NBA Chicago Bulls

Chicago Bulls Are Still A Notch Below Cleveland Cavaliers

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Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls

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LeBron James caused quite a stir in the NBA world last week when he proclaimed the Chicago Bulls as the team to beat in the East.

Many critics wondered why James was not as cocky with his old/new team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, as he was with the Miami Heat, when he infamously proclaimed the Heat were going to win “Not one, not two, not three.” Yes LeBron, we haven’t forgotten about that.

But that made me think, are the Bulls, that have been missing their All-Star point guard for the past two seasons, really the team everyone should be afraid of instead of the All-Star team assembled in Cleveland?

The answer lies in the middle.

Derrick Rose had a rough start to the preseason, which was natural as he was trying to adjust back to the NBA game. But then, against James’ Cavaliers no less, he displayed the old Rose — the one who is unstoppable going to the basket, can set up his teammates and could make you cry from the outside if you close off his driving lane.

His 30-point performance made everybody step back and mumble all at once, “he has returned.” But this is the preseason, and it remains to be seen if Rose can stay healthy and play at a high level during the regular season.

If he can — combined with the triple towers of Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson, plus the two-way play of Jimmy Butler and the shooting of Doug McDermott, Kirk Hinrich and Mike Dunleavy — you can make an argument the Bulls are right there with the Cavaliers.

But still, I think Cleveland is the team to beat in the East. When a team has the best player in the world, a point guard who plays a similar style as Rose and a power forward who can do it all, plus a solid supporting cast, it’s hard to match.

So, sorry Bulls fans, your team still falls a bit short below the gang from Lake Erie.

Kareem Gantt is a featured writer for Rant Sports. For more from this author, ‘follow’ him on Twitter, ‘like’ him on Facebook, and ‘add’ him to your network on Google.

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