In the NBA Central Division, the Pacers and Cavaliers look to build momentum while the Bucks hope to stay healthy – News-Herald

By STEVE MEGARGEE

Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers want to show that their run to the Eastern Conference finals last year was no fluke.

Indiana made its first playoff appearance since 2020 last season and had the longest postseason run of any Central Division team since Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Milwaukee Bucks to the 2021 title.

The fact that the Pacers did this as a No. 6 seed explains why most preseason predictions suggest they won’t have similar success this year.

“Everyone was doubted in one way or another, I mean our entire starting five,” said Haliburton, a third-team All-NBA guard and Olympic gold medalist. “You know, me. We have a guy who was selected in the second round. A guy who was subbed by his first team, a guy who played in the first few years and got subbed, and a guy who was talked about being subbed throughout his career.

“So I think everyone has different motivations and I think that just puts more on our shoulders as a group and I think that’s the exciting part because I think that’s why it was last year There was so much success and hunger.”

Indiana’s playoff run began with a first-round win over the Bucks, who have finished first in the Central Division each of the last six years but have recently been unable to carry that regular-season success into the postseason.

They have been eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs in each of the last two seasons and will look to make the most of their narrowing championship window as their team ages.

“No question, I think we can do it,” Bucks center Brook Lopez said. “Our guys are definitely hungry.”

While the Bucks look to put their recent playoff misfortunes behind them, the Cleveland Cavaliers are eager to pick up where they left off last year.

Cleveland finished one game behind Milwaukee 48-34 last year and advanced past the opening round of the playoffs for the first time since its last of four straight Finals appearances in 2018.

The Cavaliers then signed All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell to a three-year contract extension worth $150.3 million.

“We believe in our group,” Mitchell said. “I believe in us. That’s why I re-signed here. I think for us now it’s up to us to go out and execute.”

A look at every team in the Central Division in projected order of finish:

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The Bucks believe they should be better off having some time to work together after going through so much upheaval last year, from acquiring Damian Lillard just before training camp to firing Adrian Griffin to hiring of Doc Rivers as coach mid-season.

When everyone is healthy, this remains a strong team, but that hasn’t been the case very often recently. Counting the playoffs, the Bucks only had Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Lillard available for five of their final 39 games last season.

Antetokounmpo has missed all or part of the Bucks’ last two playoff series due to injuries, so keeping the two-time MVP healthy is paramount. The Bucks are hoping the offseason additions of veteran free agents Gary Trent Jr., Delon Wright and Taurean Prince can add depth to their top-heavy roster.

Cavaliers

Turns out Mitchell really likes it in Cleveland.

The All-Star guard’s decision to sign a long-term contract extension this summer should keep the Cavs among the Eastern Conference’s elite for the next few seasons.

If forward Evan Mobley continues to develop his offensive game, the Cavs will be a problem and an NBA title contender. The pressure is on new coach Kenny Atkinson, who spent the last three seasons on Steve Kerr’s staff in Golden State. He takes over from JB Bickerstaff, who led the club through a massive rebuild that began when LeBron James moved to the Lakers six years ago.

Pacemaker

The Pacers expected last season’s upset run to the Eastern Conference finals to go so well that they brought back their entire starting lineup and all but two players from the bench.

Haliburton, the reigning league assists champion, will once again lead an offense that has flirted with breaking the all-time NBA scoring record. He’ll play alongside Pascal Siakam, who managed to spend an entire offseason working out with his Pacers teammates after arriving in a trade in January that might have brought them postseason success.

Bulls

The Bulls enter the season with a different look and big question marks. The biggest question concerns Zach LaVine and his future.

Chicago broke out of its core after missing the playoffs for the second straight year and sixth time in seven seasons. Six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan landed in Sacramento via a three-team sign-and-trade. Alex Caruso was traded to Oklahoma City in a guard trade for Josh Giddey.

But LaVine remains a cop, at least for now.

The two-time All-Star had season-ending foot surgery in February and is in the midst of a five-year, $215.16 million contract extension he signed after the 2021-22 season.

Pistons

The Pistons are desperately hoping to take a step toward relevance after a disappointing season in which they set an NBA record with 28 consecutive losses in a single season.

Detroit has reshuffled its leadership group for its recent rebuilding effort, hiring Trajan Langdon as president of basketball operations and Bickerstaff as coach to replace the fired Troy Weaver and Monty Williams.

Cade Cunningham, the No. 1 overall pick in 2021, signed a $224 million, five-year contract extension to stay with a team that added several veterans in the offseason alongside Jalen Duren and Jaden Ivey. The Pistons signed Tobias Harris and Malik Beasley, acquired Tim Hardaway Jr. from Dallas in a trade and selected Ron Holland from the G League Ignite with the No. 5 pick in the NBA draft.

AP Sportswriters Larry Lage, Michael Marot, Andrew Seligman and Tom Withers contributed to this report.