The NBA is back so let's take a quick look around the Eastern Conference.
There's a lot of new faces in new places that will definitely mix things
up from a year ago. Derrick Rose is back after taking a year off to
recover from ACL surgery, the Brooklyn Nets brought in two future hall of famers in Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, while the Detroit Pistons have added Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings.
However, the East is basically a four team race. The one thing we know is that everybody will again be chasing the
Miami Heat.
Eastern Conference Contenders
Miami
Heat - Obviously we have to start with the Heat. Coming off of two
straight NBA Championships and LeBron James' two consecutive NBA MVP's,
the road to the title goes through Miami. A big question is are they
still hungry enough to get their third straight ring? At the end of
last season Dwyane Wade was struggling with injuries and another year on
his rusty knees might slow him down even more. Chris Bosh has been the
third wheel of the "Big Three" but if he's able to take some of the
load off Wade this team could be just as strong as ever. The Heat lost
playoff hero Mike Miller but added former #2 overall pick Michael
Beasley and former #1 overall pick Greg Oden. Both are still young (24
and 25 respectively) but who knows how much they have left to offer.
Beasley averaged a career worst 10.1 points a season ago on a bad
Phoenix team and in my opinion has too many personal issues to deal with
before he can become a solid contributor again. Oden on the other hand
was hit with the curse of the Portland big man. Just like Sam Bowie
and Bill Walton, Oden suffered a serious leg injury that made him miss
the last three seasons. Oden's potential all depends on his health. If
he's healthy he will be a great asset to this team, especially if he can move
Bosh to his more natural position of power forward.
Indiana
Pacers - The Pacers were one game away from shocking the world and
reaching the NBA Finals a year ago. Indiana took the Heat to a game
seven as Paul George had a national coming out party as he went
head-to-head with LBJ and held his own for most of the series. That
performance helped George win the most improved award and put the
Indiana Pacers as team that could take down Miami. Along with George,
Roy Hibbert also showed the world what he can do in the playoffs.
Hibbert seemed to plateau for three years hovering around 12 points and
eight rebounds, but in the playoffs he ratcheted up his intensity and
aggressiveness. The 7'2 center averaged 17 and 10 in the postseason
including leading the Pacers in scoring and rebounding against the Heat
with 22 points and 10 boards. If Hibbert brings that same aggression
for an entire season he could challenge Dwight Howard for best center in
the league. One addition the Pacers made was a big one when they
brought in Luis Scola. This is a guy that shares the same tough
mentality the Pacers do and can give them quality minutes off the bench
to spell Hibbert and David West.
Chicago
Bulls - The last time Derrick Rose played a regular season he led the
Bulls to the best record in the NBA for the second year in a row. He
took off last year to fully recover from his ACL tear in the 2012
playoffs and Chicago finished fifth in the East. A lot of NBA fans,
especially ones in Chicago, questioned why Rose took so long to return
to action. Especially after seeing Adrian Peterson suffer the same
injury and become the NFL MVP. But, it might have been the best thing
Rose could have done. We have to remember he's still on 25 and if he
could have played last year he would have had a higher risk of
re-injuring himself. Now that he's had more than a year to fully
recover, the Bulls are primed to take back that top spot in the NBA.
Aside from Rose, the difference maker will be third-year man Jimmy
Butler. In the latter half of last year he became a legit scorer and
defender for the Bulls. We know what they'll get out of Joakim Noah,
Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng, but if Butler continues to improve that
will give Chicago one of the best starting lineups in the league. The
spark plug for the Bull is Noah, however, he is struggling with a groin
injury right now after being less than 100% for last year's playoffs
with plantar fasciitis. With this team back at full strength they could
be the ones to dethrone the defending champs.
Brooklyn Nets - In the
2012 offseason Brooklyn made a move to acquire Joe Johnson. This
offseason they made an even bigger one getting Paul Pierce, Kevin
Garnett, and Jason Terry from the Boston Celtics. I never thought I'd
ever see Pierce play for another team after giving 15 years to Boston
but they sent him away. Another key player added was Andrei Kirilenko.
He's never going to wow you on the court but he can fill a stat sheet
and play great defense. Add these four guys to a team with Deron
Williams, Brook Lopez and the previously mentioned Johnson and you have a
roster with 36 all-star and 16 all-NBA selections combined. That's a
pretty decent resume. The problem the Nets will run into is the same
problem that has plagued teams loaded with talent. There's only one
ball and one if not two of these stars will need to take one a smaller
role than they are used to. Some guys can't handle that and become a
detriment to their team. It might take a month or two for this team to
get a feel for how each other plays but if they start clicking Brooklyn
will be a team to watch out for come playoff time.
