Well since my internet at work decided to go out at the worst possible that kept me from doing my game 2,3 and 4 review which may have been a good thing since I would have said things I didn't mean.
Now that we are back up to speed and the Bulls season is on the brink of ending tonight. I just wanna see them compete and not roll over like a dog like so many teams do. I am not sure that they do. They look tired and frustrated. I am tired and frustrated so I have to think they are. I will say they have brought effort to the last 3 games and good energy but effort can only go so far when you can't throw it into the ocean. I am a bit surprised this issue never came up sooner in the season where the Bulls would brick them selfs out of games but they really didn't. So the fact that they have been this bad must be some of the Heats defense and us just be terrible at scoring.
Derrick Rose
A lot as been made of his poor play. You have group "A" of fans that will never say anything bad about Rose no matter how bad he plays just due to the fact that he brings so much to the team and the city and then there is is group "B" that says he still gotta be hold responsible for how he plays and shouldn't be given a free pass. I fall into a bit of both but right now its more group B for me.
As great as Rose has been during the season he hasn't been as good in playoffs and I will say it. He has been down right terrible since game 2. The heat have done a good job keeping the ball out of his hands and he(and Thibs) haven't done a good job figuring out how to counter that. Scoring something like 6pts in the last three 4th quarters doesn't cut it in the ECF and wouldn't for any teams best player. He talks about being more aggresive but I don't think that means you should just jack more shots. I feel like thats what he did in game 4. Just thought I will shoot more, well going all A.I. won't win us games and him missing huge FTs and taking fade away jumpers to end games won't either.
The air ball fade away vs Lebron had me turn red because in that situation which I will admit that he hasn't been in often is this. You either A.Drive and miss. B.Drive and get blocked or C.Drive and get fouled or D.Drive and score. If A or B happens then at least you tried to and had a chance to get C or D to happen(team just made a better play). Taking a fade away jumper vs the best player on the planet gives him and the Heat a huge % of surviving that moment.
Rose is still young and will learn in those moments but the turnovers,shooting % and overall play(how do you let Mike Miller dribble past you to the rim for a layup?) has just be pretty awful. I still love you Derrick but this poor ECF should fuel you for the summer to come.
Around the Hoop
The whole team has been terrible around the hoop. Noah's hands have turned to stone, Boozer missing anything and everything. Asik getting blocked and Rose flat out missing lay ups. Not sure what has happened to this team around the hoop as they seem to find ways to screw it up. Put that with bad outside shooting and it spells doom.
Bench Play
Its been pretty crap at best the last few games. Kyle Korver has gone beyond cold which makes him useless. I really see no point in playing him. I say just play Brewer more. Watson has been alright. Gibson hasn't be able to shake his game 1 performance. Asik is done for the season.... ugh.
Boozer
Has been pretty solid and maybe more solid then Rose but is still a giant dog on defense. Giving up a four point play and letting Bosh spin off him for dunks and lay in. Boozer should be still a decent player for us next year but going into 2013 he will have fans wanting him out of Chicago and will be hard to move.
The Big 3
They have played out standing and even when they don't you always have the other to pick up the slack. Bosh has really shot out of his mind and Lebron has been on point. Deng has done the best he could and still play decent on the offensive end. Wade has been hit or miss but done enough to make an impact. I felt like this was the year that the Bulls had to get them since they will only get better as time goes on.
Do we have a chance?
Ahh a very small one. Win tonight and then put in a miracle in Miami. Like I said in my preview, Bulls win this in 7 if they did win it and the Heat win it in 6. I expect the Heat to sorta come out laid back and will be primed to beat. As long as the Bulls still have some fight in them then they should win tonight in Chicago. If that holds true then Miami will bring the hammer in game 6 and it will take a amazing game by the Bulls to push it to 7 where its anyones game.
The Bulls have some issues to figure out. Lets hope they just shoot well tonight and make this a fight and not a joke.
After watching the game over its pretty clear that Thibs and the Bulls are going with a "OMG THERE IS LEBRON OR WADE! GET EM!"(forget Bosh, let him score) strategy and it worked to a tee. The Bulls are allowed to do this for a few reasons.
1.Most the Bulls bigs can switch on picks. This a giant advantage in basketball when your bigs can switch picks with out a whole lot of worry. 2.The Bulls play help defense on a string. Meaning that the Bulls roatate and move with out much communication. They are one with in each other. 3.Active. Having hands up on shots, hands on the ball, ball pressure. All this adds up over the course of a game. We saw this in Game 1 as the game went on it wore on the Miami Heat.
Pictures
Here Wade comes off a curl and Bulls show Anthony no respect leaving him for the dump off. Deng is still glued to Lebron and Bosh and left for his jumper. Wade is met by 3 Bulls. He opts for the drop off to Anthony where Noah makes a quick rotation for a block that goes out of bounds. This is just one example of how the Bulls have many Luxuries because of Noah's skill set.
