2009-10 Outlook
The Bulls' 4-3 loss to the defending champion Boston Celtics will continue to be talked about as a classic NBA postseason series for years. They nearly endured seven overtime periods to go the distance in a first-round clash for the ages. The Bulls figured to be coming into this season fully loaded, led by super PG-Derrick Rose and bolstered by the mid-season trade that brought in John Salmons and Brad Miller. Ben Gordon wasn't drinking the Kool-aid though as he has since left for Detroit, leaving a huge void where a clutch scorer used to be. Without him, thiss team will need to be much better defensively than they were in '08-09.

Sportsbook.com odds to win NBA Title: +6000
Sportsbook.com Regular Season Win Prop: Over/Under 41
StatFox Steve's Take: Offensive forces like Gordon are tough to find. Unless Rose can pick up that slack, this win total falls short. Take UNDER.

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
Head Coach: Mike Brown
Conference: Eastern
Division: Central (2008-09: 1st)
2008-09 Regular Season Record: 66-16 SU (+27.3 ML Units), 49-33 ATS

StatFox Outplay Factor Rating: +8.7 (#1 of 30)
StatFox Power Rating: 104 (#3 of 30)

2008-09 Reg. Season Stats & Ranks
Category: Team (Off) (Rank), Opp (Def) (Rank)
Scoring: 100.3 (13), 91.4 (1)
Scoring Margin: +8.9 (1)
Points Per Possession: 1.350 (3), 1.220 (2)
Field Goal Pct.: 46.8% (6), 43.1% (2)
3PT Field Goal Pct.: 39.3% (2), 33.3% (1)
Free Throw Pct.: 75.7% (21), 77.0% (15)
Rebound Differential: +2.74 (4)
Assists/Game: 20.3 (21), 19.1 (4)
Turnovers/Game: 12.0 (5), 13.4 (18)

2008-09 Situational Records: W-L (Pct)
Overall ATS: 57-38 (60%)
at Home ATS: 32-16 (67%)
on Road ATS: 25-22 (53%)
vs. East ATS: 38-27 (58%)
vs. West ATS: 19-11 (63%)
vs. Division ATS: 14-6 (70%)
as Favorite ATS: 51-30 (63%)
as Underdog ATS: 6-8 (43%)
in Playoffs ATS: 8-5 (62%)
Over-Under: 44-52 (46%)

Offseason Player Movement
Additions: SG Jamario Moon, C Shaquille O'Neal, SG Anthony Parker, PF Leon Powe
Subtractions: SG Sasha Pavlovic, PF Joe Smith, C Ben Wallace
Projected Starting Lineup: • F Anderson Varejao • F LeBron James • C Shaquille O'Neal • G Delonte West • G Mo Williams 

Top StatFox Team Power Trends

2009-10 Outlook
No one can accuse Cleveland GM Danny Ferry of not doing everything in his power to make sure that Lebron James gets the pieces to win a championship and sign a contract extension thereafter. After the painful East finals loss to Orlando, the latest offseason saw the Cavaliers add Shaquille O'Neal & Leon Powe to the front line, takign even more pressure off James to win it on his own. Were these the exact pieces they needed? That remains to be seen, but if O'Neal can go the distance, he gives the Cavs a low post scoring threat they haven't had. Plus they are good enough to cover for his defensive shortcomings.

Sportsbook.com odds to win NBA Title: +300
Sportsbook.com Regular Season Win Prop: Over/Under 61
StatFox Steve's Take: This is the NBA's most focused franchise right now, and '09-10 could be a make or break for its future. Unless James goes down to injury, I see at least 65 wins.

