NBA Playoff Pictures – East 2
One month of NBA basketball is left to splinter up the hardwood in the march towards the Playoffs in this 66 game lockout shortened season.
If the Playoffs started today the current playoff positions of the East would contain the following pairings.
PHILI (8) at Chicago (1)
The76ERSwould sneak in as an 8thseed and would face the daunting task of facing the #1 seed Chicago Bulls. Whether the76ersmake it to this pairing will depend in large part on how the team responds to their 3-7 slide with their most recent loss being a crushing defeat to the Celtics 104-79. Perhaps at least Philifans only lost their time and not their money in the stadium today. The Bulls got embarrassed by Carmelo Anthony today on Easter and if anybody rose it was definitely Carmelo Anthony who finally had break game with 43 points as well the game winning 3 ptr in the Bulls´ 99-100 loss in New York. The Knicks have been red hot at 7-3 in their last tensince Mike Woodson was named head coach.
The Bulls would lucky if they manage to hang onto the #1 seed and face the 76ers who are falling apart at the seams at this current juncture in time. Philigave Miami a shock last year by winning game 1 of their first round series but then went donuts in the next 4 in a first round exit. Early on this season the 76ers were on pace to win the Atlantic but all that seems gone now. The 76ers would be virtually overmatched by the Bulls at every starting position except for when the benches come into play. The Bulls will carve away at Phili´s interior with Boozer, Noah, Gibson, and Asik. But Philiwill have an advantage in using both Thad Young SF/PF and Andre Iguodalasimultaneously as Ronnie Brewer and Luol Deng will be only able to cover so much ground, especially if SG Evan Turner is out there as well. The 76ers will have to make Kyle Korverplay D, as well as have absolutely perfect games from PG J. Holiday, Thad Young and Evan Turner.
The Bulls will need to be healthy first and foremost, and then be able to find the chemistry with which they have thus far cruised to the number 1 seed, in spite of recent losses to the Knicks and Thunder. Derrick Rose and Rip Hamilton will need to be available for Chicago as last year´s Playoffs demonstrated that Chicago still lacks scoring from the SG and PF positions. Carlos Boozer will need to average more than the paltry numbers that he put up last year. But on paper Chicago should win this Series, but if they lose don´t be surprised either, because the NBA is just that good right now.
Bottom Line
A Bulls team without a healthy Derrick Rose, could be upset byPhiliteam that is hungry to prove that they are not underachievers, and don´t be surprised if this happens because the league is just that stacked talent wise andPhili will enter the playoffs looking to peel off the underachiever label and Ronny Brewer and Luol Deng be warned and make sure you start watching tapes of Thad Young and J. Meeks. .