Here you can see Noah step back into the lane and help Deng deny the Ball to Lebron. I saw this many times when the Heat tried find him on the post. The Ball was swung to Bosh.... VICTORY! The little things like that add up and is a big factor into winning basketball games. Limiting touches of the best player on the court.
Wade is covered by Boozer,Bogans and Noah is thinking about coming. Rose has to stay with Anthony and let Bibby go. The Bulls are willing to let the Heat's other players win the game which is a great way to play since they are pretty much terrible. Wade passes it to Bibby who does score but the Bulls will live with it and force Wade not to find any rhythm.
WOW... Lebron took one dribble to the lane and the Bulls go "GET EM!!". Four Bulls to Lebron and Rose lets Chalmers wonder around the 3pt line with out much worry. Lebron tries to drop it off to Bosh but the ball is tipped out of bounds. Thibs is selling out on Lebron and the % works in the Bulls favor.
Here are one of the many defensive 3 sec calls that Boozer has received this post season. They make Bulls fans wanna put their head in a microwave. Once again you can see all the over help the Bulls are giving Lebron. Boozer is thinking the right idea but before Lebron even got below the FT line Boozer was in the paint giving help to Bosh who has now moved. This defensive 3 sec call was a bit fast but the right call.
Here you can See Asik leave Jamaal with out giving much of a care(can't blame him..dude can barley walk). The Bulls over load again on Lebron. CJ loses defensive awareness and lets Jamaal slip under the Hoop. Lebron is a great passer and finds Jamaal under the hoop where he struggles to dunk it as he misses his first attempt but does find the score on the second try. If I had to guess the Jamaal Magloire experiment is over.
At the end of the first Wade tries to go one on five and fails. Brewer was very active(like we talked about at the top) and got his hand on the ball many times. Noah has to worry about no one as he comes up to help. Deng is ready to come to as Wade tries to get a grip on the Ball. The Ball slips out of bounds and it goes back to the Heat. Plays like these frustrate Wade all game.
On the next play the Bulls have the clock on their side as they trap Wade in the corner and leave Miller. This just smart basketball as Wade has to adjust to just get the shot off. The Shot is wide right and the end of the first. I think Wade is beyond frustrated at this point as the Bulls are doubling and tripling his every move.
You can see here where Lebron finds the ball in the post and is met by three Bulls. Noah is gonna let Anthony wonder away every time. Taj's man Bosh(not pictured) doesn't help Lebron much as he stands and watches out of range for shot at the top of the three point line. Lebron has to throw it out to Bibby which is a win every time for the Bulls. Where Rose covers Bibby.
Once again Asik gives little care about Jamaal has he helps Brewer box in Wade. Taj is fronting Bosh so Wade has no choice other then to swing the ball to James Jones. Like I have said before its the small little things like this that no one notices that win basketball games. Limiting touches and players shots.
On this play Lebron comes up and Noah just waits for Lebron leaving Bosh alone(again). Once Lebron drives he sticks his big mitts on the ball knocking it away. Noah dives and saves the Ball and the Bulls are off and running. Noah shows again what makes him so special on the defensive end. Lebron makes the mistake of forcing the issue. He forgets that Noah isn't Jermaine O'Neal and he gotta respect his help.
So whats it all mean?
This just a few plays from the first half. The pictures shows what 48 mins of this can do to your offense. How it might throw a wrench in your plans. While it did help that the Bulls offense was also hitting. But this kind of defense should be the standard all series. The thing that the Bulls have be aware of is the Big three's adjustments. They are smart players and seeing this stuff all the time will cause them to figure parts of it out over a 7 game series but the Bulls are so good at it that I think this could be a major reason the Bulls can win this series.
Now this isn't defensive but all..... TAJ GIBSON OWNING YOUR SOUL!
Taj getting ready to get out his pogo stick.
Magloire give Taj a little boost!
OHHHHHHHH! Watson with the best seat in the house.
There was the Bulls team I have been waiting for all Playoffs. Just the energy is what I am talking about. They brought it the whole game and I will say I am one to be hard on the UC crowd and they brought their "A" game. The night had a very 90s feel to the night where the Bulls were just flying around playing good sound basketball.
I don't expect this again in the series and in that I mean keep Lebron and Wade from getting theirs. The Bulls were amazing last night but to keep those superstars down like that for four games is gonna be tough. At some point they will get theirs and the Bulls gotta be ready to weather the storm. Game 2 becomes so important since they play so well in Miami and splitting could be very dangerous for the Bulls. Losing game 2 could give the Heat the chance to go up 3-1 and Chicago has to bring that same energy and solid basketball to game 2. Just don't let up.
