Ranking Central Division Starting Fives

I have ranked the hoopshype.com projected starting units for each of the five teams in the NBA's Central Division. Here's my method. I researched the statistics provided for each projected starter by 82games.com. Then I took all of those statistics, combined them, and assigned each team a 1-5 ranking in nine seperate statistical categories (Avg Overall eFG, Avg Jumper eFG, Avg Inside eFG, Avg DrawFoul %, Cumulative Passer Rating, Cumulative Rebounder Rating, Cumulative Ballhandler Rating, Avg Opponent eFG, Avg Eff48). Finally, I added up all of the individual category rankings and created a collective ranking according to the team with the lowest cumulative score.

Two notes before I provide the lists. One, even with their improvements, the Bucks are still a distant fourth. Why? They don't play defense, they don't draw fouls, and their rebounding has been weakened significantly with the move of Bogut to center and the addition of Villenueva. Two, Bulls fans are going to scream bloody murder, but I have their starting five ranked fifth best. Why? PJ Brown is an awful PF, Ben Wallace seems to be a gilding of the rose (he's a defensive specialist when the Bulls were already an excellent defensive team -- why?), they don't shoot the ball that well, they don't handle it well, they don't pass it well, they have no inside game, and their lineup lacks efficient productivity (Eff48).

Next week I will provide individual rankings at each position. Meanwhile, here are all of my rankings.

Overall Ranking of projected Central Division starting fives

1. Detroit Pistons.........................(20)
2. Cleveland Cavaliers..................(24)
3. Indiana Pacers........................(27)
4. Milwaukee Bucks....................(31)
5. Chicago Bulls...........................(33)

Average Overall effective Field Goal %

1. Milwaukee Bucks.....................50.76%
2. Detroit Pistons.........................50.34%
3. Indiana Pacers.........................49.30%
4. Chicago Bulls............................49.20%
5. Cleveland Cavaliers...................47.98%

Average effective Field Goal % on Jump Shots only

1. Detroit Pistons...........................45.76%
2. Milwaukee Bucks.......................43.90%
3. Chicago Bulls...............................42.16%
4. Cleveland Cavaliers....................38.86%
5. Indiana Pacers............................37.08%

Average effective Field Goal % on Inside Shots only

1. Indiana Pacers.............................60.94%
2. Cleveland Cavaliers......................57.64%
3. Detroit Pistons..............................57.04%
4. Milwaukee Bucks..........................56.04%
5. Chicago Bulls..................................53.36%

Average "Fouls Drawn" % (Fouls Drawn / Field Goals Attempted)

1. Cleveland Cavaliers......................16.5%
2. Indiana Pacers..............................13.8%
3. Chicago Bulls.................................11.44%
4. Detroit Pistons...............................10.84%
5. Milwaukee Bucks...........................8.96%

Cumulative 82games.com Passer Ratings

1. Detroit Pistons.................................29.1
2. Cleveland Cavaliers.........................27.9
3. Milwaukee Bucks.............................22.3
4. Chicago Bulls.....................................19.3
5. Indiana Pacers..................................19.2

Cumulative 82games.com Rebounder Ratings

1. Indiana Pacers...................................106.0
2. Chicago Bulls.......................................100.2
3. Cleveland Cavaliers.............................99.3
4. Milwaukee Bucks.................................86.3
5. Detroit Pistons......................................85.0

Cumulative 82games.com Ballhandler Ratings

1. Detroit Pistons.......................................77.1
2. Cleveland Cavaliers...............................70.7
3. Milwaukee Bucks...................................67.4
4. Chicago Bulls...........................................59.6
5. Indiana Pacers........................................54.9

Average effective Field Goal % allowed

1. Detroit Pistons........................................47.08%
2. Indiana Pacers........................................48.28%
3. Chicago Bulls...........................................48.38%
4. Cleveland Cavaliers................................50.92%
5. Milwaukee Bucks....................................51.06%

Average Eff48 score (efficient productivity/48 minutes)

1. Cleveland Cavaliers.................................23.56
2. Detroit Pistons.........................................23.42
3. Indiana Pacers.........................................22.46
4. Milwaukee Bucks.....................................22.25
5. Chicago Bulls.............................................22.05