Carlos Boozer has been, of late, much-maligned by pretty much everyone who's watched the Chicago Bulls begin their quest for an NBA Championship. The Bulls certainly need Boozer to play well to make it all the way, and the Atlanta Hawks' tandem of Al Horford and Josh Smith pose a serious challenge for Chicago, especially Boozer.
Bulls Vs. Hawks Predictions: Atlanta Big Men Not Enough To Counter Derrick Rose
But Derrick Rose is something else, and unless Kirk Hinrich heals quickly, the Hawks are going to be left defending the presumptive MVP with a two-guard (Joe Johnson, Jamal Crawford) or Jeff Teague. Good luck.
Rose has been a champ at getting to the foul line here in the NBA Playoffs, and it's my guess that he'll continue the trend against Atlanta. Add in Luol Deng, a consistent force on both ends, and Joakim Noah, a sterling defender in his own right and an underrated passer, and Chicago is an imposing opponent. Atlanta struggled on offense much of the season, and Chicago has the best defense in the world. It'll take Jamal Crawford keeping up his hot stretch against a team he struggled against in the regular season to save Atlanta. Chicago in 5.
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