Holding it under 80
The Bulls did what I said would be a huge stat. Keep the Big three under 80 and they knocked it out of the park by holding them to 63. If the Bulls can keep them in the low 70s they should win this series. The game plan was to load up on Lebron and Wade and let Bosh get his. Thats why he was open so much in the paint and in the 18 foot area. Thats fine as long as you hold Lebron and Wade. So far so good.
Early on
I will say I was pretty nervous once the game started. Two fast break dunks to start the game. Derrick Rose being careless with the ball. I thought "oh great, the two things that will bury us" but the Bulls cleaned it up and kept the Heat in a half court game. The turnovers(9) were kept in check after the sloppy start.
Deng>Lebron
Not gonna see that much. Deng out played Lebron for 90% of the game and was on point on both ends of the court. Deng getting some nice credit this morning on Mike and Mike and on ESPN which is well deserved since he is always the unsung hero. I know he may not shoot as well as he did last night but he can just stay in the realm of that. I expect Bron to come back and try his best to get to the rim and line. Deng will be ready.
Taj and Asik and the Bench
Taj had two dunks that were some of the best dunks of the year(not named Griffen). Taj seems to be on this peak right now(great time) and I hope he can keep it up. He is just flowing with mojo right now and some of his defense last night was outstanding. To hold Lebron one on one is pretty much a huge plus for the Bulls for their four and five men on switches. Asik did pretty decent too when stuck on Bron a few times. He as well just keeps plugging along. I never get sick of seeing those two handed hammer dunks and I saw him giving some looks to the heat players after his And One baskets. Hes building swagger which was something he lacked just due to always thinking while playing. Not anymore.
I was pretty much dead wrong about the Heat bench. I figured they would use them more. I thought they would figure they had to play them to win. Jones and Chalmers were the only two to see a lot of time with Jamaal of all people getting 10 mins. Miller,House and Haslem would see less then 10mins combine. I am guessing Haslem just sin't there yet since I figured to see more of him. Miller? I dunno why they refuse to play him but their is zero trust in that bench and the Bulls bench is light years better. So yeah I was wrong...
The Good
-Rose took care of it.
-Noah had more energy then the whole Heat
-Boozer gave us what we need to win. 14 and 9.
-THROW IT DOWN TAJ!
-Wade... lol
-Deng
-Bench Mob is clicking
-Hey Kyle hit a 3 ball!
-Game plan
-ALL YOUR REBOUNDS BELONG TO US!
The Bad
-Semi sloppy start
-Bosh getting his
-Wade missed bunnies(won't happen again)
-Rose's turnovers
The Ugly
-back court turnovers
The Players
Noah: Had his way around the hoop. Brought the house.
Boozer: Played very well. Seems have his legs back.
Deng: Lebron who?
Bogans: Tried his hardest to score 6pts but failed.
Rose: Set a great Pace. Let the 3 ball come to him.
The Bench Mob
Gibson: Had Reggie Miller falling out of his chair.
Asik: Owned the paint while in
Watson: Made a tough shot. Set up Taj... Ballin CJ
Korver: Still struggling. Mins have been cut a bit. Him guarding Wade is scary.
Brewer: Great defense. Threw down a dunk on Bosh. Thats why hes on the floor.
Center Match Up
Noah vs Anthony/The Nihilist(Big Z)/Bosh Spice-ADV Noah
The Heat have messed with the center spot so I am not sure who they will go with. I would guess Anthony if I had to. They seem to like him more right now and in a lot of ways he is like Noah with all the garbage work he does. Anthony lacks all the basketball skills but makes up in effort. Noah should have his way in this match up. Noah is bigger and more skilled. Plus he will beat or match Anthony's efforts on 50/50 balls and rebounding. Anthony didn't even see the floor in the last game vs the Bulls so its hard to see this match up.
Big Z will give off a different challenge. Noah will have to respect his jumper on pick and pops. Big Z won't be scared to goon it up either. He will push some buttons. Noah had his way with Horford which surprised even me since I thought it would be a wash.
Even if Noah gets switched on to Lebron he has great feet to at least stay in front of him some what as he showed on the last play of the Bulls vs Heat game in March. Noah might not even see these two that much since he may be locked up with Bosh most the series and let Boozer handle these two randoms. Noah will challenege Bosh on every play and should be the kind of player that frustrares Bosh pretty good for a long playoff series. As good as Bosh is I just see Noah winning the war under the hoop and the mental games but whatever happens I expect a big series out of Noah.
Power Forward Match Up
Boozer vs Bosh in a pillow fight/Anthony/The Nihilist(Big Z)-Toss Up
No but really. These guys get called soft all the time. Boozer can be a post banger when he wants to but Bosh just seems to wonder around the 18 feet area shooting jumpers. I doubt we really see them match up to often as Boozer would have issues if Bosh ever decided to get his ass on the block. I expect Boozer to being guarding the other two and should be ok doing it. He just needs to make sure he puts his big body into Anthony since he will hustle for rebounds.
