All-Star Weekend is over, and now we are going to wrap up the Mid-Season Grades for the league with the Central Division up next.
Chicago Bulls (19-36): C
The Bulls are truly beginning a new era for the organization, developing the core of LaVine and co. Their roster is very young, with their oldest player in Thaddeus Young at 31. It’s almost certain that people didn’t expect much success from the Bulls, but also had decently high hopes with LaVine, Dunn, and Coby White. I personally believe that this team has more potential to be better than their current record, but time will only tell once these players start developing individually and as a team.
Cleveland Cavaliers (14-40): F
It is definitely not a great feeling saying that a team is playing at such a low level, but we’re also discussing a roster that has no real standout performers. Whether it be from the younger names like Collin Sexton, Kevin Porter Jr., and Darius Garland to their more veteran players like Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson and Matthew Dellavedova, the Cavaliers have struggled to find any rhythm this season. They also recently made the trade for Pistons star Center Andre Drummond, a trade that left a lot of fans from both teams confused. It doesn’t seem very likely for Drummond to make enough of an impact for the Cavs to get a whole lot of tallies under the win column, or perhaps they’re planning so something much bigger for the future.
Detroit Pistons (19-38): D
What was previously said regarding giving an F to the previous team could also be said for giving a team a D. Personally I would want all teams to be playing at their full potential, but in just hasn’t been able to happen for the Pistons. The Pistons have recently lost acquisitions in Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson, two of the bigger names on that Detroit roster. With Blake Griffin only playing 18 games so far this season, there isn’t too much to be excited about other than really watching Derrick Rose come back into his form. Depending on whether or not the Pistons will choose to build around Griffin and Rose is a matter that will most likely be addressed as the season progresses, which will hopefully put them in a better position for the remainder of games and so forth.
Indiana Pacers (32-23): B
It goes without saying that fans league wide expected the Pacers to be in Playoff contention this season, especially with the highly anticipated return of Victor Oladipo. With that said they have positioned themselves at the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference, working towards solidifying themselves into the Playoffs. The roster has looked solid together without their star Guard in Oladipo, and now with him getting back into the swing of things, their trajectory is definitely upside. What they can do with potential Playoff positioning is entirely up to them when that time comes.
Milwaukee Bucks (46-8): A+
Coming into this season, some were skeptical with the roster changes, or lack thereof, for Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. People believed that the organization really needed to bolster their team with solid pieces surrounding their superstar in the Greek Freak, particularly after the loss of Malcolm Brogdon. This then brought upon players like Wes Matthews, Kyle Korver, and Robin Lopez. This too, brought more skepticism towards the Bucks before the season began, but was quickly shut down to the Bucks coming out with the best record in the league overall. This brings high hopes to Bucks fans worldwide, perhaps getting deeper into the Playoffs and potentially the NBA Finals. With Giannis playing as he has been, and the team surrounding him getting the job on their respective ends, the sky is the limit for the team.
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