Everyone is talking about the Heat... but what about...

You know Who's their coach now?

 

The Bulls will fight for the central division crown with the Bucks. I don't see them upsetting Boston, Orlando, or Miami in the playoffs.

 

how did portland self destruct?? Other than Rubio who is overrated, they were just unfortunate like us with injuries. In fact they may be the only team that is more unlucky than us.

 

What opportunity did the Bobcats ever have? Even last year, they were barely better than .500.

 

What does Rubio have to do with Portland?

 

I look at Portland and OKC as every bit of title threats as the Bulls. And the Bulls will not challenge for the #3 spot. They are more likely to be 5th (behind the elite 3 and Atlanta) than 3rd.

The Bulls still have major shooting challenges & Boozer has his flaws that keep him from being a 1st tier player. Tall PFs really give him trouble (Duncan & Gasol chew him up), and KG & Bosh fit the mold (and the Magic could put Howard on him). I think the Bulls will offensively struggle versus the elite, no guy is just that beast of an offensive player in the half court.

The one team not getting even attention is Milwalkee. Want a dark horse to get out of the 1st round in the East--go with them. Of course under no circumstances do I see them making the EC semis.

 

With Bogut healthy and assuming they can handle maggette's mentality, I can see milwaukee making a deep run.

as for the bulls, i think boozer will live up to expectations. korver will help spread the ball, and derrick rose is one of the best pg's in the league in terms of driving and kicking. perfect for boozer.

 

Decent is not enough to get a good playoff spot in the East. It's enough to get a spot, sure. But the only good playoff spots in the East are the top four.

 

Next year everyopne will be talking about the Rockets if they get Carmello Anthony. It will be Rockets, Lakers, Heat, Celtics in every conversation.

 

That team isnt that gơd. they're over hyped in my opinion. All they did was bơozer

 

I wouldn't say that the power is shifting to the Eastern Conference, but it is definitely balancing out.

 

uhm NO... the number one rebounding team in the league added the 5th best rebounder in the league, one of the best defensive minds in the league to coach, athletic wing ronnie brewer, and kyle korver for shooting.

deng looked great in the playoffs, looks like hes finally over his injuries.

they WILL be great defensively and will obviously control the glass in just about every game. rose is almost unguardable and if you dont think so then you havent watched enough of him. the bulls will be a very good team if they stay healthy.

 

The Rockets would be a formidable team with the addition of Yao don't you think?

 

I have to laugh....but it's really not funny how underrated Derrick Rose is in this thread. A player that can collapse a defense at will and you want to give him a weapon like Korver. Keep in mind that Kyle Korver shot 50% from 3 last year. That is stupid. Actually, keep in mind that Kyle Korver shot 54% from 3 last year. Not to mention that Rose has been working on his jumper all summer. I'll believe that when I see it but he was already damn near automatic from mid range and now he says he's added the 3 ball. Boozer's D will always be suspect, Thibodeau be damned, but he's also money from midrange so how is anybody going to keep Rose out of the paint? The Bulls roster was constructed to go to war with Miami.

Now a team that's really being slept on is the Clippers. They know what they have in Blake Griffin and I don't think anyone's really prepared to deal with him. I've been hyping him up since last year before his injury. He's an elite freak athlete in the realm of Lebron/Iguodala and will share ROY honors with Wall.

 

Many of us are not saying they suck, but we are not saying they belong in the East's 1st tier (Mia, Boston, Orl) and rather belong in the 2nd (with Atl, maybe Milw). They did finish behind all those teams by a lot.

IMO there are a lot of parallels to Utah. Great young PG (though Williams is a much better outside shooter, though Rose has him on athleticism and penetration), a well above average defensive big (AK vs Noah), Boozer, Korver, and a well below average starting SG. At least one quality defensive big off the bench too.

And what did we find with Utah? Good team, but always handled fairly easy by elite teams with big front lines (now the Lakers before the Spurs) and good defensive schemes. Against those teams Deron W was the only one doing damage, the rest of the team was outclassed and the series wouldn't go that long (5 or 6 at the most). I also think Williams is a better half court player than Rose because of his jumper range and consistency--so the Bulls will be in fact slightly easier to handle offensively in the half court by an elite & tight group (and I expect Boston, Orlando and Miami to be loads defensively).

Further, how exactly are they going to defend Miami. Lebron will kill Deng & can one imagine Korver guarding either Wade or Lebron? So if they can't play Korver because of match-ups, his shooting is of no use. Another frequent challenge Utah had. Play the athletic guy who hurts your defense and ads athleticism, or play Korver. His situation is OK when you are talking about your 8th man, but when your are trying to milk a swingmen position out of it in the top level it bites you.

 

I wanted to see either Wade or Lebron go to the Bulls. Either one of those guys would have put them over the top without it being overkill and making them much hated villains like the current Heat.

 

I'd rather see the Bulls looking outside in for eternity. Ever since the dark years of the NBA, when league rules and practices were made to enhance superstars even more, and trash talking became more out of control and embraced (what I would call the "me, me, me" era), I don't like the Bulls. Chicago is a fine city, and I was happy the Hawks broke through & like the Bears better than most, but screw Da Bulls.

I am cool with the Miami Heat dominating the East. Like them better than the teams in Boston, Orlando, Chicago, Detroit, NY/NJ, etc. If the Rockets or Suns get through the West I'll turn on the Heat for that series, but I'll worry about that when I have to.