Time to start this thread and I couldn't be happier about that!
Schedule gets released tonight. This season should be exciting with the compressed 66 game format. Its going to feel more like sprint compared to the usual marathon. With the Bulls young legs, I think it could be an advantage in the regular season with games 3 nights in a row and stretches of 5 in 6 nights. I'm sure D.Rose is chomping at the bit for another shot at the Heat!
very nice of them to schedule the first Bulls vs Heat game on Sun, January 29th, the Sunday that no one cares about in Pro Football (although they did fill it with the pro bowl last year and this year). That will be some good stuff to watch on that Sunday :) I also like that it's only 2 pre-season games. Just get the games going!
interested to see i the Lakers can land Dwight Howard and Chris Paul like they are trying to do.
I heard the Bulls are trying to get Vince Carter?? don't know what to think of this? he is pretty old, but could be huge off the bench!
Quote from: pdga#7648 on December 07, 2011, 09:45:19 AM
interested to see i the Lakers can land Dwight Howard and Chris Paul like they are trying to do.
I heard the Bulls are trying to get Vince Carter?? don't know what to think of this? he is pretty old, but could be huge off the bench!
Dude, you don't want Vince Carter. Trust me. We don't need a lazy, no defense playing, fall-to-the-floor-after-every-play cry-baby on Thibodeau's squad.
Best case 2 guard scenario in free agency is probably Jason Richardson. The Bulls can't offer much money though, so their hoping somebody like Richardson will provide a huge discount to the Bulls in exchange for a shot at a title. Obviously I would love an upgrade over Brewer/Korver at shooting guard, but if it doesn't happen I still think this team can improve from last year and give the Heat a run for their money in the conference finals again.
I agree Dan. they don't really need any help, but Carter can score while D Rose is taking a breather. I just can't wait for the season to finally start.
wait, you guys are both Bulls fans? holy cow, we might actually have some productive conversation here lol
I love how Korver was shooting, but I agree that they really need a better #2. I heard rumors that the Bulls were a "sleeper team" in trading for Howard, but I'm not sure how I feel about that either.
yes, we actually have 2 things in common. ;D
Chris Paul to the Lakers for Gasol and Odom. I guess even Kobe is on board with the whole 'superstars teaming up' fad. That should be an interesting team to watch.
I'm ignoring the Dwight Howard to Chicago rumors. Deng and Noah have a ton of years and money left on their deals. I don't think those are the kind of assets Orlando is looking for in return. I hope Howard stays put, but I did notice that the Lakers didn't apparently didn't have to give up Bynum to get Paul, so I wouldn't rule out the Lakers possibly pulling off something there. Kobe, Paul, and Howard? Jesus, just give them the trophy and skip the formalities if that ever happened!
isn't CP3 hurt alot? I don't think that was a good deal. Odom and Gasol score and rebound. How much can CP actually score with Kobe?? and Bynum is never healthy.
If they do land Howard, I will agree 100% about them winning it all!
the league stopped the trade for some reason??
Quote from: pdga#7648 on December 08, 2011, 08:12:01 PM
the league stopped the trade for some reason??
Doug the NBA own the hornets so I believe the other owners cry to Stern about vetoing the trade
Quote from: pdga#7648 on December 08, 2011, 05:44:22 PM
isn't CP3 hurt alot? I don't think that was a good deal. Odom and Gasol score and rebound. How much can CP actually score with Kobe?? and Bynum is never healthy.
If they do land Howard, I will agree 100% about them winning it all!
Doug, I think you underestimate how good Chris Paul is. He has had a knee injury, but last season he played 80 games. He has surpassed Nash as the ultimate guy to have run your team from the point. The beauty of having Paul is that he doesn't need to score to completely dominate a game. Plus he shoots 47+% and 86%FT and has lead the league in steals 3 times. 3 seasons ago he shot 50.3% from the field while averaging 23 pts and 11 assists. Thats one of the great statistical seasons of alltime. Kobe would love playing with him at this point in his career. He's one of the top 7 players in the league right now, there is no way he doesn't drastically improve the Lakers. Odom and Gasol are nice players, but they don't add up to anything close to CP3. Plus, Odom is 32 and Gasol is 33. These guys are entering the twilight of their career. Paul can carry this team in the future as Kobe fades in his later years (this has already started in case you haven't noticed.