On offense they may put Bosh on him to have his length give him issues and it will. Boozer has a hard time with those big long forwards. He finally is out of the slump and looks better but Bosh will cause him issues. The other two he should have some success. If he is matched up with either Big Z or Anthony he should go right to the block and get a touch. This is a major advantage for the Bulls if he can get easy buckets on Anthony and Big Z.
The Series may come down to Boozer at least going 10 and 10 in all the games. If we cant get that out of him then we will lose and we will have over paid. After his last game I expect him to give us at least 10 and 10 and more. I feel its a bit of a wash of a match up.
Small Forward
Deng vs Lebron-ADV Lebron
Lebron is pretty much as tough as it gets of a match up. He can do it all. Deng has done a pretty good job on him in the 2 games they matched up. I mean 26 and 29 pts isn't great but hes not going off for 30+ so Deng's length and defense does have some effect.
The Playoffs he is playing on a whole different level and if he hits jumper hes pretty hard to stop. Deng will just try to limit his going to the hoop.If he makes the jumpers then he does. Not much you can do.
On offense Deng will still need to get his 17-20 pts for the Bulls to win this thing. He had 20-18pts vs the Lebron this season so as long as hes not cold he should get there. He has been playing focused basketball and will put it all out of the court.
Lets hope Lebron has one of those bad shooting nights where much doesn't go right. Thats when his level of play dips enough to call him human. Deng will have his hands full all series.
Shooting Guard
Bogans vs Wade-ADV Wade(duh)
You gotta say Bogans has stepped it up. He was all over Johnson and Granger in the playoffs. He has brought some nice toughness to the court and even shooting the ball with confidence.
Now that we got that out of the way... D.Wade will have his way more then not. He is also in playoff mode and is playing damn good basketball. Bogans will be pretty powerless. Just gotta hope you can make him shoot jumpers and that he doesn't shoot like he did in the Boston series. He made some shots he wouldn't make % wise so we hope that comes back down a bit but I think D.Wade is what makes this team go. If hes going off then the rest will.
The Bulls may throw more double teams here then at Lebron. I think Thibs knows Wade is the key and will see more traps and what not thrown at him. Wade had 20,34 and 30 vs the Bulls. They really need to keep him under 30 in order to have a chance.
Bogans needs to hit his two threes so the % chance of winning goes through the roof(like 32-3 or something when he scores 6pts?). Lets hope he keeps Wade a bit honest because he gonna have a hell of a time on the other end of the court.
Point Guard Match Up
Rose vs Chalmers/Bibby/Wade/Lebron-ADV Rose
Rose will have the whole house thrown at him... Not just the sink. I think all(not Bibby) these players can bother Rose in different ways but not enough from stopping him to get his. Rose is just gonna have be on par every game and be very smart.
If Rose gets into one of those shoot 8 three point and 8 turnover games then the Bulls will lose easy because the Heat will be playing fast break basketball and that =death for the Bulls. Rose needs to be a PG first and keep the turnovers down. Anything silly will cost the team.
He looked to be doing this more at the end of the Hawks series and that is only shooting the 3 when it is there. No need to jack them for no reason(like the Pacers series). Rose needs to attack the rim and keep getting to the FT line. If he does this the Bulls have a great chance. Some of those match ups will give him issues but more then not he figures it out after a while and they will switch someone else to him. If Bibby starts out on him then he needs to smell the Blood and get to rack while he can.
On defense he will get the two PGs and Wade at times. Derrick defense has come a long way and hes gotta make sure a guy like Bibby doesnt have a 4 for 5 three point shooting night. That will be enough from someone other then the big 3 to win a game. On Wade he gotta be careful not to get silly fouls since Wade just falls all over the place and gets calls like no other star in the NBA.
Rose should have an out standing series. He has been waiting for this the whole year.
The Benches
Bulls vs Heat-ADV Bulls
Korver,Brewer,Watson Toss Up House,Chalmers,Miller,Jones
Gibson,Asik,Thomas>Big Z,Howard,Haslem
I think the benches are damn close but I give the Bulls the edge. I feel like they found new life in that last two games of the Hawks series. Gibson will keep his mins and will be a huge advantage vs Bosh.
The guards are a wash to me just due to not knowing who will show up. Will Korver be hot or cold? Will Watson be Warrior Watson or Bulls Watson? Will Brewer go into his shell? After seeing the PT that went around vs the Celtics its hard to see House or Miller playing much but they are the kind of guys that come in have a big three point shooting game that pushes it to Miami's favor. Jones has played better then expected thus far so I will respect them here and call it a wash.
