It’s been apparent for some time that neither of these teams like one another; you could see that every game they’ve played against each other. Unfortunately, Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love is out for the series with a dislocated shoulder injury. Cleveland still has “The King” in LeBron James, but Derrick Rose looks like he is on a mission and won’t be stopped. Here are my five bold predictions for the series.
Apr 26, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) during the first half in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the Boston Celtics . at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
1. With Love out, James will put the team on his back and rack up multiple triple-doubles. LeBron knows what it’s like to play the Chicago Bulls in a playoff series. He knows it’s tough and very physical. He will play through it this time and show that he’s really the best player out of both teams. No team has won it all with just one guy though.
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2. Kyrie Irving will have himself a series. With Rose still being a liability on defense, Kyrie will take advantage of that. He will average over 20 points and have a big game for 30 or more. He’s a true scorer, and he stays hot when he gets hot. You can’t stop him. The best the Chicago Bulls can do is play THEIR style of defense, give no easy looks, and get back into their transition defense.
3. Rose will take over again. The Chicago Bulls’ guard will be coming off of some nice rest to play Game 1 of the semifinals, and he has proven to be his old self again when given extra days off. Kyrie isn’t know for his defense, and I confidently see Rose exposing that weakness. He will struggle from the 3-point line; however, his transition game and driving to the basket skills will be on showcase.
Apr 27, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls forward
Nikola Mirotic(44) looks for a rebound against Milwaukee Bucks center
John Henson(31) in game five of the first round of the 2015 NBA Playoffs at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
4. Bulls will win the rebound category every game. With Kevin Love, one of the league’s best rebounders, out for the Cavs, the Chicago Bulls will easily take over the boards. Without Love the Cavaliers really don’t have a go-to guy to get offensive rebounds. The Bulls though have a big lineup of strong rebounders. Their bigs will each have a 10+ rebound game.
5. Chicago Bulls win in 6. Sure LeBron will try his hardest, but he will get worn down by the Bulls defense and eventually try to do everything on his own. He will do it successfully for two games, but you can’t win like that. There is no “I” in team. The Bulls will play good, solid team basketball to win four games of this series and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Next: Roundtable Picks for NBA Playoffs
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