By Mike McGraw

The Sports Xchange/CBSSports.com

For the last four seasons, the Detroit Pistons have held a crushing grip on the Central Division, but president of basketball operations Joe Dumars wanted more.

So after the Pistons lost in the Eastern Conference finals for the third straight year, Dumars didn't hold back. He fired coach Flip Saunders and vowed to make a significant trade during the summer.

"Good has not been good enough," Dumars said at the time. "I'm open for business."

Four months passed, the Pistons reported for training camp and everyone was still waiting for the shakeup. Unless signing underperforming big man Kwame Brown as a free agent counts as a significant move, Dumars didn't follow through on his threat. The same old Pistons are back to defend their run of division titles.

"We talked to teams this summer, but nothing was presented to me that would make us better than we already are," Dumars said before camp began. "This can be one of the elite teams in the league that contends for a championship."

While the same group of players will defend the court in Auburn Hills, Mich., the Central Division as a whole features three new head coaches, five point guards seeking a fresh start and several teams that aren't sure which direction they're headed.

DETROIT

The biggest difference in the Pistons this season can be found on the bench. Michael Curry moved into the head job following one season as an assistant to Saunders. Part of Curry's plan is to use a more sophisticated offense that will employ a variety of ballhandlers.

He also expects to start Amir Johnson, 21, at power forward, continuing a low-speed youth movement that featured the inclusion of guard Rodney Stuckey and forward Jason Maxiell into the rotation last year.

Detroit made a nice jump from 53 wins in 2006-07 to 59 last season. Curry might be hard-pressed to maintain that success with Rasheed Wallace (34), Antonio McDyess (34) and Chauncey Billups (32) getting up in age. Clearly, though, the playoffs are what matter most to Dumars.

CLEVELAND

Meet Mo Williams, the perfect complement for LeBron James. He arrived this summer in a trade with Milwaukee.

Forget for the moment about all the maligned members of Cleveland's supporting cast. Larry Hughes was dubbed a mistake, Damon Jones couldn't get the attention he craved, Drew Gooden was sent packing, Donyell Marshall couldn't shoot straight, Flip Murray was gone in a flash and Wally Szczerbiak is still getting comfortable.

Perhaps Williams is finally the answer. He didn't have much team success in Milwaukee, but it's easy to see why Williams caught the Cavs' attention. He averaged 26 points and nine assists against Cleveland last season.

Until the Cavaliers find someone who plays well next to James, though, the possibility exists that no one will stand out when the offensive plan is often to stand around and watch James work his magic.

Among the preseason subplots was center Ben Wallace suffering from back spasms. Wallace usually tries to play through injuries, and his declining production might be an indication that his body is breaking down. Guard Delonte West left the team for nearly two weeks to receive treatment for a mood disorder, then came back ready to compete.

The bottom line here is simple: As long as James is healthy, the Cavs have a chance to reach the NBA Finals.

INDIANA

If coach Jim O'Brien was able to turn the Pacers into the league's seventh-highest scoring team without a consistent starter at point guard, imagine what might happen now that Indiana acquired T.J. Ford from Toronto and Jarrett Jack from Portland.

The Pacers figure to run the floor frequently and perhaps launch even more 3-point shots than last season's 24.7 per game.

Jermaine O'Neal was traded to Toronto after eight seasons in Indiana. But he spent so much time sidelined with injuries the last four years, the Pacers might not notice he's gone. Forward Danny Granger, one of this decade's best draft bargains, has become the Pacers' go-to player.

While injuries to Mike Dunleavy (tendinitis in right knee) and Troy Murphy (sore left Achilles) hampered the preseason effort, rookies Roy Hibbert and Brandon Rush played well.

The Pacers missed the playoffs by just one game last season and are hoping the new options at point guard will pay off.

CHICAGO

Deep disappointment from last season's 33-49 record was tempered by the Bulls' upset victory in the draft lottery. By beating 1.7 percent odds to land the top pick, Chicago was able to add hometown hero Derrick Rose, the former Memphis point guard.

About a week before the lottery, the Bulls tried to hire Phoenix Suns run-and-gun specialist Mike D'Antoni to be their head coach. But he chose the Knicks instead, prompting Bulls management to think outside the box and tab first-time coach Vinny Del Negro as the team's new boss.

That's not first-time head coach Vinny Del Negro, but first-time coach. Since ending a 12-year playing career, Del Negro worked as a broadcaster in San Antonio and a scout for Phoenix. No coaching was on his resume. Naturally, Chicago sought an experienced staff and hired two ex-head coaches, Del Harris and Bernie Bickerstaff, to be his assistants.

Now Del Negro's task is to mold the Bulls into an up-tempo team that can take full advantage of Rose's breathtaking athletic skills. Otherwise, the roster is unchanged. The Bulls still have too many guards and are young up front. But if guys like Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon can bounce back from last season's debacle, a playoff run is feasible.

MILWAUKEE

An argument could be made that the two best moves in the Central Division last summer were made by Milwaukee. For a new head coach, the Bucks turned to Scott Skiles, who worked a borderline miracle in Chicago by turning a perpetual rebuilding project into a three-year playoff qualifier.

Then new general manager John Hammond traded for a serious veteran star, landing small forward Richard Jefferson from New Jersey. In return, the Bucks gave back forward Yi Jianlian, who didn't seem thrilled to be in Milwaukee, anyway.

That creates an interesting three-pronged attack featuring Jefferson, shooting guard Michael Redd and center Andrew Bogut. If Skiles can ease Redd out of the leading scorer's role and convince the Bucks to play some defense, improvement could come quickly.

Hammond also traded point guard Mo Williams to Cleveland. There was little question that the scoring-minded Williams was a poor fit next to Redd. Now the Bucks are hoping Luke Ridnour, Tyronn Lue or Ramon Sessions can become an adequate replacement.