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By Sam Amico / The Amico Report

CENTRAL DIVISION PREVIEW

(Teams listed in predicted order of finish; r-denotes rookie).

1. DETROIT PISTONS

Coach: Larry Brown (879-675).

Last season: 50-32, lost to New Jersey in conference finals.

Starters: C Elden Campbell, F Ben Wallace, F Tayshaun Prince, G Richard Hamilton, G Chauncey Billups.

Key subs: F Mehmet Okur, F Corliss Williamson, G Lindsey Hunter, G Bob Sura, G Chucky Atkins, F-C Darko Milicic-r.

New faces: Campbell, Hunter, Sura, Milicic.

Strengths: On paper, Detroit isn’t the most talented team in the league -- or even this division. But the Pistons have something few other teams have. That would be chemistry, and lots of it. They shouldn’t miss a beat with Brown, who’s made a name for himself by getting the most out of the millionaires in baggy shorts. The Pistons are deep and play hard. And it doesn’t hurt that they have the game’s best defender in Wallace.

Weaknesses: As has been the case in recent seasons, it’s hard to know where the points will come from. Hamilton is slowly becoming an All-Star, but needs work on defense and consistency. Also, the Pistons must find a way to score baskets in the low post.

Outlook: Brown may be in charge, but not much will change from the Rick Carlisle era. The Pistons’ ball movement and all-out hustle will continue to make other teams dread playing them, and the result will be another 50-plus win season. There’s no doubt the Pistons will be in a real battle with Indiana for the Central crown -- and maybe for the right to get to the Finals. Prediction: 53-29.

2. INDIANA PACERS

Coach: Rick Carlisle (100-64).

Last season: 48-34, lost to Boston in first round of playoffs.

Starters: C Scot Pollard, F Jermaine O’Neal, F Ron Artest, G Reggie Miller, G Jamal Tinsley.

Key subs: F Al Harrington, G Kenny Anderson, F Austin Croshere, G Fred Jones, F Jonathon Bender, F-C Jeff Foster.

New faces: Pollard, Anderson, F James Jones-r, G Anthony Johnson.

Strengths: O’Neal has become one of the top two or three big men in the East, as he loves to bang in the low post and knows how to put the ball in the basket -- even when fouled. Yes, Artest is unpredictable, but he’s a stellar defender and an underrated scorer. Miller is still one of the all-time great shooters, particularly in the clutch. Finally, don’t forget about Carlisle, who worked wonders with less talent in Detroit.

Weaknesses: Tinsley has yet to prove he’s the answer at point guard. If he fails, the Pacers will be left with free agent signee Kenny Anderson, who’s better suited to come off the bench at this stage of his career. Pollard is accustomed to playing a backup role, but will be forced to start here. Like so many other teams, the Pacers are a decent center away from greatness.

Outlook: Once they get used to Carlisle, the Pacers will be improved. That will be different than recent seasons under Isiah Thomas, where Indiana tended to start fast, then fade when things really mattered. Their rivalry with Detroit will be the best in the Eastern Conference. If the Pacers can win that, they could go on to accomplish much, much more. Prediction: 51-31.

3. NEW ORLEANS HORNETS

Coach: Tim Floyd (49-190).

Last season: 47-35, lost to Philadelphia in first round of playoffs.

Starters: C Jamaal Magliore, F P.J. Brown, F Jamal Mashburn, G David Wesley, G Baron Davis.

Key subs: F George Lynch, G Darrell Armstrong, G-F Stacey Augmon, F Robert Traylor, C Sean Rooks, F David West.

New faces: Armstrong, Rooks, West.

Strengths: Davis is a bull of a point guard, and has amazing quickness for someone who’s so burly. He’s one of the most underrated individual talents and an excellent teammate. Then there’s Mashburn, who is coming off his best season. That really says something, considering he was already pretty good. Brown is another consummate pro, a rebounder who doesn’t mind scoring off other people’s garbage. Magliore, meanwhile, continues to figure out the pro game and become a force in the middle.

Weaknesses: Wesley is undersized for a shooting guard, and way too streaky to be anything more than the first or second player off the bench. But the Hornets have been unable to find a viable replacement, and the bottom line is, they‘re hurting at shooting guard. Overall, the bench is solid, but not strong enough to lift New Orleans to a division title.