I think the owners are more pissed about the fact that the Lakers got the best player in this trade while saving $21M in payroll and another $21M in luxury tax. Since they all have a share in the Hornets, it doesn't make sense to them to take on more payroll than they are shedding, while sending a superstar to a powerhouse team. Stern has created a big mess here though, because Paul is going to have to be traded somewhere eventually, or the Hornets will lose him to free agency and get nothing in return, which would make no sense.
based on what I heard on espn radio this morning, Dwight Howard wants to go to the Nets and they are close to getting a deal done there. I don't know what's so intriguing about the Nets, but it is what it is. I just hope the Bulls aren't playing chicken on deals because they overvalue their talent. They have a lot of good players, but you have to give up a couple good ones to get a great one.
All of this stuff going on in the NBA just makes me feel more and more like it was rigged that the Bulls got that #1 pick at the 1.9% chance of getting it and picking up Derrek Rose. I guess I shouldn't complain, but it feels like there's a looooot of shady stuff going on in the background here.
Sounds like Rip Hamilton might be on his way to the Bulls. I think he's still solid if he can stay on the floor. He's always hurt though. I don't feel like he's a big upgrade over Brewer/Korver at this stage of his career. Sounds like we're headed for another year of shooting guard by committee.
sounds like Detroit will buy him out, then he is able to become a Bull. If this happens, does he start or come off the bench? and who do they get rid of? Pargo, Lucas, C.J.?
If Rip can play off D Rose like he did Chauncey, then he'll be a good asset. If that connection doesn't happen, he's probably going to do more harm than help since he seems to feel like he's a superstar.
sounds like someones mad he is leaving the Pistons? ;)
Not the case at all actually, good riddance. He's been a bum the last two years and has a bad attitude.
D Rose signed a 5yr. 94 million extension last night! Awesome
Looking at the East, is there any team that has a real chance to get in the way of another Bulls vs Heat conference finals matchup? I say no. Thibodeau should probably pace this team a little more this year and make sure we're fully healthy for that matchup when the time does come.
I can't wait for Christmas.......(to watch Da Bulls).
I hope Rip works out and don't butt heads w/Thibs.
D Rose is such a refreshing superstar and I'm thankful he is a Bull.
Nothing better than watching the MVP drive the lane and score the game winner over Gasol!
Somebody may want to notify Boozer that the lockout is over. Any way we can go back in time and not make that signing? I think it was a knee-jerk reaction to not getting LeBron or DWade that summer. That $15M/year needed to be used to add a bigtime star player alongside Derrick. Boozer is a role player. I'm not trying to pile on him, but its very clear he's not a star in this league. I wish Reinsdorf would give the go-ahead to amnesty his contract and allow the front office a do-over. I can't blame him for not wanting to eat $40M+ though.
Tough stretch to start the new season out west. Hopefully the Bulls come home with at least a 2-2 record.
What a show by Derrick tonight!
Hamilton is looking pretty impressive himself. Not D Rose #'s but far from a bum like Taylor said!
but yea, 29 pts, 16 dishes, even the Clippers fans were chanting MVP the last 2 minutes.
I hate to say this, but Rose has GOT to stop shooting 3's. Last year he made 33% of them, which was okay. This year he's making less than 28%, but he's still jacking up 5 per game. He's dropped his shot attempts from 20 to 15 per game this year, but is still shooting the same number of 3's. That means he's not being as aggressive, which is bad for the Bulls.
Rose isn't the only one not shooting the ball well. Deng is also struggling badly with the worst FG% since his rookie year at 43.7% And how about Noah? His career shooting% is 51, this year he's at 38! Last year he averaged a 12 and 10. This year 7 and 8. Thibs has been cutting Noah's minutes lately.
We don't have 3 star players like Miami. The only way we can counter that is with depth. With Rose, Noah, and Deng playing like they have so far, we don't stand much of a chance against the Heat at full strength. Stll plenty of time for everybody to get going though, only 10 games in. Our first test against Miami is Jan.29th.
