With the playoffs underway, here are some matchups to watch in the Bulls-Wizards series.
5.) Bulls bench vs. Wizards bench
The Bulls bench features 6th man of the year contender Taj Gibson and D.J. Augustin, who will both be in the crunch time lineup. Gibson’s athleticism could give the Wizards some trouble, and defensively he will be very important in managing the Marcin Gortat and Nene. Augustin must have a big series offensively, as he has been the Bulls leading scorer since the Luol Deng trade. However, outside of that, the Bulls lack any sort of depth, with Tony Snell and Jimmer Fredette completely unproven and Nazr Mohammed proven to be average at his best.
The Wizards have trade deadline acquisition Andre Miller, who will pose issues in the post if the Bulls try to guard him with Augustin. Trevor Booker does not match up well, as the Bulls defense gets that much tougher when a non-scorer is on the floor (i.e. Gerald Wallace and Reggie Evans last playoffs for the Nets). Martell Webster provides some decent shooting, but not much else.
Overall, the Bulls have the best player coming off the bench, but the Wizards use a deeper rotation. It’s hard to give an edge to one group, but the Bulls definitely need Gibson and Augustin to be consistent contributors, because there are no other options.
4.) Carlos Boozer vs. Carlos Boozer
Everyone who has watched the Bulls this season knows he is now a first and third quarter player. Yet, the Bulls will need at least a few good efforts from Boozer, because the team simply doesn’t have enough offensive weapons. If he can get going early offensively, it will be a serious boost to the Bulls. If he doesn’t, the margin of error for Chicago goes down drastically.
3.) Randy Wittman vs. Tom Thibodeau
Wittman’s scheme of drive and kick plays right into the hands of Thibodeau’s defense, as the Bulls help off shooters less than any team in the league. The Wizards small forwards often stand around and wait for John Wall to get them looks. It’s hard to get shots against the Bulls without movement away from the ball. Can Wittman adjust and get some looks for his team?
2.) Chicago bigs vs. Wizards bigs
Joakim Noah is the most important player for the Bulls, and he’s going to need to be at his best for them to make any noise this postseason. But Gortat is one of the few centers bulky and cunning enough in the post to give Noah problems. And, if Nene is healthy, the Washington big men could be the deciding factor against the great Bulls defense. Both Nene and Gortat can move the ball well and score in one-on-one matchups, and they’ll need to do just that to take some pressure off wall.
On the other side of the court, it’ll be interesting to see how the Wizards try to take away Noah’s playmaking. If Washington attempts to force him to be a scorer, Noah has the quickness to give Gortat and Nene some trouble.
If Nene isn’t 100%, the Bulls can wear the Wizards down. The Bulls demolished the Wizards the last time the two teams played by outworking them mentally and physically, but that’s more difficult with the heady and talented Nene now back in the fold.
1.) John Wall vs. the Bulls defense
It’s unlikely Wittman tweaks the offense much, even if he should. That puts this series in the hands of Wall, who will need to be the best player on the floor for the Wizards to pull off the win. Wall has to force the Bulls hand, and if he can use his speed to get by Kirk Hinrich or Augustin, and force the Bulls to use Jimmy Butler on him early and often, it can create mismatches on the other side of the floor. He will certainly get a lot of attention from the Bulls big men, who will try to corral him on pick and rolls, forcing him into a slew of midrange jumpers. If Wall spends the series taking contested jumpers, the Bulls will win. If he gets to the rim, draws fouls, and can get his teammates corner threes (which he did better than anyone in the regular season, but not against Chicago), the Wizards should be able to pull out the series.
