Chicago Bulls: 4 Possible Outcomes for Bulls' 2011-12 NBA Season

As the days go by, it is looking less and less likely that there will be a 2011-2012 NBA season. With that said, what is the loyal NBA fan to do?

All we can do is guess how successful our favorite teams will be until the owners and players come to a deal and the NBA season commences—if it does.

The Chicago Bulls overachieved last year because of a great coaching strategy, electrifying play from MVP Derrick Rose and an amazing defensive effort. Considering the success the team had last year, what can Bulls fans expect if the season begins?

Will they finish first in the Eastern Conference again, or will they drop in the standings? Will they make it to the finals—or even win an NBA championship?

Well, here are four possible outcomes for the Chicago Bulls' 2011-2012 season.

Same Results as Last Season

Last year, the Bulls recorded a record of 62-20, finished No.1 in the Eastern Conference and reached the conference finals. A great season and amazing playoff run, overall—only 10 games off the record-setting 72-10 Chicago Bulls from the 1995-1996 season.

Would it be the worst thing in the world if this happened again?

The Bulls have all the ingredients to be the No.1 team in the East—an All-Star and MVP and one of the best defenses in the entire NBA. But it might be difficult to reach last season's numbers.

Without another scoring option, Derrick Rose will see double-team after double-team. As good as Rose is, one man can only do so much—as seen in last season's Eastern Conference finals.

Sure, the Bulls could remain No.1 in the East—and probably achieve the NBA's best record—but in the playoffs, teams play against each other five, six or seven times. Each team knows what the other team is going to do, so regular-season record means little.

As the phrase goes, "Kill the head and the body will follow." Once the opponent focuses on stopping Derrick Rose in the Eastern Conference finals, the Bulls will fall with their leader.

Prediction if there were a full 82-game season: 58-24, No.1 in the Eastern Conference, eliminated in the Eastern Conference finals.

Make the NBA Finals

Everyone knows the Bulls have all the ingredients to be the best team in the NBA. They've already proven themselves as an elite force in the league. I'm sure many fans would like to see them in the NBA Finals.

If the Bulls reach the Eastern Conference finals again—most likely to face the Miami Heat—it will be a series to remember. The Bulls have the tools to beat the Miami Heat—a great supporting cast and an awesome defensive game plan.

The series would go down to the wire, ending in Game 7. Since the Bulls are a better rebounding team and better defensively, they probably could pull out the win. They would have to try to stop at least one of the new "Big Three."

Since Dwayne Wade is virtually unstoppable, I'm sure Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau would advise going after "Bosh Spice" or the self-proclaimed "King James," as the former is extremely soft and the latter doesn't usually show up in the fourth quarter.

If the Bulls could manage to cut down on their mistakes and slow one of the Heat's stars down, they would win the series.

Prediction if there were a full 82-game season: NBA Finals

Drop in the Standings

With NBA All-Stars now joining forces and creating "superteams," the Eastern Conference has become far more competitive.

First, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen teamed up with Paul Pierce in Boston, then LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Dwayne Wade in South Beach. Not long after that, Carmelo Anthony returned to his roots, bringing Chauncey Billups along with him to team up with Amare Stoudemire in New York.

Not to mention the Atlanta Hawks, with their arsenal of scorers like Joe Johnson and Al Horford.

With all this teaming up going on, the Bulls would find it harder to reach the No.1 spot. It's hard enough to stop one superstar on any NBA team—three is almost impossible. It will be very rare to see three stars all having off nights at the same time.

With this said, people shouldn't be surprised if the Bulls fall in the Eastern Conference standings to third or fourth.

The Miami Heat, with a season under their belt, are only going to get better. The New York Knicks, despite their porous defense, will be dangerous because of their high-powered offense. As Mark Jackson sometimes says, "I'll take great offense over great defense any day."

The Orlando Magic will always be a force as long as Dwight Howard is still on the roster.

The Atlanta Hawks have all the pieces to be near the top of the conference, and even though the Celtics are an aging team, I'm sure Kevin Garnett can scare a win out of a few opponents.

Prediction if there were a full 82-game season: 54-28, third in the Eastern Conference

Win an NBA Championship

If the Chicago Bulls can get past the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals, their chances of winning an NBA title will skyrocket. The Heat are probably the most talented team in the NBA, but, as seen in the finals last season, they can be beaten.

The Heat, with their talent and defensive ability, could easily be best team in the NBA. If the Bulls can surpass them, there is virtually no team in the Western Conference that can stop them.

The Dallas Mavericks' players are probably content with winning the title last season and the Los Angeles Lakers are in state of disarray, with Phil Jackson retiring and Mike Brown taking over the reigns as head coach. Not to mention that Kobe Bryant isn't getting any younger.

The Bulls could possibly have trouble with the Oklahoma City Thunder—OKC is just as young as the Bulls and has two scoring options in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. They also have a pretty good defensive scheme as well.

Fans wouldn't be surprised to see the Thunder make it to the finals to face the Bulls. In a seven-game series, the Bulls should prevail victorious—with Derrick Rose as the Finals MVP.

Prediction if there were a full 82-game season: NBA Champions