Why I thought the Bulls would win
Coming out of the first round the Bulls looked like a championship contender. Three games later they’re on the brink of elimination and humiliation. The Pistons have made fools of them. And I never saw it coming.
I expected a good series like everyone else, six or seven games of hard-nosed defensive basketball. The Bulls, though, being younger and more hungry, were supposed to prevail. The signs were everywhere. Here’s why I thought the Bulls would win.
Ben Wallace
The undersized (height, not arms) center was supposed to be the last piece of the puzzle. He was the Dennis Rodman of Jordan’s second three-peat team: while a little on the old side, an excellent low-post defender to compliment an already well-rounded defensive team, plus a lot less crazy. And even if Wallace didn’t live up to his billing (and he didn’t), the Bulls still succeeded in removing one of the Pistons’ crucial championship pieces. Maybe Detroit knew something Chicago did not. They look pretty good without Big Ben. Makes we wish Paxson would have pursued KG more.
Chris Webber
To replace Wallace Detroit picked up Webber, the quintessential washed up veteran. Chris Webber is not a winner. He’s in that category of players that are good, but will never win you a championship. Detroit picking up Webber is like the Lakers picking up Karl Malone. It looks good on paper, but it’s never going to work. I mean, five years ago could you imagine a front court of Rasheed Wallace and Chris Webber contending for a championship? Still, surprisingly, the Pistons look like the class of the East.
Regular season
Sure the Pistons finished with the better record, but the Bulls beat the Pistons 3-1 over the course of the season. Yes, the regular season means little to a good team, but you can’t tell me the Pistons couldn’t find motivation to play their best when they faced the Bulls. Chicago, with Wallace, was a legitimate threat to take the Central Division crown.
Playoffs
I was sure the Bulls would beat the Heat, but I was not expecting a sweep. After losing a crucial game to the Nets and backing into the fifth seed, I thought the Heat would give the fight. Instead the Bulls came together and played great team basketball, getting consistent contribution from Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon and Luol Deng. It looked like the Bulls had the maturity to play at the next level, even against the Pistons.
Clearly the Pistons have this series, as possibly the Eastern Conference Championship, well in hand. The Bulls should pull out a win tomorrow in Chicago, but Game 5 in Detroit will be their last.
Let the off-season begin. If I know John Paxson, it should be interesting.