Below are the report cards of the Central Division teams halfway through the 2002-03 NBA regular season.

ATLANTA HAWKS
	Comment	Grade
Ric Bucher	Changed the roster. Changed coaches. Record, no change. Time to change cities?	F
Fred Carter	It's a talented team that can score and has big players and everything else it takes to win. The Hawks should be good, but I don't understand why they are not winning.	D
Dr. Jack Ramsay	They acquired Big Dog, got Theo Ratliff back, guaranteed a trip to the playoffs, fired Lon Kruger ... and it still isn't happening for the Hawks.	F
Marc Stein	The Hawks still can't win on the road, still turn the ball over way too often and still can't draw a trace of a crowd despite trotting out Glenn Robinson, Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Jason Terry.	D
Bill Walton	The ultimate example that guarantees aren't what they used to be. Where have you gone, Dominique Wilkins?	F
	Grade Point Average: 0.4	F

CHICAGO BULLS
	Comment	Grade
Ric Bucher	They're a classic young team -- good at home, horrendous on the road -- and they're talented enough to be in the playoff hunt. But they're not.	D
Fred Carter	They're still a team in transition. They could have been better by now, but the Elton Brand trade didn't help at all.	C-
Dr. Jack Ramsay	The Baby Bulls are still grazing, there's controversy at point guard and there are chemistry problems with Jalen Rose. Mr. Jerry (Krause) is making it tough for Mr. Bill (Cartwright), too.	C-
Marc Stein	Charles Oakley hasn't been there for months, but can anyone tell? Bickering continues ad naseum in Cartwright's locker room, where a veteran is needed to help hush things.	D
Bill Walton	The Jerry Krause rebuilding plan -- Year 5 -- has yielded yet another rebuilding plan for next season. Is this planned job security?	D-
	Grade Point Average: 1.2	D

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
	Comment	Grade
Ric Bucher	If their purpose is to land LeBron James, they're at the head of the class. Points are subtracted for being a tanking team so haywire it has to bring in a new coach to finish the season.	D
Fred Carter	Firing John Lucas was the right move because there is too much talent to be this bad. But there is a lot of promise for the future.	D
Dr. Jack Ramsay	They have good, young talent in Ricky Davis, Dajuan Wagner, Carlos Boozer and Darius Miles -- plus a healthy Zydrunas Ilgauskas -- but that cost Lucas his job.	F
Marc Stein	Gordon Gund says he is "distressed" by Cavs' plight. Fact is, the owner is as responsible as anyone, since almost every Cleveland move is influenced by the bottom line.	D-
Bill Walton	They can't wait to see if LeBron can navigate his Hummer the 23 miles through the wilderness from Akron.	C
	Grade Point Average: 0.9	D-

DETROIT PISTONS
	Comment	Grade
Ric Bucher	They're the basketball version of the Tennessee Titans -- no big names but a great coach and a lot of guys willing to listen.	A
Fred Carter	Rick Carlisle is doing it again. There are no superstars or truly great players, but they are playing together every night and getting wins.	A
Dr. Jack Ramsay	They have a good D but have trouble scoring. Still, they own the third-best record in the East.	A
Marc Stein	The Pistons have won on the road. They've won against the West. Maybe that 8-0 preseason actually did mean something.	B+
Bill Walton	The Pistons must improve their team rebounding and find a more efficient, free-flowing offense if they are going to advance deep into the playoffs.	B+
	Grade Point Average: 3.7	A-

INDIANA PACERS
	Comment	Grade
Ric Bucher	Ron Artest is the science prodigy who occasionally torches the back of the room in the process.	A
Fred Carter	Isiah Thomas is doing a great job blending the talent on this team, and they are playing well offensively and defensively. He is my Coach of the Year.	A
Dr. Jack Ramsay	Jermaine O'Neal is becoming a complete player, Al Harrington has stepped up and Reggie Miller sets the example.	A
Marc Stein	Nothing wrong with Pacers' future. Indy has size, depth and burgeoning confidence now that this team has distanced itself from the Indy .500 rut of the past two seasons.	A-
Bill Walton	They're deep, young, athletic, and hopefully still hungry. Is the gamble on Gary Payton worth the risk of blowing it all?	A-
	Grade Point Average: 3.9	A-

MILWAUKEE BUCKS
	Comment	Grade
Ric Bucher	They have too many veterans to blow as many big leads as they have. There has also been too much sniping between coach George Karl and Ray Allen.	D
Fred Carter	Bad decisions, bad trades, bad defense. They're simply underachieving.	D
Dr. Jack Ramsay	The Bucks have stopped here and there. They can score with Allen and Sam Cassell but can't defend or rebound.	D
Marc Stein	To get into the tournament this spring, Milwaukee is riding its two bullpen lefties: Sixth Man Award contender Michael Redd and Toni Kukoc, who Furious George regards as team MVP.	C+
Bill Walton	The saddest of all stories. Karl, in all his glory with his $7 million dollar salary, is once again leading the Bucks to another playoff no-show.	D
	Grade Point Average: 1.3	D+

NEW ORLEANS HORNETS
	Comment	Grade
Ric Bucher	They were my pick to come out of the East, but having seen them up close, I'm not sold on their chemistry. They have all the parts but no glue, especially when Baron Davis' back is acting up.	C-
Fred Carter	Surprisingly, they're underachieving. They can score but are weak on the defensive end of the floor.	C+
Dr. Jack Ramsay	They've been plagued by injuries again, but magnetic Jamal Masburn pulls the team together.	B
Marc Stein	Bourbon Street treated them well for a while, but the party's over. The Hornets have to be serious now, with Davis' back a constant concern and the empty seats hard to miss on TV.	C+
Bill Walton	Mashburn has played at an All-Star level, while Paul Silas looks to solidify his future by guiding his team to a strong second half (and playoff showing).	C+
	Grade Point Average: 2.3	C+

TORONTO RAPTORS
	Comment	Grade
Ric Bucher	No team has been more injury-riddled and it's still too early to dismiss Vince Carter's chance of regaining star status. That said, they're not playing with the urgency of a team trying to hold ground until they get healthy.	F
Fred Carter	Everyone else seems to be hurt or heading for the exits. It's an unfortunate situation for a great coach like Lenny Wilkens.	D
Dr. Jack Ramsay	With no big-man presence, the Raptors are mired in muck and not likely to get out. They already appear to be playing out the string.	D-
Marc Stein	If you've been to Toronto, one of the most beautiful cities on the NBA map, you pray for the Raps' recovery. Yet you wonder, after the Vancouver failure, how much Canada can take.	D
Bill Walton	It's been a nightmare first half for Wilkens, who is powerless as his best player sits with a bad leg. The ghosts of T-Mac and Keon Clark continue to haunt this once-proud team.	Incl.
	Grade Point Average: 0.7	D-