Eastern Conference Playoff Teams
1. Miami Heat
2. Indiana Pacers
3. Chicago Bulls
4. Brooklyn Nets
5. New York Knicks
6. Detroit Pistons
7. Atlanta Hawks
8. Washington Wizards
Showing posts with label Indiana Pacers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Indiana Pacers. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
5 Reasons Why The Indiana Pacers Could Beat The Miami Heat
The Miami Heat are the overwhelming favorite to not only represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA finals, but to take home their second consecutive championship. Last I checked, the odds for the Heat to win the title are 1/3, which means you have to bet $3 to win $1. Terrible odds when you consider that there are still multiple teams left. But it just goes to show you how pretty much everybody, even Las Vegas, expects Miami to blow past the rest of the competition.
The Heat started the playoffs by disposing of a completely out matched Milwaukee Bucks team in a clean four game sweep. Then they eased by a depleted Chicago Bulls team in five games. Now, they turn their sights on the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers are the 3-seed in the East and are the biggest long shot left to win a championship. But we've seen crazier things happen before and don't think they are just going to rollover and let Miami walk into the finals. Let's take a look at a few things Indiana has going for itself that will help them take out the mighty Heat.
1. Indiana held a 2-1 series lead last year
From the land of stats that don't but do matter comes this one. A year ago in the Eastern Conference Semis the Pacers took a 2-1 lead after a 19-point victory in Indy. During that game Lance Stephenson, at the time a seldom used bench player, gave LeBron James and the Heat the two-handed choke sign which was not received so well by the rest of the team. Stephenson is now a starter and will have to show out on the court instead of the bench this year. Miami went on to win the next three games but the Pacers showed they can hang with the Heat for half a series now it's time to show they can do it for the entire series. Just like the Pistons had to find a way past Larry Bird and the Celtics and Michael Jordan's Bulls past those same Pistons. The Pacers have a bad taste in their mouth from a year ago and have been looking forward to get another shot at LeBron and Miami.
2. The Pacers won 2 of 3 in regular season
The Pacers were only one of two teams to have a winning record against the Heat during the regular season holding a 2-1 advantage (the New York Knicks were 3-1). I know what some of you are saying "it doesn't matter because it's only the regular season", but why wouldn't it matter? Both teams had their full compliment of players, except Chris Andersen who only played in two of the games, and the games were in the heart of the season. If the Heat didn't care about winning games they wouldn't have gone on a 27 game winning streak. Do any of those wins transfer to playoff wins, no, however it gives a team confidence knowing they haven't struggled against their opponent in the most recent matchups.
3. Paul George
With Danny Granger sidelined due to injury Paul George stepped into the leading role for Indiana this season. George thrived in the situation leading the Pacers in scoring at 17.4 a game and won the NBA's Most Improved award. Not only is he looked at to lead Indiana's offense but will be the primary defender against LeBron. In the three games during the regular season George was able to hold his own against the 4-time MVP. Here's a breakdown of those games.
PTS REB AST PTS REB AST RESULT
Game 1 George 29 11 2 LBJ 22 10 4 Pacers 87-77
Game 2 George 15 6 6 LBJ 28 6 3 Pacers 102-89
Game 3 George 10 6 5 LBJ 13 6 7 Heat 105-91
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Paul George is as good as LeBron James but he obviously has the ability to neutralize his production by matching his numbers. Ironically, the only game LeBron drastically out-performed George was the biggest margin of victory for Indiana. James is the best player on the planet but if George can get close to matching his production it gives the Pacers a great chance to take this series.
4. The Pacers were best 3-point defensive team during the regular season
LeBron, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh no doubt run the Miami Heat but they still rely on the three-point shooting of their role players. During the regular season Miami was third in three-pointers made (8.7 per game) and second in three-point percentage (39.6%). However, the Pacers ranked first in opponents three-point percentage (32.7%). It's hard enough to worry about guarding the rim against the big three but when you have to stop Shane Battier, Ray Allen, Mario Chalmers, and Norris Cole from hitting three's it's even more difficult to contain the Heat. Indiana needs to clamp down on the role players hitting big three's and there's hope for the Pacers. The big three will get theirs but it's usually one of the "other guys" that are a determining factor. In the two losses during the regular season the others scored only 11 points on 3-12 from beyond the arc in Game 1 and scored 31 with 4-11 from distance in Game 2. In the single Miami win, Chalmers and Allen alone scored 37 with 6-10 three's and the Heat as a team were able to hit 50% from deep. Not only do the Pacers guard the three well but gave up the second fewest points (90.7) and held opponents to a league best 42% from the field. Holding Miami to jump shots and forcing misses from long range will play right into the Pacers game-plan.
