Team to beat:      

No brainer here, as the Milwaukee Bucks tied for the best record in the NLL.  They potentially have the best “big 3” combo in the league.  Even with the major changes the Bucks made this past offseason, expect that GM Badwolf will have them firing on all cylinders early and often.

Key story line:

Ben Simmons and the Detroit Pistons, Chicago and the illustrious splash brothers, Wolf and his love for potential, Sheed and his love for Euros, and King James.  So many interesting story lines here, but I think the biggest story will be this division being the non-traditional point guard haven.  Ben Simmons and Lebron James already slated to start the season as their team’s point could have Daz and Wolf crying foul early on.  This division is rife with smaller point-style player talent, like Westbrook and Curry, but Simmons would fit in under the old PG rule anyway and Lebron….. well, he plays all 5 positions in real life, so this shouldn’t be any different.

Chicago:

Long range shooting and injuries.  That’s the title for the Bulls season.  Daz gave up the “farm”, so to speak, to unite the splash brothers.  He also was able to resign Dirk, so he’s got serious shooting talent.  He also brought back 2k glitch Mike Scott and the underappreciated Dedmon.  This team has talent, but lacks quality depth, especially with 4 guys currently on IR.

Cleveland:

Cleveland always goes where the King takes them, but the supporting cast has gotten younger and more interesting.  Drummond and Ibaka make a hell of a frontcourt tandem and R-Co is a sweet shooter.  Take into account that they have shut down wing defense in the guise of Tony Allen and good ole Milos sitting on IR for the 2^nd half of the season.  This team will be a difficult out all year, so expect them to make noise.

Detroit:

If you listened to Laddas, he would swear they are still in rebuild mode, but if you are gonna “Ask Laddas”, make sure you ask him to be totally honest.  This team is built to start winning now, not later.  Simmons is the X Factor, as he’s lighting up the NBA, but will this translate in the NLL?  If it does, Eastern Conference beware, as Detroit has 2 of the hottest players in the NBA currently.  Another nice thing about the Pistons is that they have one of the younger teams in the league, with only 3 players on the roster over the age of 25.

Indiana:

In a division this stacked, you would think Sheed would be more aggressive and look to put more talent around Blake Griffin, but Indiana seems content to take fliers on Euros with the hopes of discovering buried treasure.  This type of “panhandling for gold” may have been successful in seasons past, but the league seems to continue to get smarter GMs, so at some point Sheed has to “shit or get off the pot”, so to speak.

Milwaukee:

Say what you want about the Bucks, they are the Evil Empire, people loathe dealing with GM Badwolf, but this guy knows how to build a perennial contender.  This offseason was no different, as they jettisoned away Aaron Gordon and Kentavious Caldwell Pope instead of preparing to cough up the crazy dough it will take to keep them.  While we are in full agreement with the move to rid themselves of the latter, it’s the moving of the former that could have the Bucks GM wondering what if, as Gordon has found his potential early on in the NBA.  Milwaukee already has 3 of the best 10 players in the league in Greek Freak, KAT and Westbrook, imagine them still having Aaron Gordon and his freakish athleticism.  Milwaukee is still probably the most athletic team in the league and we fully expect a repeat of last year’s performance.

Five best players:

In a division with so much talent, it was truly difficult to narrow down the top 5.  Honorable mentions to Blake Griffin and Klay Thompson among others that didn’t make this list, but it’s hard to disagree that these 5 are the real cream of the crop.  No matter what order I put these 5, there will be arguments, but in whatever order you like them, they are the best 5 in the Central.

5. Karl-Anthony Towns – Best center in this division if not the NLL.  KAT will play both sides of the ball with great enthusiasm and was the initial reason the Bucks became true contenters.

4. Russell Westbrook – Perhaps one of the most athletic players in the NLL, Russ is a triple double waiting to happen.  He is virtually unstoppable and seems to take over games in the 4^th, like a true closer should.

3. Stephen (not Ste-phon) Curry – Perhaps one of the deadliest shooters of all time, Curry will have a minefield of great defensive players guarding him in this division, as he will have to face up against Lebron, Russell Westbrook, and Ben Simmons at least 4 times each.  Can he continue to be the unbelievable shooter we have come to expect?

2. Giannis Antetokounmpko – Continuing to rise up the ranks, “Greek Freak” is a mismatch wherever he plays.  His jumper is sporadic, but it doesn’t matter as he is faster and jumps higher than anyone in the NLL.  He constantly draws fouls and with his passing improving, could overtake King James for the #1 spot by the end of the year.

1. Lebron James – The King is still King.  Until dethroned, Lebron will still be the best player in the Central.  Having the ability to return to playing point this year, we fully expect that James will man that spot, at least until Milos comes off IR and proves he also should be a starter. 

Sleeper:

Taurean Prince – In the mold of all of Badwolf’s favs, Prince is a gifted athlete that seems to have developed a decent jumper.  He will always be overshadowed by the big 3 in Milwaukee, but expect him to put up 20 point nights with opponents focusing too much on the stars.

Breakout star:

Tobias Harris – All the elite SF from last year will be playing PG or PF this year, giving Harris free reign over the lesser small forwards in the league.  He’s already been solid, but with Blake healthy, Harris could finally realize that potential Sheed has been waiting to develop.

Best newcomer:

Ben Simmons – The redshirt #1 pick from 2 years ago, Ben will show everyone that he is an elite player and is expected to be in the running for ROTY.  Simmons will make Laddas so happy he left Love and the Magic behind, so expect lots of ticker news and articles about Ben’s dominance this rookie season.

Prediction:

1.    Milwaukee

2.    Cleveland

3.    Detroit

4.    Chicago

5.    Indiana

Milwaukee is still elite, and Cleveland is right behind them, but the gap has narrowed with Detroit and Chicago fighting to make the playoffs this season.  Indiana will be the odd man out, as his offseason maneuvers just didn’t close the distance between them and any of their division rivals.