NBA Central Update: Bulls Still Trucking, Pacers Still No. 1

To say not much has changed over the course of the week in the NBA Central division would be only a half-truth.  While from a certain perspective things have remained the same, if you dig a bit deeper, we did learn some things from the top two teams in the division this week.

Indiana Pacers Are Not Unstoppable

This is a fact we should have already known, considering we saw the Heat stopped the Pacers earlier in the the season.  However, when both the Washington Wizards and Phoenix Suns upset the No.1 team in the NBA it was a bit of a reality check.

As exciting as the Indiana Pacers are to watch, it is only January and a lot can happen in between now and playoff time. Not to mention the fact, that teams simply play differently when it is all on the line. The Pacers maybe No.1 right now but that does not mean that ranking will translate into an NBA Championship at the end of the season.

Make no mistake, the Pacers are a lean and mean basketball machine, however their 11/4 odds to win the NBA Championship according to Bovada’s future odds is only good enough for the second best odds in the NBA.  The team standing in their way is the Miami Heat.

The Bulls Still Are Not Tanking–But How Long Can It Last?

There are two things that I have learned as the Bulls continue to not tank, despite the team’s managements best efforts.  The first is that head coach Tom Thibodeau is absolutely one of the best in the NBA. The second is that the Bulls have to most heart out of any team in the NBA.  I’ll let the Bulls de facto leader Joakim Noah sum it up:

There’s no tanking. There’s none of that. We’re going to go out and give it 150%. When (our jerseys) say ‘Chicago Bulls,’ I want people to be proud of that. Whether we have four guys out, no matter who’s hurt, we’re going to give 150% win or lose. I know people in this city are proud of that.

We just want to represent. Even when I come to the game, I see the guy on the streets selling the newspaper. It’s cold outside, but when he sees me drive by, he’s excited. ‘Alright, let’s go Bulls! Get it done tonight!’ I feel like I play for that guy.

To me, that’s what the city represents. There’s a lot of hardship. There’s a lot of adversity. So I feel like, when I play basketball, I want people to be proud of their team.

With that said, this is not a sports movie about a rag tag team fighting through the adversity to win the championship, this is real life and Bulls management wants this team to tank so they can pick up a coveted draft pick. The Bulls can only jump through these hoops for so long before they trip and fall.