5 make or break candidates from the Central Division in the 2023 NBA season

The 2023-24 NBA season is underway, promising another exciting campaign with numerous standout teams in both conferences. The Milwaukee Bucks have dominated the Central Division since 2018. The Bucks, who won the NBA Championship in 2021, have an NBA-high 272 wins and five division titles.

Milwaukee is expected to continue its dominance of the division, which has been dreadful over the last five years, this year. The Bucks acquired Damian Lillard, who had a tremendous season debut, to complement Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Brook Lopez.

The Cleveland Cavaliers, 1-2 on the current campaign, ended their five-year playoff draught last year. Meanwhile, the Indiana Pacers could be a team to watch. The Pacers (2-0) are very deep, with youngsters sprinkled among quality veterans. Detroit (2-1) has been playing well, with a one-point loss to Miami in the season opener being their only setback.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Chicago Bulls (1-2) could be in for a long season.

What will define these teams and their success are the performances of their players on the court, with some of them entering critical junctures or under pressure.

Here are five players in the Central Division who are facing make-or-break seasons:

Central Division NBA players facing make-or-break seasons

#1, Sam Merrill, Cleveland Cavaliers

Sam Merrill signed a three-year contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers last year. His 2023-24 and 2024-25 deals are nonguaranteed, with this year's portion guarantees on January 10.

While the 27-year-old sharpshooter has averaged one triple a game over the last two years, he is shooting at under a 30% clip. Merrill has played just six minutes in one game this year for the Cavs and will be feeling the pressure to contribute.

#2, James Wiseman, Detroit Pistons

James Wiseman has been an enigma. The 22-year-old is highly athletic and gifted offensively around the rim, averaging 10.2 points a game for his NBA career.

While Wiseman is also a strong rebounder, he is a disaster on the defensive end. Wiseman is fifth on the Pistons' frontcourt depth chart and has not appeared in a game this year, creating uncertainty about his future.

#3, Killian Hayes, Detroit Pistons

Killian Hayes is the most experienced and second-highest draft pick of the five players here. Hayes is also the only one of these five NBA players who is a starter this year. He has started 117, including three this year, of his 171 career appearances and the 22-year-old point guard is slated to become a restricted free agent.

Hayes has always been known as a solid defender with quick hands. He ranked in the top 20 in the league in steal percentage last year. However, Hayes has always been a liability on the offensive end as he doesn't shoot it well, particularly from the 3-point line. Hayes is an outstanding ball-handler and good distributor, but his turnovers are also problematic.

#4, Dalen Terry, Chicago Bulls

Dalen Terry saw less than six minutes in his 39 appearances as a rookie. The 21-year-old wing, selected with the 18th overall pick, shot the ball decently at a 44.4% clip last year.

Terry is a good defender, but he struggled shooting the ball during the summer and preseason. Terry has two more years on his contract, but those are team options.

#5, Terry Taylor, Chicago Bulls

Terry Taylor, on a two-way contract in February, signed a two-year nonguaranteed deal this summer. The undersized power forward had a productive rookie season despite seeing action in 37 games. But he has not seen much action since. Taylor has not appeared in any of the Bulls games this year and is 13th on the team's depth chart.