The Golden State Warriors vs. the Central Division
By Andy Serbe
2. Chicago Bulls
2012-13 Record: 45-37 (Made Playoffs, lost second round to the Miami Heat 1-4)
The Bulls were, along with the Warriors, one of the league’s best surprises last year. After elite point guard Derrick Rose went down with a torn ACL, many suspected this would be a lost season for the boys from the Windy City. Well, apparently no one told Tom Thibodeau and co. They finished as the fifth-best record in the Eastern Conference and upset the Brooklyn Nets in the first round. Especially key was the addition of point guard set Kirk Hinrich and Nate Robinson, both of whom were incredibly important to the team’s success. Among other achievements, they notoriously ended the Heat’s 27-game win streak during the season. Well, now they’ve got Rose back and their other players are just as good. Plus the key addition of high-level shooter Mike Dunleavy and drafting of Tony Snell, a shooting forward. This team is one of the biggest threats to a Heat three-peat and one of the most dangerous teams in the NBA even if Rose only returns at 75% of the player he was in 2011-12.
Prediction: 0-2
As much as it pains me to write that, it seems the most realistic prediction. The Bulls practice hard-nosed, efficient defense at every spot on the court. Even Rose is a great defensive guard, while the likes of young player Jimmy Butler handled difficult defensive assignments like LeBron last year. If they can handle an offensive force of nature like him, then there’s little that Golden State can throw at them that will be more potent. They beat the Dubs by nearly 20 points in both matchups last season without their greatest offensive asset. Now he’s back, and the reality of it is that they will have to put Iguodala on him to even slow him down (assuming Rose returns at 100%). There’s just no phase of the game where the Bulls can’t attack the Warriors very efficiently, notably the interior where weak defensive link David Lee will be. A 1-1 split is very possible, but a 2-0 will almost certainly not happen. This just happens to be one of the teams that might be better than the Dubs.