The Chicago Bulls haven’t missed a beat this year even with
point guard Derrick Rose hobbled by injuries for most of the season. They have
had the leagues’ best record for most of the year and could wrap up the number
one seed in the Eastern Conference in the next couple of games but we all know
that the postseason is an entirely different game in itself.
Matchups are everything in the playoffs and with the Bulls
looking to draw Carmelo Anthony and the eighth seeded New York Knicks in the
first round, the Bulls could be looking at a first round ouster if they are not
careful.
Particularly because Rose hasn’t played well the last few
games he has played. If Rose plays well then the Bulls should dispatch the
Knicks with ease but if Rose continues to struggle then the Knicks could be the
next eighth seed to steal a series from a number one seed.
Now I know it sounds insane to suggest that the Bulls who
hold a 3-1 season edge in the series should be concerned about the lowly Knicks
but let’s examine those games. The first two games were won by the Bulls when
Mike D’Antoni was still coaching the Knicks. The Knicks have gone through a
transformation since then.
Most of that transformation has been on the defensive side
of the ball. The Knicks didn’t play much defense under D’Antoni but Woodson has
held his players accountable since taking over as New York’s interim coach.
Still the last two games aren’t really anymore indicative of
how this series may play out in the playoffs. In the Bulls overtime loss to the
Knicks, Rose had missed the previous 12 games with a strained groin and was a
little off his game although he did manage to pour in 29 points.
It was Anthony though who stole the show hitting two big
threes; one to tie the game in regulation and send it into overtime and the
other one to win the game.
And in their last meeting, the Bulls were without Rose and
the Knicks were without both Jeremy Lin and Amar’e Stoudemire. Anthony had a great
shooting performance though scoring 29 points on 11 of 19 shooting on the night.
Anthony didn’t contribute much in any other area of the game
though, especially on the boards bringing down only two rebounds in that game.
Anthony has picked up both his scoring and rebounding since that game which is
another thing that should frighten any team that will face New York in the
playoffs.
Anthony scored 42 against the Miami Heat and had a
triple-double scoring 35 points, 10 assists and 12 rebounds versus the Boston
Celtics. Even scarier is that in those two games he shot 53% from the field and
went 19 of 23 from the line.
And Anthony is doing all this damage as the only threat on
the floor for his team. With Stoudemire now back from injury this team will be
even more dangerous once the postseason starts which doesn’t bode well for the
Bulls.
The Bulls have played well together in the absence of their
star point guard Rose though but if he is unable to regain the form that made
him an MVP in the 2010-2011 season then the Bulls may have a hard time getting
out of the first round much less challenging the Heat for the conference crown.
And even if the Bulls do grind out a win in the series with
Rose playing less than stellar ball, the Bulls have to be weary of a hard-fought
series against the Knicks. If the Knicks force the Bulls to expend too much
energy trying to get out the first round then it could make them an easier
target for whoever they may face in the second round.
So the fate of the Bulls may rest on the shoulders of their
strong-willed but injury-plagued star point guard.
If Rose isn’t able to play to his usual All-Star level it doesn’t
necessarily spell doom for the Bulls but it could be cause for concern. Of
course if he is able to play the way he is accustomed to then it would make
things a lot easier on the Bulls.
Roosevelt Hall is an NFL Blogger for The Sport Mentalist and an NBA Blogger for The Sport Mentalist 2. He is also a Sports Reporter for Pro Sports Lives. He can be contacted at RHall_TPFB@Yahoo.com and be sure to follow him on Twitter @sportmentalist.
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