[Tommy]

From The Sports Network
By Brian Gillespie, NBA analyst


CHICAGO BULLS: 4th Seed, East (47-35)

WASHINGTON WIZARDS: 5th Seed, East (45-37)

(Sports Network) - A pair of franchises that haven't appeared in the postseason since the late 1990's will face-off in the opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, as the Chicago Bulls will take on the Washington Wizards starting Sunday at the United Center.

There is an interesting link between the franchises, as Michael Jordan spent time with both teams during his illustrious career. Jordan was a success with Chicago, leading it to six championships. In fact, the Bulls are back in the postseason for the first time since Jordan supposedly retired in 1998.

Jordan got impatient with retirement and decided to invest in the Wizards just 1 1/2 years after calling it quits from Chicago, The future Hall of Famer became part owner and director of operations for the Wizards before eventually returning to the court for the club. Jordan's return to the hardwood paid dividends in ticket sales for the Wizards, but didn't get them to the postseason. His diminished on-court skills and poor front office decisions eventually cost him his job with the organization.

Ironically, after jettisoning Michael Jordan in May 2003, the Wizards decided to bring in another Jordan in head coach Eddie Jordan to take the reins. One year after leading the Wizards to just 25 wins in his inaugural campaign, Eddie Jordan has led a meteoric turnaround for the Wizards, as they have increased their win total by 20 games and are in the postseason for the first time since 1997.

One of the keys to the Wizards' renaissance this season has been the play of offseason acquisition Antawn Jamison. Washington surrendered Jerry Stackhouse, Christian Laettner and the rights to lottery pick Devin Harris to Dallas for Jamison and the deal has paid off in a big way. Jamison has posted 19.6 points and a team-best 7.6 rebounds in his initial campaign with Washington, but has struggled with a bum knee down the stretch of the season. It will crucial for Jamison to play at a high level in this series for the Wizards to be successful.

Jamison and guard Gilbert Arenas both earned All-Star selections, marking the first time since 1977 that a pair of Washington players were named to the All- Star roster. Arenas has been the Wizards' go-to-guy, registering 25.2 points (7th-NBA), 5.1 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.74 steals (6th) per contest.

The Wizards, who began as the Chicago Packers in 1961 before moving to Baltimore and eventually ending up in the nation's capital in 1974, haven't won a playoff series since the 1981-82 campaign. Washington has dropped seven straight postseason sets, including its last in a three-game sweep at the hands of Michael Jordan and the Bulls in 1997.

Since Michael Jordan exited stage left, the Bulls have been slowly building their franchise through lottery selections and they have finally netted results this season. Chicago, which had suffered through seven consecutive seasons in which they won no more than 30 games, managed 45 victories under head coach Scott Skiles this season.

The "Baby" Bulls have relied on a wealth of youngsters to get the job done, including second-year guard Kirk Hinrich, rookie of the year candidate Ben Gordon and 22-year-old center Eddy Curry. However, the Bulls will have to do without both Curry (irregular heartbeat) and lottery pick Luol Deng (wrist) for the entire postseason. Curry, who was the Bulls' leading scorer (16.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg), will be sorely missed.

Chicago will have to make most its hay from the perimeter in this series, as Hinrich, Gordon and fellow rookie guard Chris Duhon will have to pick up the slack in Curry's absence. Veteran center Antonio Davis and 22-year-old big man Tyson Chandler will likely split Curry's minutes.

Thanks to Michael Jordan, the Bulls have won 12 consecutive playoff series and haven't lost a postseason set since 1995. Chicago hasn't dropped a first round series since 1987, when it was swept in three games by the Boston Celtics.

Washington won two of three meetings between these teams during the regular season, including a 93-82 victory in their most recent contest at the MCI Center on April 13. Washington has won nine of 12 and 11 of the last 15 meetings overall.

FRONTCOURT: With Curry and Deng out, the Bulls are pretty thin along the frontcourt with both Davis and Chandler being forced to play too many minutes. Chandler and Davis are both capable rebounders, but their scoring abilities leave a lot to be desired.

