(left: Derrick Rose and Jeff Teague)
A lot can change in a year.
In 2009-10 the Bulls season record was 41-41. That left them with the 8th playoff spot in the East and they were knocked out by the 1st place Cleveland Cavaliers. In the same year, the Hawks were 53-29, and with the 3rd playoff spot in the East, they knocked out the Milwaukee Bucks only to be swept by the Orlando Magic in the 2nd round.
This 2010-11 season, the Bulls finished 62-20, best record in the NBA. They are 1st in the Eastern Conference playoff standings and eliminated the Pacers in 5 games. The Hawks ended this season with a 44-38 record, landed 5th in the playoffs and got revenge in 6 games versus the Orlando Magic in an upset.
In the 2010 off season the Bulls acquired 2 time NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer and a signed former Boston Celtics assistant coach Tom Thibodeau as head coach while leaving the majority of their 2009 roster intact. The Hawks, aside from gaining a new head coach of their own in Larry Drew, they too remained unchanged.
So with both teams advancing to the 2 round, and making an improvement in the playoffs, there are 2 things that set them apart and leaves one team at an advantage. Chicago Bulls Derrick Rose is MVP and Tom Thibodeau is coach of the year. A tough thing for the Hawks to deal with mentally along with the fact that both honors were not hype driven but well deserved.
Derrick Rose has been playing the best basketball of his short career. Coming off a Gold Medal in international play with Team USA, Rose has been in full gear way before the season even started. Playing at a speed I personally have never seen before, with the ability to drive to the basket as well as hit long range jumpers, there was little doubt early on that the MVP trophy was in his near future. While scoring an average of 28 points per game in these playoffs while still handing out around 7 assists, he topped it off by scoring a career-high 44 points versus the Hawks, taking a 2-1 lead in the series. Comparisons have been made to Allen Iverson, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan, all of which I can say are justified. In only his 3rd year, there is no reason why he can't be brought up in conversation with the greats if this type of play continues. Coach Tom Thibodeau help win 21 more games for the Bulls this year with focus on defense. Something that he applied to the now dominant Boston Celtics during his time there as an assistant coach. Along with an excellent supporting cast of bench players, any team facing the Bulls should approach with caution.
Now I don't mean to discredit the Hawks. They have, on paper, what can be argued as one of the best rosters in the Eastern Conference. With their top 5 players combining for an average of 74 points per game, 2 great forwards in Al Horford and Josh Smith with guards Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford playing great, there should be no reason why this can't be a great series. But there is a reason. The Hawks, as they did in Rose's 44 point performance last night, disappeared and play with next to no effort, or so it seems. Perhaps they are satisfied with their revenge on the Orlando Magic, but to doubt an athletes desire to win would be foolish. Perhaps they are trying their best and are simply out matched. Either way, if they continue to play like this against a team like the Bulls, their season will be over sooner than later.
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