet? Probably not more than he has. He’s a strong, steady performer, though and will provide a solid matchup with Millsap. Favorite fact: Deng’s basketball mentor? The late, great Manute Bol, fellow Dinka tribesman, who taught Deng how to play in Egypt after his father brought the family from Sudan to avoid their civil war.

High Notes | Low Notes

The Bulls will be a high-scoring, fast break team on offense and tough as nails on defense. Head coach Tom Thibodeau will want to take the bit out of Rose’s mouth, and let him run on Utah. With outside shooting help, Korver and Brewer will help spread the floor and relieve some of the pressure on Rose–which will boost his own numbers. This year, though, as the Jazz have added some athleticism and tougher defense, the team will be able to contend well in transition defense with the Bulls.

Carlos Boozer will miss the first month of the season due to a broken finger he sustained in a hotel room fall. (He was probably reenacting scenes from his own defensive playoff performance for the Jazz.) His early season absence won’t influence the matchup with Utah, as the two teams square off in February and March, long after Boozer’s return to the lineup.

With Boozer, Deng, and Noah, and backups Taj Gibson and James Johnson, the Bulls are long and strong in the front court. One on one, Jefferson can’t be contained by any of them, with his strength in the block and his scoring ability facing the basket. But the Bulls may have more front court depth, especially if Memo is not at full speed by the time these teams play. Consequently, the low post matchup is a draw.

History

Just a little history with the Jazz.

Reviewing the history between Chicago and Utah is like rummaging through a box of love letters from your biggest heartbreak. What good does it do to relive the pain? The Jazz climbed the NBA Finals mountain twice, in 1997 and 1998, only to be shoved back down the slope both times by MJ, Pippen and their cronies. The consolation prize of being immortalized in replays of Michael Jordan’s “Ten Best” moments is cold comfort. Whether “The Flu” game, or “The Push Off”, as we in Utah call it, the wounds run deep. That said, I don’t sense an outright hatred for the Bulls in Jazzland. The teams don’t play often enough for that, and when they locked horns in those epic Finals series’, the end feeling was moreso one of being awed as witnesses to MJ’s histrionics rather than filled with boiling anger like, say, many Jazz fans feel towards the Lakers. With so much Utah firepower loaded in the Windy City for the upcoming season, surely these games will be of high interest to Jazz fans.

Coach Notes

Some things never change. (Photo: Brett Ballantini)

Coach Sloan got his head coaching start with the Bulls, but first built his reputation as a gritty defender with them as a player, where he broke that nose enough times to give Jeremy Evans and his artistic talent something compelling to work with when sketching his new boss. On Chicago’s side, Tom Thibodeau brings his renowned defensive mindset from the Celtics (where he was Doc Rivers’ assistant and helped Boston become the best defensive team in the league during their 2008 title run) to his debut as an NBA head coach in the Windy City. Surely as a result, the Bulls will be among the league’s best defenses. Stories are already emerging from Bulls practices that “Thibs” will stop at every defensive miscue and rerun it until the players get it right. That said, Thibodeau’s offensive plans should not be underestimated. It should be fun to watch his team throughout the season, as he is widely regarded as one of the bright young coaching minds in the game.

Outlook

This season, Derrick Rose will become more acclaimed as one of the best point guards (and one of the best players) in the league. The first Chicago All-Star since Michael Jordan in 1998, Rose is no longer flying under the radar. But Jerry Reinsdorf’s additions of Ronnie Brewer, Kyle Korver and Carlos Boozer will give Rose and his talented core of returning veterans the help they need to establish the Bulls as one of the toughest teams in the East. They are not yet to be grouped with Boston or Orlando (don’t get me started on Miami), but they will contend with Milwaukee for the fourth or fifth playoff seed in the Eastern Conference. Utah’s two regular season tilts with Chicago will provide the Jazz an opportunity to show, just before and just after the All-Star break, that the Jazz can compete down the stretch with one of the league’s toughest defenses and most explosive offenses.

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