Five Signs Nobody Can Run with the Chicago Bulls This Postseason

Even without their star Derrick Rose, the Bulls have continued to thrive and have the best record in the NBA at 42-13.

Monday against the Houston Rockets, the team received a boost in morale when Rip Hamilton returned to the lineup after missing several games due to injury. Although the team didn't pick up the win, it was great to see a key player return to the lineup.

This addition is huge for the Bulls, allowing them to bring both Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer off the bench.

Last season Chicago didn’t have enough fire power to reach their ultimate goal, an NBA Championship, but this season due to the emergence of John Lucas III and solid play from CJ Watson, the Bulls are undoubtedly improved.

In other good news for the Windy City, according to ESPN, star guard D-Rose said that although he is not 100 percent, he feels that he will be back in a few weeks. This should be in plenty of time to get back in to the swing of things before the playoff push.

With Rip and Rose returning to form before the postseason, Bulls fans are hoping that the team will be at its strongest all season.

All in all, the 2011-12 season has been great for the Bulls, and although they have dropped the last two games, they still possess the best record the NBA. 

Lets take a look at why no one can touch Chicago this postseason.

Rip Hamilton Adds Much Needed Offense

As I have stated several times in previous articles, Rip Hamilton is exactly what the Bulls needed to add to the roster following last season.

What I didn't predict was that the veteran wouldn't be able to go for over half of Chicago's games this season. Whether it was the lockout-shortened season condensing several games into short periods of time or just father time running its course, Hamilton has been injured much of the year.

Now, the former Detroit Piston has said he is healthy, and if that is true that is great news for Bulls fans.

In Hamilton’s first game back in action he logged 20 minutes and was very productive in the first quarter; however, it was obvious he was a bit rusty.

As he gets acclimated to playing again, his numbers and production will see a big jump, and that bodes well for the squad moving forward.

Rip adds another scoring weapon to an already lethal team, and I'm sure Bulls fans are very excited at the potential of a healthy D-Rose and Hamilton moving forward.

Chicago's Elite Front Line

They may not possess one big man who excels at all facets of the game; however, each Chicago big man is excellent at at least one thing:

Noah has heart, determination, hustle and the will to win.

Taj Gibson is Mr. Intangibles, and he has developed into a decent scorer, an excellent shot blocker and a dominant re-bounder.

Omer Asik is a bit up and down at times, but he adds six fouls off the bench, can both block and alter shots, and is a solid re-bounder as well.

Carlos Boozer is a force on the offensive end and can flat out crash the boards. What I like most about this unit is their selfishness. There is rarely a moment when one of the four is angry about not playing, and they are legitimately happy to win.

These four will present matchup problems for any team they meet in the playoffs. As my father used to say, you can't teach seven feet, and the Bulls have two guys right around that height.

Plus add the fact that both Gibson and Booz plays bigger than their listed height of 6-9, especially Gibson.

In all, these four make up arguably the deepest frontcourt in the NBA, and part of the reason the team didn't make a move for a free agent is because the management didn't want to break this group up.

What is even more important moving forward is that the Bulls have with out a doubt the best front line in the East. The Miami Heat will likely be their toughest opponent, and they simply do not have the talent at the four and five position like Chicago. 

What will be fun to watch is how the Bulls defend Chris Bosh this season. The talented four-man dominated Chicago last year, and in my opinion he was one of the biggest reasons Miami moved on. 

I'm willing to bet Thibodeau has been preaching this all season, and the Bulls will be that much more motivated this time around.

Chicago Is Knocking Down Three's

John Lucas III is easily one of my favorite players on the roster this season, and this veteran has stepped up to the plate when called upon.

Before the season, if you told me that D-Rose would miss 20 games in an already shortened season and Lucas would be filling in for him, I'd say that would be a recipe for disaster.

Instead, Lucas III has seemingly come out of nowhere averaging seven points per game and has shown he can get hot from the floor at any time. Lucas is your poor man's version of Ben Gordon, without the attitude.

Add Kyle Korver and CJ Watson with Luol Deng and now the Bulls have four legitimate three point shooters who can stretch the defense. 

Each of these players are right around the 40 percent range from three, and that's all you can ask for.

When Rose returns to the lineup, he will have plenty of options to kick the ball to when the defense collapses. This will open up things for the reigning MVP and make life much easier for his teammates as well.

When Chicago is hitting threes they are damn near impossible to beat; I don't care what team they are playing.

Luol Deng Is Having a Breakout Year

Luol Deng is flat out doing his thing this year on the court. He made his first all-star team and has averaged just under 16 points on the season.

What I like most about the former Duke Blue Devil is his toughness. Early on in the season, Deng had a nasty wrist injury that many thought would require surgery. Instead of opting for surgery and missing significant time, the swing-man opted to play through it, and he has played extremely well.

Aside from Rose, Deng is hands down Chicago's most important player.

With Deng it's more than just his offense—Deng can D up with the best of them, and when the matchup with the Heat arrives, he will be the one asked to slow down Lebron James.

Tom Thibodeau Can Flat out Coach

Thibodeau is proving yet again that he is the best coach in the NBA. No one was happier than I was when the Bulls fired Vinny Del Negro (sorry Clippers) and hired the longtime assistant from the Boston Celtics.

What Thibs has done this year is amazing. With a team who has had to play significant minutes with injuries, the Bulls keep winning.

I can remember praying for the Bulls to hire Mike D'Antoni when they were looking for a new coach. Just ask the Knicks how that worked out for them.

Instead the management opted for Thibodeau, and the result has payed immediate dividends. He was credited by several players from the Boston Celtics as being a big reason for their success. Once Thibodeau left bean town, the Celtics haven't been any where near as dangerous. 

The Chicago management better make Thibodeau the highest paid coach in the NBA very soon because there isn't a doubt in my mind that he is worth it.

When it comes to X's and O's there is nobody who does it better, and with him on the sidelines, I like the Bulls chances against anybody.