5 reasons why Chicago Bulls could be Eastern Conference favourites

Nobody is sleeping on the Chicago Bulls this year – But then nobody (outside Chi-town) has them as the favourite to come out the East. Their recent, rare meltdown at home against the red-hot Nuggets did not provide much encouragement either, but every great team this year has had their share of slumps and games they want to simply forget this season (just ask the Clippers and the Heat).

The bottom line is, Chicago finished their latest 6-game road trip on a positive note with a win in Utah, and their success this season has been a collective effort by a team that has bought into Coach Thibs’ defensive philosophy. The scariest part? – Their sole superstar, Derrick Rose, has not yet returned.

Here are 5 reasons why the Bulls have a very solid case to be the last team standing in the East come June :

Another stellar year by Deng

Another year, another all-star snub for Luol Deng by the Leagues’ head coaches. The man has shouldered much of the load in Rose’s absence – averaging 17 ppg, and just under 7 rpg. He remains the perimeter defensive specialist for the team and has not disappointed in that department either this season. Everyone knows LeBron James cannot be completely stopped, but Deng is arguably the best option possible to contain the King come post-season.

Defence is actually practised as preached

Every team talks about the importance of defence, few actually go out and show it on a consistent basis. The Bulls are second in opponent’s field goal percentage, and third in opponent points per game; a tribute to what Thibs has been preaching. A championship team has always had a dependable defence to fall back on, always.

Learning without their leader

The silver lining of Rose’s absence is that everyone else has gained experience while grinding out wins all season, all without their best player. They will now have the confidence to step up during the big situations when called upon in big playoff games, once the offence diverts back to being led by Rose.

The return of Rose

This hardly needs any rationalization, but I’ll give some anyway. With the return of the former MVP, the Bulls have their best scoring threat, offence facilitator and game closer back at their disposal. Rose will not only be back but will have played a good amount of games to dust the rust off before the real season begins.

Chip on the Ol’ Shoulder

This Bulls squad always compete hard and tough against the Heat, especially in the playoffs. They felt they had what it took to beat Miami in the 2011 Eastern conference finals. You can be sure that they won’t forget about it if the two meet again. It helps to have a bitter memory as an additional drive during a slugfest.