Bulls v Pistons Playoff Preview

The two teams come into the ECF on similar terms.  The Bulls were a pre-season favorite to reach this stage as became apparent after an informal poll of the league, while the Pistons dominated the ECF for much of the regular season.  Both teams have had some mild scares this postseason already, as the Pistons were pushed to 7 games with the Raptors in round 1, and the Bulls were pushed to 6 games by the Knicks in round 2.  Both teams come into the series with a clean bill of health, and some fairly evenly balanced rosters.  We should be in for a great series here to determine who will take home the Eastern Conference crown in the NSL this season. 

 

Lineup Comparison:

Point Guards

Kyle Lowry vs Patty Mills

This is a closer matchup than the 2k overalls would suggest.  Patty Mills is a great shooter and facilitator in this engine, and should prove to be a potent offensive source for the Bulls in this one.   Lowry brings a bit more to the defensive end of the court, by his highly impressive 3.5 steals per game average.  To go along with that impressive steal total he also averages over 30 points and 10 assists per game.  The edge goes to Lowry here, but I recon the matchup is closer than the numbers would suggest.

 

Shooting Guards

Kyrie Irving vs John Wall

Whew, this is a very high level matchup.  2 of the most exciting guards in the game, with 2 drastically different play styles.  Wall wins with speed and athleticism while Kyrie wins with skill and finesse.  Kyrie averaged an insane 41 PPG this season, while shooting 60% from the field and 50% from 3.  These are numbers that are rare even in a video game format, so what Irving has done this season is truly remarkable.  Wall averaged a more modest 17 points per game, but did tac on 1.6 steals per game.  Wall is much more potent on the defensive end, and will need to keep Kyrie in check this series if the Bulls are to have any real success.  Advantage to Kyrie, this one is a bit wider than the gap between the starting PG�s.

 

Small Forwards

Melo vs Brad Beal

Melo vs Brad Beal, the old school vs the new school, the vet vs the kid�well not so much a kid anymore.  Brad Beal is a massive source of output for the Bulls.  He averaged over 36 points per game, and was no slouch on the other end of the floor totaling over two steals per game as well.  Beal should be the more effective of the duo being compared here, but Melo can still certainly fill the thing up.  He was one of the few players in the NSL this season that shot better from deep than he did from the floor(45% vs 52%).  Unfortunately he�s not even putting up 2 3 pointers per game for the Pistons so his impact is less than what one might perceive.  Large edge here goes to Beal who should be able to exploit this matchup in favor of the Bulls.

 

Power Forwards

AD vs Bam

Another powerhouse matchup, AD is not necessarily old, but he is much more seasoned than the young gun Bam Adebayo who�s first large contract will just kick in next season. The pair of big men have similar strengths and weaknesses, especially with regards to the role they play in the PF spot for their respective teams. Both adept down low in the offensive and defensive areas, and both lack extended range, though AD is well ahead of Bam in this regard.  Both bring some playmaking chops to their teams and are expected to have a decent amount of time with the ball in their hands.  AD is the superior version of Bam, that just is what it is.  I expect both players to nullify the other a bit on defense, but AD should come out on top in this star-studded matchup.  Slight edge goes to AD and the Pistons.

 

Centers

Gobert vs Whiteside

Another great matchup here down low, as the ECF finals will present some of the best big man matchups we have seen all seen.  This one will be no different as the Stifle Tower faces off against the 2k Glitch in Hassan Whiteside.  Whiteside is a fine player in the NBA, but pails in comparison to his 2k counterpart.  Whiteside averaged only 8.8 PPG, but supplied his team with more than 14 rebounds per game.  He also has one of the highest +/- numbers amongst players on his team with a respectable 9.9.  He should matchup well against a similar profile, a defensive difference maker who makes his money off of blocks and rebounds.  It is fair to say that Gobert provides more on the defensive end, as evident by his 3.2 BPG vs Whitesides 2.1.  Like Whiteside Gobert adds next to nothing on the offensive end, as he finished the season with a PPG total of just over 6 points per game.  This matchup is much closer than the overall would suggest, and because of Whiteside�s versatility I would give him the very slight edge.  I think this is likely a wash though. 

 

Benches

Advantage Chicago Bulls.  They just have much more in the form of real role players, scorers, and staunch defenders.  Simply put, the Chicago bench fits better and has all the pieces needed to succeed.  Javale McGee is huge in this rendition of 2k, Lou Will can fill it up, and Cody Zeller still has a highly respectable game.  On the other hand the Pistons trot out Anfernee Simmons, Tristan Thompson, and Jeff Green.  These are all fine and formidable role players but I do not think they quite meet the potency of the Bulls bench.

 

Prediction:

I�ve got the Pistons winning this thing in 7.  I think it goes to the wire, and also think both teams steal a rode win.  If the Pistons can run their starters for 35+ minutes a night they may run away with this thing, but this is still 2k, and we need to expect the unexpected.  Now how about a ballsy prediction?  We will see multiple 40 point games from both Bradley Beal and Kyrie Irving in this series, and Kyrie will take home ECF finals MVP!