5. Indiana is the best rebounding team in the league
They say the Miami Heat have the most trouble against good rebounding teams. Well guess what, the Indiana Pacers averaged the most rebounds in the league during the regular season (and playoffs) at 45.9 a game. As for Miami, they ranked dead last with 38.6 per game. Rebounding is such a huge part to every game, to be able to keep possessions alive or hold your opponent to only one shot often determines the outcome. In all their meetings this year the Pacers held an edge on the boards. A big question will be how much of the game 7'2 Roy Hibbert plays. The Heat like to play small with Bosh at center and LeBron at power forward so it will be interesting to see if Pacers head coach Frank Vogel will still play Hibbert around 30 minutes a game. Even though the big man leads Indiana on the boards, he isn't the only one attacking the glass as George and Stephenson grab more than eight a game and David West hauls in 6.8 per. It's a total team effort by the Pacers which means it's going to take a total team effort by the Heat to box out and keep them off the glass.
Before you get all riled up thinking I'm taking the Pacers to beat the Heat, I'm not. Because even though Indiana has all that going for them, what Miami has is LeBron James. I do think it will be a hard fought series because there is no love lost from a physical post season meeting a year ago, but Miami is on a whole other level than every team in the east. I'll take the Heat in 6.
The Heat started the playoffs by disposing of a completely out matched Milwaukee Bucks team in a clean four game sweep. Then they eased by a depleted Chicago Bulls team in five games. Now, they turn their sights on the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers are the 3-seed in the East and are the biggest long shot left to win a championship. But we've seen crazier things happen before and don't think they are just going to rollover and let Miami walk into the finals. Let's take a look at a few things Indiana has going for itself that will help them take out the mighty Heat.
1. Indiana held a 2-1 series lead last year
From the land of stats that don't but do matter comes this one. A year ago in the Eastern Conference Semis the Pacers took a 2-1 lead after a 19-point victory in Indy. During that game Lance Stephenson, at the time a seldom used bench player, gave LeBron James and the Heat the two-handed choke sign which was not received so well by the rest of the team. Stephenson is now a starter and will have to show out on the court instead of the bench this year. Miami went on to win the next three games but the Pacers showed they can hang with the Heat for half a series now it's time to show they can do it for the entire series. Just like the Pistons had to find a way past Larry Bird and the Celtics and Michael Jordan's Bulls past those same Pistons. The Pacers have a bad taste in their mouth from a year ago and have been looking forward to get another shot at LeBron and Miami.
2. The Pacers won 2 of 3 in regular season
The Pacers were only one of two teams to have a winning record against the Heat during the regular season holding a 2-1 advantage (the New York Knicks were 3-1). I know what some of you are saying "it doesn't matter because it's only the regular season", but why wouldn't it matter? Both teams had their full compliment of players, except Chris Andersen who only played in two of the games, and the games were in the heart of the season. If the Heat didn't care about winning games they wouldn't have gone on a 27 game winning streak. Do any of those wins transfer to playoff wins, no, however it gives a team confidence knowing they haven't struggled against their opponent in the most recent matchups.
3. Paul George
With Danny Granger sidelined due to injury Paul George stepped into the leading role for Indiana this season. George thrived in the situation leading the Pacers in scoring at 17.4 a game and won the NBA's Most Improved award. Not only is he looked at to lead Indiana's offense but will be the primary defender against LeBron. In the three games during the regular season George was able to hold his own against the 4-time MVP. Here's a breakdown of those games.
PTS REB AST PTS REB AST RESULT
Game 1 George 29 11 2 LBJ 22 10 4 Pacers 87-77
Game 2 George 15 6 6 LBJ 28 6 3 Pacers 102-89
Game 3 George 10 6 5 LBJ 13 6 7 Heat 105-91
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Paul George is as good as LeBron James but he obviously has the ability to neutralize his production by matching his numbers. Ironically, the only game LeBron drastically out-performed George was the biggest margin of victory for Indiana. James is the best player on the planet but if George can get close to matching his production it gives the Pacers a great chance to take this series.
