2018-19 NBA Eastern Conference: Central Division Standings so far
Central Division: Indiana Pacers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks.
It's not rocket science that the Central Division is ruled by the Greek Freak and his squad. At the same time, they are not faced with much competition. Filled with struggling teams in the Cavaliers and Bulls among others, there is nothing that provides resistance to the Bucks' surge to fame in this division.
Three of the five teams in this division are set to bag a comfortable playoff berth, while the other two turn their attention towards draft picks.
Let's dive in and take a look at the current team standings on the Central Divison leaderboard.
#5 Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland got the taste of a sports title for the first time in 52 years when LeBron and his Cavs snatched one from the Warriors in an Epic 2016 NBA Finals. However, what has transpired in his absence can be regarded as the worst plummet by any team in just a year.
From being the Eastern Conference Champions last year, the Cavaliers now host the second-worst record of the East at the moment. They are an insurmountable 34.5 games behind the Conference leaders and are officially out of the playoff race for this year.
Hosting a miserable 17-52 (0.246) win-loss record on the season, the team has won just 2 games against Central Division teams this year so far.
#4 Chicago Bulls
Led by Zach LaVine's 23.8 ppg this season, the Bulls did show signs of life but yet again, too little too late. Lauri Markkanen's absence exacerbated the Bulls' depleted roster woes, but it is something that can be fixed in the coming seasons if the franchise can keep this set of players intact.
“I just think they’re developing. I think they’re maturing. I think they’re playing harder. I think they’re competing better – not that they weren’t competing but I just think they’re growing in all areas. They’re developing into who we hoped they could be,” Coach Jim Boylen said.
According to a recent Bulls Twitter post,
The Bulls have been on a tear lately averaging 117.7ppg in their last 12 games, fourth in the NBA, with a net offensive rating ranking seventh in the league.
Their irregular winning patterns have only fetched them a 19-50(0.275) win-loss record on the year so far, making them another team that's out of the postseason race.