The Bulls vs Celtics first round series this past April/May was the best ever first round series. Four overtime games, seven total games, and great individual performances every night.
The real battle within the series was at point guard, between the Celtics’ Rajon Rondo and Bulls rookie Derrick Rose. Rose was the No. 1 pick in the 2008 Draft, and showed in this series he was the best choice for Chicago.
The battle at point guard often decided the outcome of each game in this series. After Derrick Rose put up one of the all time rookie scoring totals in the first game, Rondo responded by getting triple-double numbers the rest of the series.
Both teams rely so much on the pace set by their two star guards. Paul Pierce has said that the Celtics go how Rondo goes. If his energy is there and he is a menace on defense, the Celtics will be very tough to beat.
For Chicago, Rose, also a native of the Windy City, provided a scoring punch at a position they have never had scoring at in their franchise history. Rose is a dynamic player, who can be a true point guard, and also light up the scoreboard.
The Bulls were very exciting to watch, with many young players performing under the bright lights of the playoffs for the first time.
The NBA has not had a strong rivalry at point guard for a long time. If Rose and Rondo can provide the brilliance they did in the 2009 postseason, these two teams will be very exciting to watch when they play each other. It will be nice to see two very successful franchises have a breathtaking rivalry.
The NBA is filled with young players who are taking over the game. Quicker (Rose), and stronger (Dwight Howard) players are the next generation of the NBA.
Rivalries are what make sports exciting, and passionate. With the Kobe-LeBron rivalry, it is nice to see another rivalry; Rose vs Rondo.
Nicholas Goss