The sports media crowd tend to forget...

[sturt]

... that the Bulls may be among the best for this season, but they remain unproven in the playoffs. It's been mentioned, but I don't think it's been fully appreciated that the Hawks have some psychological advantage in that they've been down this road three years now, and in the ORL series, that began to show unlike it ever has before. The Bulls, otoh, until this season (now with a year-older-Rose, Boozer and a new coach) were not all that competitive with us. I honestly like our chances now, and in particular given that Teague appears to be capable of playing a major role.

[frosgrim]

Good points.

I do like our chances. I think it really depends on what we do to contain Rose. The rest of the Bulls are pretty much equal or less than their counterparts on the Hawks.

Being a Hawk fan, I'm under the assumption we'll end up loosing this series, because that is what the Hawks do. I would love to blow that assumption up.

[HalfHawk]

That and the fact that their regular season record is inflated...

You play 16 games within your division, and being in a division that hosts only one .500 team, and that team being you, only makes your record look all the better.

Bulls were 15-1 in inter-division games...

[T21]

I've said this before, I think Bulls are soooo overrated!

Sure, Rose is a unique talent and a game changer... however, their regular season record was mostly result of the defense they played and intensity they played with... Nobody else in today's NBA takes regular season so seriously any more (Celtics, Lakers stroll through...).

Regardless of how this series ends, I truly believe we're a better team!

P.S. I expect NBA to give'em a push, since they've got MVP + COY...

[TomSelleck]

I don't think it's been fully appreciated that the Hawks have some psychological advantage in that they've been down this road three years now

You're right but I don't know if the Hawks have a psychological advantage in the conventional sense. I heard Sekou Smith on the radio during the Magic series and he said how the Hawks are incapable of feeling pressure. Not because they're so mentally tough but because they just flat out don't care. The team feeds off Joe Johnson's attitude where he knows he is getting paid either way and doesn't care if they win by 20 or lose by 20 and doesn't care if the building is full of Hawks fans or the opponent.