Chicago Bulls Vs. Philadelphia 76ers - NBA Preview
The much awaited game between the Chicago Bulls and Philadelphia 76ers on 1st February at Wells Fargo Center has almost arrived. Both teams will be facing each other for the 1st time in the season.
Bulls, with 18 wins under their belt, stand 1st in the Eastern conference, while Sixers are at 4th with 15 wins in the same conference.
There is a latent history between the two as in the last season that makes this upcoming match so enticing. Bulls lost the series 2-1 and they will have their pride and reputation at stake going into the game.
After defeating the Sixers by 121-76 in the first game, that witnessed Derrick Rose securing an impressive double-double of 22 points and 12 assists, they lost the two following games to Philadelphia.
When it comes to Chicago Bulls it’s all about Derrick Rose, he is the wind beneath the Bull’s wings and the centrepiece in their team.
“Rose is Rose” no doubt that one of the most gifted players. The way he executes the most difficult shots conveniently is a real treat for the fans. No matter how strong the defence stands he always manages to penetrate it.
But is it rational to rely upon one player all alone? Bulls’ track record makes it evident that whenever Rose performs the way he is expected to, they win, however in the matches in which he is off colour Bulls lose.
Before competing against Indiana Pacers, Rose had an average of 16 field goal attempts, but since then he has been averaging around 22.7 attempts.
That reflects greatly upon Rose’s grading but it has a flip side. With additional scoring burden placed upon him, his assists per game had declined to 5 from 8 per game, an attribute unlikely for a successful point guard.
Chicago Bulls have to renew their strategy as they cannot expect Rose to play for 48 minutes straight; one must not forget that Rose has recently recovered from an injury. Putting up such mammoth efforts can clearly hamper his
fitness.
When it comes to Philadelphia 76ers, they don’t have a deity on board. Rather they are a team which encompasses young and enthusiastic players. One couldn’t find a substantive score from a single entity in Sixers. They have a perfect
chemistry amongst themselves and that what makes them win.
Philadelphia might be flying high at the moment, but critics have pointed out that they have yet to be properly tested. Their opponents so far have been teams not considered to be of a high enough pedigree, but that will change
when they face off against the Bulls.
76ers are graded as the best defence team in the league restricting the adversaries to 87 points per game.
The upcoming match will be a metal test for both the teams, will the Bulls be able to penetrate the perfectly devised defence, and will the Sixers be able to keep up with the current pace.
This showdown will be remembered in annuls of history as one of the most exciting games.
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