3 Reasons Why the Chicago Bulls Will Be a Dangerous Playoff Team
I would like to offer a word of advice to all the teams in the Eastern Conference: The Chicago Bulls will be a dangerous playoff team.
It sounds crazy on the surface, but I will explain my reason for that statement momentarily.
The Bulls are 43-35 with only four games remaining in the regular season. This is an accomplishment in itself when you consider the injuries to so many key players on this team.
Derrick Rose has yet to play a game this season after tearing his ACL in late April of last year. Rip Hamilton has endured another injury-plagued year and has missed 31 games. Joakim Noah is battling a plantar fasciitis injury and has been sidelined for 11 games. Not to mention, Taj Gibson has also been out of action for 12 games due to an MCL injury.
Based on the above information, it would be easy to think that Chicago’s trip to the postseason will be a short one, right?
Not so fast.
While injuries have certainly plagued the Bulls this year, there are a few factors that will work in their favor. Let’s take a quick look.
Defense
The Bulls’ offensive struggles during the course of the season have been well documented and their 93.1 points per game indicates that they have a difficult time scoring.
The positive is that Chicago does an excellent job on the defensive end, allowing just 92.8 points per game, which ranks third in the league.
Defense will be critical in the playoffs because points are not easy to come by and teams will have to rely on scoring in the half court more so than in transition.
If the Bulls continue to play well defensively in the playoffs, it is certain that they will have enough in the tank to at least get past the first round.
Conference Record
The Bulls have a tendency to play up or down to the level of competition. This was illustrated in the five losses to teams with losing records prior to their game against the New York Knicks on April 11.
At the same token, Chicago has also shown the ability to play well against some of the better teams in the conference.
For example, the Bulls are a perfect 4-0 against the Knicks, who currently hold the No. 2 spot and 2-1 against the Miami Heat, who have clinched home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.
In addition to that, Chicago currently has a 32-16 record against Eastern Conference teams, which proves they are capable of beating any opponent on a given night.
Determination
The Bulls were not projected to be a playoff team without Rose in the lineup. Despite the naysayers, the Bulls have continued to find ways to win games they probably should have lost.
Two weeks ago, the Heat came into Chicago having won 27 consecutive games.
Undaunted by the Heat’s dominance, the Bulls managed to squeak out a 101-97 victory, effectively closing the door on the second-longest winning streak in league history.
In their most recent outing against the Knicks, the Bulls were down by 15 points (79-64) in the third quarter, but managed to win the game in overtime 118-111, snapping the Knicks’ 13-game winning streak.
While the talent level is certainly lacking right now, this team never stops fighting and they always believe they can win any game.
That said, their attitude and heart—along with the return of Noah and Gibson—are just a few reasons why the Bulls will definitely make some noise during the postseason.