DETROIT PISTONS
Head Coach: John Kuester
Conference: Eastern
Division: Central (2008-09: 3rd)
2008-09 Regular Season Record: 39-43 SU (-20.4 ML Units), 34-48 ATS

StatFox Outplay Factor Rating: -0.9 (#17 of 30)
StatFox Power Rating: 94 (#16 of 30)

2008-09 Reg. Season Stats & Ranks
Category: Team (Off) (Rank), Opp (Def) (Rank)
Scoring: 94.2 (28), 94.7 (8)
Scoring Margin: -0.5 (17)
Points Per Possession: 1.284 (21), 1.293 (16)
Field Goal Pct.: 45.5% (20), 45.1% (8)
3PT Field Goal Pct.: 34.9% (26), 35.5% (9)
Free Throw Pct.: 75.1% (24), 77.5% (20)
Rebound Differential: +1.44 (8)
Assists/Game: 20.6 (16), 20.2 (12)
Turnovers/Game: 11.2 (2), 11.2 (30)

2008-09 Situational Records: W-L (Pct)
Overall ATS: 34-52 (40%)
at Home ATS: 13-30 (30%)
on Road ATS: 21-22 (49%)
vs. East ATS: 20-36 (36%)
vs. West ATS: 14-16 (47%)
vs. Division ATS: 5-15 (25%)
as Favorite ATS: 19-31 (38%)
as Underdog ATS: 14-21 (40%)
in Playoffs ATS: 0-4 (0%)
Over-Under: 41-44 (48%)

Offseason Player Movement
Additions: SF Austin Daye, SG Ben Gordon, PF Charlie Villanueva, C Ben Wallace, PF Chris Wilcox
Subtractions: SG Allen Iverson, PF Antonio McDyess, PF Rasheed Wallace
Projected Starting Lineup: • F Charlie Villanueva • F Tayshaun Prince • C Kwame Brown • G Ben Gordon • G Rodney Stuckey 

Top StatFox Team Power Trends

2009-10 Outlook
Look up the definition of the word trainwreck in the dictionary and it might describe the '08-09 season of the Detroit Pistons. Sure they won 39 games, but after six straight years in the East finals, the team was nothing of its former self under Michael Curry. They were just 17-36 in their L53 games, showing little more than a pulse. Defense is no longer the calling card in Detroit at all. A new era has begun, and it's built around scoring and shooting. Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva give new coach John Kuester a lot of potency at the offensive end, but defense and continuity are major concerns heading into '09-10.

Sportsbook.com odds to win NBA Title: +6000
Sportsbook.com Regular Season Win Prop: Over/Under 41.5
StatFox Steve's Take: Ben Gordon is better than Allen Iverson. That move is positive. Nothing else I see is. Don't get caught up by the name, the Pistons are not the same club. UNDER.

INDIANA PACERS
Head Coach: Jim O'Brien
Conference: Eastern
Division: Central (2008-09: 4th)
2008-09 Regular Season Record: 36-46 SU (-0.6 ML Units), 42-38 ATS

StatFox Outplay Factor Rating: -1.1 (#18 of 30)
StatFox Power Rating: 98 (#9 of 30)

2008-09 Reg. Season Stats & Ranks
Category: Team (Off) (Rank), Opp (Def) (Rank)
Scoring: 105.1 (5), 106.2 (26)
Scoring Margin: -1.1 (19)
Points Per Possession: 1.294 (16), 1.310 (19)
Field Goal Pct.: 45.5% (19), 45.8% (15)
3PT Field Goal Pct.: 37.8% (8), 37.5% (19)
Free Throw Pct.: 80.7% (3), 76.4% (12)
Rebound Differential: -1.59 (24)
Assists/Game: 21.6 (9), 21.1 (16)
Turnovers/Game: 14.0 (20), 13.4 (17)

2008-09 Situational Records: W-L (Pct)
Overall ATS: 42-38 (53%)
at Home ATS: 20-20 (50%)
on Road ATS: 22-18 (55%)
vs. East ATS: 27-23 (54%)
vs. West ATS: 15-15 (50%)
vs. Division ATS: 9-7 (56%)
as Favorite ATS: 12-15 (44%)
as Underdog ATS: 28-22 (56%)
in Playoffs ATS: 0-0 (0%)
Over-Under: 45-34 (57%)