Enjoyed flipping between the Bulls game and the Brandon Paul show last night. Heat got DWade back but picked up their 2nd loss last night. I'm loving this compacted schedule.
Heat 2nd straight loss. LeBron 9 of 17 from the FT line? Nice!
Bulls looked horrendous last night without D.Rose. Luckily we were playing the absolutely atrocious 1-win Wizards who shot 31%. No clue how D.Rose can go down and Boozer plays only 26 min with 4 pts. It should've been heavy doses of him in the post or working the pick-and-roll with Lucas to carry the scoring load. Deng 5 of 21 shooting, he looks totally lost out there for the last 5 games. Tiny little John Lucas jacked up 28 shots. I have no clue what is going on, but a win is a win I guess. Thibs needs to come up with a different gameplan with Rose out because that was embarrassing.
is Rose hurt or just a day off? no notes on my fantasy roster. hopefully just a day off, I already have Z. Randolph, J. Kidd, M. Beasley, and Rip Hamilton nursing injuries. I can call it a season i Rose goes down >:(
He jammed his toe when he was knocked down during Tuesdays game in Minnesota. He went to the locker room with his shoe off and then returned later and proceeded to play as well as he's played all year. I guess it felt worse when he woke up the next day and they are calling it turf toe. He said he's had the injury before but has always been able to play through it without a problem. He was in a walking boot yesterday.
The Bulls have games Friday/Saturday, then Monday/Tuesday, followed by 2 days off. I would not be surprised to see him back Friday night, but I also would not be surprised if he's out the next 4 games. I don't think it'll be anything long-term, although these things have a tendency to linger if you don't rest them.
Nice win in Boston. Didn't look like that toe was really hampering Derrick at all.
Looks like it may be now? 2 straight games he has missed! that sucks.
glad to see Boozer finally have a game like he is supposed to have. 31 pts. on 14-21 shooting. only 6 boards, but if he is going to score 31, he don't need to rebound.
At least Deng doesn't have a fracture, but it sounds like his wrist will be an issue all year if he bypasses the surgery. Derrick's toe will never be 100% this season either. Noah, Taj, CJ, and Rip have all missed time already too. I don't know how we're going to get through this season and be ready for the playoffs. Schedule is about to get a lot tougher, should be interesting to see how this next month goes.
Tough ending today, but immensely fun game to watch overall. Loved the way we competed. Bulls vs Heat is as good as it gets right now. I pretty much don't sit down for the entire game when these 2 teams go at it. What was with all the empty seats at that game? Why any player would choose to play in front of Miami fans instead of the UC crowd is beyond me.
Agreed on the sitting when watching Bulls/Heat.
Lebron grinds my gears. That dude don't stop bitching to the refs! He is such a damn whiner.
I'm so glad we have a great superstar in DRose to cheer for.
PS What was up with that jumpball late in the 4th?
Quote from: dana on January 29, 2012, 06:00:17 PM
PS What was up with that jumpball late in the 4th?
That was a strange play. I'm not sure why they didn't go to the replay to try and get it right.
I believe the call was that the ball was never out of bounds, so the whistle was inadvertant when the ball was loose, hence the jump ball. Bottom line, Taj has to pull that free throw rebound down with 2 hands and protect the ball. There was no excuse for that.
Overall I thought both teams played pretty well. It came down to just a play or two deciding the game. Considering we were in Miami without Deng, playing against a near-full-strength squad, you could certainly make the case that the Bulls should come away with some confidence despite the loss. I'm sure that doesn't make Rose feel any better, but thats why I love having that guy on my team.
Wade sucked, but that seems to be the case whenever he plays the Bulls over the last 12 months. LeBron was unstoppable, which also seems to always be the case against the Bulls. We've got to double him quicker when he gets the ball anywhere near the paint.
QuoteTaj has to pull that free throw rebound down with 2 hands and protect the ball. There was no excuse for that.
That was Boozer wasn't it? He was wrapping it up and it just fell outa his hands! Very strange.
Hated to see D miss those FTs, but loved seein Lebron miss his.
