Chicago Bulls: Fans Should Be Excited for Bulls, but Don't Forget LeBron James
Before fans of the Chicago Bulls start making plans for the 2011 NBA Finals, they would benefit by heeding the precedent set by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers the past two seasons.
As everyone remembers, James led the Cavaliers to consecutive 60-win regular seasons, only to see his efforts go unrewarded under the lights and pressure of the NBA playoffs as his team failed to reach the NBA Finals.
There are a few parallels between James's Cavaliers teams and this season's Bulls team, and the main similarity is in the players who lead them.
Point guard Derrick Rose is the odds on choice to capture the 2011 MVP award, and he is seen as the major reason for the Bulls' revival, just like James is the two-time reigning MVP now.
Rose is a dynamic talent in the same vein as James, and there is even an argument to be made that James' supporting cast in Cleveland was deeper, if not better than Chicago's is this year.
James' teammates were much maligned, but in truth, the Cavaliers had size, athleticism, talent and a nice blend of youth and experience.
Shaquille O'Neal, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Anderson Varejao and J.J. Hickson gave Cleveland a big athletic front line, and the Cavaliers thrived in coach Mike Brown's defensive schemes.
Chicago's front line is not as big or deep as James's Cleveland teams, but Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer are certainly more productive on a consistent basis than James's teammates were.
The Bulls are also not as dependent on Rose as the Cavaliers were with James when it came to scoring, as Boozer and forward Luol Deng are both reliable second options.
Chicago also benefits from the tutelage of coach Tom Thibodeau, who seems to have a better grasp of his team in one season than Brown established during his entire tenure.
But the true test for the Bulls will not come until the playoffs, and even though the Bulls have been very impressive in the regular season, the truth is always revealed in the postseason.
James' Cleveland teams were able to defeat any opponent in a one-game affair, but in a seven-game series, his weaknesses, as well as his team's, were revealed.
Experience or the lack thereof, could also be a factor for Chicago, because it has been some time since the Bulls have advanced past the second round of the playoffs, and the competition will be even tougher than it was for James's teams.
James' decision to join Dwyane Wade created another eastern powerhouse in Miami, to go along with last year's east finalists Boston and Orlando.
Earning the No. 1 seed would mean that Chicago would not have to face both Miami and Boston until the final, but would a weak first-round opponent prepare it for a seasoned Orlando team in the second round?
Chicago will get the chance to answer those questions and more as the postseason quickly approaches, but it may do them well to take a moment to re-visit the LeBron James and Cleveland Cavaliers experience.