Offseason Player Movement
Additions: PF Tyler Hansbrough, PG Luther Head, SG Dahntay Jones, PF Solomon Jones, PG Earl Watson
Subtractions: SG Marquis Daniels, PG Jarrett Jack, C Rasho Nesterovic
Projected Starting Lineup: • F Troy Murphy • F Danny Granger • C Jeff Foster • G Dahntay Jones • G T.J. Ford 

Top StatFox Team Power Trends

2009-10 Outlook
Indiana's win totals the last three seasons have been 36, 36, & 35. Talk about consistency. Naturally, oddsmakers peg the Pacers for 34.5 wins in 2009-10, and why not, they haven't made any noteworthy efforts to improve their roster since April, plugging in and taking out only interchangeable parts. It's tough for a team like Indiana to make any noteworthy acquisitions with the limited resources they possess as a small market club. The one thing they can do is improve the defensive effort, as they allowed 106.2 PPG last season, 26th in the league. On a good note, Indiana won eight of its L12 games, signaling a team building in cohesiveness.

Sportsbook.com odds to win NBA Title: +10000
Sportsbook.com Regular Season Win Prop: Over/Under 34.5
StatFox Steve's Take: There's no real solid reason to go above or below the 34.5 wins, although with the decline of the Central Division, my lean would be OVER.

MILWAUKEE BUCKS
Head Coach: Scott Skiles
Conference: Eastern
Division: Central (2008-09: 5th)
2008-09 Regular Season Record: 34-48 SU (-11.8 ML Units), 41-39 ATS

StatFox Outplay Factor Rating: -1.2 (#19 of 30)
StatFox Power Rating: 94 (#16 of 30)

2008-09 Reg. Season Stats & Ranks
Category: Team (Off) (Rank), Opp (Def) (Rank)
Scoring: 99.3 (15), 100.4 (16)
Scoring Margin: -1.1 (18)
Points Per Possession: 1.273 (23), 1.292 (15)
Field Goal Pct.: 44.5% (27), 45.8% (16)
3PT Field Goal Pct.: 36.3% (18), 37.8% (23)
Free Throw Pct.: 78.0% (11), 79.1% (28)
Rebound Differential: -1.00 (21)
Assists/Game: 22.0 (7), 21.1 (15)
Turnovers/Game: 13.6 (17), 15.7 (1)

2008-09 Situational Records: W-L (Pct)
Overall ATS: 41-39 (51%)
at Home ATS: 21-20 (51%)
on Road ATS: 20-19 (51%)
vs. East ATS: 26-26 (50%)
vs. West ATS: 15-13 (54%)
vs. Division ATS: 6-10 (38%)
as Favorite ATS: 15-12 (56%)
as Underdog ATS: 25-27 (48%)
in Playoffs ATS: 0-0 (0%)
Over-Under: 44-37 (54%)

Offseason Player Movement
Additions: SG Carlos Delfino, PG Brandon Jennings, PG Roko Ukic, PF Hakim Warrick, PF Kurt Thomas
Subtractions: PF Malik Allen, SF Richard Jefferson, PG Ramon Sessions, PF Charlie Villanueva
Projected Starting Lineup: • F Kurt Thomas • F Ersan Ilyasova • C Andrew Bogut • G Michael Redd • G Brandon Jennings  

Top StatFox Team Power Trends

2009-10 Outlook
The Bucks were 34-48 in 2008, better than their fans even remember. It seems that most experts believe that type of mark is not even attainable in '09-10 after an offseason dominated by cost cutting measures. The most critical losses the Bucks suffered were the departures of Richard Jefferson, Milwaukee's best and most reliable player a year ago, and Ramon Sessions, the emerging point guard. Milwaukee would have been much better had Andrew Bogut & Michael Redd not been out during crunch time, as the team was actually 28-31 at one point, only to finish 6-17 down the stretch. Rookie PG Brandon Jennings is expected to bring an exciting up-tempo pace to the lineups.

Sportsbook.com odds to win NBA Title: +10000
Sportsbook.com Regular Season Win Prop: Over/Under 26.5
StatFox Steve's Take: Scott Skiles' teams never shy on effort, and the Bucks were much improved defensively last season. I don't believe its as doom & gloom in Beer town as most. OVER.