NBA Playoffs 2012: Derrick Rose Must Fear Carmelo Anthony's Knicks
The Chicago Bulls exacted a bit of revenge Tuesday night over the New York Knicks with a 98-86 win in front of their home fans at the United Center.
While the Bulls won without the services of the reigning league MVP Derrick Rose last night, the Knicks have proven over the last 72 hours that they are a team that Chicago should definitely fear come playoff time.
If the current seeds hold up throughout the course of the remainder of the regular season, the No. 1 seeded Bulls will collide with the No. 8 seeded Knicks.
If that's the case, the Bulls will be faced with a challenge of dealing with perhaps the most talented No. 8 seed of all time.
While it's true that only four No. 8 seeds have ever won a series against a top seeded team (1994 Denver Nuggets, 1999 Knicks, 2007 Golden State Warriors and 2011 Memphis Grizzlies), this Knicks team wouldn't be your typical No. 8 seed.
For one, the Knicks have been hot, playing their best basketball of the season under interim head coach Mike Woodson, winning 11 of their past 15 games.
Another thing that makes the Knicks scary in the first round has been their commitment to defense. In the 15 games under Woodson, New York has allowed an average of only 88.1 points per game. Chicago likes to defend, but usually those types of teams aren't comfortable being defended against.
Finally, there's the Knicks roster.
No eight seed in history has had the depth or talent that the Knicks currently have.
Having a superstar such as Carmelo Anthony makes the Knicks a very scary team to play for any team in the first round, especially since Anthony's found his groove as of late, averaging 29.8 points per game through his last eight contests, while shooting 50 percent from the floor (85 of 170).
Melo has that ability to not only close out a game, but carry the Knicks in a series as well, which makes them very dangerous.
Add that to the fact that Amar'e Stoudemire could be back in the Knicks lineup before long and the Bulls will have their hands full.
The Bulls won three of the four regular season matchups between the teams, but three of the games were decided by five points or less.
Given Chicago's lack of energy as of late, poor free-throw shooting and Rose's injury problems, the Knicks pose a potential scary first-round matchup for the Bulls.
If the seeds hold true, the Bulls will be in for a heavyweight fight in a potential seven-game series. It won't be easy, as this Knicks team will be capable of beating anyone in an opening round series.
