This week we’re looking at how the Sixers will fare in some potential playoff matchups. Yesterday we looked at the Celtics and came to the conclusion that the C’s are not a good matchup for the Sixers ousting them in no less than five games.
Today we’ll look at the Chicago Bulls, who are currently tied with Boston for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The Sixers, after last night are tied for the sixth seed with the New York Knicks (tiebreaker places them seventh).
Sixers/Bulls
Many think that the Sixers match up with the Bulls better than any of the other potential playoff opponents. The Bulls have IMO the NBA’s MVP in Derrick Rose who is surrounded by the likes of Luol Deng, Joakim Noah and free agent acquisition Carlos Boozer. That’s about all of the scoring punch that the Bulls have from their stars. Taj Gibson, Ronnie Brewer and Kyle Korver provide help off of the pine. The Bulls separate themselves from other teams with a stifling defense that is implemented by Tom Thibodeau, the architect of the Boston Celtics defense.
In this series, the Sixers bench will pose a huge problem for the Bulls – on the other hand the Bulls rotation isn’t deep and lacks production, which means more minutes from the starters. Lou Williams, Thaddeus Young, Marresse Speights and Evan Turner are the NBA’s best bench and need to live up to that billing in this series.
As for the starters the Sixers will make this a series, the Bulls for all of their strengths are weak at the “2” spot, I think that Jodie Meeks can hold his own against Keith Bogans but he better be prepared to do more than just spot up. Meeks will need to create off of the dribble and use the screens and picks being set. Jrue Holiday will have his biggest test in going up against Derrick Rose. It’s no shame in giving up 25 points to Rose – as long as Holiday plays his game and makes Rose work just as hard on the defensive end of the floor.
Lou Williams will definitely make Rose work from a defensive standpoint and we can only hope that the experience of being in big games late pays off for rookie Evan Turner. There was a time when many thought that Luol Deng and Andre Iguodala were the same player. I think over time Deng has remained a consistent scorer when healthy while Iguodala has been effective on both ends of the floor and serves as the team’s “point forward” when needed.
Don’t be surprised to see Iguodala on Rose in critical situations.
The series will be decided in the paint. Elton Brand, Spencer Hawes and Marresse Speights have to match the energy of Joakim Noah 
and Taj Gibson. Carlos Boozer is averaging about 15 points and 8 rebounds in the past two months after coming out of the gate averaging 20/10. Kurt Thomas is pulling down six boards a game and is the team physical presence in the paint.
I’m confident that Speights can make a huge contribution at the “four” or “five” spot. Speights’ ability to consistently knock shots down from 15 feet will open things up for Brand and Hawes. Reserve Thaddeus Young is key in this spot as his athleticism will be a key to the Sixers hopes.
This is a better than good opportunity for the Sixers – Boston would smother them, while a series with the Bulls will allow them to see their growth and exactly what they would need to advance.
Bulls in a hard seven.
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Great article. We can only hope we get the bulls in the first round. Boozer is a load in the post and noah is a maniac on the court like a watered down dennis rodman lol so as you mentioned in the paint is where the game will be won or loss for either side. Our bench is also key. Id take our bench over any other in the league bc we have players that could be starters coming off of it. So we d win that battle. We do our best containing rose (iggy do work) then keeping noah, boozer, and gibson off the boards we can in fact win this series. I’m very confident in that bc the bulls don’t have much playoff experience themselves. The playoffs are much different then the regular season just ask the mavs they always finish in the top 2 or 3 in the west then get ousted faster than they entered.
So I’m confident that this is the best matchup for the sixers in the first round.
Also we have good defensive guard play. Both meeks and holiday get in your shirt on defense and can annoy you and cause turnovers, iggy being able to defend anyone on the court is also huge
How can you say the Bulls rotation isn’t deep? They have one of the deepest teams in the league and many think their bench is the best in the league. In fact I just read the other day that statistically, their bench is the best 5 man defensive unit in the league.
ur absolutely crazy. not a chance, SWEEP by the BULLS.
I see very little chance versus the Bulls,
I think the Sixers match up ok and can beat in the Heat
and maybe win a game or 2 versus the Celtics, but they do not match up well at all verus the Bulls who I think with be the Eastern Conference CHamps
Rose is unstoppable and should be the NBA MVP this Season, then you add in Deng,Boozer, Noah, Taj Gibson and R Brewer.. this is a tough team that’s built to win now and the next few seasons if they stay heathly..
Alex, I’m talking in terms of scoring depth maybe I should’ve emphasized that. It should be interesting since the Sixers are one of the best scoring benches in the League and can hold their own defensively as well.
wmonell, I’ll bet money the Bulls won’t sweep the Sixers.
if the situation presented itself, you really think the 76ers can beat the mvp, coach of the year, and best bench in the league. the 2nd unit of the bulls gains leads and expands the lead. they can score within their roles, and are the best defensively. these are all facts and the bulls now have deng at his natrual 3rd option role, and boozer the low-post player theyve been missing for years.
sixers bench is the best scoring, but brand getting 15 & 7
iggy doing his thing, thaddeus off the bench, theres still a missing ingredient
doug collins should be runner-up coach of the year along with greg popovich
the bulls are back and the sixers will be a top 4 seed next season with another front-court scorer. they are one of the best teams in basketball dating back before the all-star break
they can beat any of the other teams
well of the top 3 seeds clearly we’d want the bulls
no shot vs miami or boston
wmonell – I never said they would beat the Bulls, I believe my prediction was a hard-fought series lost in 7 games, maybe even 6. But I know this team isn’t going to get swept by anyone they face in the playoffs. They’re only a 7th seed right now because of the slow start and that’s the way the cookie crumbles but don’t write these cats off like they’re the Bobcats.