4. The Pacers were best 3-point defensive team during the regular season
LeBron, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh no doubt run the Miami Heat but they still rely on the three-point shooting of their role players. During the regular season Miami was third in three-pointers made (8.7 per game) and second in three-point percentage (39.6%). However, the Pacers ranked first in opponents three-point percentage (32.7%). It's hard enough to worry about guarding the rim against the big three but when you have to stop Shane Battier, Ray Allen, Mario Chalmers, and Norris Cole from hitting three's it's even more difficult to contain the Heat. Indiana needs to clamp down on the role players hitting big three's and there's hope for the Pacers. The big three will get theirs but it's usually one of the "other guys" that are a determining factor. In the two losses during the regular season the others scored only 11 points on 3-12 from beyond the arc in Game 1 and scored 31 with 4-11 from distance in Game 2. In the single Miami win, Chalmers and Allen alone scored 37 with 6-10 three's and the Heat as a team were able to hit 50% from deep. Not only do the Pacers guard the three well but gave up the second fewest points (90.7) and held opponents to a league best 42% from the field. Holding Miami to jump shots and forcing misses from long range will play right into the Pacers game-plan.
5. Indiana is the best rebounding team in the league
They say the Miami Heat have the most trouble against good rebounding teams. Well guess what, the Indiana Pacers averaged the most rebounds in the league during the regular season (and playoffs) at 45.9 a game. As for Miami, they ranked dead last with 38.6 per game. Rebounding is such a huge part to every game, to be able to keep possessions alive or hold your opponent to only one shot often determines the outcome. In all their meetings this year the Pacers held an edge on the boards. A big question will be how much of the game 7'2 Roy Hibbert plays. The Heat like to play small with Bosh at center and LeBron at power forward so it will be interesting to see if Pacers head coach Frank Vogel will still play Hibbert around 30 minutes a game. Even though the big man leads Indiana on the boards, he isn't the only one attacking the glass as George and Stephenson grab more than eight a game and David West hauls in 6.8 per. It's a total team effort by the Pacers which means it's going to take a total team effort by the Heat to box out and keep them off the glass.
Before you get all riled up thinking I'm taking the Pacers to beat the Heat, I'm not. Because even though Indiana has all that going for them, what Miami has is LeBron James. I do think it will be a hard fought series because there is no love lost from a physical post season meeting a year ago, but Miami is on a whole other level than every team in the east. I'll take the Heat in 6.
Friday, April 19, 2013
NBA Eastern Conference First Round Predictions
The NBA playoffs have arrived and in the East can anybody dethrone the Miami Heat?
1 Miami Heat (66-16) vs 8 Milwaukee Bucks (38-44)
The Miami Heat start their run for a second straight title against the Milwaukee Bucks, a team they went 3-1 against during the regular season. Teams that rebound the ball well cause the Heat problems and the Bucks rank 5th in the league in that category. Milwaukee is also the 2nd best offensive rebounding team partly because they are the 3rd worst shooting team in the NBA. More missed shots mean more rebounds but thankfully for the Heat they have the best shooting percentage by a large margin at 49%. That's the team matchup but I want to know who's going to guard LeBron James, the likely regular season MVP. Marquis Daniels, Ersan Ilyasova and Mike Dunleavy will all get their shot but will they be able to at least slow him down, probably not. The Bucks leading scorer Monta Ellis struggled in each of the four meetings, scoring double-digits only once. Milwaukee needs more from him and consistency from Brandon Jennings, both can fill it up but also miss a lot. But let's face it, Miami has been on a roll the second half of the year going 37-3 since the beginning of February. LBJ, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Co. should have little trouble disposing the Bucks.
Prediction: Heat in 4
2 New York Knicks (54-28) vs 7 Boston Celtics (41-40)
One of the oldest rivalries in the game is renewed when the New York Knicks meet the Boston Celtics. With the city of Boston dealing with the recent tragedy of the Boston Marathon bombings it might give the Celtics the edge they need to make this series interesting. The Celtics lost Rajon Rondo 38 games into the season and have been dealing with more injuries as of late. Kevin Garnett has been tending to a sore ankle the last few weeks and should serve as an integral part of this series. The Knicks like to play small-ball and if KG can take advantage on the boards and in the post he could be the x-factor. But the Paul Pierce-Carmelo Anthony matchup is what we need to keep our eye on. Anthony went on a torrid pace to rip the scoring title away from Kevin Durant down the stretch and this might be his best chance to make the NBA Finals. But never sleep of Paul Pierce. The Truth (one of the best nicknames ever) has been in this situation plenty of times and always seems to step up. Pierce is one player that can slow Melo down on defense while causing him trouble on the offensive end. But with that being said I feel the Knicks have too much fire power with the emergence of J.R. Smith and Tyson Chandler coming back from injury. It should be a good series but Boston will have trouble keeping up with the New York offense.