The Bulls have big advantage at the PF and C I think as Gibson and Asik have been playing out of their minds as of late and lets hope that keeps going. I think Asik play in the Hawks series may have finally sat Thomas for the rest of the year(or career) but who knows. We may need him in tight spots. Howard(old) Big Z(old and slow) Haslem(hurt) don't really stand much of a chance vs our bench unit.
This will be a important time in the game. If the Bench can produce the Bulls chances go up in a big way of winning.
So....Like who's gonna win the series?
Oh this is so hard. I like our team vs the big 3 but The Heat have been running through people like Clubber Lane in Rocky 3. They seem to have figured it out making this series a 6 to 7 game one. I will say this. If the Bulls win I think its in 7 games. Getting that final game at home will be huge. If the Bulls lose this series it will be in 6.
The Big 3 have avg 80+ points a game in the playoffs. That can't happen vs the Bulls. It will be a short series.
The game in March the Big 3 had 69 points and in Feb they had 70 for an avg of 69.5 for the season. The Bulls got those two wins by a hair. There isn't much room for error there. The Bulls need to keep them around 70pts or lower. Once you get past 75 I feel the % of a loss sky rockets. It will be important to limit one of the 3 and that more then likely will be Bosh.
A big factor will also go into slowing the game down and making the Heat beat them in the half court. Once you play sloppy and let them start running its over. Derrick Rose must take control of the ball and not be careless with it.
Once again its hard to pick. My heart vs my brain. The level at which Miami has played has been scaring for now and going forward but my heart hasn't done me wrong all year and I think a team wins over 3 very talented players in the end. It can go either way but The Bulls is 7. If they fail... I won't be doing a "FINISH HIM" ms paint with Lebron's head being ripped from his body. That still doesn't mean it hasn't been a great season and lets hope the West can stop the Heat. If they go on to win the title the world will go dark.
If the Bulls win it will be like a dream. Before the season the Bulls seemed to be a solid team but not NBA Finals team. Oh how far they have come. Lets hope the Bulls bring it to the Heat and play tough smart focused basketball.
Enjoy the Games my Friends.
The Bulls got Miami and Rony Seikaly on Lock Down!
Once again new born= No Game 4 review. Which is lucky for the Bulls since I could go off for hours about that one.
Game 4 Thoughts.
-That was 2010 Cavs esk.
-Derrick went into Lebron mode.
-If Korver isn't hitting than pull him(He cant guard one guy on the Hawks roster).
-Why did we forget about Boozer(yes I said it)?
-Korver on Teague is now almost as bad as Korver on Crawford.
-Teague keeps playing out of his mind.
-Where was Josh Smith's 10 cent brain?
-Bogans,Korver and Deng were building houses with those brinks(yes so original).
-Refs at that level can't make mistakes like that.
-Reminded me of the regular season melt down vs the Hawks.
Alright I could go all day...
The Bulls came out and lead most the game but it was one of those games where you feel like the team playing better is behind in the score some how. The Hawks just looked better for most the game. The Bulls looked tight and nervous in a few parts.
The offense was a mess at times. Players running into each other... The worse spacing I have seen all season. Just way out of wack. Some how the Bulls held on to the lead most the game. I did have up down emotions. Like won Bogans hit his 6th point I knew are % went through the roof but as we entered the 4th with our 4 bench points I thought the Bogans stat would be a wash since we could never win with 4 bench points.... Then the clouds opened and the god said "Let there be Taj and Omer".
I gotta say Thibs has giant nuts for sticking with this least offensive group. He did the exact oppesite from game 4 where refused to pull Korver. Taj and Asik were beyond great. The effort they brought was out standing and should go down into Bulls lore but will be forgotten in time.
Which Rose will Show?
The one that plays at a great pace? Picking and choosing when to be aggressive and when you get his team mates shots. Or the Rose that jacks bad 3 balls and can't find the line and turns the ball over? Lets hope for game 6 we see the MVP Rose like we saw in game 5. He really needs to let these games come to him. He did that so well in the regular season and I know the Playoff is a different animal but he needs to get back to that.
We are talking about Jeff Teague Right?
Yeah that dude that has carved up Rose pretty good. I think its more him playing out of his mind more then anything. He made some circus shots but at the same time Rose has be semi brutal on pick and roll defense. Rose really got up during the regular season to shut down the likes of Chris Paul..... and Blogger freaked out and deleted most my review from this point on.. I won't have anytime to redo it....&$$%-($$#@$*&&%%$#@(--(&**:<>¦>>!
Wow who are these guys? I have missed you! Finally the Bulls got their stuff together and played like they have all season. They brought that playoff energy that I have starved for since the start. I will get to Rose later but the rest of the team clicked all game. Noah is really play at a All star level again. Not many players can have such a huge impact on a game and only score 2pts. Noah can do that.
