Running with the Bulls

And so it begins...

The Miami Heat will kick off their highly anticipated postseason by hosting the Chicago Bulls for the first round. Being inhospitable will be key for the Heat, as they have home court advantage and will look to fine tune their attack against the tough, young Bulls.

With one of the best defenses in the NBA, leading the league in FG% allowed (42.7%), this will be no easy task for the Heat. Recovering from the recent injuries of Alonzo Mourning, Jason Williams and James Posey, the Heat are charged with not only getting their starting unit up to speed, but also with getting the anchor on their bench firmly entrenched into playoff mode. The fire is definetly there with Zo, and the experience, too, but will his timing be there? Will his familiarity with the offense be sufficient enough to help this Heat team dispense the Bulls quickly?

In truth, it won't matter.

Zo's contribution to this team will be his defensive presence and energy. He has been able to single-handedly, at times, whip up the Heat and rally them to victory when his teammates got stale. His shot blocking and challenges around the basket make the 2nd unit of the Heat one of the toughest to score on.

And what about Posey and Williams? Williams' chronic knee tendonitis flares up and is too painful to overcome in back to back contests. Thankfully, the playoffs don't have back to backs - and this will aid Jason who has been resting and rehabbing since the beginning of April.

Posey, before going down with injury, was the Heat's starting SF and main perimeter defender. On offense, his only task was to take what was given to him - and he did. His three point shot fell from the sky at a career high 40.3% this season (in his last three games, the first he has played in since Mar. 29, he is 3/9 from three point range).

But it is the Bulls that have given the Heat some fits this season. The Heat are 2-1 against the Bulls this season, but the two wins were by a total of 4 points. Jason Williams missed the Dec. 13th game, and only Shandon Anderson missed the Mar. 18th contest - so the Heat were basically at full strength.

Dwyane Wade was also frustrated in both of those wins, shooting 6-17 in the first game and 1-8 with 10 turnovers in the second win.

So, the stage is set. The Bulls will be coming to Miami and hoping that with their strong perimeter defense and excellent guard play, they can expose a weakness in the Heat and steal the series.

Finally, the real season can begin. All the whispers of underachieving can be silenced - for now. The big gamble of Pat Riley will either come to fruition or will bankrupt him in this postseason. Win or go home. For the Heat, the long strange trip really begins here and now.