What do the Chicago Bulls need to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers?
A miracle. Hijinx. Steroids. Food poisoning for LeBron. Flubber. Possession by a basketball-playing demon. Stink bombs in the Cavs’ locker room. A magic lamp.
Oh, and on top of all that, they need to play nearly perfect basketball from top to bottom.
Honestly, if the Bulls win a single game I’d be mildly impressed. If they take two games, it would be a serious accomplishment. If they win three games, some shenanigans must be involved. If they win the series, I will eat my own foot. This is the Cavs’ series to lose, but there’s just not even a remote chance they’ll actually lose it. I wouldn’t even count on them misplacing it for awhile.
LeBron James is just too good, and the team Danny Ferry has constructed is finally worthy of James’ talents. Not only is LeBron playing alongside more talented players than ever before (Antawn Jamison, Shaquille O’Neal, Mo Williams), but the pieces have fit together in particularly impressive fashion. It’ll be nice for the Cavs to have an additional first round adjustment period to work Shaq back into the mix, but Cleveland is entirely too good to even let Chicago smell a victory.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t enjoy Derrick Rose while you still can. Despite Derrick’s incredible athleticism, breathtaking style, and startlingly high ceiling, he’s a commodity that’s taken for granted in the NBA. He has a decent rep, but he still gets lost in the superstar shuffle. Rose may not be fully evolved just yet, but he’s still an fascinating player and an incredibly entertaining watch. You’ll have plenty of time to stargaze with LeBron, so don’t glaze over Rose’s performance in this series.
That’s what you should really be looking for from the Bulls: entertainment. This team plays hard, and the resolve they showed to force their way into the playoffs was certainly admirable Appreciate Joakim Noah’s coverage of the pick-and-roll, or his effort on the glass. Pay attention to Luol Deng’s defense, and try to find signs of a dependable scoring game. Laugh at Jannero Pargo. Watch Brad Miller be Brad Miller. Point at Vinny Del Negro’s hair. Nod in approval at Kirk Hinrich’s game. Try to figure out Taj Gibson’s future.
Just make sure you do all of that quickly, because the Cavs are already getting their brooms ready. If I was a betting man, I’m taking Cleveland in four.