So glad I only have to watch the Heat when they play the Bulls. I've got some serious Lebron hate.
Quote from: dana on January 30, 2012, 08:35:09 PM
So glad I only have to watch the Heat when they play the Bulls. I've got some serious Lebron hate.
I hate his personality as much as anybody. I guess thats the outcome of his upbringing. That being said, I do watch him play in amazement because he is the best basketball player on the planet, and one of the most freakishly gifted athletes that has ever existed. I had to go to the UC to see him in person during his rookie year with the Cavs. Just watching him in the lay-up line is entertaining. 'The next Jordan' was a topic of conversation for a long time. I would say Kobe became a very close comparison to Jordan. I think it will be longer before we see another player close to the mold of LeBron James, with his size, speed, athleticism, and high basketball IQ. Its just a hell of a lot more fun to root for a guy like Derrick Rose.
Quote from: Dan Michler on January 31, 2012, 05:14:09 AM
Quote from: dana on January 30, 2012, 08:35:09 PM
So glad I only have to watch the Heat when they play the Bulls. I've got some serious Lebron hate.
I hate his personality as much as anybody. I guess thats the outcome of his upbringing. That being said, I do watch him play in amazement because he is the best basketball player on the planet, and one of the most freakishly gifted athletes that has ever existed. I had to go to the UC to see him in person during his rookie year with the Cavs. Just watching him in the lay-up line is entertaining. 'The next Jordan' was a topic of conversation for a long time. I would say Kobe became a very close comparison to Jordan. I think it will be longer before we see another player close to the mold of LeBron James, with his size, speed, athleticism, and high basketball IQ. Its just a hell of a lot more fun to root for a guy like Derrick Rose.
Winning Championships is hard. Lebron can't sniff Jordans jock strap! Yet anyway.
there is no Yet to it. He will never win like MJ.
I would never imply that Jordan isn't the greatest of alltime. LeBron isn't yet top 5 alltime, and there is a decent chance he never will be. My point was that he's a different type of player that we are less likely to see in the future. In numerous ways Kobe is exactly the type of player Jordan was (just not as good), and I think we'll see more Jordan-type shooting guards come and go.
Dan, I agree 100%. Funny you should mention the Kobe comparison though.
I have an 18 yr old son, who has been a Kobe nut for about 10 years. always saying MJ wasn't close to the Black Mamba, BLAH BLAH BLAH. I tried and tried to get it through his thick head(must be a family thing) but didn't work. Yea he can score, and score and score, but he can't play with other great players(Shaq) or he would have alot more rings than MJ's 6! MJ loved having great players on his team.
LeBron is just a freak. Again, Dan is right. He can do it all and make it look effortless. I guess I shouldn't say do it all, until he is wearing at least 1 ring! ;D
Heard a Bulls/Lakers trade rumor on the radio this morning involving Boozer and Pau Gasol.
I went to the ESPN trade machine and http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine (http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine) a Boozer/Korver for Gasol deal would be equal money. If I'm the Bulls, I would do that deal in a heartbeat. I don't see losing Korver as a very big negative. When Rip Hamilton comes back we've got Brewer/Rip/Watson splitting 2 guard duties when Rose and Deng are pretty much playing the entire game in the playoffs. There aren't many minutes available for Korver. Gasol would match up MUCH better with Bosh in the playoffs, and the Miami series is the only concern I have right now. Boozer got dominated by Bosh last year.
I think the Lakers are motivated to dump Gasol soon. Korver would give them the extra shooter that Kobe has been screaming for all season. Boozer might be more successful in the Lakers system than he has been with the Bulls.
Quote from: Dan Michler on February 20, 2012, 06:32:29 AM
Heard a Bulls/Lakers trade rumor on the radio this morning involving Boozer and Pau Gasol.
I went to the ESPN trade machine and http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine (http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine) a Boozer/Korver for Gasol deal would be equal money. If I'm the Bulls, I would do that deal in a heartbeat. I don't see losing Korver as a very big negative. When Rip Hamilton comes back we've got Brewer/Rip/Watson splitting 2 guard duties when Rose and Deng are pretty much playing the entire game in the playoffs. There aren't many minutes available for Korver. Gasol would match up MUCH better with Bosh in the playoffs, and the Miami series is the only concern I have right now. Boozer got dominated by Bosh last year.
