With the number one seed locked up and a first round date with the Pacers guaranteed, it is time to start looking ahead as the rest of the regular season is now meaningless. The series is guaranteed to not go too long as, no offense to the Pacers, but the Bulls are a much better team. In the best case scenario for the Bulls, it ends in a four game series leading to plenty of rest for the Bulls starters.
Going into the playoffs, it is clear that Derrick Rose is the Bulls superstar and that he will have the ball in his hands during the last few minutes of the game. And he certainly will turn in plenty of thirty plus point nights throughout the playoffs.
But who will be the X-Factor, the difference between a playoff run and a championship? First, the way I define X-Factor is a player who can change the flow of the game on both sides of the court. One could say Carlos Boozer, but his lack of defense makes him a low-post threat, not an X-Factor. Also, one could say Joakim Noah, but he is more of a defensive presence than a scorer. Again, he cannot be an X-Factor then.
That leaves Luol Deng. Deng will without a doubt be the player that determines ...
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Article written by Sean O'Dowd
2011 NBA Playoffs: Who Will Be the Chicago Bulls X-Factor?
April 9th, 2011 by Sean O'Dowd Leave a reply »
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