NBA: The Pros and Cons of the Chicago Bulls Beating the Philadelphia 76ers

In 2008, the Chicago Bulls' GM John Paxson hired former point guard Vinnie Del Negro, most notably recognized for his tenure in San Antonio from 1992-1998, as the Bulls' head coach. Although Del Negro never had a previous head coach position, Paxson felt that he was the man for the job to replace Scott Skiles.

Unfortunately, he led the Bulls to two mediocre seasons and first round losses. As a result, he was fired and replaced by Boston Celtics assistant Tom Thibodeau. This acquisition, along with the 2008 drafting of former Memphis point guard Derrick Rose, was what the Chicago Bulls needed to recreate its dynasty formed in the 1990s.

For two straight years, the Bulls have succeeded in becoming the best team in the Central Division, Eastern Conference, and the entire league in terms of their overall record in the regular season (this season, they were tied with the San Antonio Spurs).

With a disheartening playoff loss to the Miami Heat last year, the Bulls were destined for redemption against the Heat, hoping to bulldoze through all other opponents to reach the already storied rivalry. The Philadelphia 76ers were the first potential victims on the list.

By showing the Heat a sign of their dominance and anticipation to play them, the Bulls made most of Game 1 against Philadelphia look like a breeze.

Then, tragedy struck, and the unthinkable happened.

Injury-prone Derrick Rose—with just over one minute left in the game—injured his knee. Eventually, it was determined to be a torn ACL, which would put him on the sidelines for the rest of the playoffs. This quickly derailed the momentum of the Bulls and propelled the 76ers to a 3-2 lead in the series.

Although the Bulls still have a fair chance to win the series, there are some pros and cons to advancing and potentially facing the Miami Heat.

Pros

The Chicago Bulls were 18-9 this season without Derrick Rose. Players such as Jon Lucas and C.J. Watson made it a personal challenge to step up during Rose's absence and still lead the Bulls to the best record in the league. They have what it takes to beat the Miami Heat without Rose, as they achieved this challenging feat during the regular season. 

Cons

The Bulls just aren't the same without Derrick Rose. Although they stepped up as a unit during the regular season, playoff competition is an entirely different playing field. No one has really decided to take the baton and run with it, and as a result they are trailing the 76ers in the series. Even if the Bulls win the series, they may not get past the fiery Boston Celtics (assuming they will beat the Atlanta Hawks) in Round 2.

So the questions remain—even if the Bulls win two straight to win the current series and advance to a match-up versus Boston (pending victory), how would they manage without Rose if they are looking the way they are now? And with Miami virtually steamrolling through the Knicks and potentially winning the series versus the Pacers, would the Bulls really want to face the Heat without Rose?

Ultimately, we shall see how everything pans out.

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