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Could Bulls End Season On Top Of Eastern Conference?

With two more games on the schedule before the NBA's All-Star game, the Chicago Bulls are less than a week away from the return of Joakim Noah and a fully healthy roster.

But playing through injuries, and doing it well, is nothing new to the Bulls. They've had to go stretches without Noah and Carlos Boozer, but have still been able to keep pace in the Eastern Conference.

"I think it's very high," former Boston Celtic and current NBA analyst Kevin McHale said on the Danny Mac Show when asked about the Bulls' ceiling for the rest of the season.

LISTEN: Kevin McHale On The Danny Mac Show

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"They may be the surprise team of the year," McHale said. "Just to start the season off having boozer hurt and then all of a sudden having Boozer back and having Noah hurt. Then along the line having a lot of different lineups and playing different people and doing a lot of different stuff. But yet maintaining a really good defensive stance...And then having a closer like Derrick Rose that has just been really fun to watch. The kid is just growing and getting better all the time."

52 games into the season the Bulls sit third in the Eastern Conference, just two and a half games behind the Boston Celtics and two games behind the Miami Heat.

"So to me," McHale said "I've said all along, the semis of the Eastern Conference, I feel is going to be some form of Chicago, Boston, Miami and Orlando...That's going to be great basketball. And I tell you what, I said this the other day when I looked at the standings...the Bulls, getting Noah back and getting healthy, they have a chance to maybe finish with the best record in the Eastern Conference."

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