Then there were two... Many would have picked the Miami Heat to be one of those two left standing, but the Chicago Bulls were the surprise team of the NBA this season. Derrick Rose has carried this team on his back and was deservedly the MVP, but this is a huge challenge in the form of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
People feel this could be a really close series, but I think the Heat have a clear edge and the young Bulls will struggle under the pressures Miami can create.
I know the Bulls won all 3 regular season meetings, but Miami are playing much better now and all 3 losses came by a combined 8 points. Where the Heat were fallen down towards the end of games in the regular season, they have been closing strongly throughout this Play Offs.
Derrick Rose causes a matchup problem for the Heat, but I struggle to see how the Bulls contain both James and Wade who had big games against the Boston Celtics.
For the Bulls to win 4 of 7 games, they need to shoot very well from the 3 point range and also take advantage of their depth when the benches are on the court. Derrick Rose needs to be more efficient with the ball and the Defense needs to play at their regular season level rather than Play Off version.
For the Heat, it will all be won and lost in the hands of their Big Three. When these guys are on, the Heat are very hard to stop. The likes of Joel Anthony continue playing very effectively, but the series could come down to how many shots the likes of Mike Bibby, James Jones, Mario Chalmers and Mike Miller can make when they are open from the 3 point line.
The series should be fun to watch, but I cant look beyond the Miami Heat who are playing some really good stuff. With the Bulls having home court advantage, it is entirely possible the Heat will look to win just 1 of the first 2 Games of the series in the Windy City, and then close the show at home.
I'll pick the Miami Heat to come through in 6 Games
MY PICK: Miami Heat - 1.5 Games in the Series @ 2.1 (Ladbrokes)
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