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Bulls run for championship

With the NBA season approaching - the first game is scheduled for October 31 ? some analysts and commentators are choosing their favorites to win this season`s championship. The Chicago Bulls, the choice of Chris Mannix of SportsIllustrated, will face the defending champions Miami Heat as early as opening night. On that day we will get a chance to see if their dramatic summer transactions have really paid off.

It has been eight years since Michael Jordan left the Bulls, and since the Bulls did as much as win a playoff series. But with a young team that fared well last season and with some moves made by management, the Bulls are definitely competitors. As a matter of fact, Mannix says clearly: "The Chicago Bulls will win the NBA championship this season."

Under Coach Scott Skiles, Chicago has become a defensive tam holding opponents to a league-low 42.6 percent from the field. With Big Ben in the paint and P.J. Brown at the no. 4 they will be even more impenetrable. While the Bulls` offense has been roundly criticized, many scouts felt Chicago was among the most dangerous teams in the league last season thanks to outstanding perimeter shooting. "They can make a 10-point lead disappear in less than a minute," says one Eastern Conference scout.