The 2011 NBA Eastern Conference Finals featured two of the best teams in the NBA. The Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls engaged in five contests during the seven-game series with the Bulls falling to Miami five games to one. The outcome of the series delivered what most people suspected all along – that the team led by Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Lebron James was just far too talented for any team to compete with …or were they?
While many came away from the Eastern Conference Finals, justified in their belief that the talent heavy Miami Heat were in a class by themselves, the end of series capped off what could be described as a classic rivalry in the making. Even though Miami had defeated the Bulls in four strait games to move on to the NBA Championship series, little is mentioned of the fact that the Heat began the series with their fourth straight loss to the Bulls -hardly a sign of overwhelming dominance. In fact, a careful look at the teams, their history coming into the season and their contests against each other reveals the teams are fairly equal in terms of accomplishment this past season.
The Miami Heat entered the season emboldened by their offseason acquisitions of Leron James and Chris Bosh, who joined Dwyane Wade to form one of the most talent rich teams in NBA history (at least at three positions). The media and Miami Heat fans heralded the new team as the best ever assembled with pseudo-victory celebrations occurring before the season began and predictions of record breaking accomplishments and multiple championships soon to follow.
The Chicago Bulls also began the season with a less auspicious, but what would turn out to be equally impressive acquisitions in the offseason. After losing out to Miami in their pursuit of landing Lebron James, the Bulls added depth or starters at every position except small forward including signing a strong post player in Carlos Boozer and three point specialist Kyle Korver as well as defensive stalwarts Keith Bogans and Ronnie Brewer. In addition, many of the teams previous stronger assets arguably improved their games led by Derrick Rose, the Bulls superstar point guard who would have a breakout year winning the coveted NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) trophy. But the Bulls also added talent at the coaching level, bringing on Tom Thibodeau, the defensive guru who would craft a system that would catapult the Bulls to the head of the NBA.
Ironically, both teams ended the previous season with first round playoff exits, and also ironically both saw the perrenial Eastern powerhouse Boston Celtics as their main rival for the 2010/2011 season. Ironic because it was Boston that inspired the talent heavy strategy that Miami immitated and it was also Boston that found a significant amount of success utlizing Thibodeau’s defensive system when Thibodeau was Boston’s assitant coach prior to him joining the Bulls. The parallel does not end there as both the Bulls and Heat would end the season ranked 1 and 2 ahead of the Boston Celtics who ranked third. The Bulls improved from their previous seaeson’s record by 21 games, the Miami Heat by 11. In head to head competion, the Bulls and Heat played eight times with each team winning four consecutive games. The total combined score for that eight game series for the Miami Heat was 718, and for the Bulls 715. Defensively both teams held each other below an average of 90 points per game with the Bulls scoring an average of 89.375 and Miami 89.75. Record wise the Bulls finished the season with a record of 62 wins and 20 losses and the Miami Heat a close 58 wins and 24 losses. It was the Bulls point guard, Derrick Rose that would dethrone the Miami Heat’s Lebron James as the league’s MVP, and both teams sharing executive of the year honors. Thibodeau would also win the NBA Coach of the Year in his rookie head coaching season.
In the end, the Heat’s defeat of the Bulls in the fifth game of the Eastern Conference Playoffs brought to a close a burgeoning rivalry in a season that saw both teams rise to the elite of the league due to their strategic acquisitions. As the ongoing NBA lockout continues, it is likely that when NBA competition does resume, the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat will contiue their rivalry for years to come to determine the best team in the Eastern Conference and perhaps the NBA.