Bulls reign over Central could be ending Options

[madisonsmadhouse]

http://www.csnchicago.com/basketball-chica...tm_medium=email

MARK STROTMAN

ESPN.com polled 100 of its top NBA analysts on their predictions for the Eastern Conference standings as part of its Summer Forecast series, and according to the predictions the Bulls' reign atop the Central division may be over after two years.

According to the poll, the Bulls projected at 46-36, fourth place in the East. The Indiana Pacers, however, were predicted to tie for second, four games better than Chicago at 50-32.

LeBron James and the defending champion Miami Heat led the East with a 60-22 projected record, while the new-look Boston Celtics tied with the Pacers at 50-32.

The rest of the projected standings saw the revamped Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers tie with Chicago at 46-36, the New York Knicks one game behind at 45-37, and the Atlanta Hawks, minus Joe Johnson, at 40-42 to round out the playoff teams.

Here's how the pollsters projected the Central division:

1. Indiana Pacers (50-32)
2. Chicago Bulls (46-36)
3. Milwaukee Bucks (37-45)
4. Cleveland Cavaliers (33-49)
5. Detroit Pistons (30-52)

The Pacers, who last year enjoyed their first winning season since 2004-2005, had a busy offseason, re-signing George Hill and Roy Hibbert while trading Darren Collison to the Mavericks. Led by Danny Granger, Hibbert and rising star Paul George, and complemented by a deep bench, Frank Vogel and the Pacers may have the edge in the Central.

But the Bulls, with a retooled back court as well as changes in the front court, won't go away easily. Without Rose, Chicago was 18-9 in the regular season, and playing in perhaps the weakest division in the NBA should help Chicago more than Indiana, given the Bulls will be without their best player the majority of the season.