Its that time again

Well we now know who the Cavs will be playing in the first round and it will be the Chicago Bulls. We are 2-2 versus the Bulls this year, as our only real loss came in the very beginning of the year, and we lost by 2. Here are some keys to the series.

-The Cavs must work hard to integrate Shaq back into the rotation. Mike Brown must quickly figure out how many minutes everyone should get. Usually there are 8-9 players in the rotation in the playoffs. This means your going to see Mo, Parker, Lebron, Jamison, Shaq, Z, Andy, and either Moon/Jawad/Powe. Your not going to see Green, Telfair, and Gibson play. The reason for this is because the team struggled when first integrating Shaq and Parker, as we started 3-3. We then lost 3 straight when we added Jamison.

-Slowing down Derek Rose will be key because he can drive with his superior speed. Rose is the best player on the Bulls. He is a floor general and we have seen the struggles that Mo Williams has had with quick PG's. Look for West to be checking Rose for a period of time in the series.

-Having Andy on Joakim Noah will be key because these players are very identical. Noah is a great rebounder who plays with a lot of energy and can defend. He is the type of player who can frustrate any opponent.

-The Bulls have some size on their team as Noah is 6'11, Brad Miller is 7'0, Luol Deng is 6'9, and Taj Gibson is 6'9. It will be important for the Cavs to continue to pound the middle with Shaq, and have LeBron and Jamison finish around the basket.

-The Bulls have much less offensive firepower this year than they did last year. They lost Ben Gordon to free agency and traded John Salmons in February. This team depends on Derek Rose and Luol Deng for much of its offense, and if the Cavs can frustrate these 2 players, then they should be fine.

-My hope is to see the Cavs tune up their defensive intensity in this series. Without Shaq in the middle, the Cavs are softer in the middle and did not play as well defensively. Before Shaq hurt his thumb, the Cavs allowed the least amount of points in the paint. The team needs to go back to the tough, hard nosed defense we were used to seeing the last couple years in the playoffs.

-It will be imperative for Mo Williams to get going early in the playoffs. Last year he struggled and it really hurt the Cavs. He needs to play with confidence and hit his shots early. When he is playing well, the Cavs are very hard to beat.

Well folks, I know this is brief but I think it sums up most of my thoughts. I don't think this will be a cakewalk, but the Cavs should be able to get through this series. It will take the Cavs some time to adjust to having Shaq back, along with Jamison. This is why I believe the Cavs might lose a game. My prediction: Cavs in 5.

Thanks for reading and go Cleveland!

-Raz