Prediction: Knicks in 6
3 Indiana Pacers (49-32) vs 6 Atlanta Hawks (44-38)
These two teams split their four meetings this year with the home team winning each game and I see more of the same in the playoffs. Indiana is one of the best defensive teams in the league holding opponents to 90.7 points per game, good for second fewest, and are also one of the biggest. Their front line of Roy Hibbert (7'2), David West (6'9), and Paul George (6'8) causes matchup problems for almost any team in the NBA. George and George Hill are also two of the most improved players this year, both benefiting from more playing time. After the loss of Danny Granger to injury, George was put in a similar role and flourished with 17.4 points and 7.6 rebounds a game. As for Hill, the departure of Darren Collison opened the door for him to put up his best numbers of 14.2 points and 4.7 assists. The Atlanta Hawks saw Joe Johnson leave for Brooklyn which led to Jeff Teague and Al Horford having their best seasons. Teague finished with 14.6 points and 7.2 assists while Horford averaged his first double-double with 17.4 and 10.2 boards. These teams are very similar, both are big and both have seen players step up in new roles. As with all Hawks games the x-factor for them is their leading scorer Josh Smith. He is a great player but finds himself on the perimeter too often when he should be in the post. Also, depending if the Hawks decide to put him on West or George his defense is going to be key if Atlanta wants to win. In the end Indiana's defense and rebounding will determine who advances. The Hawks will put up a fight but the Pacers will move on.
Prediction: Pacers in 7
4 Brooklyn Nets (49-33) vs 5 Chicago Bulls (45-37)
After missing the playoffs a year ago while playing in New Jersey, the Nets made the move to Brooklyn and secured home court advantage against the Chicago Bulls. Deron Williams is one of the best point guards in the NBA and Brook Lopez is one of the best center's nobody really talks about. Williams' numbers are slightly down from previous years (18.9 points and 7.7 assists) but is still capable of carrying a team. Lopez had a solid year with 19.4 and 6.9 boards while Reggie Evans dominated the glass in the late stages of the season. Evans put up Dennis Rodman like numbers the last two months averaging over 15 rebounds a game and he had nine games of 20-plus throughout the year. But how much better would this series be if Derrick Rose was back from his ACL injury. It was in the first game of the playoffs a year ago when Rose went down and you could hear the entire city of Chicago hold their breath. He still is not ready to return and he shouldn't at this point. It's more important for him, and the Bulls organization, that he does not come back until fully healed. The Bulls have had other injury problems as well with Joakim Noah, Kirk Hinrich, Richard Hamilton and Taj Gibson all missing a significant time. The biggest question mark is Noah. The energy and defense he brings to this team is hard to replace. With Noah on the court he provides a stopper to Lopez in the post but him being able to play is still up in the air. Honestly, I haven't been impressed with the Nets at all this year. I think Joe Johnson and Gerald Wallace are at the tail end of their careers and will have trouble with Luol Deng and the young upstart Jimmy Butler. Noah is a significant piece to the puzzle but I still think the Bulls will pull this out in a gritty battle.
Prediction: Bulls in 6
1 Miami Heat (66-16) vs 8 Milwaukee Bucks (38-44)
The Miami Heat start their run for a second straight title against the Milwaukee Bucks, a team they went 3-1 against during the regular season. Teams that rebound the ball well cause the Heat problems and the Bucks rank 5th in the league in that category. Milwaukee is also the 2nd best offensive rebounding team partly because they are the 3rd worst shooting team in the NBA. More missed shots mean more rebounds but thankfully for the Heat they have the best shooting percentage by a large margin at 49%. That's the team matchup but I want to know who's going to guard LeBron James, the likely regular season MVP. Marquis Daniels, Ersan Ilyasova and Mike Dunleavy will all get their shot but will they be able to at least slow him down, probably not. The Bucks leading scorer Monta Ellis struggled in each of the four meetings, scoring double-digits only once. Milwaukee needs more from him and consistency from Brandon Jennings, both can fill it up but also miss a lot. But let's face it, Miami has been on a roll the second half of the year going 37-3 since the beginning of February. LBJ, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Co. should have little trouble disposing the Bucks.
