A “Central” Focus for the Pacific and Central Divisions

by Jamya Kyle

There is very high hope for both the pacific and central divisions within the NBA due to the amount of time taken off as of now due to circumstances, as well the tremendous progression some teams have made before everything occurred. 

Starting with the central division first up would be the Chicago Bulls, the Bulls record currently is 22-43 which would be increasing to last year’s record for them as an overall team. Zach Lavine has done a tremendous job by leading this team in points every night by scoring 25.5 points a night. Taking a look at this roster I can see that most of this team is very young which means that there will be a bright future for these men once they create a strong bond and understanding of how to play together. 

Going 19-42 being number 15th in the Eastern conference is the Cleveland Cavaliers, so far the last past two seasons the Cavs have struggled to adapt to each other’s playing style. There have been various players coming along each season with a nonstop swap in and out between players and coaches. Once there is a set team and specific roles I believe this team will be unstoppable including the chemistry between one another.

With the record of 20-46, the Detroit Pistons has had a very identical season as Chicago Bulls, the majority of these players are young and have a lot of potential which is going to take time to adapt. I feel this team has players which the younger ones could benefit off of rather it be from playing on the court such as Andre Drummond, or when it comes to executing plays Derrick Rose would be a big factor. Once decided who will be drafted towards this team will be able to determine what type of season this team will be looking at in the future.

Being number five within the eastern conference is the Indiana Pacers, this team has come a long way on the offensive side of the ball. The pacers record is 39-26, overall this team has done a tremendous job on both the offensive and defensive sides of the court. This team has surprised many with the record they have pulled off. The expected rank of this record team was expected to be 13 out of 30 which is a good look for the Pacers in the future for a young team.

On the Pacific side of the league with a record being 15-50 in this season so far. The Warriors have struggled to keep their star player Steph Curry healthy with him injuring his index finger and returning in March against the Raptors. The most noticeable struggle the Warriors have is that they do not have any consistency in winning games, the weakness could identify with their main player not being on the floor to lead the team. Overall the Warriors have some work to be done to get everything back to how it used to be consistent as they were before.

With a record of 44-20 which was expected to be the fourth out of 30 teams but the Los Angeles Clippers sit second within the Western Conference. Doc Rivers has done a great job by coaching his players and executing this game, being able to apply his knowledge from when he played himself to being able to coach the game. Although this team has not been together as long when looking at the roster you see most of the individuals have played some time within the league to be able to adapt quickly to new settings. I see a bright future ahead of the LA Clippers and I see this team staying together down the road and winning a championship.

With the first seat in the western conference is the Los Angeles Lakers with a record of 49 and 14. The Lakers started at a very great start to the season and personally no doubt in me they were not finishing off strong as well. In the first game of seeing this team play together, I saw a lot of versatility on the floor and a good understanding of everyone’s role on the floor. There is great leadership on the floor with some veteran players to help lead this team also the players. The Lakers will go as far as they want. I see nothing ruining this team into making it to the finals and nothing stopping them but themselves. 

Placing 13th in the western conference is the Phoenix Suns with a record of 26-39. Compared to the 19-63 record last year the Suns have stepped up tremendously, this team is not only one of the youngest teams as of now in the league but is the most executed in my opinion. I would have loved to see how this team would have reacted to the end of the season if they were able to finish. I believe the Suns will go far next year being able to build those players even more and seeing them at potentially their best at such a young age is very scary. I believe the Suns will shock a lot of fans next season.

The Sacramento Kings are sitting 3rd in the Pacific division with a record being 28-36, compared to the expected record which was 61-21 being 1st of 29. The Kings have done very good in this season with De’Aaron Fox leading points, assists, and steals. Next season I believe Buddy Heild will have an outstanding season stepping up more as he is the second leader in points. Also with a lead in rebounds Nemanja Bjelica who as well will have a huge season next year. The Kings are going down a great road and I believe I will be able to keep the ride going and go even farther next season.