Sheed Force

Detroit and Chicago square off tonight in a 6th game that few saw as a possibility one week, when Detroit was demoralizing the Bulls in a dominant, come-from-behind second half performace. But here we are, back at the United Center,Bulls fans rabidly awaiting the biggest game in their buidling since the MJ dynasty. Chicago should be proud of their team. The Bulls have proven to be a worthy 2nd round team with their precision offense, stout defense and beyond-their-years resiliancy. This is a team on the cusp of big things in the near future. However, for them to get past Detroit this year is not really dependent on their own performance. It has everyting to do with the performance of the Pistons, or more specifically one Piston.

The Pistons and Bulls match up fairly even across the board except for one position: Power Forward. PJ Brown is a proud veteran and still can produce in big games but lets face it Chicago fans, he can't hold Rasheed Wallace's jock strap. Sheed holds the key to tonights game, damn, the key to the whole series. If he plays the game that he knows and everyone else knows he can play tonight, the Bulls won't have to worry about making travel plans to Detroit. Anyone who saw his sublime 2nd half in game 3 has seen the way Sheed can rip the heart out of a good team. The buttery 3's, the outstanding screens he sets on the perimeter, the unblockable turnaround J on the block, the help defense 30 feet from the hoop, the paint eliminating interior D: Rasheed Wallace has a package of skills no one else in the NBA can match. What makes him even more valuable is his floor presence; his big plays have so often destroyed whatever spirit the opposition might have had. But he also might not show up to play tonight. He might jack up 12 3's. He might get a stupid technical. He might not command the ball on the block. Thats why Sheed doesnt make All-NBA teams every year despite being one of the top 15 talents in the league: no one knows which Sheed will show up every night. But he has a history of showing up big in big games. He also has a history of following subpar performances with brilliant performances. As far as a prediction for tonights game, my money is on Rasheed playing big. Therefore, my money is on Detroit.