Prediction: Heat in 4
2 New York Knicks (54-28) vs 7 Boston Celtics (41-40)
One of the oldest rivalries in the game is renewed when the New York Knicks meet the Boston Celtics. With the city of Boston dealing with the recent tragedy of the Boston Marathon bombings it might give the Celtics the edge they need to make this series interesting. The Celtics lost Rajon Rondo 38 games into the season and have been dealing with more injuries as of late. Kevin Garnett has been tending to a sore ankle the last few weeks and should serve as an integral part of this series. The Knicks like to play small-ball and if KG can take advantage on the boards and in the post he could be the x-factor. But the Paul Pierce-Carmelo Anthony matchup is what we need to keep our eye on. Anthony went on a torrid pace to rip the scoring title away from Kevin Durant down the stretch and this might be his best chance to make the NBA Finals. But never sleep of Paul Pierce. The Truth (one of the best nicknames ever) has been in this situation plenty of times and always seems to step up. Pierce is one player that can slow Melo down on defense while causing him trouble on the offensive end. But with that being said I feel the Knicks have too much fire power with the emergence of J.R. Smith and Tyson Chandler coming back from injury. It should be a good series but Boston will have trouble keeping up with the New York offense.
Prediction: Knicks in 6
3 Indiana Pacers (49-32) vs 6 Atlanta Hawks (44-38)
These two teams split their four meetings this year with the home team winning each game and I see more of the same in the playoffs. Indiana is one of the best defensive teams in the league holding opponents to 90.7 points per game, good for second fewest, and are also one of the biggest. Their front line of Roy Hibbert (7'2), David West (6'9), and Paul George (6'8) causes matchup problems for almost any team in the NBA. George and George Hill are also two of the most improved players this year, both benefiting from more playing time. After the loss of Danny Granger to injury, George was put in a similar role and flourished with 17.4 points and 7.6 rebounds a game. As for Hill, the departure of Darren Collison opened the door for him to put up his best numbers of 14.2 points and 4.7 assists. The Atlanta Hawks saw Joe Johnson leave for Brooklyn which led to Jeff Teague and Al Horford having their best seasons. Teague finished with 14.6 points and 7.2 assists while Horford averaged his first double-double with 17.4 and 10.2 boards. These teams are very similar, both are big and both have seen players step up in new roles. As with all Hawks games the x-factor for them is their leading scorer Josh Smith. He is a great player but finds himself on the perimeter too often when he should be in the post. Also, depending if the Hawks decide to put him on West or George his defense is going to be key if Atlanta wants to win. In the end Indiana's defense and rebounding will determine who advances. The Hawks will put up a fight but the Pacers will move on.
Prediction: Pacers in 7
4 Brooklyn Nets (49-33) vs 5 Chicago Bulls (45-37)
After missing the playoffs a year ago while playing in New Jersey, the Nets made the move to Brooklyn and secured home court advantage against the Chicago Bulls. Deron Williams is one of the best point guards in the NBA and Brook Lopez is one of the best center's nobody really talks about. Williams' numbers are slightly down from previous years (18.9 points and 7.7 assists) but is still capable of carrying a team. Lopez had a solid year with 19.4 and 6.9 boards while Reggie Evans dominated the glass in the late stages of the season. Evans put up Dennis Rodman like numbers the last two months averaging over 15 rebounds a game and he had nine games of 20-plus throughout the year. But how much better would this series be if Derrick Rose was back from his ACL injury. It was in the first game of the playoffs a year ago when Rose went down and you could hear the entire city of Chicago hold their breath. He still is not ready to return and he shouldn't at this point. It's more important for him, and the Bulls organization, that he does not come back until fully healed. The Bulls have had other injury problems as well with Joakim Noah, Kirk Hinrich, Richard Hamilton and Taj Gibson all missing a significant time. The biggest question mark is Noah. The energy and defense he brings to this team is hard to replace. With Noah on the court he provides a stopper to Lopez in the post but him being able to play is still up in the air. Honestly, I haven't been impressed with the Nets at all this year. I think Joe Johnson and Gerald Wallace are at the tail end of their careers and will have trouble with Luol Deng and the young upstart Jimmy Butler. Noah is a significant piece to the puzzle but I still think the Bulls will pull this out in a gritty battle.
Prediction: Bulls in 6
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