It won't be easy, but Bulls can give LeBron & Co. a tough series

No one in the world expects the Bulls to knock LeBron James off the airwaves with a first-round playoff upset of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The real question is whether the Bulls can play a competitive series - say 6 or 7 games?

The Bulls are just 1-4 in playoff series since the post-championship drought ended in 2004-05. So far, though, the Bulls haven't gone less than six games in any playoff loss during that stretch.

Since James arrived in 2003, the Bulls are 12-16 against the Cavs and have won four times at Quicken Loans/Gund Arena. They went 2-2 this season against Cleveland.

"At end of day in the course of this series, our goal is to win," Joakim Noah said in Charlotte on Wednesday, according to bulls.com. "But it's all about going out there and saying we gave everything we've got. - I think our best is better than people think."

If the Bulls are going to put up a fight, here are some ideas on how to get it done. Game 1 is Saturday at 2 p.m.

Rose to the occasion: In theory, the Cavaliers should be a good defensive matchup for Bulls guard Derrick Rose. Their best perimeter defender is 6-foot-7 Anthony Parker, who is not necessarily suited to guard Rose, and the Cavs don't have a shot-blocker at the basket to discourage his drives.

Looking at the numbers, though, the Cavaliers have been very successful in slowing down Rose. During two games early this season in Cleveland, Rose averaged 13.5 points and 9 assists, while shooting 35.4 percent from the field.

The stats suggest the Cavs have done a nice job of crowding the lane and making Rose pass. It's no secret the Bulls lack dangerous outside shooters.

The Bulls won in Cleveland on Nov. 5 with Luol Deng the high scorer at 15 points. To win in the playoffs, though, the Bulls probably need big games from Rose. His teammates knocking down some outside shots might be the best way to make that happen.

Old on the inside: Shaquille O'Neal hasn't played since Feb. 25 because of a thumb injury. But Cleveland coach Mike Brown said Wednesday he expects O'Neal to start at center in Game 1 against the Bulls.

This could actually work in the Bulls' favor. O'Neal isn't likely to play heavy minutes in this series, but he doesn't match up well against Noah, one of the league's most mobile centers. O'Neal was brought in to guard Dwight Howard in the conference finals.

With O'Neal, 38, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, 34, and Antawn Jamison, 33, the Cavs will be using older legs on the front line and the younger Bulls need to take advantage. On March 19, Bulls rookie Taj Gibson outscored Jamison 20-2, but the former Wizard returned the favor in the April 8 game, outscoring Gibson 23-2.

If the Cavs have to turn to J.J. Hickson in an effort to keep up, that might be a win for the Bulls.

Stop the shooters: Whether James decides to score 25 or 45 points, there's only so much the Bulls can do against the game's best player.

It would help the Bulls' cause if they can limit Cleveland's 3-point shooting. They don't need any more repeats of the 35 points from guard Mo Williams in the April 8 game, while James rested for the playoffs.

Both Williams and Anthony Parker shoot better than 40 percent from 3-point range. James actually shoots the most 3-pointers on the team, but connects at just 33 percent. Long-range specialist Daniel Gibson has hardly played since the all-star break.

Hack 'em all: Sending O'Neal to the foul line is always a solid strategy. But as a team, Cleveland ranks last in the league in free-throw percentage at 72 percent.

The Cavs shot at least 20 free throws in every game against the Bulls this season, but connected on just 68 percent. For the year, Anderson Varejao is at 66.3 percent, James is a surprisingly low 76.7 percent and Jamison is shooting just 50 percent since joining the Cavs.

Strong down the stretch: There will be plenty of talk about the Cavaliers showing some rust, since James sat out the final four games to rest up for the playoffs and O'Neal is returning to the lineup. That could be true, but it's a long series.

Cleveland does have a habit of messing around for the first three quarters, then turning it on in the fourth. The Bulls' defense needs to get stronger late in the contest. A healthy Noah sliding over to give help in the lane will be important.

When they won 86-85 at Cleveland on Nov. 5, the Bulls managed to keep the Cavs scoreless for the final 1:22. During the next visit on Dec. 4, the game was tied midway through the third quarter, then the Cavs pulled away with a 13-2 run.

Prediction: Cleveland in 5.

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