The Bench mob had their best playoff game to date. 34pts off the bench is huge and only had one tough patch where the Hawks drew with in 12pts. Lets hope they can keep playing well so we can keep this rotation. The Hawks are lucky that Teague has played out of his mind other wise that would have been a 30pt Bulls win.
I was worried after the 1st half that the Bulls might let up but this wasn't the case as the Bulls did what I have asked for all year. STEP ON THEIR THROATS! Now the Bulls need to have that same mind set for game 4. If the Bulls can do that then the Hawks will fold and go to Chicago more to see the cities attraction then to play basketball.
Why Can't I?
He was fast, he was focused... He was a killer. Tonight Derrick got to the hoop at will which opened up his shot. This has to be the formula to his game every night. That Derrick is impossible to stop. I do think the world has been lifted off his shoulders now that the MVP is sitting at home on his coffee table. I think that can be said for the team too. The tightness just seems to be gone.
Rose made way better choices tonight. From a passing stand point and a shooting stand point. I didn't see many dribble dribble jack a 3 point shot and he was making the right passes and not just forcing it into a crowd of Hawk players. Only two turnovers tonight.
Some of his shots were pretty much insane off the glass stuff... The crap he puts in on a normal basis. His D was pretty shaky to start the game. Caught sleeping a lot but he made adjustments as the game went on.
Noah vs Horford
I have been sorta tracking this match up since I found it as a draw in the my Bulls Hawks preview but it really hasn't even been close. Noah has pretty much shut down Horford. I am rather shocked as I thought he would get his vs Noah and it would be more of a back and forth thing.
Horford isn't even avging 10ppg in this series. He had a few nice rebounding games but he doesn't give them the hustle and energy that Jo does. Noah may only got 2 pts tonight but he effect a tone of shots and grabbed 15 rebounds with 8 on offense.
No doubt in my mind that Noah would have been a All Star this year if he had not been hurt. What he has done vs Horford just proves that.
Taj Gibson
What a draft pick this dude was. When you can just let Boozer rest and still get great production out of that spot from a back up then life is good. He just puts all his effort on the floor and you will never say he didn't play hard. He just out works all the other Hawk players.
Let Boozer go through his slump and Gibson will play well.
10 cent brain
This explains Smith in a nut shell.
I know Josh Smith has nothing to do with the Bulls but this is the first time I have had a chance to watch his game and I must say he is with out a doubt one of the dumbest players I have ever seen. When he goes to the rack and uses his physical gifts he is hard stop but he settles for bad jumpers on so many plays. Its mind boggling. I know he had a nice stat line tonight but he could be so much better. I know Boozer can be a bit frustrating but this dude makes me wanna pull my hair out and he doesnt even play for my Bulls.
The Good
-DRose Kilt It
-MVP chants
-Korver found some open space
-Deng shutting down Johnson again
-Rose and Bogans frustrating Crawford
-Noah's impact
-Taj Ho Grant type game
-Boozers dunk.... That didn't count.
-Rose plays well when Hubie calls his games... Dick Stockton and David Rose can hit the road.
The Bad
-Transition defense sorta...sucks.
-Boozer wasn't great but I have a feeling he climbing out of the slump.
-Another defensive 3 secs?? AHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRR!!
The Ugly
-Josh Smith's brain
-ZaZa's face
-Rose's first 5 min defense
-Boozers hands
The Players
Rose: Thought he was gonna go a quarter on us... Bogans: Got his 6pts which mean we win Deng: Tough night on offense but putting all his efforts into Joe Boozer: I think he gonna start playing better. He looked better tonight despite being blocked again. Noah: What can you say? He has been elite all series. Horford has been shut down for the most part.
The Bench Mob
Korver: Found some space. Did his thing. Gibson: Grabbed that lunch bucket and hard hat. Watson: After a rough playoff start has turned it around. Been Great. Brewer: Doing his best when given chances. Playing solid. Asik: Gave great mins tonight. Adjusted some Hawk shots.
Derrick Rose is the MVP. It was really no surprise. I mean the dude took a team which many thought would finish behind The Magic(LOL) and gave them the best record in the NBA. Thats something you don't see often in the NBA. Surprises are far and few in the league. Its easy to say the Bulls and Derrick surprised the NBA and took it by storm.
You gotta love how Derrick is a real dude. Like the idiots I hang out with. He doesn't drag along leeches that suck on his wallet. He cares for his family and by looking at him you wouldn't know he was well off. He plays for the People and not him self. His team loves him and we love how he plays. Way to go Derrick.
Might as well had a pajama party at the UC. The Bulls were sleep walking.
Game 1 Quick Hits
-Where is the energy?
-Is this pre-season?
-Bulls just wore out?
-Hawks pulled some shots out of their ass.
-Why is Korver on Crawford?
-I have no idea why some blogger took this Hawks team lightly.
