Playoff Prediction: Bulls over Wizards in 7

Update 4.27.14 -- Wizards rolled the Bulls today in Game Four to take a 3-1 lead.  I'm rescinding my original prediction and calling this series over.  The Bulls could take another game but they just do not have enough scoring to win 3 more games holding their ground against the Wizards onslaught.

I originally thought that while the Wizards had up-and-coming talent, the Bulls play hard enough, efficient enough and have enough veteran savvy to win enough games to get to Game Seven, where you gotta go with the veterans on home court.  I was pessimistic about a serious run by the Bulls simply because they played so hard throughout the regular season that they would be worn down come playoff time, but I thought they had enough pure moxy and frustrating defense to slip past a youthful Wizards team.  If the Bulls encountered trouble along the way (which they would because the Wizards are sneaky good) then they would just entrench the pesky D, make adjustments and transform themselves as needed.  But how do they transform when they're already playing as hard as they can?  Do you play Jimmy Butler for only forty...six minutes a game?  (In geopolitical terms: if we're already sanctioning Iran then how do we sanction them more?)  And where does the scoring come from?  In today's game it felt like Kirk Hinrich was working so hard to take mediocre shots that failed to go in.  The Bulls offense never got going and certainly didn't have a second gear to kick into.

I wanted to take the Wizards--that was the upset d'jour pick of the cool kids--before this series started but I went with the Bulls because in the NBA the veterans usually find a way get by (and I took the Raptors over the Nets, so I figured I was already taxing that paradigm).  But the Bulls have no scoring, man, just none.  Mike Dunleavy is carrying them right now and that's not a recipe for the future.  I can see the Bulls playing with pride and taking Game Five back in Chicago but I do not see the Bulls winning two more games--certainly not three.  Also, I'm curious to see the Wizards in the next round.  The more I watch this team the more I like them.

Wizards: Wall, Nene, Beal, Webster, Miller, Porter, Rice are under contract next year which leaves them well under the cap.  Gortat, Ariza and Booker play big minutes, how hard do the Wizards try to bring them back next year?  I like what each of those guys bring and while they're not breaking the bank next year, all three will want raises.  Do the Wiz pass on those raises to the guys they know or take that money to the free agent casino?  What to make of Otto Porter, how does he fit into next year's plan?  Does Porter take attention from Ariza or Booker or both?  I suspect they bring back Gortat, bring back Booker if he takes paltry money and let Ariza move on (wonder if there's room for him and Shaun Livingston to wear Knick uniforms next year?); this takes the Wiz out of contention for a big time free agent and they've moved their first round pick to the Suns.  They've got a good core to build on, if they can add a cheap energy guy to bring off the bench to platoon with Porter, then there's their replacement (fingers crossed!) for Trevor Ariza.