(Photo: NY Times)
Derrick Rose and the 1-1 Chicago Bulls travel to Philly to face the
surprising 2-0 76ers.
The Bulls started their season off with a
loss against the Heat on opening night. They looked overmatched against the
champs, even with their former-MVP back in the lineup. Rose put up mediocre
numbers against the Heat in his first NBA action in over a year. They bounced
back Thursday night against the Knicks and came away with their first win of
the season. Rose played well against the Knicks, including his game-winning
floater with seconds left on the clock, but he still isn't quite back to his
MVP form.
The Sixers are coming off last night's come-back win
against the Wizards. While talent is thin on this young Sixers team, they
certainly do not lack heart. Their hustle alone on both sides of the court has
boosted the surprising Sixers to an undefeated record. They will face a tough
test tonight against this talented Chicago Bulls club.
Matchups to Watch:
Derrick Rose vs Michael Carter-Williams
Rose is still playing at an elite level,
despite what his numbers say. Defensively, Rose is very active. MCW will be
forced to make good decisions with the ball tonight. If he does not, Rose will
have a field day with steals and tipped passes. Turnovers haven't been an issue
for MCW specifically, but the Sixers in general need to take better care of the
ball tonight. Offensively, look for Rose to be in attack mode all night. He
looks to drive first when he has the ball in his hands. He is great at both
creating his own shot, and finding open teammates in positions where they can
make shots. MCW and the Sixers need to hold their ground against the Bulls.
They have to make Rose beat them with his inconsistent jumper instead of
letting him have his way in the paint. The Sixers have the ability to pull this
off due to their great length and athleticism on the defensive end, but it is
all about execution.
Sixers frontcourt vs Bulls frontcourt
Spencer Hawes has been playing extremely productive
basketball for the Sixers so far this season. He will face his toughest test of
the season tonight, going up against the likes of Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer,
and Taj Gibson. He will need his counterpart, Thaddeus Young, to play big
tonight and help him out. The Sixers lack depth at the center and power forward
positions, and Brett Brown may look deep into his bench tonight for help
against this talented Chicago Bulls frontcourt. We may see some Kwame Brown
action for the first time all season. Also look for Daniel Orton to possibly
see more minutes off the bench tonight. While the focus will be on Rose
defensively, the Sixers can't let these big guys loose or else they will kill
them.
Projected Starting Lineups
BULLS:
PG- Derrick Rose
SG- Jimmy Butler
SF- Luol Deng
PF- Carlos Boozer
C- Joakim Noah
SIXERS:
PG- Michael Carter-Williams
SG- James Anderson
SF- Evan Turner
PF- Thaddeus Young
C- Spencer Hawes
Prediction:
I think the Sixers will put up a strong fight for the third game
in a row, but it won't be enough tonight against the Bulls. Carlos Boozer
double-doubles, Derrick Rose finally breaks the 20-point mark for the first
time all season, and the Bulls win one in Philly 111-107.
Follow me on Twitter: @blairhopkins
