Listen, I'll be the first to say I am not big on the whole bulletin board stuff. If a team needs to twist the quotes of their opponent to get motivated they probably aren't good enough to win in the first place. Sure, Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan are the types of athletes that use the smallest considered slight as motivation, but by rule a solid NBA -championship caliber team shouldn't need external help.
That said, when it comes to Joakim Noah of the Bulls, why awaken a monster? What Noah said, in all honesty, is no big deal. Screaming "Let's shock the world..." after the Bulls clinched a playoffs spot in Charlotte the other night was little more than post-game enthusiasm by an enthusiastic player. Still, it got LeBron's attention, which means it has the Cavaliers' attention -
"We're ready for the challenge," James said. "I think Noah's a really good player. He's a really good talent. But, you know, he asked for us a couple weeks ago and he got us. So we're ready. It's a different monster they're going to be playing against on Saturday."
It's true, Noah has been saying for awhile that the Bulls want to face the Cavaliers. What is he supposed to say? The two teams don't like each other much, though, and like I said above, any perceived slight will only be used to motivate.
The Bulls sound ready, the Cavaliers however have been ready for nearly a year. Let the games begin.