Outlook: It will be interesting to see how Floyd does with a team that has some talent, a team that knows how to win. It will also be interesting to see how the Hornets react to not having former coach Paul Silas around. A big reason they were so good is because they always responded to Silas. Will that be the case with Floyd? If the answer is yes, 50 wins and a nice playoff run aren’t out of the question. Prediction: 46-36.

4. CHICAGO BULLS

Coach: Bill Cartwright (47-90).

Last season: 30-52, did not make playoffs.

Starters: C Eddy Curry, F Tyson Chandler, F Scottie Pippen, G Jalen Rose, G Jamal Crawford.

Key subs: F Donyell Marshall, F Marcus Fizer, G Kirk Hinrich-r, G Kendall Gill, F Lonny Baxter, G Trenton Hassell.

New faces: Pippen, Hinrich, Gill.

Strengths: Curry has developed into a classy and determined pro, and by season’s end, this young man could be the Bulls’ go-to guy. Chandler, while a bit more free spirited than Curry, is unbelievably athletic and is becoming a poor man’s Kevin Garnett. Rose is a bona fide scorer and team leader, and Crawford is slowly coming into his own. Pippen is the guy who will keep it all together.

Weaknesses: Hinrich will need time before he’s ready to be a regular contributor, and the Bulls don’t have a consistent backcourt player to come off the bench. Also, besides Curry, there aren’t many guys who will frighten other teams on the low block.

Outlook: No longer will Chicago be unbear-a-Bull to root for. Curry and Chandler are ready for breakout seasons, and Cartwright has done a masterful job of forcing these guys to play as a team (Pippen will help in that department, too). For the first time in a while, the Bulls have it all -- good outside shooting, quality low post play, solid leadership. All they lack is some playoff experience. Expect them to get it this season, when Chicago will field its best team since Michael Jordan departed. Prediction: 41-41.

5. TORONTO RAPTORS

Coach: Kevin O’Neill (first season).

Last season: 24-58, did not make playoffs.

Starters: C Antonio Davis, F Chris Bosh-r, F Morris Peterson, G Vince Carter, G Alvin Williams.

Key subs: F Jerome Moiso, F-C Jerome Williams, F-G Michael Curry, F Lamond Murray, G Milt Palacio.

New faces: Bosh, Moiso, Curry, Palacio.

Strengths: Carter appears to be healthy and back to his old superb self. As an added bonus, he’s more motivated after spending a large portion being injured and having his ability questioned. Davis is the perfect hard-working complement down low, even if he is still out of position at center. Peterson, while way too inconsistent, will always be an outside threat. Alvin Williams is the type of calm and effective floor leader every team could use. Bosh looks ready to contribute, and is better than most people -- including the Raptors -- thought.

Weaknesses: O’Neill has no NBA head coaching experience, so you can expect the Raptors to start slowly as they adjust to his philosophy. There’s no real center on the roster, and barely even enough to just get by. Finally, the bench won’t exactly make opponents’ legs shiver in fear -- which means if Toronto leads the league in injuries again, the results won‘t be much different.

Outlook: Three seasons ago, the Raptors were in the conference semifinals and looked a lot like a future finalist. Things quickly went downhill after that, as the Raptors set new records in games missed because of injury or illness. Everyone appears to be healthy, but it will take time to regroup. Mostly, somebody other than Carter will have to produce on a consistent basis for Toronto to even think about the playoffs. Prediction: 37-45.

6. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

Coach: Paul Silas (286-323).

Last season: 17-65, did not make playoffs.

Starters: C Zydrunas Ilgauskas, F Carlos Boozer, F LeBron James-r, G Ricky Davis, G Darius Miles.

Key subs: G J.R. Bremer, G Kevin Ollie, G-F Ira Newble, F Chris Mihm, C DeSagana Diop, G Dajuan Wagner.

New faces: James, Bremer, Ollie, Newble, F Jason Kapono-r.

Strengths: James and Silas have already turned the once selfish Cavaliers into a pass-first team. That type of mentality will do wonders when this young group finally stops being surprised by all those passes. Davis is one of the league’s most athletic swingmen, and simply loves playing the game and finding new ways to put the ball through the hoop. Ilgauskus is a fundamentally-sound presence in the low post, and when healthy, a genuine All-Star. Boozer is already up there with the game’s most consistent and workman-like power forwards.

Weaknesses: Darius Miles is a nice kid, but he’s also the poster child for everything that’s wrong with kids going directly to the pros out of high school. He just doesn’t have a fundamental bone in his body. Silas plans to give him a shot at running the point, which says a lot about how desperate the Cavaliers are for a starter. Also, nobody on this team can make shots consistently from beyond 15 feet, and even that distance is a stretch.

