Predict the Series Bulls Cavs

[Drucci]

Chicago in 6, by stealing homecourt in one of the first games and then winning all their games at home.

[LGC88]

Bulls in 6 because they can play defense when they get serious (cavs don't).
They gave away 2 games against the bucks and they learn from their mistake.
Rose was at 50%, I expect him to elevate his game during this series.
Cavs will try to survive with jump shots, I'll give them 2 games for their talents, not more.
I'm fed up of the "talent wins title", that is only partially true, you need to have a solid defensive team first, then team play and talent make the difference at the end of the series.
Sorry cavs, please try again.

[PhoSita]

Chicago in 6, by stealing homecourt in one of the first games and then winning all their games at home.

Fun fact I heard on a podcast recently -- LeBron has won a road game in something like 19 or 20 straight playoff series.

That's (a) absolutely crazy and (b) tough news for the Bulls, who really need to win one of those first two games and then hold home court in games 3 and 4 in order to have a good chance of winning this series.

[SHAQATTACK]

Cavs in 7 .

Hey I hate the Cavs .....but if we re betting my money ....LeQueen is chomping at the bit to get his next title.

I would say Cavs in Six ...but Smith being out couple games and him making some bonehead plays should extend the Cavs to Seven


Rose and Noah are just playing good to very good so far .   ...they really need to step it up on LeBron

They will need maximum energy 48 minutes and play like real Stars the whole time to have a chance.

[Granath]

Bulls take game 1. After Cleveland's thuggish actions in the series against Boston and then their constant whining about it afterwards, nothing makes me happier than to see them lose.

If they win this series, Olynyk will need a police escort when the Cs next play in Cleveland. Good job KO!

[chambers]

Really could be anything.

A sweep or a 7 game thriller.
Lebron needs to command the ball though from the get go.
I'll take a wild guess and hope that the Bulls win it in 5 games.

[Moranis]

Cavs in 6 or 7 even after the game 1 loss.

[Waew]

Bulls know how to defend

[manl_lui]

tough one for me, because the Cavs are without Love and JR for 1 more game. If Bulls take game 2, then I got Bulls in 6. Besides that, I just hope LeBron lose, and my hatred for JR

[acieEarl]

If this Bulls can win game 2 in Cleveland, Lebron will fold. We've seen this with his past Cleveland teams. Not predicting a Bull sweep, but if the Bulls get game 2, they win in 5.

[SHAQATTACK]

If this Bulls can win game 2 in Cleveland, Lebron will fold. We've seen this with his past Cleveland teams. Not predicting a Bull sweep, but if the Bulls get game 2, they win in 5.

I agree......LeBron folds if Bulls win game 2

[SHAQATTACK]

Bulls know how to defend

Le Diva ...know how to cry , complain and flop .......he owns the  refs

[PhoSita]

Bulls looked convincing in Game 1.  Cavs were happy to let Rose and Gasol take mid-range jumpers, and they got killed from that area as a result.

Bulls are going to have a chance in every game of this series, and so long as Rose, Butler, and Gasol remain healthy, that trio should be enough to overwhelm the Cavs.

Still going to be a close series, but I feel good about my Bulls in 6 prediction.  Cavs just don't have the pieces to adequately defend, and Rose appears healthy enough to largely offset the advantage the Cavs have offensively at the point guard position.

[celticsclay]

Maybe this is just me, but I really think it is pretty good for the league if the Bulls win. The Bulls have actually built a team over team that plays together with very well connected skill sets.

They have two lottery picks that they drafted (Rose, Noah)
A lower drafted developing star (Butler who they deserve a ton of credit for drafting)
A foreign player that developed overseas and came over to play a key role (Mirotic)
A veteran sharpshooter (Dunleavy)
A mid-level grizzled vet that signed on to play on a contending team at a mid-level contract (Gasol)
Low priced veterans that signed on to play in the system (Brooks, Kirk H)
A steady reserve big that has played in the system for many years (Gibson)

Minus Gasol most of these players have been together for 3-4 years. You contrast to the Cavs were they only have two rotation players that were on the team a year ago (Irving, Thompson) and it feels like much more of a team. You couple that with Cleveland losing their already limited depth with the Love injury and the Smith suspension, and now they are really paying the price for awarding three rosters spots to Lebron's friends that can no longer play playoff minutes (Jones, Miller, Marion). If the Cavs can still win this series with just two stars and a group of guys that have been together for 30 games it doesn't speak well for team building or the importance of depth.

[D Dub]

Chicago looks poised to take them out, and I don't see Cleveland being able to make any kind of adjustment to stop them.  Blatt has failed miserably at creating any kind of 'system'.  The fact that Kyrie is still jacking up 3's early in the shot clock before any of his teammates even touch the ball -- is a problem.  Thing is, he can make some of these bad shots, so then LBJ feels like he needs to do the same so he can preserve his ego.  Reminds me very much of that first year in Miami, when he and Wade just took turns going iso. 

The other problem Cleveland has is Pau Gasol.  They have literally no answer for the big man.  Neither Thompson or Mozgov is well enough equipped to guard him (Love wouldn't have been either).  Once he gets that outside jumper going, everything opens up for Rose and Butler. 

Cleveland has all the talent in the world, but they don't work together and it waters down the entire teams effectiveness.  Tell ya what else, they aren't very entertaining either with how often LBJ resorts to driving flops and whining to the refs.  If you think its bad on normal TV, watch a game via TNT overtime with all the extreme close-ups and you really get to see how he lobbies the officials nearly every play, and 100% every break in action while his teammates are in the huddle.  Despicable the way he carries himself, really.