NBA Playoffs 2013: Chicago Bulls vs. Miami Heat Preview
The Chicago Bulls vs. Miami Heat series seems like a mismatch on paper. The NBA playoffs are often about catching an opponent at the right time. Unfortunately for the Chicago Bulls, this isn’t that time. The Miami Heat are rolling and are well rested, while the Bulls are off of an emotional Game 7 win on the road against the Brooklyn Nets.
Should we just crown the Heat, then? Of course not! Stranger things have happened, but this feels more like David vs. Goliath instead of the Goliath vs. Goliath we’d like to see.
LeBron James should have been the unanimous MVP, but he’ll take the award anyway. Photo Credit: Keith Allison, Flickr.com)
Likely Starting Lineups
Point Guard
Kirk Hinrich (CHI) vs. Mario Chalmers (MIA)
Hinrich is a very important player for the Bulls because he fits into the defensive scheme much better than Robinson or Teague does. He’s listed as day-to-day with a calf injury, but I don’t think he misses Game 1 for the world. While Chalmers is better offensively, Hinrich is the better all-around basketball player.
Advantage: Chicago Bulls
Shooting Guard
Jimmy Butler (CHI) vs. Dwyane Wade (MIA)
When Wade is healthy, he is one of the two or three best shooting guards in the league. It feels like he’s been hurt all season, yet he averaged 21.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.9 steals per game. He’s had time to heal up his balky knees and he’s always one to rise to the occasion. Butler has a bright future in the NBA and plays great within Thibodeau’s system, but he’s no Flash.
Advantage: Miami Heat
Small Forward
Luol Deng (CHI) vs. LeBron James (MIA)
Luol Deng leads the Chicago Bulls in points per game. He’ll need to keep it up in order for the Bulls to make a great playoff run. Photo Credit: Keith Allison, Flickr.com
The league’s MVP against anyone would be a mismatch. It hardly seems fair that a guy who just had a spinal tap to check for meningitis would have to faceoff against James, but such is life in the league. James is the best player in the world and even though Deng is arguably in the top 25, he can’t hold a candle to James. ‘Bron slept through the opening series and averaged 24.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists and a steal per game.
Advantage: Miami Heat
Power Forward
Carlos Boozer (CHI) vs. Udonis Haslem (MIA)
There have been a lot of people unhappy with Boozer since he’s been on the Bulls. They claim he’s shrunk in the playoffs (somewhat true), that he’s overpaid (marginally) and that should be amnestied (patently false). In reality, he’s been a warrior for them during this postseason. He’s averaging 17.4 points and 10.6 rebounds while shooting 54.5 percent from the field. What more could they want from him? Haslem is a complimentary piece, which is as complimentary as I’ll be here.
Advantage: Chicago Bulls
Center
Joakim Noah (CHI) vs. Chris Bosh (MIA)
Speaking of warriors, Noah has been banged up for quite a while now, yet he still produces. In the pivotal seventh game of their series against the Nets, the game in which he guaranteed a Bulls win, Noah put up 24 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks. Bosh is part of the Big Three, but he’s really been overshadowed as of late. The Heat are a poor rebounding club and it’s because Bosh only pulled down 6.8 rebounds per game this year. He’s out of position and out of his league here.
Advantage: Chicago Bulls
Sixth Man/Bench
Nate Robinson (CHI) vs. Ray Allen (MIA)
Remember when the Heat bench was thought of as the reason for their loss in the 2011 NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks? Those days are long gone, as the Heat are stacked. With Allen, Shane Battier, Mike Miller, Chris Andersen and Norris Cole, the Heat could compete with some of the weaker starting fives in the league. Robinson is a spark plug for the Bulls, but he, Marco Belinelli and Taj Gibson aren’t enough to compete with the Heat.
Advantage: Miami Heat
Coaching
Tom Thibodeau (CHI) vs. Erik Spoelstra (MIA)
Spoelstra doesn’t get a whole lot of credit, but let’s not forget that he’s 260-134 (.660) in the regular season and has reached the playoffs in all of his five NBA seasons, going 38-22 (.633). With that said, Thibodeau eclipses Spoelstra in the regular season with his record of 157-73 (.683) and is doing it with a really banged up bunch of guys. There’s about 25 other teams that would love to have either, but Thibs wins our vote for doing so much despite so many injuries.
Advantage: Chicago Bulls
Key Matchup
Joakim Noah vs. Chris Bosh
The Bulls have one major advantage over the Heat, and that’s their big men. Noah will control the paint and he and Boozer should soak up the vast majority of missed shots around the rim. If Bosh can step up his game and rebound the ball better than he has, he’ll be a huge help. That means James doesn’t have to crash the glass as much and can get out and run.
Chicago Will Win If…
…James goes down with an injury.
Miami Will Win If…
…Hell does not, in fact, freeze over.
Prediction
Miami Heat defeat Chicago Bulls 4-1.