Chicago can only hope that relative unknown small forward Andres Nocioni and veteran power forward Othella Harrington can provide solid minutes in this series. Nocioni has shown the ability to score during the stretch run, but he must be more consistent. Meanwhile, Harrington is a big body that can occasionally get into double-digits in scoring.

Chicago won't likely have an answer for Jamison, who has posted 17.3 points and 12.3 rebounds per contest against it this season. The University of North Carolina product's unique combination of perimeter and post accuracy will likely wreak havoc with the Bulls' defensive rotations.

Washington is limited a bit at the small forward position with inexperienced Jared Jeffries on the court. Jeffries has been wildly inconsistent this season and has the tendency to disappear very easily in games.

Another inconsistent contributor to the Wizards' frontcourt is center Brendan Haywood, who depending on the night can be a star or a goat. Haywood has improved his post play in recent years, but his focus tends to wane.

Neither of these frontcourts do much to scare opponents away, but the presence of Jamison is enough for the Wizards to have the edge.

EDGE: WASHINGTON

BACKCOURT: Both of these squads have lethal backcourts which will battle in this set. Arenas and Washington backcourt mate Larry Hughes have been breaking down defenses all year long with their abilities to both shoot and slash to the hoop.

Hughes is the defensive specialist for the Wizards, leading the league in steals per contest (2.8). The 26-year-old, who has finally matured in his seventh year in the league, has also posted 22.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game.

Chicago's backcourt of Hinrich and Duhon with Gordon coming off the bench will not make life easy on Arenas and Hughes. Hinrich has been a stabilizing force in Chicago offense this season, registering 15.7 points and dishing out 6.4 assists per contest.

Meanwhile, Gordon has been spectacular with 15.1 points off the pine, including 40 percent from three-point range. Duhon, who leads all rookies with 4.9 assists per game, is a quick slasher with a defensive stopper's mentality.

While Chicago has excellent young players in the backcourt, it would be hard for any team to top Arenas and Hughes.

EDGE: WASHINGTON

BENCH: These squads have each had their share of injuries this season, forcing them to develop decent benches. Chicago relies more on its bench for big things than Washington, as both Chandler and Gordon are expected to produce immediately when called upon.

Chandler, a seven-footer from Hanford, CA, has been very injury prone in his young career and went down on Tuesday with a sprained left ankle. It will be interesting to see if Chandler (9.7 rpg) will be able to play through some pain in this series.

To provide depth at the center position, the Bulls recently signed Lawrence Funderburke. Look for Chicago to utilize Funderburke in situations where they need someone to soak up minutes and possibly muscle Washington's big men.

Along with Gordon, the Bulls have an unknown guard named Jannero Pargo that could make his mark in this series. Pargo has the ability to score a lot of points in short stints off the bench.

While Chicago expects big numbers from its bench, Washington has a much deeper group of solid players on its pine. Centers Kwame Brown, Michael Ruffin and Etan Thomas have the ability to give Eddie Jordan high quality minutes off the bench, while guards Steve Blake and Juan Dixon have improved ten-fold. Don't forget about veteran three-point threat Anthony Peeler either.

If you are looking for high quality, Chicago has the edge here as Gordon is better than anyone Washington brings off its pine, but in the end benches are typically judged by depth.

EDGE: WASHINGTON

COACH: Eddie Jordan, who was known for his success as an assistant coach in New Jersey and Sacramento, has proven his ability to meld young and old together this season. The head man's Princeton-esque movement offense has netted 100.5 points per contest (6th). Jordan has plenty of playoff coaching experience in his past which could give him the advantage.

The gritty, gutty Skiles has rubbed off on his players this year, as they have become a hard-nosed defensive squad. limiting foes to just 93.5 points per contest (7th). Being a former point guard, Skiles has been able to quicken the maturation of his young guards and the team has improved infinitely thanks to the process.

EDGE: EVEN

PREDICTION: Neither of these teams has much to speak of in regards to playoff experience so expect a ragged start to the series. Once these teams get their feet under them this should be an exciting set that will likely go seven games. Although Chicago has the homecourt advantage, the loss of Curry will be too much for it to overcome.

WASHINGTON IN SEVEN


04/22 10:24:02 ET

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