7th or 8th seed? Heats or Bulls?

[nykfan42]

7th or 8th? Our goal should be taking the division and playing this disastrous Tragic Magic team in the 1st round! But to answer the question I'd rather play Chicago because we could easily be up 2-0 in the season series. They're the best team in the East but we match up well with them.

[Lehman]

Spurs? Hell, even Miami's championship was with just one uber talent in Wade surrounded by a barrage of roleplayers with an aging Shaq as post offense.

Ditto with the Celtics. They were a bunch of past their prime stars joining under a team concept.

Spurs had 3 legitimate allstars - Parker, Ginobilli and Duncan. Miami had Wade and Shaq. Celtics had 4 allstars. All those teams were super-talented. Nothing like the Bulls.

[Thugger HBC]

Shaq in '06 was a shell of himself, and Boston's "all-stars" were basically coaches vote-ins.

The last star led team to win it all was the Shaq-Kobe Lakers.

Every other team won with star power, and their depth.

[Lehman]

I'd rather face Miami for several reasons, not the least of which is...

I don't know why everyone so eager to pick the Bulls and call it a no-brainer. They're easily the most disciplined team in the league coupled with their experience playing together, even at full strength I don't want none of them in the first. I don't underestimate them and after the next couple of games many of y'all won't either.

Amare always kills the Bulls. We've played them twice this season (pre-Woodson) and both games were close.

Meybe you'll change your mind after the next two games.

[Lehman]

Shaq in '06 was a shell of himself, and Boston's "all-stars" were basically coaches vote-ins.

The last star led team to win it all was the Shaq-Kobe Lakers.

Every other team won with star power, and their depth.

2006 Shaq was still the best big man in the league. Gave the Heat 18/10 in the playoffs.

Garnett was the 2008 MVP and Pierce was having one of his best season. Rondo became one of the best PGs in the league. Those were star teams and there's no way to compare Allen/Pierce/Garnet to Rip's corpse/Deng/Boozer. That would be a joke.

[aggo]

I have MUCH more confidence that we can win games in the 80s and 90s against the Bulls.


But against Miami, I am much less confident that we can put up consistently 95-100+ which they will make us do in order to beat them.

[Thugger HBC]

Shaq in '06 was a shell of himself, and Boston's "all-stars" were basically coaches vote-ins.

The last star led team to win it all was the Shaq-Kobe Lakers.

Every other team won with star power, and their depth.

2006 Shaq was still the best big man in the league. Gave the Heat 18/10 in the playoffs.

Garnett was the 2008 MVP and Pierce was having one of his best season. Rondo became one of the best PGs in the league. Those were star teams and there's no way to compare Allen/Pierce/Garnet to Rip's corpse/Deng/Boozer. That would be a joke.

18/10 for Shaq is what I said, a shell, I didn't say he was totally useless.

Even with the Celtics players, they were on the twilight side, not near their former all-star status.

Personally I'm not comparing anyone to the Bulls.

The Bulls win games primarily because they give out the effort on defense especially for the full 48.

They're been severely underestimated on here.

You don't reach the conference finals by being weak or flawed.

You don't have the best record in your conference WITHOUT your best player, by being weak or flawed.

[Besart19]

None of them, until all healthy and in shape!

[Lehman]

[The Bulls win games primarily because they give out the effort on defense especially for the full 48.

They're been severely underestimated on here.

You don't reach the conference finals by being weak or flawed.

You don't have the best record in your conference WITHOUT your best player, by being weak or flawed.

They win primarily due to offensive rebounds and they are more beatable than Miami. I like the matchup with them.

[j4remi]

Honestly...The pride in me is screaming Miami. How great would it be to beat that team in the first round? Even just forcing them to a game 6 or 7 would be a huge statement. The logical man in me though...thinks we match-up better with the Bulls and could make a definite run at them no questions asked.

[Thugger HBC]

[The Bulls win games primarily because they give out the effort on defense especially for the full 48.

They're been severely underestimated on here.

You don't reach the conference finals by being weak or flawed.

You don't have the best record in your conference WITHOUT your best player, by being weak or flawed.

They win primarily due to offensive rebounds and they are more beatable than Miami. I like the matchup with them.

You're entitled to that feeling, I just don't agree, as I see alot of people underestimating Chicago.

It isn't just offensive boards or rebounding at all, Minny and Sac are right up there in rebounding too.