Outlook: Repeat after me … Cleveland will be the most closely watched team in the East. Thank you, LeBron James. And James will indeed add immediate help. But remember, this is a team that won 17 games last season. No rookie can reverse that type of futility by himself, as even the Bulls struggled in Michael Jordan’s first season. And James is only 18. The bottom line is the Cavaliers will be lots of fun to watch, and much better. But they’re not going anywhere for at least two more seasons. Prediction: 28-54.

7. ATLANTA HAWKS

Coach: Terry Stotts (24-31).

Last season: 35-47, did not make playoffs.

Starters: C Theo Ratliff, F Shareef Abdur-Rahim, F Stephen Jackson, G Dion Glover, G Jason Terry.

Key subs: F-G Boris Diaw-Riffiod-r, F-C Alan Henderson, F Lee Nailon, C Nazr Mohammed, G Dan Dickau.

New faces: Jackson, Diaw-Riffiod, Nailon, G Jacque Vaughn, G-F Travis Hansen-r.

Strengths: Terry is good for 17 points and seven assists a game, and seems to relish his role as team leader. He has tons of faith in his teammates, almost to a fault. Abdur-Rahim is machine-like offensively, as anything less than an 18-point, 9-rebound effort is unusual. Ratliff remains one of the world’s best blocker of shots, and Jackson will add the outside shooting and overall exuberance this club desperately needs. And even though he played a supporting role in San Antonio, Jackson brings championship experience.

Weaknesses: Besides Terry, the backcourt is a mess. Dickau and Vaughn are undersized and slow, and for what seems like the 73rd straight season, the Hawks don’t have a reliable shooting guard. Unless Diaw-Riffiod develops quickly, no one off the bench can score. It also remains to be seen whether Abdur-Rahim will ever be anything more than a guy who racks up good numbers for bad teams. To a lesser degree, the same could be wondered of Terry.

Outlook: The Hawks traded away last season’s leading scorer (Glenn Robinson, to Philadelphia) for … well, nothing. Signing Jackson will help, but there isn’t anyone on the roster who has the ability to score tons of points in a matter of minutes. And other than Ratliff, Atlanta doesn’t have that guy who will bend his knees, shuffle his feet, and come up with a big defensive stop. The Hawks might surprise some people, but overall, they’re in for another year of mediocrity. Prediction: 25-57.

8. MILWAUKEE BUCKS

Coach: Terry Porter (first season).

Last season: 42-40, lost to New Jersey in first round of playoffs.

Starters: C Dan Gadzuric, F Tim Thomas, F Desmond Mason, G Michael Redd, G T.J. Ford-r.

Key subs: F Toni Kukoc, C Joel Przybilla, G Erick Strickland, F Marcus Haislip, F-C Brian Skinner.

New faces: Ford, Strickland, Skinner.

Strengths: Well, let’s see … a rookie head coach, a rookie point guard, and a bunch of guys who have yet to prove they’re anything more than role players. That’s not meant to trash the young Bucks, who do have plenty of promise in the high-flying Mason and hot-shooting Redd. Both have All-Star potential, even if it will take them some time to reach it. Kukoc is a solid veteran off the bench, and Gadzuric started to become a useful low-post player toward the end of last season. Meanwhile, Ford has plenty of doubters, but has already displayed the toughness and savvy needed to run an NBA offense.

Weaknesses: There are a lot of new faces, including the one belonging to Porter. Consistency will be the biggest problem, unless you count how Thomas is consistently inconsistent, or how Pryzbilla is consistently unproductive. Other than Redd, Milwaukee doesn’t have any great shooters. Nor does it possess any great rebounders to gobble up all the missed shots.

Outlook: The Bucks are starting over, and that’s never easy. It could be fun to watch them develop, as long as you’re not bothered by a process that will include lots of losing. There are just too many guys -- from the head coach on down -- who will be learning the ins and outs of the league to expect anything great. Prediction: 21-61.

Today: Central Division.

Monday, Oct. 27: Midwest Division.

Tuesday, Oct. 28: Pacific Division.

MY TELEVISION DEBUT

Just wanted to let you know I’m scheduled to appear as a guest analyst on NBA TV shortly before Philadelphia and Miami tip-off the 2003-04 season Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 7:30 p.m. Hopefully, you’ll be able to tune in.

NEWSLETTER NOTES

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HAVE A GREAT DAY!