The Eastern Conference playoffs are almost officially underway as the NBA regular season comes to a close. The one team that a lot of people will be watching heading into the playoffs is the up-and-coming Chicago Bulls as they were able clinch the number one seed in the Eastern Conference after barely making the playoffs last season.

The main reason for the success of the Bulls this season has been the unbelievable play of All-Star point guard and MVP frontrunner Derrick Rose. Even though no one was giving the Chicago Bulls much of a chance of competing with the likes of the Miami Heat, Orlando Magic and the Boston Celtics, Derrick Rose and company have outdone themselves this year and become arguably the team to beat in the East.

In the first round of the playoffs, the Chicago Bulls will take on the Indiana Pacers. Typically, whenever an eighth seed like the Pacers takes on a number one seed like the Bulls, the outcome is fairly predictable as the lower seed usually has little chance of pulling off the upset.

This time around the odds are definitely in the favor of Derrick Rose and company as some people would say that the Chicago Bulls are the best team heading into the playoffs. The only real threat to the Chicago Bulls in this first-round matchup will be the high-scoring star Danny Granger.

Even though Granger hasn’t been the player he was a few years ago, the young forward can still be dangerous and might cause some matchup problems for the Bulls in this first-round matchup.

Ultimately, I really can’t see the Indiana Pacers winning more than one or two games in this series as the Chicago Bulls should cruise to the second round. We would be surprised if the online sportsbooks didn’t have the Bulls as favorites here.

Prediction: Chicago Bulls advance in five games 4-1.

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