NBA Playoffs 2011: Carlos Boozer, Not Derrick Rose, Bulls' Key to Beating Heat

It is a fact the NBA MVP is not the most important player to his team's success.

While we know how great Derrick Rose has been, Carlos Boozer is the true key for the Chicago Bulls' success against the Miami Heat.

In the summer, the Bulls signed Boozer to be Rose's sidekick, but inconsistency and injuries have prevented him from being the second-best player on a title contender. Nevertheless, the Bulls have used their depth to earn the best record in the league and they have grinded out two hard-earned playoff series wins.

Now that the Bulls are further than they have ever been without Michael Jordan, how do they keep advancing and win their first title in over a dozen years?

In short—Carlos Boozer.

If the Bulls attempt to outplay the Heat on the perimeter, they are going to lose.

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are two of the most talented players of the last 15 years, and the Bulls do not have that type of skill. If the Bulls allow the pace of the game to speed up, they are going to be run into the ground.

While Rose has been tremendous, he has no way to stop both James and Wade, which is why the Bulls need to outplay the Heats' frontline.

At center, Joakim Noah should outplay any player the Heat put out there. He defends, finishes and works harder than anyone. Joel Anthony and Zydrunas Ilgauskas can't answer that.

Consequently, the power forward battle will be the key in this series.

Both Chris Bosh and Boozer have taken a lot of heat this year. Now, each of them could re-write their season with a stellar playoff performance.

If Boozer delivers that performance, the Bulls will conquer the Heat and advance to the Finals. If not, Chicago will have to continue wondering if they will ever win a title without MJ.

The second reason Boozer will be the difference maker is the consistency of Rose.

You can count on the MVP.

As a result, the Bulls need someone to surprise the Heat. No matter how they try to stop him, the Heat can only hope to contain Rose. If Boozer gets his offense going, he can take a lot of pressure off Rose, and he can even win the Bulls a game or two on his own.

Fact is, the Bulls need a second scoring option. Boozer is the best candidate because no one else on their roster is reliable enough to count on.

Their jump shooters are too inconsistent to rely on. While Keith Bogans, Luol Deng and Kyle Korver can change a game when they're hot, their inconsistent shooting could do more harm than good.

Omer Asik and Taj Gibson come in to defend, not to score.

As much as he hustles, Noah can't put the ball in the basket without some serious help.

Consequently, Boozer needs to play well in the low post and finish plays in pick and roll situations. If Boozer emerges as a consistent second option, the Bulls will finally have a Robin to Rose's Batman.

The Chicago Bulls are a team looking to break through.

Before the year, many expected this season to be a learning process with the Bulls contending next year.

Tom Thibodeau has energized this young squad, and they have bought into his defensive mentality. As a result, the Bulls are serious contenders for the title earlier than anyone thought.

Rose is the MVP.

Boozer, however, needs to be the X-factor in the Eastern Conference Finals.

If he can outplay Bosh, support Rose scoring-wise and emerge as a consistent second option, Boozer will propel the Bulls into the NBA Finals