2011 NBA Playoffs: The Spurs Were Exposed as Pretenders, Is Chicago Next?

Friday night the San Antonio Spurs became only the second team to lose as a one seed in the NBA Playoffs since the league expanded the first round to seven games as they lost in Game Six to the Memphis Grizzlies 99-91.

The Spurs join the Dallas Mavericks as the only teams with that dubious distinction, but San Antonio's collapse is magnified when you consider they were only one of two teams in the regular season to finish with 60-plus wins.

Can anyone say pretenders?

The Chicago Bulls were the other team who managed to win more than 60 games in the regular season, and the Bulls dispatched of their first round opponent the Indiana Pacers in relatively easy fashion.

The Bulls struggled at times but they were still able to defeat the pesky Pacers in five games, but their next opponent should provide a better measuring stick as to how good the Bulls really are.

It's hard for me to consider the Pacers a true playoff team since they failed to even finish .500 in the regular season, and were basically awarded the eighth seed because their was no one else in the east to give it to.

The Grizzlies on the other hand won 46 games in the regular season and still struggled to capture the eighth seed in the west and even though many people thought they would challenge the Spurs, few people predicted an upset.

The Atlanta Hawks should present the same type of challenge to the Bulls that the Grizzlies did to the Spurs, but can Chicago pass the test?

On paper the Hawks are just as talented as Chicago and the only glaring disadvantage Atlanta really has is at the point guard position.

Joe Johnson is a better player than any shooting guard on Chicago's roster, and Al Horford can more than hold his own against Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer in the paint.

Forward Josh Smith is versatile enough to be a matchup nightmare, and his ability to play on the perimeter could force either Noah or Boozer to spend more time than they would prefer playing away from the basket.

Top reserve Jamal Crawford remains one of the NBA's highest scoring sixth men, and his instant offense is just as impressive, if not more than his Bulls counter-part Kyle Korver.

Given the overall talent and athletic ability that courses through Atlanta's roster you would think there is a good chance that the Hawks could pull a huge second round upset, but there is a reason they lost their regular season series to the Bulls.

Bulls point guard Derrick Rose may be Chicago's only glaring advantage but he sure is a big one, and the uncertainty over Hawks guard Kirk Hinrich's hamstring only makes the problem worse.

The Hawks can be a very good defensive team at times, but they also have a reputation for playing long spurts of undisciplined basketball and against the Bulls that lack of focus will hurt you.

Rose is as cool as they come and it's highly unlikely that even a healthy Hinrich could be expected to rattle him much, but it's doubtful that the Hawks even have a player who can contain him.

And the Bulls under coach Tom Thibodeau have the ability to apply just as much defensive pressure as Atlanta, and they are much more disciplined and consistent in their efforts.

The Hawks can easily be frustrated by strong pressure defense, and they are not known for making the best decisions when under duress.

Smith sometimes has a tendency to launch ill-advised shots from the perimeter, and Johnson often over-dribbles and relies heavily on his one on one ability, which leads to contested shots when he has better options in his teammates.

Even with those flaws Atlanta still has the talent to upset the Bulls but will they concentrate on the things they need to do to make it happen, such as a concerted effort to feed Horford in the paint, and playing strong, consistent defense?

The Hawks have the ability to win but the Bulls are likely to well-coached, too disciplined and they also have the benefit of the league's eventual MVP and the most dominant offensive talent in the series in Rose.

I'm not completley sold on Chicago as a Finals' team but I doubt Atlanta will be able to find the fortitude to win four games against the Bulls in the east semifinals.

Chicago will likely prove to the world they are a legitimate title threat once they dispose of Atlanta, and regardless of what happens in the East Finals it would be hard to consider them pretenders if they reach that point.