-Rose has fell in love with the 3 ball?
-Josh Smith got dunked on by Boozer... Come on Josh.
-United Center is pretty sad sometimes. Pains me to say it.
-The 2008 Bulls would smack this team in the face for the lack of Playoff intensity.
-We are to new and young for this "turn it off and on" shit. That's reserved for the over the hill types out in Laker land or in bean town.
Game 2
Wow what a difference effort makes. Was it pretty? No. But we won. This team still looks nothing like the team I knew during the season. I just wonder if the intense season has caught up to them. Even Rose said in his MVP speech that its been "a long season" which I found interesting. He also did all the USA stuff too so this would make sense. But this is what you play those 82 games for.
I keep thinking back to that 08 team that pushed the Cs in their prime to a game 7 and I don't see the energy or the intense moments that team had. The energy was still better tonight and lets hope they bring it on the road. The Bulls are far from being out of the woods. ATL will be very loud(unlike UC). A true test is ahead of us on Wed.
Roses Derrick was alright... I am still not crazy about his shot selection. When Noah bangs out a hard Off Board and you then jack a 3 and miss it short(like 80% of your misses) I have a problem with that. I would like to see a chart of his 3 point attempts by the month. For most the season he shot when open but now he just jacks them with no rhythm or anything. Almost like hes out to prove that he can make them. I really think he needs to let them come to him. If your open let it fly. If your dribbling... Don't. He's just so good going to the hoop you hate to see wasted shots that are not there.
His turnover problem is getting a bit out of hand too. Some of his passes I have no idea what he is seeing. I understand he gets caught in the air at times or a defender just makes a good play but at times he just throwing it into a sea of red Hawk players(or pacers). I almost fell out of my chair when he fell down right before the end of the 3rd and allowed the Teague to get fouled for two FTs. I know he knows hes being careless. I expect him to get better... I hope.
Yeah I know, that was all pretty negative. He did better getting to the hoop but the Hawks have such long athletic dudes its harder for him to finish. He was still better here then in game 1 in getting to the rack. He still only had 6 Fts which is still low imo. Need to be in the 10ish range. I will say his defense has been out standing for the most part. Blocking shots,Challenging shots and getting his hands in on loose balls.
Smith licking his chops
When Smith saw Boozer going to the rim he had a block party every time. Boozer got the first blow when he dunked on Smith in Game 1 but in game 2 Smith had four blocks. All on Boozer(at least it seemed like). Like I said in the preview, Boozer needs to use a ton of head fakes and post moves to get open looks around the hoop. He can't go toe to toe with Josh Smith around the rim. Boozer still struggling but at least he rebounds no matter what.
D=Deng or Defense?
Deng got Johnson most the night(I was surprised he didnt more in game one). He did a great job. Making Joe dribble the air out of the ball for a lot of the night. Deng is long and Johnson can't get those easy looks. He still shot well but didnt get even half the looks he got in game one. Deng was alright on offense. If he can do that the rest of the series the Bulls should win in 6.
Noah vs Horford
I know what to expect out of Jo but he has done an outstanding job on Horford. I expected a bit more scoring out of Horford. I am also not sure if he isn't getting as much looks with the Hawks playing one on one ball so much but Noah has shut him down for the most part. I do think he is a player that plays better at home. He just plays with more energy. Noah better expect that. So far though Noah has won this match up I saw as a draw.
The Good
-Noah at 100% is like "ahhhhhh".
-Deng should be on the all defensive team
-Rose's defense
-Good coaching tonight. Good traps and doubles. Match up changes.
-Better effort and energy
The Bad
-Rose still has bad shot selection.
-Bench Mob still ... Meh
-End of the 3rd
-Teague? Really?
The Ugly
-Josh Smith, What if this dude didnt have a 10 cent brain?
-Korver 1-9... Should have been 0-10
-Rose careless with the ball
-David Rose? Is he sorta like Johnny Kilroy?
-Need to play hard 60% of the time..all the time...wait what?
The Players
Noah: Out standing...Simple as that. Boozer: Struggling still but I really think is making baby steps. Deng: Did the Job on Joe Johnson and still was a factor on offense. Bogans: Got his two 3s=win! Rose: so-so night. Still maybe effected by ankle.
Bench Mob
Thomas: Needs to play more imo. Korver: Is now cold. This team is the worst match up for him. Watson: Was solid. Hit a matching three. Brewer: Looked a lot better. Really got after it. Gibson: Not much PT, but got a big dunk. Asik: Got gooned But ugly face.
Baby and Home life won't allow time for a game 1 review(which I would have pulled my hair out writing). I will have some time tonight. I will do a game 1 and 2 review late tonight. Go Bulls!
