While the Bulls may claim ownership of the best record in the NBA and the Pacers have gained steam after winning their last six games, the rest of the Central Division remains mired in a lottery-bound wasteland. The Bulls take their 30-8 record to Philadelphia tonight for a matchup against the 76ers. Let's take a look around the rest of the division to see what else is going on.
- Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press suggests Pistons general manager Joe Dumars will keep his roster intact as the trade deadline approaches. Ellis views Greg Monroe and Brandon Knight as the only two players that may garner interest from other teams. One executive mentioned Rodney Stuckey as a potential piece for a team looking for depth, but Stuckey cannot be traded until the off-season due to new rules created after the lockout.
- The Cavaliers may have been among the teams that nearly landed Lamar Odom in the off-season from the Lakers, writes Bob Finnan of The News-Herald. The non-trade has been a blessing for Cleveland given Odom's off-court issues and underwhelming on-court performance this season in Dallas.
- The schedule is set to get a bit more difficult for the surging Pacers, says Mike Wells of The Indianapolis Star. With their first six-game winning streak since 2005 and currently holding the three seed in the Eastern Conference, the Pacers are in a comfortable position in considering what to do with the trade deadline looming.