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Not that I think the Bulls are a serious threat (I was actually shocked by how overrated they were even in the offseason) but the whole Thibs lost the team thing is being overstated by the media. I really can't recall any team tuning out their coach in the playoffs. Regular season, sure, some players will sabotage their coach and not try as hard. In the playoffs, though, all of that goes out the window. No player wants to lose a playoff series.
I've been calling the Bulls overrated since before the season began, but even I am surprised at just how far they have fallen. They've lost 10 of 15 games and they have looked terrible. Plenty of that is due to injury, but you have to wonder just how much Thibs is asking of his players to make their bodies break down like they have been. His starters are playing heavy minutes and we just started February.
A lot of the Bulls' success this season was going to be contingent on whether or not Derrick Rose returned to form. More than halfway through the season, he has not. He probably will never be quite that MVP-caliber player that he was again.
I've often picked the Bulls and Cavs to match up in the Eastern Conference Finals. I still believe those will be the two teams left standing. However, that is certainly subject to change if the Bulls continue to trend downwards like they have been, and even more so if they have dead legs by the time the postseason comes around.