I think the Lakers are motivated to dump Gasol soon. Korver would give them the extra shooter that Kobe has been screaming for all season. Boozer might be more successful in the Lakers system than he has been with the Bulls.
Might happen if the Lakers hire Isiah Thomas as the GM.
Quote from: Tom McManus on February 20, 2012, 06:35:40 AM
Quote from: Dan Michler on February 20, 2012, 06:32:29 AM
Heard a Bulls/Lakers trade rumor on the radio this morning involving Boozer and Pau Gasol.
I went to the ESPN trade machine and http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine (http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine) a Boozer/Korver for Gasol deal would be equal money. If I'm the Bulls, I would do that deal in a heartbeat. I don't see losing Korver as a very big negative. When Rip Hamilton comes back we've got Brewer/Rip/Watson splitting 2 guard duties when Rose and Deng are pretty much playing the entire game in the playoffs. There aren't many minutes available for Korver. Gasol would match up MUCH better with Bosh in the playoffs, and the Miami series is the only concern I have right now. Boozer got dominated by Bosh last year.
I think the Lakers are motivated to dump Gasol soon. Korver would give them the extra shooter that Kobe has been screaming for all season. Boozer might be more successful in the Lakers system than he has been with the Bulls.
Might happen if the Lakers hire Isiah Thomas as the GM.
I'm not so sure Isiah wouldn't be an upgrade from their current GM. This would be a big step up from their previous trade where they shipped out Lamar Odom in exchange for nothing.
I think the overall level of skill in the NBA is going up, which is logical since more and more money is going into the league and game over time. This will directly make it difficult for any player or team to win like the Jordan years because there are too many other great players to compete against. No question that there weren't amazing players 15-20 years ago, but the level of skill on average has gone up in my opinion. Just another angle to think about when comparing different players, have to compare the timeframe as well.
That would be kind of funny if Boozer got traded. That would mean that for like 6 out of the last 7 years that the Bull player honored at the Comcast Sportsnet Sports Awards got traded soon after the awards. Weird.
That game last night was entertaining. The shot that Rose hit at the end of the game was amazing. It was a tie game, but still a great shot. Looks like it will be the Bulls and Miami. But I would not completely rule out Philadelphia and Indiana in the east.
Good stretch of games to end the season. 17 of the final 25 games are against playoff teams. 3 against Miami and 1 @OKC, the only other 2 teams that I would consider as elite teams along with the Bulls. That top seed always has the potential to be very important, so these games will be crucial for the Bulls.
The East is going to end up with Chicago, Miami, Indiana, Philly, Orlando, Boston, Atlanta, and New York in the playoffs. I think every one of those teams has the capability to push Chicago or Miami to a tough 6 or 7 game series.
WOW Dan ??? All those teams could push the Bulls to a 6th or 7th game? I strongly disagree. 3 of those teams MIGHT win 1 game.
But I will say this, of the other 6 teams, nobody will stop MVP2 DRose! I love the NBA again. Turning on WGN or Fox Sports and seeing this team play is very exciting! Can't wait for the Heat!!
Quote from: Tom McManus on March 08, 2012, 07:43:20 AM
That game last night was entertaining. The shot that Rose hit at the end of the game was amazing. It was a tie game, but still a great shot. Looks like it will be the Bulls and Miami. But I would not completely rule out Philadelphia and Indiana in the east.
Glad that I mentioned something about the Bulls. Orlando was on fire in the first quarter last night.
Quote from: pdga#7648 on March 08, 2012, 02:21:09 PM
WOW Dan ??? All those teams could push the Bulls to a 6th or 7th game? I strongly disagree. 3 of those teams MIGHT win 1 game.
But I will say this, of the other 6 teams, nobody will stop MVP2 DRose! I love the NBA again. Turning on WGN or Fox Sports and seeing this team play is very exciting! Can't wait for the Heat!!
