Halfway There

Let’s check in with each team briefly as we approach the all-star game

By Doug Knopf

AP Photo/ Michael Conroy

Indiana Pacers: (31-20) I hate to say I told you so, but I told you they would be good. Even with the absence of Danny Granger, the Pacers hold the lead in the Central. It’s a slim lead, but a lead nonetheless. Indiana gets contributions from different players every night. Players are assigned a job and they do it. They are not flashy. These blue color players should not be taken lightly and are going to be dangerous threats in the second half of the season.

Chicago Bulls: (30-20) It has been a season of ups and downs for the Bulls, mostly ups though. Thibodeau has his team playing well as most expected, but they did not expect pressure from an Indiana team. There is no question whether or not Chicago will make the playoffs. The question is in what way will they make the playoffs. This team could easily flow into the playoffs and most likely lose in the first round to another team. The other option is, the Bulls get Derrick Rose back, get new energy and fly into the playoffs making a true run at the conference title.

Milwaukee Bucks: (25-24) Holding down the eight seed, the Bulks are clinging on to life. In reality, I do not see the skies falling. They have two premier talents to form a franchise off of and compete strongly with many teams. The issue for the Bulks is whether or not they can become elite. Right now they are not.

Detroit Pistons: (20-32) I really hoped the Pistons were going to do better this year. They were my sleeper pick to make the playoffs. But they just have not groomed their young talent into a formidable force. Brandon Knight is going to all-star weekend in the skills challenge… but not the all-star game. On the bright side for Detroit, there is still Calvin Johnson.

Cleveland Cavaliers: (16-35) Kyrie Irving is great, but he is on a terrible team. There is nothing to talk about with the Cavs besides him. I can only name one other player on their team off the top of my head (Omri Casspi). C’mon give it a try… give up? Yea me too, and the Cavs should probably give up on this season as well.

Skirmish for the Central

Three teams compete for the top spot in the Central Division

By Doug Knopf

Two months into the NBA season, the NBA Central is the tightest division in the league with three teams within one game of the each other for first place. The Milwaukee Bucks, The Indiana Pacers, and The Chicago Bulls are in a complete battle. The teams do not have the greatest records, but they have the desire to win and the talent to compete.

It’s time to break down the each team and why they should or should not win the division.

AP Photo/ Matt Slocum

Chicago Bulls: 13-9. The Bulls, even without Derrick Rose, are in first place in their division, but they are not up by much. Luol Deng has been “putting the team on his back” averaging the most points on their team at 17.8 points per game. Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer have been contributing what they can, but they do not make up for Rose’s production. The Bulls bench has not been as strong as it was in past years when they possessed the best record in the league. Their defense has been carrying them but their overall performance has been lacking. Without a true prime time scorer and someone who they really trust, the Bulls will not win the division but will certainly make the playoffs.

Milwaukee Bulks: 12-10. Monte Ellis and Brandon Jennings, two great players who make the Bulks competitive, but sadly, that is all they have. No one on the team averages over 6 rebounds and no one else besides Ellis and Jennings averages over 11 points per game. The team is good, but they do not have all of the pieces required to win a division but possibly will acquire a low seed in the big dance.

Indiana Pacers: 13-11. The Pacers are the best defensive team in NBA. Defense wins championships. The Pacers, though, also have very low scoring power, being the second lowest scoring team in the league. A person needs to step up and provide the Pacers with some points if they want to compete in the division and go far in the playoffs. Someone will step up, and when Danny Granger gets back from injury, this team will be a force not to be reckoned with. They will win the division.

Numbers and opinions aside, the NBA Central is a division not many people are watching but should be watching. This small market division has some big competition and usually provides tough gritty teams who give the flashy teams with star players a run for their money. All three of these teams will end up making the playoffs, but the division is up in the air and it may be way too close and too early to call.

