They Are Who We Thought They Were!

The Bulls and Heat tip off in just a couple hours and I really think this is the most important game of the Heat's season.

It's bad enough they blew a 24 point lead at home against Orlando, then they followed that up by getting crushed at San Antonio. Now they have another tough test against one of the leagues best teams.

The Bulls could very well be the best team in the East and three months ago we would have been saying "wow that is going to be a big game for the Bulls." Now were saying it's a big game for the Heat. LeBron James and Dwayne Wade will most likely come out firing in this game and its about time, really.

So why is this game so important? Well the Heat are hearing all the questions of if they can beat a good team and well now their playing another good team. If they come out flat and get run off the floor, the pressure will be on them like it was when they started 9-8. But if they come out swinging and dominate it will take the pressure off them and they will show people, even if for just one game that they can beat a quality opponent.

Now listen Mike Bibby was good...five years ago. This team is at it's best when Wade and James are attacking the basket at full speed. It was evident in the first have against Orlando when they jumped out to an 18 point lead. If they want to beat a very good Bulls team they will need to take it right at Noah and Boozer and try to get them in foul trouble.

So you can see there is a lot at stake here for the Heat. Pride being one, respect the other. They are 0-2 already against Chicago, losing back in February without LeBron 93-89 and then most recently 99-96. The glaring problem in both of those games? Rebounds. In the first meeting the Bulls won the rebounding battle 42 to 30, in the second game 53 to 39.

Pat Riley no doubt assembled a rock band of talent. Chris Bosh however may be the odd man out. Bosh plays soft against tougher/bigger defenders and that will be the case today most likely when he goes against a more psychical player in Carlos Boozer. The Bulls are going to pound the ball inside to their four seven footers. The real question is how will the Heat's reserves handle Gibson and Asik? I think they is where the game will be won and loss.

Miami has lost five in a row to winning teams, doesn't help that their playing one of the best teams in the NBA today. It also does not help them that their next eight games are all against teams above .500.

I am not writing off Miami just yet, I mean how can you when they have two of the five best players in the NBA. It's not impossible for them to put it together and win a championship, however it is improbable.