Bulls-Heat Is A Teaser For The Eastern Conference Finals
At 2:30 Central Standard time, NBA fans will be treated to a preview of the Eastern Conference Finals. In my mind, there is no doubt that the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat are the two best teams in the East. They played to a 4-4 draw last year, although Miami’s four wins came in the ECF. It’s a little bit more important to win there than in the regular season.
However, Sunday’s contest will shape out to be a teaser of the final product. The Bulls are the walking wounded right now. Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson are all playing hurt. Luol Deng and Rip Hamilton might not even play. Those are five of the key players for Chicago and they’ve all missed time in the recent weeks.
I compare this game to the first two rounds of a prize fight. Both teams are slightly different than they were last year. The Bulls offense has taken on a new dimension with the addition of Hamilton. Miami has added more depth and is getting great starts from Chris Bosh and Mario Chalmers. These two teams are going to use this game as a way to feel each other out. It’s an almost certainty that neither team will look the same in May and June as they do in January.
Each time these teams played last year it was an all-out war. Everyone remembers the Miami players crying in the locker room after Chicago completed the regular season sweep last year. They want to dispel the notion that Chicago can win in Miami. Look for Miami to try start fast and keep a wounded Bulls team on its heels.
It’s a battle of opposites. Team basketball vs. a super team. The humble superstar vs. the Miami Welcome Party. Post play vs. awe inspiring fast breaks. No matter the result on Sunday, the game will be a perfect appetizer for the war these teams will have in the playoffs.
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