Chicago isn't a great offensive team, on set plays, which is why they get alot of offensive boards.

But their defense clearly sets them apart, as they are one of the leaders in opponents fg%, especially from three.

The Bulls strengths are our team weakness.

Although I don't think they are as good as Miami, being undermanned I don't like either matchup, but regardless of who we play, we would give them a hard fight.

[Retired_Doc]

Let's put it this way: NO ONE knows the future. BUT, if you had to predict which one of the Heat or Bulls would have a major player unable to play the first round, based upon his history, you gotta figure Rose would be the one unable to play. The guy is fragile and a mere "accident waiting to happen." Therefore looking ahead, I want the Bulls. I'm saying there's a better than 50% chance that weakling won't even be in Round One.

[evevale]

Chicago.

[Thugger HBC]

Let's put it this way: NO ONE knows the future. BUT, if you had to predict which one of the Heat or Bulls would have a major player unable to play the first round, based upon his history, you gotta figure Rose would be the one unable to play. The guy is fragile and a mere "accident waiting to happen." Therefore looking ahead, I want the Bulls. I'm saying there's a better than 50% chance that weakling won't even be in Round One.

What "history" are you referring to?

[Retired_Doc]

Let's put it this way: NO ONE knows the future. BUT, if you had to predict which one of the Heat or Bulls would have a major player unable to play the first round, based upon his history, you gotta figure Rose would be the one unable to play. The guy is fragile and a mere "accident waiting to happen." Therefore looking ahead, I want the Bulls. I'm saying there's a better than 50% chance that weakling won't even be in Round One.

What "history" are you referring to?

Clearly, I'm referring to RECENT history, namely this very season. Can't get any more recent than that!

The Bulls have played 56 games and glass-jawed, weakling Rose has missed a staggering 22 games!

What are they paying this misfit for? To wear a jacket and tie?

[Thugger HBC]

Let's put it this way: NO ONE knows the future. BUT, if you had to predict which one of the Heat or Bulls would have a major player unable to play the first round, based upon his history, you gotta figure Rose would be the one unable to play. The guy is fragile and a mere "accident waiting to happen." Therefore looking ahead, I want the Bulls. I'm saying there's a better than 50% chance that weakling won't even be in Round One.

What "history" are you referring to?

Clearly, I'm referring to RECENT history, namely this very season. Can't get any more recent than that!

The Bulls have played 56 games and glass-jawed, weakling Rose has missed a staggering 22 games!

What are they paying this misfit for? To wear a jacket and tie?

You can't disregard his true "history" just because of some setback this year.

Question...do you think Rose is hurt to the point he cannot play? I don't.

[Woodsanity]

^

He will probably play against us but he will be nowhere near 100%.

[moocow007]

I would prefer the Bulls.

The Knicks have the firepower to win a slugfest with the Bulls a lot easier than the Heat. Also with the Knicks defense its logical to assume that they would be able to win a series if they can stop the other team and, well, it's easier to stop the Bulls from scoring than it would the Heat.

Of course if Stoudemire and Lin are both out (we need at least one back) then the chances of beating either diminish greatly but, the matchups are better against the Bulls.

Also the Heat get a bad rap from a lot of folks about them only being the "Big 3" and not much else. Far from it. They are a deep team with A TON of guys with a lot of playoff experience coming off that bench.

I'd take my chances with one superstar getting superstar calls vs. 2 (and maybe a half)_ superstars getting superstar calls. Better chance for the Knick defense to not get into foul trouble against the Bulls than the Heat. And the longer the Knicks defense can be allowed to play the way they play the more likely it is for them to beat the other team in a series.

By no means is this demeaning the Bulls but the Knicks simply match up much worse against the Heat.

But that said, the Heat would be better if they played someone else besides the Knicks tbh since the Knicks have more talent than the other teams currently in the bottom half and would be the one team that has a punchers chance against them.

[Retired_Doc]

Well if you're right and Rose is not hurt to the point that he cannot play, then that sure is a sad commentary on his true "warrior spirit." I think he's a bum. He's a weakling. He is now officially "injury-prone" and if I were the Bulls, I'd surely be REAL worried about the future.

Rose is clearly this season's MVP--Most VULNERABLE Player!

[The Explorer]

What are they paying this misfit for? To wear a jacket and tie?

They pay him to play basketball at a high level, which he does.