The Chicago Bulls NEED to get the one seed in the East

The Chicago Bulls NEED to get the one seed in the East: Huge morale booster

The Chicago Bulls have just one player who’s played in the NBA Finals. That would be Alex Caruso, who won an NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.

The only other player to play in a Conference Finals series in DeMar DeRozan, who did so as a member of the Toronto Raptors in 2016. Although that was six years ago, it’s safe to say DeRozan would like to forget the way that series ultimately unfolded.

The fact is, this year’s team is primarily comprised of players with little to no playoff experience. Although the written rules of the games do not change from the regular season to the postseason, the game is officiated much differently and the dynamics are different altogether.

A drive to the basket that may typically result in two free throws for Zach LaVine in the regular season, may not receive a whistle during the playoffs. Instead, the other team will have secured the rebound and be heading the other way for a scoring opportunity of their own. That sudden change in reality can be hard to adjust to.

If a relatively young, inexperienced team like the Bulls can look forward to playing the majority of their playoff games in the United Center, it gives them a psychological advantage they would not have otherwise.

There’s a big difference when the playoff atmosphere features 20,000 fans booing the referee when a call goes against you, as opposed to those same fans yelling at a fever pitch any time you stand at the free throw line.

The added confidence in playing at home could determine the outcome of the game. The team must keep this in mind as they jockey for position the rest of the season.