Chicago Bulls (1) vs. Atlanta Hawks (5)

Original pick: Chicago over Orlando 4-2

Key Match-ups:

PG: Derrick Rose vs. Jeff Teague

SG: Keith Bogans/Kyle Korver vs. Jamal Crawford

SF: Luol Deng vs. Joe Johnson

PF: Carlos Boozer vs. Josh Smith

C: Joakim Noah vs. Al Horford

            Chicago got here by impressing nobody in defeating the Indiana Pacers 4-1. The Hawks got to this round by shocking the NBA world, defeating Superman and his Muggle teammates. Chicago needs to step up and play like the top seed everyone expected to see coming into the postseason. DRose has been his spectacular self, carrying the Bulls through round 1. Second year man Jeff Teague replaces former Bull Kirk Hinrich (hand injury) in the unenviable role of trying to stop Rose. Teague has his coach’s confidence, stating he is the quickest player on the team, and has the best shot of anyone on the roster in containing the MVP. Atlanta also has the long, athletic wing and post players to help Teague and make life difficult for Rose. Regardless, expect him to find a way to have a monster series, as he has done so all season. In game 1, you couldn’t have asked the Hawks to play better D on Rose, and he still came away with 24/10/5.

            Rose’s dominance is not in question, but he needs a little help from his friends. Specifically, Carlos Boozer needs to start earning the $80 million the Bulls paid him to be the post presence this franchise hasn’t had since they traded away Elton Brand. It’s not so much his underwhelming stats (14/8 in game 1) it is the way  he is underperforming. Instead of simply missing a shot, Boozer’s mishaps often result in a four-point swing the other way. I saw it numerous times against the Pacers, and on several more occasions on Monday night. The Bulls have to find a way to get Boozer going. He will be trying to break free from his slump against one of the premiere athletes in the game in Josh Smith. Smith can be a complete game changer on the defensive end, and will be there to help curtail Rose. Boozer cannot be outscored by Smith if the Bulls want to be playing the next round.

            Luol Deng, on the other hand, has looked like a legitimate All-Star and Robin to Derrick Rose’s Batman. If there has been a huge non-Rose play for Chicago in the playoffs, it has come from Deng. He gets the tough buckets, driving across the lane, through contact, finishing with an assortment of runners and lay-ins around the goal. He’s always been an exceptional perimeter defender. Joe Johnson will continue to play a huge role in this series, but he will not have another night like Game 1 (12/18 from the field, 5/5 from the three point line).

             Both the Hawks and Bulls have a closer and three-point extraordinaire in the forms of Jamal Crawford and Kyle Korver. Crawford is the better all-around player, and, with his quickness, is a difficult cover for Korver. Tom Thibedeau will be earning his Coach of the Year Award in this series, as he will have to do a lot offense-defense substituting at the end of the games with Korver and Keith Bogans or, preferably, Ronnie Brewer. Brewer has the capability of shutting down Crawford, while Bogans can give the Bulls a big boost at the start by knocking down open threes. Korver hit huge threes off Rose’s penetration late in games to help them get out of Indiana. He held up his end of the bargain again on Monday night, but the Bulls could not stop a red-hot Joe Johnson.

            Joakim Noah vs. Al Horford is one of the most intriguing match-ups in the playoffs. The former teammates won two NCAA titles together at Florida. Both are slightly undersized as centers, so it should come as somewhat of a relief to be playing the other, as opposed to Dwight Howard. Noah is the more energetic scrapper, while Horford has the more polished (and much better looking) offensive game. Their contributions should cancel each other out, as Horford will get slightly more points, but Noah should have a small edge in rebounds and blocked shots. The relationship of the former teammates will be strained in this one, as they duke it out in a long series.

            Atlanta has been playing out of its mind thus far in the playoffs, where Chicago has yet to peak. I expect things to balance out some in this one.

Modified Pick: Chicago 4-3