Orlando Magic vs. Chicago Bulls Featured Matchup: Battle of the Benches

The Chicago Bulls are one of the East’s toughest teams, and a lot of it has to do with their deep rotation. Can the Orlando Magic match them?

Time/TV:

7 p.m./FSFlorida

Line:

Bulls by 8

Season Series:

Tonight in Chicago; March 2 in Orlando; March 26 in Orlando

The Chicago Bulls finished 50-32 last season and a big part of what has allowed Chicago to thrive in the wake of Derrick Rose’s career-disrupting injury has been the team’s superb depth. The Bulls are strongest in their frontcourt, but are not thin in the backcourt by any means.

The frontcourt Bulls rotation is so good, in fact, the backup 4 and 5 would likely start on Orlando’s roster.

Behind perennial All-Star Pau Gasol sits Joakim Noah, a top center in his own right and a former All Star. At power forward, the Bulls sub in energy man Taj Gibson behind Nikola Mirotic.

Even at small forward the Bulls have three competent options as Doug McDermott and Mike Dunleavy Jr. (currently out with an injury) fill in off the bench behind starter Tony Snell.

The Magic’s reserves are going to have a tough time countering the Bulls’ array of talents in the second unit.

Dewayne Dedmon is going to have to get a body on Noah to prevent the former Florida Gator from having a feast on the offensive boards.

Beyond that, Aaron Gordon will have to do much the same to prevent Taj Gibson from making his living on putbacks and cleanup buckets. Gordon has been playing a lot like Gibson, as it is. Both Gordon and Gibson would have no problem starting on a number of NBA teams.

In the backcourt, the Bulls have veterans Kirk Hinrich and Aaron Brooks backing up Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose. Hinrich and Brooks are certainly both past their respective primes, but head coach Fred Hoiberg should be much the same as Tom Thibodeau in being able to crank seeming overachievements from his backcourt.

Brooks and McDermott are averaging more than seven points per game, and third-string shot jacker and former Magic player E’twaun Moore has averaged six points per game too.

Gibson is good for another five points and six boards. The Bulls bench is averaging 27.7 points per game this season.

The Magic will look to super-sub Aaron Gordon to continue his great production thus far. He and Mario Hezonja alone are combining for 20.5 points per game, but they are getting just 7.5 points per game from the rest of the Magic reserves.

Hezonja could see more time given the Bulls lack an offensively dominant 3-man, unlike the Oklahoma City Thunder who keep Kevin Durant on the court most of the game and can counter with Dion Waiters off the bench.

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While Hezonja is not incompetent as a defender by any means, there is the obvious notion any rookie is going to have trouble covering a four-time scoring champion and MVP.

Seeing the likes of Snell and McDermott tonight should give Hezonja the edge he needs to be effective again.

The Magic have just a 0.3 point advantage in bench scoring over the Bulls through two games. This newfound depth has been one of the biggest revelations this season for Orlando, and it will get its full test in facing Chicago.

The Magic play the Bulls fairly well and actually split the season series 2-2 last year. The win on Jan. 12 was perhaps one of the best highlights of the 2015 season because we saw an aggressive Magic team with a defense much more similar to what we are seeing this year.

Nikola Vucevic averaged 22 points per game against the Bulls and seems to relish playing against Gasol.

But this game will likely be decided on the benches and who will step up to support the team’s stronger starting groups.