The NBA season is just over one third of the way complete, and we've got a lot of close divisional races.

The Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers are battling it out for the division lead. These two teams have a bit of a rivalry with one another. Back in 1989, Michael Jordan hit "the shot" over Craig Ehlo in a Game 5 series-winning play. Since 2010, the Bulls have faced (and lost to) LeBron James in the NBA playoffs three times.

Currently, the Bulls lead the division with 21 wins and just nine losses. Head coach Tom Thibodeau has been doing a fantastic job this season, considering Derrick Rose has been facing a lot of injuries. With nine wins in their last 10 games, Chicago has been the hottest team in the NBA over the last two weeks.

The Bulls have a balanced squad that ranks seventh in offense in 10th in defense so far. The addition of power forward Pau Gasol has proven to be a wise one, as he leads Chicago in rebounds, blocks, free throw attempts and 2-point shots made. The 34-year-old out of Barcelona, Spain, is also averaging 17.8 points per game.

Taj Gibson (shown above) has been playing great for the Bulls. Gibson has been an all-around balanced player for the Bulls this season scoring 12.2 points per game, grabbing 7.3 rebounds per game and making more than 70 percent of his free throws. Rose has only played in 20 games this season, but he has distributed the ball well when on the court.

The Bulls have made the playoffs the last six consecutive seasons.

It's a weak Eastern Conference, but the Cavaliers presently sit in fifth place overall. Cleveland has split their last 10 games, going just 5-5 in that span. Many NBA fans believe head coach David Blatt is not on the same page with players.

Anderson Varejao recently tore his ACL, and he is expected to miss the remainder of the season. With Varejao out, the Cavaliers may have to make a trade before the NBA trade deadline to fill that void.

The Cavaliers offense has been good, but not very efficient. Four-time NBA MVP LeBron James leads the team in points scored (25.2), but Kyrie Irving appears to be playing more of a shooting guard role rather than that of a point guard. James is frequently taking the ball up the court on numerous possessions as the ball handler. James leads the Cavaliers in assists per game with 7.6, while Irving is averaging just 5.3. The Cavaliers will need a more balanced attack if they want to win come playoff time.

On the positive side, Kevin Love is adjusting to the Cavaliers system, and Tristan Thompson is playing very well this season leading the team in blocks. James has made it to the last four consecutive NBA Finals.

The Cavaliers defeated the Bulls in their first meeting, 114-108 in overtime. These two teams will play each other three more times this season.

The 15-16 Milwaukee Bucks may have a poor record, but they're still very much in the playoff race. Despite having a losing record, the Bucks are currently in sixth place in the East, just ahead of the Miami Heat and the Brooklyn Nets. Without Paul George, the Indiana Pacers have struggled winning just 11 games this season. At the bottom of the division is the Detroit Pistons at just 7-23. The Pistons did pick up an impressive 103-80 victory over the Cavaliers in their last game.

The Bulls and Cavaliers are clearly the two best teams in the Central division. With about 50 games left to play, each and every game will be more and more critical, especially the three head-to-head games between the two teams.

Central Standings (as of Dec. 29)

1. Chicago Bulls: 21-9
2. Cleveland Cavaliers: 18-12
3. Milwaukee Bucks: 15-16
4. Indiana Pacers: 11-20
5. Detroit Pistons: 7-23

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