NBA Central Player of the Year: Brandon Jennings

With Derrick Rose and Danny Granger out, Brandon Jennings is the new superstar in the Central

By: Doug Knopf 

What a week and what a season it has been for Brandon Jennings and his Milwaukee Bucks. No player was better than Bucks’ point guard Jennings this week by any margin. Gathering three wins this week, Jennings has his team in first place in the division and is looking to keep it that way.

AP Photo/ Don Ryan

Jennings’ numbers were great this week averaging just under 24 point per game, collecting 33 against the Sixers, 16 against the Pacers – in less than 30 minutes playing time – and 22 against the Hornets. He took only 49 shots in these three games, allowing him to obtain a field goal percentage of 53%. Doing his job, Jennings has been staying on the perimeter and letting other players slash through the paint. Always open for the kick-out three, Jennings has taken 22 long-ones in the last three games, about 45% of his shots. Usually this is bad, but when he makes about half of them, it is hard to complain. Jennings’ scoring ability, combined with his versatility in his position make him a star player.  

Besides scoring, this man has been a complete monster. In this past week’s games, Jennings has averaged seven assists, just one shy of his season average. He also finagled his way into averaging three steals per game and continues to lead the entire league in that category. One of the more amazing and most important statistics for a point guard is that Jennings committed less than one turnover per game during last week.  Turnovers change the momentum of a game and when a team’s point guard can take care of the ball, they have a better chance of winning. Causing turnovers and premiere ball handling make him one of the best in the one spot.

The Milwaukee Bucks are creeping into the spotlight and much of their credit is due to Brandon Jennings. Many people have also said their success is due to injuries crippling other teams in the division. But when all is said and done, it is about the numbers that a team and players put up. Right now, the Bucks and Brandon Jennings are putting up good numbers.

Milwaukee Bucks: A Surprisingly Strong Backcourt

The Milwaukee Bucks Hold Two of the Best Rising Stars at Point Guard and Shooting Guard

By Doug Knopf

The Milwaukee Bucks are a small-market team, but they have one of the most dynamic duos in the NBA in Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis. Monta Ellis, with his dribbling skills and aggressiveness, combined with Jennings’ versatility make this mixture of talent the most underrated one-two punch in the league. Completely under the radar, the Bucks have established a solid foundation for a prolific offense.

Only 23 years old and already the team’s leading scorer, Brandon Jennings looks to build upon last year’s season, where he had highs in points per game, minutes per game and field-goal percentage. Now, with Monta Ellis in the mix, Jennings is more likely to see less double coverage and fewer eyes on him while moving around the court. This will open up opportunities for quicker scoring and space that he has not seen before. A new scheme offense and a few coaching tweaks can make him an even bigger threat. A tandem like this will be difficult for any defense to control.

Monta Ellis, on the other hand, may not benefit from teaming up as much as Jennings. Ellis, who played 21 games with Milwaukee last season after coming over from Golden State, saw his average points per game drop from 21.9 to 17.6. One of the problems critics have about Ellis’s game is that he has to learn to play with another formidable scorer. With a complete off-season and preseason with the team under his belt, there may be improved the chemistry between the two. The Bucks cannot complain when they have a backcourt as young and talented as these two.

“These two players are really explosive and I’m really excited to see what Skiles (head coach) will draw up for them,” said Bucks superfan Connor Murphy.

What also makes these two players so strong is that they haven’t hit their prime yet. We know what we are getting with the Brooklyn Nets’ backcourt with Deron Williams and Joe Johnson, but Jennings and Ellis are raw. These two have a great deal of potential and can be molded into anything at this point in their careers. Their respective games can be formulated into a perfect coaching style. The only fallback is that except for the two of them, the team is extremely weak. The pressure on Jennings and Ellis mounts each possession and it will be interesting seeing them develop.

Gathering big names has been the trend in the NBA as of late and the Bucks are no exception. With tip-off just days away, look for the Bucks to be one of those underdog teams that could make a run at any time. Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis bring an excitement to this city that they have not seen in a while.