by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni
Nearly everyone — and certainly yours truly — expects the Cavs to sweep Chicago in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. The Bulls qualified for the postseason on the last possible day; Cleveland had the best record in the L (by far); and some guy named LeBron James is involved.
Joakim Noah doesn’t care about any of the above, he’s ready for the Bulls to not only put a scare into Cleveland, but seems to believe they have a shot at winning the series.
Noah tells the AP that people shouldn’t be surprised if something similar to last season’s epic Bulls/Celtics series repeated itself:
The way Joakim Noah sees it, everyone else could be in for a big shock. Particularly LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“Everybody thinks we’re going to get our (butts) whipped. And you know what, we’re going to try to shock the world. That’s what we’re going to try to do. That’s pretty cool, I think.” Beating Cleveland in the first round of the playoffs would be nothing short of stunning, the most dramatic and unlikely twist in a season that’s seen its share.
LeBron and the Cavs heard Noah loud and clear, and tell him to be careful what he wishes for, because he’ll definitely get it. James says Cleveland is a “different monster” this postseason.
Noah will have his opportunity to shock the world, but the reality remains that starting this Saturday, Cleveland has much bigger fish to fry.
