By Scott Siegler

With the NBA regular season just about over, it appears that a lot of familiar faces will be competing for a heralded championship victory. Household names such as the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, and Orlando Magic are looking to add to the already impressive resumes that they have put together over the past decade. Also, after a very shaky start the new look Miami Heat managed to get their act together over the course of the season and are heading into the playoffs as a top seed in the east. Up and coming teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, and Portland Trail Blazers enter the playoffs as wildcards whose true potential still remains to be seen. The recently remodeled New York Knicks are riding a string of wins into the post season as well. However, there is one team that has surpassed everybody’s expectations this season and is rolling into the playoffs as my pick to win the championship. That team is the Chicago Bulls who have rallied around rising superstar Derrick Rose. I pick the Bulls over the Spurs in the finals, and here is how it will unfold.

The teams that will be fighting for the Eastern Conference crown will be the Boston Celtics and the Chicago Bulls. Other teams that have an argument to be in this series include the Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic. However, the Heat has yet to demonstrate a consistently sound and successful half court offense which is going to be crucial down the stretch during the later games in the seven game series’. The Magic has struggled in the second half of the season since an unimpressive 8-8 showing in the month of December as well. The Celtics are a team with veteran talent that can kick it up a notch for big games that is under the orchestration of a very talented point guard in Rajon Rondo. However, I believe the absence of center Kendrick Perkins is something that a team like the Chicago Bulls can easily exploit. The Bulls have proven depth in their front court. Center and leading rebounder Joakim Noah missed thirty games with a hand injury, and over that stretch the Bulls managed to still excel going 22-8. Also, Derrick Rose was expected to be good this season, but the season he has put together has been better than good. It has been flat out impressive. A player that scores 25 points per game while dishing out 8 assists is rare, and Rose has shown what makes him so special. Forwards Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer have also quietly put together impressive years. In addition to this solid core of talent, Chicago has players like Taj Gibson, Ronnie Brewer, C.J. Watson, and Kyle Korver coming off the bench who could all be starters on many other teams. I believe the depth of the Bulls and the talent of their star players will overwhelm the Celtics veteran team and bring home the Eastern Conference crown this season.

In the West, I see the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs battling it out for a spot in the finals. Like the Boston Celtics, the Spurs have an unyielding core of veteran talent. Players like Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli, Tony Parker, and Richard Jefferson have all been in the league for a while and have all had long and successful careers. With the up and coming prospects in center Dejaun Blair and guards George Hill and Gary Neal now established as important contributors as well, the Spurs exhibit depth that will allow them to take down the Lakers. While it is always hard to not have Kobe Bryant in the finals, the Lakers have been a very streaky team this season. On four different occasions in the 2010-2011 campaign, the Lakers have lost at least three games in a row. Meanwhile the San Antonio Spurs, who have become an embodiment of the word consistency, have only one weak stretch in the season plagues by injuries. Despite recent struggles, I like the Spurs advancing past the Lakers in this series for a shot at the title.

With the Bulls and Spurs battling it out in the NBA finals this season, I predict the Bulls will come out on top. Both teams match up well and each has a convincing argument as to why it is a better team. However, I see Derrick Rose making the difference in this series. Few teams have been able to stop the man, and when he’s not pouring in the points he’s finding his teammates and racking up assists. He has become a much more consistent three-point shooter and is currently in a stretch of fantastic play. The Bulls have the big men to equalize Tim Duncan and the talent and athleticism in their backcourt on defense to slow down Parker and Ginobli. With a roster that is the epitome of depth, and potential league MVP leading the charge in Derrick Rose, I see the Chicago Bulls winning it all in the 2011 Playoffs.