Chicago Bulls vs Washington Wizards: Position-By-Position Preview For The Playoffs

Coaches: Tom Thibodeau vs Randy Wittman

Jan 14, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau reacts to a call against the Washington Wizards during the first half at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Wittman has done an outstanding job building this Wizards team into, not only a playoff team but a dark-horse contender this season.

In his first full season as head coach, they posted a record of 29-53, and now, only two years later, they can potentially finish the season with 48 wins. He has done well developing Wall into an elite point guard and having the team focus on being defensively adept.

It can be said that Wittman easily out-coached Thibodeau in last year’s playoffs, and who could argue? The Wizards won in five games and dominated throughout. But the personnel Wittman had at his disposal compared to who Thibodeau had must be taken into account.

John Wall is a superstar, and a superstar can only be matched by another superstar. For the first time in three years, Thibodeau will have his superstar in the postseason. He’ll also have Pau Gasol, the first true post player he’s had during his tenure as the Bulls’ head coach. And he’ll have one of the best two-way shooting guards in the league in Jimmy Butler.

Injuries may be just another part of NBA basketball, but when injuries prevent a coach from having all of his chess pieces before the match even starts, there’s a clear unfair disadvantage there.

Both Wittman and Thibodeau will have all their pieces ready for the match, and it’ll be exciting to see how they use them. For me, Thibodeau’s past performance (Eastern Conference Finals with a full roster) gives him the slight edge for now.

Advantage: Tom Thibodeau

If the Raptors are able to win their last two games, they will clinch the third seed. That will make a 4-5 match-up vs the Wizards, for the second year in a row, a reality for Chicago.

A Derrick Rose vs John Wall battle will be must-watch television. The rivalry continues.

Next: Bulls vs Bucks: Positional Preview for the Playoffs

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