The Chicago Bulls can have modest to great success in the NBA playoffs. This is in spite of how they are ending the season, needing a win just to reach the .500 mark for the month of April.
Their struggles are primarily due to having several key players injured. The Bulls have had three different starting lineups in 10 games.
Postseason play in any sport is the ultimate reward for teams that have had a good year. Each team qualifying for the playoffs has a chance at a championship.
After playing the entire season without Derrick Rose, their best player, no one knows what to expect from the Bulls. It is still uncertain if Rose, out after tearing his ACL, will get past the multitude of hurdles in order to play. The dynamic of the team changes depending on whether or not Rose plays.
There are a few critical keys that must work in the Bulls' favor in order for them to advance to the next round. Health is just one of them.
Being 100 percent healthy is impossible at this stage of the year. The only player on the Bulls who can claim to be healthy is, ironically, Rose. The rest of the team is a walking mash unit.
Their importance to the team is unspeakable. Slashers are discouraged to enter the paint while Noah and Gibson are patrolling it.
Here is where the last few games come in handy. You have a couple of players who need the playing time under their belts, i.e. Noah and Gibson. Somehow they must be implemented into the rotation during the postseason and without either of them playing a lot of minutes.
This can be accomplished if Bulls' head coach Tom Thibodeau utilizes a strategy he has seldom taken advantage of; he must use the television timeouts to rest his tired players.
Generally a television timeout will last anywhere between two to three minutes. There is no reason why Thibodeau cannot not take advantage of this. Giving extra rest to the frontcourt players will keep them fresh.
One of the biggest positives working in the Bulls' favor is their frontcourt. If they can remain healthy and play to their capabilities, the Bulls can defeat their first-round opponent—regardless of which team they face.
Butler is the Bulls' X-factor because he adds so much to the team, yet he rarely gets the recognition. From defense to offense, he has become a godsend for a club that needed some positivity after the season they have suffered.
Is it too soon for Butler to be regarded as one of the premiere defenders, one worthy of an NBA All-Defensive selection?
Halting an offense is a team effort, yet Butler stands out as a great individual defender who works seamlessly in the Bulls' team concept.
When he was drafted, many considered him to be a hustle player. He was one who would limit the mistakes and do the dirty work, such as diving for loose balls, setting screens and boxing out a player while rebounding.
When the Bulls need a key stop, Butler's name gets called. He goes out there, regardless of who he is assigned to guard.
As a wing player, his rebounding is awesome, snagging 6.4 RPG over the last 10 games and averaging 4.0 RPG the entire season.
His scoring and shooting has improved tremendously now that he is a starter. Scoring 10.8 PPG after the All-Star break is a far cry from the 7.3 PPG prior to it.
If Butler continues the steady climb, he will add an element to the Bulls on offense that opposing teams have not prepared themselves for. He is an athletic, versatile player with the potential to make a turn toward becoming a star in the playoffs.
If the Bulls can avoid injuries, they will be fine once the postseason tips off. They can match size with size playing against any team, plus healthy bodies improve their chances to advance.
The first playoff game will mark the first time he gets any meaningful minutes in postseason play. When he attempts a shot, makes a shot, grabs a rebound and scores a point, it will be his first time doing so on the big stage in his career.
The spotlight has not been too big for him thus far, but if the Bulls make it to the next round, it will be greatly attributed to his contributions.
Via: Soccer Young Boys Bern - FC Lausanne Sports - Swiss Super League
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