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Chicago Bulls: Could The Miami Heat Ruin Team’s Offseason Plans Again?

By James D. Tillman III

Dec 11, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Chicago Bulls power forward Taj Gibson (22) defends against New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) in the second half of NBA game at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 11, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Chicago Bulls power forward Taj Gibson (22) defends against New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) in the second half of NBA game at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports /
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All right Chicago Bulls, fans get ready to brace yourself for some bad news.

That organization in South Beach you’ve grown to hate over the past few seasons is at it again.

Not only did the Miami Heat steal away two of the big-name free agents on the market in 2010 in LeBron James and Chris Bosh, they’ve also eliminated your Chicago Bulls from the playoffs twice in the last four seasons. And if neither of those scenarios were enough to make your blood boil, here’s something that will more than likely do the trick.

It has been recently reported that Pat Riley and Co. are exploring various options on how to land one of the marquee players in this summer’s free agency period—Carmelo Anthony.

Although Anthony has not officially opted out of the last year of his contract with the New York Knicks and has until Jun. 23 to make that decision, this new development has to be of great concern to the Bulls front office. You see, as it has been well documented, the Bulls are in need of a player that can take over in the closing moments of a tight game, someone who can create his own shot from just about any spot on the floor and put up points in bunches.

While Anthony is not known for being a lock-down defender, he certainly fits the bill of the what the Bulls need from a scoring standpoint. But now that Miami has entered the picture, this story could very well play out the same way that it did four years ago.

Let that thought take root in your mind for just a few moments Bulls fans.

As things stand right now, no team in the Eastern Conference has beaten the Heat in a playoff series since the Big Three era began. The Indiana Pacers came the closest last year, pushing Miami to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals. But in the end, the Pacers were just a speed bump on the road to the Heat capturing their third championship in franchise history.

Now, just imagine what life would be like for the Bulls if Anthony chooses to join forces with a team that has advanced to the NBA Finals the past four seasons and is trying to capture its third consecutive championship as we speak.

That would be a pretty scare scenario to say the least.

Even if Derrick Rose plays at an elite level next season, there is no chance that he and the Bulls would be able to compete with that kind of star power. And although the Bulls have played with a ton of grit and determination on a nightly basis ever since Tom Thibodeau arrived in Chicago, they simply did not have enough talent to compete with the Heat four years ago and that remains the case today.

Anthony has previously stated that James was wise to join the Miami Heat when he did, and if Anthony truly cares about winning more than money, then it is very conceivable that South Beach may be his next landing spot. If that does in fact happen, the Bulls can kiss their championship aspirations goodbye for at least the next few seasons.

Maybe even longer than that.

James Tillman is a Staff Writer for HoopsHabit.com and a sports contributor for Football Nation and Sports Kings/Pass The Pill. James is also a former Featured Sports Contributor for Yahoo! Contributor Network.     

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