The Central is the center of attention

The Central division can be summed up in two words: LeBron James.

Chicago is riding high after the best first-round NBA playoff series in history against the Boston Celtics, but they are no match for James' Cleveland crew. All eyes will be in Cleveland as James and The Big Witness begin their march for a championship.

Oh, and regardless if Cleveland wins a championship, James will sign with Cleveland. So all you fans of other central teams, don't start getting your hopes up for the summer of 2010; he isn't going anywhere.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers

This is probably the easiest call to make as far as a division winner goes. The only way Cleveland loses the division is if James gets injured for an extended period of time. Shaq should add to an already dominant team and Anderson Varejao will continue to look like an all-star from all the nifty passes he receives from James.

I suppose Cleveland could lose the division if Delonte West shows up to work with his collection of 18 guns one day (Too soon? I know, disgruntled employee jokes aren't funny, they're dangerous people).

2. Chicago Bulls

It pains me to write this, but they have established themselves as the second best team in the division. Derrick Rose was great last year, and assuming he added a jump shot during the offseason, he is going to be near unstoppable at times. And did Joakim Noah cut off Kareem Abdul Jabbar's hands and surgically connect them to his arms? I'm not sure when Noah got that soft touch he has been showing, but it scares me.

The Bulls will also be one of the deepest teams in the league, boasting, Kirk Hinrich Jannero Pargo, Taj Gibson, Brad Miller and James Johnson. The shooting guard position has some questions, but John Salmons is a good, consistent player.

3. Detroit Pistons

The Pistons have received a lot of criticism this offseason, but they are not as bad as some people think. Yes, they overpaid for Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva, but people cannot forget they are both still very good players. Rodney Stuckey should continue to improve and Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince are always a handful.

They have plenty of question marks on defense, except for Stuckey and Prince who are both top notch. They also don't have much in the front court other than Jason Maxiell and at times Chris Wilcox. They better hope Austin Daye was the right choice, because they will need all the help they can get up front.

4. Milwaukee Bucks

I refuse to ever pick the Bucks to finish last. And I also actually think they are better than the Indiana Pacers. Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut NEED to stay healthy this season as there is not much firepower behind them. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute should break out as one of the league's best defenders and Brandon Jennings is going to at least make people remember Milwaukee has a basketball team again.

The darkhorse: Hakim Warrick. Expect big things out of him this season. He had a great preseason and I think he will turn heads. The Bucks are also deep at the forward position with Warrick, Ersan Ilyasova, Mbah a Moute, Carlos Delfino and Joe Alexander. Rebounds will be key for this team.

5. Indiana Pacers

Some experts think they are on the upswing, but as long as Jim O'Brien is coaching it won't matter. Brandon Rush seems ready to bust out and Danny Granger is one of the league's best players. Roy Hibbert is good, but O'Brien loves Josh McRobert's facial hair so he will play the wrong person most of the time. Everyone debates Tyler Hansbrough's worth, but it wont matter because this team isn't going to win many games either way. That's just what happens when you don't have a bench.

They lost Jarrett Jack and Marquis Daniels in the offseason; two huge assets off the bench. Now they boast intimidating players such as Solomon Jones, Luther Head, A.J. Price and Travis Diener. Sounds scary (for Pacers fans).

60 minutes to liftoff

My thoughts exactly Big Aristotle. Your move to Cleveland could be great ... or not so much.

The mocking is done. Experts mean nothing. Fans hold their breath and pray they are not the unlucky saps that draft Psycho T or even worse ... BJ Mullens.

The trade of Shaquille O' Neal to Cleveland officially kicked off the trade madness that will begin in less than an hour. New York, Memphis and Minnesota will be scrambling like mad to wheel and deal. The first two deals will probably include Minnesota's picks and Quentin Richardson/Darko Milic.

Once that first wave happens, expect the big boys to get in the mix. Boston will continue to try to package Ray Allen and the Suns will continue to wave the white flag and unload any and everyone.

But for now, if I am a Cleveland fan, I am torn. O'Neal could help, or he could completely cripple the team. He has to be willing to work with Big Z and not demand minutes over him. Meanwhile, him and LeBron James will also have to check their egos at the door.

O'Neal is not a franchise maker anymore, but for Cleveland fans, lets just hope he is not a franchise destroyer.

And for the Atlanta Hawks, bringing in Jamal Crawford could be a great move. If the team can re-sign Mike Bibby, the Hawks will finally have their potent sixth man — a huge void since the loss of Josh Childress. The only thing holding them back from a very good chance at claiming the Eastern Conference crown is a backup for Al Horford.

But for now the trades are done and the celebration begins. It's a new beginning for every team and its the one night in the year in the NBA, where as Kevin Garnett would say ... anything is possible.

So check back frequently at the TBDS or its twitter page to get updates and analysis about all the picks.

Cavs Beat Magic, Delay The Inevitable

37 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists was all LeBron James needed to send the Cleveland Cavaliers back to Florida for Game 6.

Sorry, Cleveland. You will have to wait until at least Saturday night to implode.

NBA Predictions: Midwest Money

Welcome to volume 1 of my breakdown of every NBA division going in to the season. Many claim to be experts, but I promise that The Big Dead Sidebar is the place where you will find the most accurate and boldest predictions on the Interweb.

To start things off I chose my personal favorite division — the Central. I refer to this division as Midwest Money because it is a gamble. The division could send anywhere from two to four teams to the playoffs depending on what version of each team shows up on a nightly basis. I will start with the top and work my way down.