It's still pretty early for predicting outcomes but i think those teams will be in the playoffs and if the Bulls are injured it could be an interesting series with any of those teams. When CJ watson is out, John Lucas is really a roll of the dice and Rose can only do 48 mins a night for so long. They still dont have a consistent 2nd scorer (Deng has been streaky). If the Bulls are healthy, Chicago will be pretty tough and Miami and OKC will be the only teams deep enough/Talented enough to take us down.
Honestly though, the only thing I care about is beating Miami in the playoffs and If they don't, the season will be kind of a bust ya know. Its all about Miami.
Miami has improved their team this year. If they stay healthy there's no way the Bulls beat them in a 7 game series. Their bench is just as strong as ours this year and the starters have been playing together all year, something the Bulls haven't. I hope I'm wrong!
Quote from: Sr. on March 09, 2012, 08:46:05 AM
Miami has improved their team this year. If they stay healthy there's no way the Bulls beat them in a 7 game series. Their bench is just as strong as ours this year and the starters have been playing together all year, something the Bulls haven't. I hope I'm wrong!
I hope you are wrong too Randy, but there is certainly nothing wrong with your logic. Miami would be a significant favorite over the Bulls if the series started tomorrow. With LeBron having perhaps his best season ever, Miami appears to be a notch better than they were last year. They still lack size in their front court though, which is where the Bulls must make them pay if we are to make a game of it. Noah has looked inspired over the last month, hopefully that continues. Derrick will do his thing and give it everything he has, but its the guys around him that will determine the Bulls fate in the playoffs.
All that being said, the Bulls are absolutely better than the Dallas team that took down Miami in the Finals last year. So, there is always a chance. And as long as we have a healthy Derrick Rose on the floor, I will be glued to the TV for better or worse.
Some MF'er from Maryland rear-ended Derrick on the Kennedy expressway and now he's a game-time decision tonight versus the HEAT. Great.
Deng is back tonight, so at least if Rose does play, we'll be much closer to 100% strength this time around. I've got to imagine Derrick is going to lace up if at all possible for this game.
The cheapest ticket on StubHub is $115 for standing room only tonight. Imagine if you paid that and then found out Rose isn't playing.
ESPN moved the start time back to 8:30pm. I'm going to be tired tomorrow morning.
got the win without DRose playing. great sign of things to come in the playoffs. let's just hope they can stay healthy going forward?!
Nice confidence boosting win last night. Gives the Bulls a 2 game edge on the Heat in the loss column for home-court in the East Finals.
One thing that occurred to me amidst all the talk about how deficient the Bulls are on offense, and how they rely totally on Derrick Rose on that end of the floor. First, any team with a player the caliber of Derrick Rose would get most of their offense through him. Second, I checked the standings today and the Bulls have the 2nd highest scoring offense in the East, and the 6th highest in the NBA. So, all the talk about offensive deficiencies is just that....talk.
More tough games ahead, keep it rolling.
Went to the game Monday night...worst loss of the season. Just my luck.
Read an article yesterday that made the argument Kobe should be considered for MVP this season. Ridiculous! I'm not a Kobe-hater, but to me he is having one of his worst seasons. Shooting 42.5%, his lowest since he was an 18 yr old rookie that played 15 min/game. He's jacking up way more 3's this season, and making just 29% of them! Sure, he's leading the league in scoring, but don't be fooled. The Player Efficiency Rating (PER) tells the truth, Andrew Bynum is the best player on that team.
Durant is having another great year. Kevin Love also. But, its still no contest. LeBron is by far the MVP. 26.5 ppg with career-high shooting % (53%FG 36%3pt 77% FT). 8 rebounds and 7 assists. He's also 4th in the league with 2.0 steals. You can make the case that Durant and Love are right there with LeBron offensively. But, defensively? LeBron can dominate the game on that end. You could argue DWade for runner-up MVP as he also has a dominant defensive game and a better PER than Durant or Love.
That being said, the BULLS still somehow have a 3 1/2 game lead on the Heat for home-court! I'm not sure how that is possible when we've had far more injury problems than any of the other top teams? If Thibodeau was COY last year, then he should be a unanimous choice to repeat as COY this year. Hopefully Rose can get near 100% healthy by the 2nd round of the playoffs. This groin strain has me worried.
