Chicago Bulls (2-3) Vs Cleveland Cavaliers (3-4)

With the battle of the pathetic Florida teams headlining Monday Night Football, tonight is the perfect night for Chicago Bulls basketball. The Bulls take on the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Cavs continue to build a solid core around star point guard Kyrie Irving, and if this team acquires LeBron James in the offseason, the Cavs will dominate the East once again. Let's take a look at some key players.

Kyrie Irving

I can't recall a more obvious number 1 pick who was a less of a consensus pick than Kryie Irving. Due to injury, he didn't play much at Duke, and we've also seen him slowed in the NBA. However, don't let some injury trouble and his slow start in 2013 fool you: Irving is an elite point guard. He certainly showed it last night, dropping in 39 points with a career-high 12 assists.

Irving isn't a one dimensional scorer; rather, he's a quick guard who can get to the rim and finish with fantastic three point range. Irving is one of the most unguardable players  in the league, so Derrick Rose will have his hands full in their first ever head-to-head match-up.

While we've seen the Bulls do a fantastic job clogging the paint, Irving is incredibly talented, so he will get his buckets. If the Bulls sufficiently clog the paint, he can display his solid passing skills by hitting one of his strong three point shooters like Jarrett Jack, Dion Waiters, or C.J. Miles. Ouch. That's dangerous.

Andrew Bynum: 2nd Bust in a Row?

Cavaliers fans were rewarded this offseason with gobs of cap room, but let's face it, the team  hopes LeBron James opts out of his contract with the Heat in order to return home to Ohio. Whether or not you think there's a chance that happens (it's either Miami or Cleveland, IMO), the Cavs' front office wanted to retain maximal flexibility, hence the team took a chance on former Laker stud Andrew Bynum.

Bynum has played in just 5 of the Cavaliers' 7 games, and he has not looked good.  Like many 7 footers, Bynum's knees have been horrible for the majority of his career, and he was also sidelined all of last season as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers.

If Bynum does play (doubtful since this would be a back-to-back), he will not make a meaningful impact. Bynum has looked lost offensively, shooting just 32% from the field--an impressive task consider how short his average shot is. Bynum is not the double-double machine that he was for the Lakers in 2011-12. In fact, he's hardly worth mentioning at this point, less his $12 million contract.

Tristan Thompson

Tristan Thompson had a disappointing rookie campaign, but he's become a solid and durable power forward. We can assume he'll match-up against Boozer defensively, but Boozer respond by banging the ball inside against the much lighter defender. The trio of Taj Gibson, Boozer, and Jokaim Noah should help keep Thompson off the boards on both ends of the court. Along the same line, Thompson won't be able to do much inside, so look for him to settle for some long, inefficient jump shots.

Although Kyrie Irving is a top 5 point guard, the Bulls will win tonight. However, I think it will be a struggle. The Bulls have not played well against teams with great three point shooters, and the Cavs are just that with Waiters, Irving, and Jack on the court at the same time. The Bulls should be able to get some easy buckets offensively, especially since Anderson Varejao hasn't to form after he missed considerable time last year with a blood clot.

Boozer should go off for at least 20 points tonight. Rose should have another solid game, showing some strides, though Irving will embarrass him on the defensive end a few times. The Cavs aren't a great rebounding team, so Taj and Noah should generate several second chance opportunities. With the Cavs taking the 11th most three pointers in the league, the Bulls should have several fast break opportunities that will lead to easy buckets for Jimmy Pump Fakes.  

More importantly, the Cavs are not a deep team and have to play the Bulls after a double-overtime victory last night. 4 of 5 starters played 40+ minutes, while the Cavs' best bench player, Jarrett Jack, played 37 minutes. The Cavs will be tired, and the game could get ugly if the Bulls get out on the break like they did against Utah.

The score: Bulls 97 Cavs 89

Bulls (1-2) Vs. Pacers (4-0)

It's going to be a battle tonight at the stadium formerly known as Conseco Fieldhouse.

Let's take a look at some of our Central Division Foes' top players.

Paul George: The Leap

If you follow the writing of Bill Simmons or any of the excellent stable of Grantland NBA writers, then you are aware of the well-documented "leap." The leap happens when a player takes his game to the next level.

Honestly, I wasn't THAT impressed by the Pacers coming into this season, even after the team picked up Luis Scola and CJ Watson in the off-season. A great bench is a luxury, but at the end of the day, only 5 players play at a time, hence why the Miami Heat continue to win championships without a talented front court. However, if Paul George maintains his current pace, the Pacers are a real threat in the East.

His numbers thus far are insanely good: 27 points per game, 8.8 boards, and 4.3 assists. Even more impressively, George is shooting 53% from the field while connecting on 45% of his threes.

Now, his shooting percentages simply aren't sustainable. George has shot 43% from the field through his first three years while hitting 36% of his shots from downtown. Still, as we saw in the 2013 NBA playoffs, there's no question that George is a superior player with the potential to takeover a game.

The Butler/Deng duo should stifle him a bit early on, but even if Paul gets frustrated, he can still materially impact the game on the defensive end. He's an ok shot blocker, but he uses his length to grab tons of boards and can disturb passing lanes. I'm officially all-in on the Paul George superstar designation, but this will be the hardest match-up he's faced this year.

Same Old Roy?

I was once banned from sitting in the student section at DePaul basketball games for telling John Paxson (who was sitting a few rows in front of me) to draft Roy. He dominated my pathetic Blue Demons, but the Bulls surprisingly received the #1 pick that year, rendering Mr. Hibbert obsolete.

Remember that Roy Hibbert last year who DOMINATED that pathetically weak Miami Heat inside? Well, thus far he's resorted to his regular season form, averaging about 8 points and 8 boards. However, he's averaging an insane 5.3 blocks per game, so we could see the Bulls getting swatted in the paint.

I'd be much more optimistic about this match-up if Joakim Noah played extensively in the preseason, but thus far, Noah's looked a little sluggish and unbalanced. Maybe a few days off have given him time to get into top-notch shape, but even if he struggles, Gibson simply isn't big enough to counter the 7'2 Hibbert.

If Butler and Deng smother George, watch out for a nice hi-lo game between Hibbert and David West to become the go-to offensive option.

That being said...I'm picking the Bulls

The Bulls can't lose this game, but the Pacers are equally motivated to win this game to show that they are the Heat's primary competition in the Eastern Conference. Still, I think Rose comes to play tonight, and I wouldn't be surprised if he goes for 35 on his home court.

Final Score: Bulls 102 Pacers 95