Center Match up
Noah vs Horford-Toss Up This is maybe the best match up of the series. Old buddies from Gatorville will square off in the 2nd round. Horford is the only dude on the Hawks I would want(ok maybe Johnson for our 2..) anywhere near my Bulls. Hes a work horse and a lot like Noah in that regard. He will grind out rebounds and do all the dirty work that no one on that roster wants to do. He has added a nice 17-18 foot jump shot that Noah will have to come out and guard.
We do know that Al lit Noah up pretty good for a career high in pts and rebounds in the Bulls loss to the Hawks. That of course was not a healthy Noah. To me this match up is a Toss Up. The dudes are gonna be 1up each other all game and will all come down to hustle. Horford will edge Noah in Points but Noah will edge him in blocks and dimes. They may go out to dinner after the game and talk about the old days when they ruled the College Basketball world but on the court it will be war.
Power Forward Match Up
Boozer vs Josh Smith-Adv Smith
What bothers Boozer the most besides his shadow? Long,leapers with head bands. Josh Smith is a nightmare for Carlos but if Carlos is smart he can out wit him on the block with all his up and under moves and head fakes. Thats the way he will have to play it. If he tries to go right at Smith or settle for fade away jumpers then its gonna be a long series for Boozer(like the picture at the right).
The Bulls have to limit Smith. He can either kill you in a game are spurt a 10-0 run with his blocking,running the court and dunking. He will take bad shots and thats what Boozer and his help defense is gonna have to do. Force him into jumpers. Smith himself can go backwards when his play isn't good so lets hope the Bulls are ready to help and force him to take poor jump shots. I gotta go with Adv Smith just due to how poor Boozers play has been and I do think he will only get worse before he gets better.
Small Forward Match Up
Deng vs Williams-Adv Deng
Williams is a guy that can make some nice athletic plays(like the block on Rose) or be invisible. For a number 2 pick he hasn't done a lot(that pick is cursed so whatever). Deng should own this match up. Deng is just a way more sound player. Williams is gonna have to cover Deng from sideline to sideline. As long as Deng doesn't hit a major slumps then he should have a great series.
Shooting Guard Match Up
Keith Bogans vs Joe Johnson(highly over paid)-Adv Bogans...oops Joe Johnson
Yeah I kid. Joe Johnson wins this in a mud slide. Bogans will do a nice job on him but Joe will get hot at times. Hes just such a good pure shooter. To me he is really a taller Ben Gordan but maybe not as clutch. Joe Johnson will see many defenders. Deng,Brewer and Bogans will all take turns trying to limit him.
If the Bulls do find a way to keep his production down then the Bulls have a great shot at winning the series in 4. If they let him go off then it maybe a bit harder then that. IMO the Bulls have to make him put the ball on the floor. He can stroke it fast and quick(ewwww) and is right there with Ray Allen when it comes to pure shooters.
Point Guard Match Up(LOL!)
Derrick Rose vs Randoms-Adv Rose
With Kirk out or limited it will be hard for the Hawks to stop Rose. He should be able to get to the hoop at will. They will try a number of defenders. Teague,Crawford,Marvin(?) will all get their chance. Hell maybe the Hawks will bring Gerald Wilkins to be the Rose stopper like the Cavs did in 93 for Jordan... We all know how that turned out.
I hope Rose lets his 3pt shot come to him(wide open looks) since he should be able to get to the rack at will vs Crawford or whoever. If Kirk does make a game then he should be a bit slowed but he is tough and would make it harder on Rose. Kirk did maybe the best one on one job all season on Rose. But its Playoff time now and I expect Rose to have his way with the 50% Kirk if he does dress.
Bench
Bulls vs Hawks-Adv Bulls
Crawford,Teague,Wikins > Brewer,Korver,Watson
Collins,Head Butt Dude,Armstrong < Gibson,Thomas,Asik
Depending on how the Hawks go with the starting line up their bench is just bizarre to me. They could have up to as many 4(!) centers on the bench if they start Crawford or Williams. That leaves just Teague at PG and a paper bag at SF. Its a pretty uneven bench and roster to be honest. I like the Bulls bench in this match up and that's even with Crawford coming off it and a crapping showing thus far by the Bench Mob. As a whole the Bulls are better.
So... Like who's gonna win the Series?
I like the Bulls is 5. The Hawks are a glorified AAU team in my eyes. They play one on one ball a lot. Don't really look for each other and can take a ton of bad shots. Basically this team would end Larry Browns coaching career with a heart attack if he were the coach.
This kind of basketball plays into the Bulls defense pretty nice. The only way this series gets tough is if the Bulls come out flat again. They need to bring energy because the Hawks will. Also limit Crawford and Johnsons easy looks. The 3pt shot will get them going. If the Bulls bring it and stick to their Ps and Qs then this series should be a sweep or in 5. Six would suck but not out of the realm. Derrick should have a field day if Kirk can't go.
11:38 AM
Ryan
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