NBA Playoffs 2011: 5 Reasons the Bulls Should Be Favored over Western Champ
Sure, the Bulls just lost embarrassingly in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, but let's just speak hypothetically for a second.
If the Bulls were to somehow beat the Heat in the playoffs, then their next opponent would either be the Dallas Mavericks or the Oklahoma City Thunder. While these two teams are great, the Miami Heat they are not in terms of pure athleticism and speed (experience is another matter entirely). Therefore, one can make the argument that the Bulls match up very well against these teams.
Taking into consideration that the Bulls have beaten the both of them, you can say that the Bulls could possibly even be the favorites going into these potential series'.
This short list will comprise the reasons why if Chicago does indeed advance, they should be the favorites to win over the Western Conference Champions.
Of course, this is all pending whether they can withstand the Big Three, but that's another story.
#5: 3-1 Record Versus Dallas and Oklahoma City
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During the regular season, the Bulls took care of business versus the Mavericks and the Thunder, amassing a 3-1 combined head to head record (the one loss was on opening day, in a double digit loss to the Thunder).
The two games against Dallas were defensive struggles, which indicates Chicago had little trouble minimizing the damage done by Dirk's minions (Dirk himself was beastly; in the initial game, he had a whopping 36 points, but he did have a much less memorable outing in the next game when he logged 19 points). Since Chicago is one of the best defensive teams in the league and has only improved since they last saw the Mavericks, there shouldn't be too much trouble.
And then there is Oklahoma City.
The first game was a convincing win where the twin headed monster (Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook) scored a combined 58 points en route to a 106-95 win. Yikes. The second game, not so much. In this game, a 99-90 score favoring the Bulls, the dynamic duo combined for 44 points on 14-36 shooting. You read that number right.
This is the weaker of all arguments, but if being a favorite is based off of past performances and current talent, then surely this record should be taken into consideration.
#4: Defense
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You've heard it before and will hear it again: defense wins championships. And if the Chicago Bulls have the best in the league, you can expect Jordan to soon be passing the proverbial torch to Derrick Rose.
The offense for both the Mavericks and the Thunder are potent enough, but rely heavily on the individual talents of key players (like most other teams, to be honest, including the Bulls). The Bulls have so many efficient defenders that they might be able to contain the damage done by Nowitzki, Durant, and Westbrook while also guarding the role players.
The Bulls held their opponents to the lowest field goal percentage of any other team in the league, which is good given Durant's propensity to shoot in volumes, and Westbrook's tendency to forget who the real leader of the team is in the clutch.
Dirk on the other hand is a bit harder to contain on the offensive end given his height, reach and completely unorthodox yet proper (?) shooting mechanics (seriously, look at his form in slow motion). However, Luol Deng should be able to control this German giant. Though, if Boozer is ever put on him, bad things might start happening.
The Bulls showed that they can handle even some of the most vaunted shooting teams, especially in the Suns and Heat. This is very promising, because neither the Mavericks or the Thunder are the best the Bulls have seen offensively.
If the Bulls advance to face either of these teams, be sure to keep in mind that their defense might just be the star of the show.
#3: Home Court Advantage
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It might not be the strongest argument, but the Bulls are simply better when they have the crowd on their side.
On the season at home, they had an astounding 36-5 record, tied for best in the league with the San Antonio Spurs. Try to convince me they don't have an advantage there.
Now Oklahoma City and Dallas both had dazzling road records, but both have faltered a bit on the road in the playoffs, with the main culprit being the Thunder (pushed to seven by the Grizzlies). How will these two teams be able to handle the crowd noise at the United Center? But to be fair, the Mavericks are on a hell of a run in the 2011 playoffs, so the road might not bother them much, especially given their experienced group of players. Also, they managed to sweep Kobe. Nuff said.
The Bulls have never lost two straight at home, a figure that might come into serious consideration should they survive the Heat wave and advance to the Finals.
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#2: Rebounding
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The Bulls are one of the best rebounding teams in the league and one of the best defenses in the league. Combining the two can have deadly results, especially in the realm of second chance opportunities.
Throughout the course of the year, the Bulls have consistently out-rebounded their opponents by large margins. When offensive boards are coming in droves, so are second chance points which often turn into dominant performances.
This is the key to the strength of the Bulls. The defense sets up the floor and stops the possession, but rebounds are the sweet payoff that makes all the extra effort worth it, especially when the hustle is turned into points.
And you guessed it, the Bulls out-rebounded the Mavericks and the Thunder by 55 over four games, an average of 13.75 rebounds. Incredible.
The Bulls' offense might be middling at times, but it can receive a serious boost if their rebounding is up to speed, and most certainly will give them an edge against either of these teams.
#1: Tom Thibodeau and Derrick Rose
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I could post these two separately, but that would undermine their relationship with one another.
Simply put, these two are in a league of their own in their respective fields. Thibodeau is the peerless defensive coordinator/head coach whom reminds people of basketball's Buddy Ryan, while Derrick Rose is heralded as the next great star.
These two alone can carry a team to victory against impossible odds.
Rose averaged 21.75 points and 7.5 assists versus the two teams combined, but keep in mind the last time he played either was back in January, before the talk about him becoming the undisputed MVP began to take hold of the nation. I imagine he will only do better versus these teams were he to face them in the Finals.
Also, Rose is a known closer, a luxury many teams do not have. With the Bulls equipped with a fourth quarter savior and their familiarity in close game situations, Derrick Rose might just prove to be the edge the Bulls need against these potential Western Conference Champions.
Thibodeau is a mastermind on the defensive end, even if it costs him points on offense. His schemes against the Thunder would be sophisticated, as he would probably find out a way to negate the effectiveness of Durant by giving Westbrook more opportunities to score. Yes, Westbrook is a gifted young athlete, but he is not the proven closer that Durant is (though he has definitely had his moments in the sun).
For Dallas' perimeter based team, Thibodeau would go to work in the rotational patterns, showing different defenders to Jason Kidd, Tyson Chandler, and Shawn Marion while keeping Luol Deng on Dirk Nowitzki. There would be many challenged shots and few free passes. It would be a dogfight.
I believe that these two alone, along with the grit of Luol Deng and the vaunted defensive unit, could prove to be just enough to warrant a "favorite" status if they are to make it to the NBA Finals.
And that is one big if.
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