NBA semifinals preview: #1 Miami Heat vs #5 Chicago Bulls

Regular season series: Tied 2-2

• January 4: Bulls 96-89 @Heat
• February 21: Heat 86-67 @Bulls
• March 27: Heat 97-101 @Bulls
• April 14: Bulls 93-105 @Heat

As LeBron James stepped off the podium after receiving his fourth MVP trophy in five seasons, he and the rest of the Miami Heat were lasering in on the Chicago Bulls, a team virtually limping into the second round on three legs and one eye.

What extra motivation will fire the Heat up? The genuine dislike between these two teams has been well-documented since these two clubs rose to prominence at the upper end of the Eastern Conference echelon. The Bulls ended the Heat’s 27-game winning streak; a reminder that definitely gets bulletin board material no matter how much the Heat downplays the loss as an ordinary regular season tiff.

The Bulls are also one of only three squads who took down the Heat twice during the 66-win season. It goes without saying that James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh have beef to settle against the Bulls.

James had his way against the Milwaukee Bucks, posting averages of 24.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 6.8 assists, numbers that would have been higher had any of the four games been closer in the fourth quarter. It will be notable to watch if James spends time guarding former teammate Carlos Boozer, who has played exceptionally well against the Heat. That brings up the concern of whether Miami coach Erik Spoelstra can continue using a position-less line-up against the Bulls.

Rebounding has been the Heat’s waterloo. In the two games the defending champions lost, the Bulls had a 91-59 advantage. In the two games the Heat won, the Bulls still out-rebounded them, but with a smaller margin of 84-80. To zoom in on the problem, the Bulls out-hustled the Heat by an average of 8.3 offensive rebounds in their four regular season meetings. Boozer morphs into Dennis Rodman whenever he plays against the Heat, abusing Chris Bosh, Udonis Haslem, and Chris Andersen on the glass and grabbing 15 boards a game.

Bosh will have to step up his effort on the glass, as he only averaged 5.5 rebounds against the Bulls, a slight drop from his 6.8 season average. The nominal center in the Heat's line-up will also need to draw Boozer out of the paint with his reliable mid-range jumper, something he hits at a rate of slightly better than 50 percent, a mark that puts him among the league's best big men from that distance.

Despite a full week of inactivity, the Heat remain cautious about the status of Wade, who is nursing multiple bone bruises in his right knee. The sensation in that area remains sore, and he sat out as a precautionary measure when the Heat swept the Bucks. If Wade is not 100 percent this series, the crack in the door slightly opens for the Bulls.

However, Wade’s condition is relatively mild compared to the adversity the Bulls are facing. Chicago remains unsure regarding the status of Kirk Hinrich and Luol Deng. Hinrich is still sidelined with a calf injury while Deng had to be rushed to the emergency room prior to game seven against the Brooklyn Nets to receive a spinal tap. Joakim Noah’s plantar fasciitis remains an issue, and to top it all off, they have to hope that Nate Robinson’s flu does not relapse, as the last thing the Bulls need is another trash can set up on the bench to contain the diminutive point guard's vomit.

Although Wade is hurt, the Bulls must not rest on their laurels and overlook Ray Allen, who will be reacquainted with the team he took down as a member of the Boston Celtics four years ago. Allen may not explode for 51 points the way he did back in 2009, but through the first round, he has posted averages of 16.5 points, while shooting a blistering 46.4 percent from downtown.

Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau will have to figure out whether second-year man Jimmy Butler guards James or plays tag with Allen around the court. The former is more likely to happen, but expect adjustments as soon as Allen knocks down a couple of threes. Chicago hopes that Marco Belinelli can match Allen shot-for-shot. In the last two games against Brooklyn, Belinelli was forced to play 43 minutes in typical Thibodeau fashion, but the Italian acquitted himself well, scoring an average of 23 points while doing damage from long range, going 6-of-15.

The point guard battle between Mario Chalmers and Robinson will be a curious match-up to keep an eye on. Despite Chalmers’ five-inch height advantage over Robinson, the latter's elite athleticism gives him a distinct edge over the Heat’s point guard, who often settles for threes.

If Robinson gets his rhythm going, Spoelstra’s hand may be forced to play Norris Cole, who is defensively more capable of getting into Robinson’s head but more erratic on the offensive end. How so? There are instances when Cole drives to the baseline but almost always ends up throwing the ball to the corner, rather than creating a shot for himself underneath.

A wildcard that could shake things up is how effective Shane Battier will be at the power forward spot. He was not yet with the Heat when the two teams previously hooked up in the playoffs, and the Heat will be able to use him to stretch the floor on the elbows and corners to give James and Wade a larger room to operate towards the basket.

Both teams are in for a tussle that should stretch a few more games than expected out of sheer heart from the Bulls. There will be no Harlem Shake shenanigans once these two teams cross paths.

Prediction: Heat in 6



- AMD, GMA News