Detroit Pistons: Ranking the NBA’s six divisions. Is Central the best?
Detroit Pistons: Where does the Central Division stand now?
You could talk me into flip-flopping these two divisions, as I think they are very close, but the Central got the edge because of having the strongest title contender.
#4: Southwest Division
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Dallas Mavericks
- New Orleans Pelicans
- San Antonio Spurs
- Houston Rockets
The Southwest has three teams at the top that should compete for top-6 seeds in the West, but are any of them really title contenders? The Grizzlies will be missing Jaren Jackson Jr. for part of the season, the Mavericks didn’t do much to add talent around Luka Doncic, and the Pelicans will need Zion Williamson to stay healthy, which is a long shot.
The Spurs and Rockets figure to be two of the league’s worst teams and frontrunners in the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes.
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#3: Central Division
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Chicago Bulls
- Indiana Pacers
- Detroit Pistons
Like the Southwest, the Central has three teams at the top who should be competing for top playoff seeds and two teams as the bottom who will probably be competing for lottery balls.
The difference is that the Bucks are better than anyone in the Southwest and I do think the Pistons and Pacers are better than the Spurs and Rockets. The addition of Donovan Mitchell likely turns the Cavaliers into a legit contender for the East.
The Central has arguably the best young talent in the league with guys like Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley, Tyrese Haliburton, with a good mix of contenders and up and coming teams.