FanNation - The Republic of Sport

Who else has started their countdown?  There is nothing like NBA basketball.  And yes USA will win the gold next summer, but that is not the reason for this blog.  This blog is actually to tell all the betting men who to put their money on.  I have put in six minutes of research and three coin flips and I have decided that the time is right for the CHICAGO BULLS to reclaim the title of the NBA's elite team.

Now before we start with all the crowing about someone being a Bulls fan and posting that their team will win the title, lets take a quick second.  I am a die hard Timberwolves fan and I will still root for the old Boston Celtics.  If you don't understand that joke then don't laugh, crawl out of your cave, go back on to SI and just look up the trade that was made for KG.  Ok so now that is out of way lets get on to my six minutes of research.  The coin flips come next.

RESEARCH

Jon Paxson has built an excellent young squad that has improved yearly.  He has kept together his core even through the summer that had KG and Kobe both on the market.  (You can say the Lakers would never trade Kobe but that's what they said about Shaq)  Their backcourt is stacked.  Ben Gordon, Chris Duhon, Luol Deng, and Kirk Hinrich provide a talented and deep rotation.  With the addition of Jameson Curry (the guy they took after Joakim Noah in the draft who in my opinion was SERIOUSLY underrated) Chicago has the deepest and most talented backcourt in the NBA.  Now, you may be able to give some examples of a better starting duo but are they playing every minute of the game?  Oh and Deng will play the 2 this year at times like he did last year so lets stop calling him a 3.  How about a 2 1/3.  Their Frontcourt got even more bulk with the addition of PJ Brown and Ben Wallace got some help out with 7 ft 2 Center Martynus Andriuskevicius from Lithuania.  Add in the fact the Chicago Bulls play team basketball, you know where the whole team contributes not one guy scoring 81 points, and you have a VERY scary opponent.  Young, Athletic, Playoff Experienced, and Hungry in an Eastern Conference full of Old Guys on their last hurrah.  Sorry to Shaq, KG, Ray Allen, Zo, Jason Kidd, Paul Pierce, wait was that the third of the Celtics big three?  You are looking at a competition between the Pistons, Bulls, and Cavs.  No one else in that conference looks like they have the legs to keep up with these three teams. 

Why the Pistons won't beat the Bulls.

Flip Saunders.  He couldn't win in Minnesota and he has proven his inability to get a championship team to come on top in the big games.  It breaks down like this.  Larry Brown, hall of fame coach and excellent motivatior, leaves D-Town and they bring in the flavor of the month to replace him.  Saunders hasn't won what the players one.  The respect factor isn't there and it is written all over the faces of the Pistons players.

Why the Cavs won't beat the Bulls.

LBJ can only do so much.  Last year's run was amazing.  Then the Spurs exposed them in the Finals and showed why team ball beats a superstar every time.  See 2002 Worlds, 2004 Olympics, 2006 Worlds for examples.

Why the Western Conferance Champ won't win the Finals.

 Coming out of the West is the hardest thing to do.  The series are more physical, more grueling, and longer than what they are in the East.  These teams are going to be on their final leg unless they sweep through the playoffs.  And I think we all know how the Mavs will do in the playoffs.  Then lets face a young energetic basketball TEAM.  Not the most pleasant thing to look forward to.  Oh yeah and they won't win the Finals because MY BLOG says they won't.  Otherwise well this is just all for nothing.

 Ok now for my coin flips.....Drumroll please...Thanx Miestro

1.  Shaq and DWade will not stay healthy the entire year.  I don't see it happening but if they do, they could pose problems for Da Bulls.  A healthy Shaq is a nightmare, but coupled with Wade is one of those terrifying dreams that you wake up from screaming for help.  But with Ben Wallace, who has proven to be able to slow Shaq down, the Bulls will do better than any other team in the East.

2. The Mavs will have another meltdown.  These guys are crazy good together.  They can run the floor with anybody in the league.  Something just seems to go wrong for them every year in the playoffs.  Leadership problems?  I don't know.  But they are going to need to figure something out or Mark Cuban might start shooting people.

3. The Spurs.  Experienced solid basketball team.  They are the wild card.  Here's where that age factor starts coming in again.  How long can they keep winning?  Its gotta end sometime.

Well now you know.  Da Bulls will be the NBA Champions....Now if I could have forseen that Luke Skywalker would have said no to the Dark Side.......