W2W4: Chicago Bulls vs Brooklyn Nets Series Preview

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By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

NBA Playoffs Round One 

Chicago Bulls vs. Brooklyn Nets Series Preview

The Brooklyn Nets will be hosting the Chicago Bulls at the Barclays Center for Game One of the first round Eastern Conference Playoffs on Saturday at 8pm, and there will be a lot of things to keep and eye on.

- The major question coming into this series has been the one the Bulls have had for the last two months or so, will Derrick Rose play? The Bulls star Point Guard has been cleared to play and has been working out before games, but has yet to step on to the court. If Rose decides to suit up for the playoffs it would be hard to say how effective he’d be or how long he could even play, but there would be no doubt it would be a huge boost to a Bulls team that has been ravaged by injuries this season. 


- If Rose is out, which it seems likely that he will be the Bulls have been going with Kirk Hinrich and Nate Robinson at the Point Guard position. Hinrich has done his best to fill in for Rose this season, but the reality is that he just isn’t near the player Rose is. In 60 games Hinrich averaged 7.7 points, 5.2 assists, and 1.1 steals in 29.4 minutes per game. Nate Robinson has had a very good year for the Bulls mostly providing a spark off the bench. He is averaging 13.1 points, 4.4 assists, and is shooting over 40% from three-point land. Both Hinrich and Robinson have played well this season, but the Bulls would certainly love to have Rose back even if he’s not 100%.

- For the Nets at the Point Guard position they have to be extremely confident going into the Playoffs with Deron Williams, who has had a fantastic second half to the season. Williams was plagued with ankle injuries in the first half of the season, but a little time off before and during the All-Star break helped Williams immensely, and the second half has been a completely different Williams. Since the All-Star break Williams has been scoring 22.9 points per game, which is six points higher average than before the break, and his shooting percentage has risen about seven points, from 41 to 48 percent. April was also Williams’ best month of the season averaging 24.6 points per game, so momentum is definitely with him heading into the Playoffs.

- Due to a lot of injuries for the Bulls it has given young players a chance to shine, and former Marquette standout Jimmy Butler has done just that. In the final 17 games of the season Butler has averaged 13.7 points per game on 47.5% from the field. Butler will be starting opposite of Joe Johnson at Shooting Guard, and his size at 6-7 will be something that Johnson rarely sees guarding him, and could lead to an intriguing match-up.

- Possibly the most intriguing match-up in this series and maybe the most important will be between two All-Star Centers in Brook Lopez and Joakim Noah. Lopez had his best season so far in his career, as he averaged a career-high 19.4 points a game, and besides showing that he is one of the more talented offensive Centers in basketball, Lopez also improved on defense, averaging 2.1 blocks per game. Noah also had a very good season averaging a double-double for the third time in his career. He averaged career-highs in points per game (11.9), rebounds per game (11.1), and blocks per game (2.1). Noah has been one of the Bulls plagued by injuries, and although he played in the final two games of the season his status for the series is somewhat uncertain, as it’s been hinted he could miss some or all of the series.

This should be a very good first round series of Playoff basketball, and the Nets better be prepared for some physical play. The Bulls health will be the key to the series; as if they are healthy the Nets first time in the Playoffs in their new home maybe short lived.