Quote from: Dan Michler on March 30, 2012, 06:44:53 AM
Hopefully Rose can get near 100% healthy by the 2nd round of the playoffs. This groin strain has me worried.
I really was never that concerned with his groin injury but i too am on the wagon of worriers. Although the bulls seem to be maintaining the #1 seed and Miami has flipped it off for the regular season (just my observation), A strain groin and a torn groin are bad and WORSE. I pulled strained groin once as a teenager, and it is an injury i will never forget. Although all talk says hes "strained" it, they continue to say it was worse than orginally thought..
From what I've read we wont see Rose on the court with any big minutes for like another 2 weeks MAYBE.... The other thing is, With all this rest i think his back and toe should be tip top upon return. It would kill the diehard Bulls fan inside me not to see him %100 in the playoffs.
Rip is back tonight which means he should be down by tomorrow. Seriously, on our first possession he attempted a shot and started grimacing and stretching out. We should just sit him until the East Finals and hope he can string together a handful of games.
I think Rose will come back with a handful of games left to get in shape before the playoffs. Probably another 2-3 weeks. Luckily we should be able to get through the 1st round without him playing his best. Then I agree with you, he should be physically fresh if he gets over the groin and might hit his midseason stride late in the playoffs. At least that is the extremely optimistic way of looking at it.
Last night was certainly entertaining. Its nice to essentially beat the Heat twice this year without Derrick, while they've been at full strength. It should give us confidence, but at the same time we'd be kidding ourselves if we think we're going to do anything in the playoffs without Derrick playing at least somewhere near full strength.
That being said, its pretty obvious what Miami is still missing. They have zero inside presence. LeBron is their best big-man inside, and he plays small forward. Asik, Noah, and Taj are just too big for Miami to deal with on the glass. I said the same thing last year though, and the Bulls went down in 5, so who knows. If those 3 guys play well and dominate the offensive boards like they do in the regular season, it'll be extremely tough for Miami to beat the Bulls 4 times.
I don't put too much stock into the Heat's 13-10 record since the break. The Celtics played .500 ball for the last 40 games of 2009 and Celtics fans were jumping off bridges, and then once the playoffs started they put it all together and made a run to the Finals.
Last night pretty much wraps up home-court advantage. 7 games left, time to get guys healthy for the playoffs now. Hopefully Thibodeau starts giving Deng some extra rest. Rose has 2 weeks to get his legs and his game back.
Playoff seeds in the East are locked (assuming the Knicks hand Charlotte their 22nd straight loss tonight).
Playoff predictions:
Bulls over Sixers 4-2: I would rather play the Knicks to be honest. The Sixers destroyed us once earlier in the season and I think they have some confidence in their ability to beat the Bulls. They have the 3rd best point differential in the league. I expect this to be a battle and if it turns out Rose isn't anywhere near healthy, the Bulls could be heading for a 1st round exit. That being said, I'm banking on our front court with Noah, Taj, and Asik all having a big playoff run and carrying us through.
Heat over Knicks 4-0: The Knicks suck and the Heat are well rested.
Pacers over Magic: 4-0: If the Pacers don't win this one, someone is getting fired.
Celtics over Hawks 4-1: I don't like Atlanta's chances with no Al Horford. Celtics roll.
2nd rd.
Bulls over Celtics 4-2: If Rose is healthy, he will own Rondo. The energy of the Bulls frontcourt will win out over the experience of the Celtics frontcourt. Obviously its all about the health of Derrick Rose though.
Pacers over Heat 4-3: I'm expecting an absolute battle in this matchup. Don't be surprised if the Pacers pull off an upset. The Heat have not impressed in the 2nd half of the season and simply don't beat good teams on the road. Miami destroyed Indiana in their first 2 matchups this season. Then Indiana took them to OT @MIA in Rd 3, and in Rd 4 Indiana killed them. I know everybody is expecting Bulls/Heat, but I won't be shocked if it ends up being Pacers/Celtics.