1. Detroit Pistons

I have little doubt the Pistons will remain the kings of the midwest. They are the deepest team in the central, followed by the Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers respectively. They can score from the outside and they will absolutely punish teams in the post — something no other team in the central can come close to doing. The starters are aging, which can be a little scary at times, but the young guns are more than promising. New coach Michael Curry should keep the team focused and energized most of the way through. Will they finally get that second ring they have been good enough to get the last few years? I would say no, but there is a chance.

Team MVP: Tayshaun Prince - The scorer, defender, shooter and slasher. He is everything.

The Rising Star: Amir Johnson - How does a blocked shot every nine minutes sound? That's what Johnson did last year and I expect even more this year. I love Jason Maxiell, but I think Johnson is the heir to McDyess' throne.

The Falling Star: Chauncey Billups - "Big Shot" Billups has started to lose a step and it is beginning to show. He knows at 32 time is running out for him, so he could be even more focused on getting a ring this season. The Pistons wont have to lose too much sleep as the great Rodney Stuckey and defensive stalwart Arron Afflalo wait in the wings.

2. Cleveland Cavaliers

There are only two reasons why Cleveland will get second place. LeBron and James. He is the best player in the Eastern Conference and is great enough to get event the most mediocre teams to the top. The addition of former Buck Mo Williams will help space the floor and I expect Wally World and Big Z to give enough effort to keep the team in second. They have nice role players with Delonte West, Booby Gibson and Anderson Varejao. If you don't watch the Cavs because of King James, than watch them for Varejao's hair, it's awesome.

Team MVP: LeBron James - This one is self-explanatory

Rising Star: Delonte West - He could sneak up on a lot of teams this year if they don't pay attention. He only averaged a little more than 8 points per game, but I expect around 12 from him this year with 4 or 5 assists per game as well.

Falling Star: Ben Wallace - Remember when I said Billups could use his age as motivation? Yeah, well that isn't going to happen with Big Ben. The once dominant defender is done...I mean totally done. He is worse on offense (which I thought was impossible) and he is slower and he doesn't defend as well. He is not much help at all.

3. Milwaukee Bucks

So here is one of those bold predictions I was talking about. Let me just say, the Milwaukee Bucks are my favorite sports franchise so I am somewhat biased, but this team has talent. Richard Jefferson, Michael Redd, Andrew Bogut and Charlie V are all offensive weapons. No other front court in the central has the ball handling or passing touch of Charlie V and Bogut. There are HUGE questions on defense but the addition of Scott Skiles along with Malik Allen and Luc Richard Mbah-A-Moute should help.

Team MVP: Richard Jefferson - This is a tight call with Bogut being a close second, but I expect Jefferson to bring speed and defense to the perimeter. His willingness and desire to throw down should be of great help since Michael Redd has never been a slasher.

Rising Star: Ramon Sessions - No doubt about it this kid is going to be really good. He reminds me a lot of Andre Miller and his final four games all ended with double-digit assists including a 24-assist game. Keep an eye out for him, he will surprise you.

Falling Star: Dan Gadzuric - The once solid defender and rebounder has become a shadow of his former self. He was never great, but he used to give you an honest night's work every time out, but the athleticism of today's game has passed him. He did have a tremendous block against the Utah Jazz in a game at the Bradley Center I went to last year though.

4. Chicago Bulls

I had to be talked into this one, but at the end of the day, I believe it too. The fact is they are deeper and have a better front court than the Indiana Pacers. Derrick Rose of course will the be the face of the team all season, but the other players will be the ones deciding the fate of the team. Can Tyrus Thomas reach his potential? Can Luol Deng reach his potential? Can Thabo Sefolosha reach his potential? You see the pattern here. If they can all click, then watch out, but I have my concerns about Vinny Del Negro leading this team.

Team MVP: Luol Deng - This has to be the year for the highly-touted forward because, A) If it's not, then the Bulls wont go very far. B) If he doesn't lead this team, then he will have proven to be overrated and a strong mid-level player, but not the star as expected.

Rising Star: Thabo Sefolosha - I am a sucker for defense and this guy plays it very well. Aside from that, he is one of the only backcourt players on the Bulls with any size, save Rose. I expect him to be the "seventh man," which is really the sixth man on this team since Air Gordon puts up starter minutes.

Falling Star: Larry Hughes - Honestly he is just along for the ride. I am sure he thinks he still can be a vital part of this team, but with Rose, Hinrich, Gordon and Sefolosha all expected to get big minutes, he will probably ride the bench for the majority of the time.

5. Indiana Pacers

Let me just say I really like this team's front court. I think Danny Granger is awesome, Mike Dunleavy is good and TJ Ford is a highly intelligent point guard. Then you have the addition of Jarrett Jack and Brandon Rush and this team is ready for some perimeter damage. The front court is beyond terrible. Jeff Foster, Troy Murphy, Rasho Nesterovic, Josh McRoberts and Roy Hibbert combine for a whole bunch of nothing. This team does not have depth either and does anyone even know who the coach is? Oh yeah, Jim O'Brien.

Team MVP: Danny Granger - He came out of nowhere the past two seasons and has just kept flying under the radar. Without this guy, the Pacers suffer tremendously. He can fill it up and he can take it to the rim. If he continues to improve defensively he will be a legit star.

Rising Star: Brandon Rush - As you can see I must resort to a rookie because this team simply doesn't have good, young players. I know Rush will continue to be better and should be great. He has already shown real leadership and coolness in the exhibition games.

Falling Star: Rasho Nesterovic - I'm not saying he was ever a star but he is being paid $7.8 million this season. Huge waste of money for someone who will do a good job of blocking some shots but that is it.

This should be an interesting division to watch this season and if I am right in my predictions I think I will be the only one as many people don't have Milwaukee and Indiana where I have them. But like I said, TBDS is offering you the gospel of basketball so make sure to check out the next division...the southeast.