Bulls over Pacers 4-3: Obviously I'm picking Chicago. There is some tension between these 2 teams after last year's physical playoff matchup and then Indiana loudly celebrating a regular season victory on the Bulls homecourt this season. I think it would be a battle.
This shortened season has rewarded depth above all else. The playoffs allow more time for rest, but with all the injuries and fatigue that are already out there I still think depth will be more of a factor than usual. The Bulls are clearly the deepest team in the East, you can't argue against that. The 2nd line with Watson/Korver/Brewer/Taj/Asik is better than alot of team's starting lineups this season. Hopefully this takes us to the Finals. OKC is going to be awfully tough in the West. They have both the depth of the Bulls and the elite talent in the starting lineup.
I'm hoping the 2nd series goes to a game 7. I picked up 4 tickets to that game.
Rose is done for the year. ACL or MCL TEAR
I'm still a little bit stunned and depressed over what happened, but I'm excited for the game tonight. I'm holding out some hope for the Bulls to somehow pull off something unexpected over the next month.
1 comparison for the Bulls current situation: The 1994 Bulls. We lost MJ in the off-season and were still title contenders (Hue Hollins phantom call on Pippen cost us a trip to the East Finals).
I think Noah said it best, the margin for error is alot smaller now. We can still win, but where we could afford a couple guys having off-games before, now we can't. Gotta cut down the turnovers, dominate the glass, and shoot a high % from 3pt. We do those 3 things and anything is still possible.
Its not like the Sixers, Hawks, or Celtics are setting the world on fire. We can beat those teams. The Heat? Probably not, but miracles do happen. They still have to get by the Pacers who I haven't counted out. And what if LeBron or Wade sustains an injury like D.Rose? Then all bets are off. Thats why they play the games.
Dan, I always know where your heart is, but even though I am on your side this time, I have to disagree. we don't stand a chance in hell of beating the Heat now. 1 game? sure, they did it in the regular season without D-Rose, but not a 7 game series. I hope I am wrong, but realistically don't see it happening.
On a side note though, I hope the Thunder make it to the Finals and beat the Heat, making the Big 3 0-2 in the Finals! ;D
Feels good to get a W last night. I really just don't want the season to be over already regardless of the fact we have about a 0.001% chance of winning the title. I think Boozer deserves alot of credit for the way he's played this series. Our guards have just had a terrible series. I know they can shoot better than this. We need to look to drive and kick a little more often instead of turning the ball over or getting a shot blocked once we get inside. We went to the line 11 times last night. Thats ridiculous. We also had 11 shots get blocked. Time to quit forcing up wild shots in the paint and start looking for an open man.
Hopefully Noah and Taj can both be on the floor for Game 6 Thursday. We need all hands on deck for this one. If we can somehow pull it off, its Game 7 at the UC Saturday night.
Felt like I got punched in the gut last night. The way the last 2 seasons have ended have been tough to stomach as a sports fan. Maybe next year...
It'll be interesting to see what moves the Bulls make this summer. As a fan, I'd like to see what this squad could do given another chance.
Looking at what we have on paper, I see 2 starter-caliber 7' centers in Noah/Asik that play great inside defense and don't score a ton. We also have Taj who would certainly start for a lot of teams and also plays a similar role as Noah/Asik. I could see the Bulls trying to move Noah and his $11M/year contract to clear the way for Asik to play starter's minutes, with Taj still providing depth in the front court.
Perhaps if we move 1 of these frontcourt pieces, we can bring in a real scorer (not Rip Hamilton) to complement Rose in the backcourt. Obviously we could use a little more offense, especially for the first half of next season when Rose will be rehabbing his knee. Korver/Brewer/Watson all have team options for next year, so who knows if we'll see any of those guys in Bulls uniforms next season.
I already thought the Heat were in trouble going into the playoffs, but without Chris Bosh they just went from a severely undersized frontcourt to basically no frontcourt. They are in real trouble against the Pacers who have plenty of size and now have homecourt advantage in a best of 5. The East is wide open right now. I have no clue how anybody is going to get past OKC at this point.
D Wade 2-13 shooting 5 pts 1 assist. I love it. Heat 18-15 on the road this year.