The Chicago Bulls are not the best team in the Eastern Conference. As a matter of fact, they aren't the second best team either.
The Bulls astonishing record of 56-20, tops in the East, can be attributed to the stellar play of their young, talented, and selfless point guard Derrick Rose, and their defensive oriented first year head coach Tom Thibodeau.
They are all but guaranteed the top seed in the East, meaning decisive games 5 and 7 in any series will be played at the United Center. However, this young team is a year ahead of schedule, and wont be able to capitalize on that home court advantage. A team like the Boston Celtics, and to a lesser extent the Miami Heat, know how to win those tough road games.
They are all but guaranteed the top seed in the East, meaning decisive games 5 and 7 in any series will be played at the United Center. However, this young team is a year ahead of schedule, and wont be able to capitalize on that home court advantage. A team like the Boston Celtics, and to a lesser extent the Miami Heat, know how to win those tough road games.
Derrick Rose, then who?
Of the teams that pose the most trouble to the Bulls, lets take a look at their potential lineups during crunch time, and rank the players in order from best to worst as far as who can take the game over/make a big shot.
Boston Celtics - Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Shaq, and Rajon Rondo.
Miami Heat - Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Mike Bibby, and Eric Dampier.
Chicago Bulls - Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, Kyle Korver, Carlos Boozer, and Joakim Noah.
If you had to rank those groups in order of best to worst, they would fall in that order. The Celtics and Heat each have 3 players who are capable of taking a game over on their best nights, the Bulls have 1.
As of right now, Derrick Rose is undoubtedly the MVP of the league. His skills exceed everyone of the above players except for LeBron. But now, as opposed to seasons past, LeBron has teammates he can trust and leverage the burden onto. The Celtics have three hall of fame players (four if you count Shaq), all of whom know what it takes to win in the playoffs. Rose does not have that caliber of a teammate yet, and when the pressure intensifies, he will realize it.
Kyle Korver and Carlos Boozer have distinguished histories of no showing during the playoffs. Utah Jazz fans will fondly remember the days of Boozer not showing up until around games 4 or 5 in a series, and Korver (career 36% from 3 in playoffs) bricking numerous 3 point shots that could have swung games. Either of them has not played any defense worth mentioning. Korver gets torched off the dribble, and Boozer is eaten alive in the paint by elite forwards.
Of all the players on the Bulls other than Rose, Luol Deng is the only one who has the potential to carry this team. Very underrated, Deng is a player who usually has his best offensive and defensive games when he is matched up against the NBA's elite. His 11% career 3 point shooting in the playoffs is cause for concern, but he doesn't have to be effective offensively to win them games. He is a defender who does not back down from the challenge of covering a Paul Pierce or LeBron James.
Missing though is his counterpart, a player as intricate to a championship team as an elite perimeter defender, a forward who can score at will.
As of right now, Derrick Rose is undoubtedly the MVP of the league. His skills exceed everyone of the above players except for LeBron. But now, as opposed to seasons past, LeBron has teammates he can trust and leverage the burden onto. The Celtics have three hall of fame players (four if you count Shaq), all of whom know what it takes to win in the playoffs. Rose does not have that caliber of a teammate yet, and when the pressure intensifies, he will realize it.
Kyle Korver and Carlos Boozer have distinguished histories of no showing during the playoffs. Utah Jazz fans will fondly remember the days of Boozer not showing up until around games 4 or 5 in a series, and Korver (career 36% from 3 in playoffs) bricking numerous 3 point shots that could have swung games. Either of them has not played any defense worth mentioning. Korver gets torched off the dribble, and Boozer is eaten alive in the paint by elite forwards.
Of all the players on the Bulls other than Rose, Luol Deng is the only one who has the potential to carry this team. Very underrated, Deng is a player who usually has his best offensive and defensive games when he is matched up against the NBA's elite. His 11% career 3 point shooting in the playoffs is cause for concern, but he doesn't have to be effective offensively to win them games. He is a defender who does not back down from the challenge of covering a Paul Pierce or LeBron James.
Missing though is his counterpart, a player as intricate to a championship team as an elite perimeter defender, a forward who can score at will.
Coach Thibodeau, the wild card
Tom Thibodeau is the X factor for the Bulls. It is no surprise that since he has taken over as head coach that they are one of the best teams in the league, and are in position to win the Eastern Conference.
A student of Jeff Van Gundy, Thibodeau teaches defense first and foremost. In the 2000-2001 season, as an assistant for the Knicks, Thibodeau helped guide them to holding 33 consecutive opponents to less than 100 points, an NBA record. Teams he has been a part of have finished in the top 10 in defense 15 times, culminating in his masterful job of shutting down Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2008 NBA Finals.
Defense is a hard thing to teach, especially in todays NBA, where star power supersedes team play. Luckily for coach Thibodeau, he has happened onto a team where its star couldn't be more selfless, and the group around him, when playing cohesively, can compliment each other as good as any team in the league.
Coach Thibodeau also happens to have been a part of this current Celtics team. He will know how to exploit their weaknesses defensively, which will give the Bulls a chance to beat them. As for the Heat, no game plan or system can corral LeBron or Wade when either of them is on. The Heat have quietly righted the ship after their post All-Star break losing streak, and sit in the #2 seed. They'll more than likely have to go through New York, Orlando/Boston, and Chicago, barring any upsets, to reach the finals. That is a tall order for a team with no bench, but when you have two of the top five players in the league on your team, the Eastern Conference Finals is the minimum expectation.
Coach Thibodeau also happens to have been a part of this current Celtics team. He will know how to exploit their weaknesses defensively, which will give the Bulls a chance to beat them. As for the Heat, no game plan or system can corral LeBron or Wade when either of them is on. The Heat have quietly righted the ship after their post All-Star break losing streak, and sit in the #2 seed. They'll more than likely have to go through New York, Orlando/Boston, and Chicago, barring any upsets, to reach the finals. That is a tall order for a team with no bench, but when you have two of the top five players in the league on your team, the Eastern Conference Finals is the minimum expectation.
Watching the Bulls play, there isn't a team in the league that plays better together. Each player trusts each other, and they aren't burdened by having a ball hog like Kobe Bryant or LeBron James, who can completely stall an offense. However this a team with only one legitimate threat. Boozer, Korver, and Deng, are all capable of averaging 20 points a night in the playoffs, but what about when the money is on the line? When all the chips are on the table, would you trust one of those three to make a game deciding play?
Derrick Rose is going to be relied upon like LeBron James circa his Cavalier days. When it is crunch time for the Bulls, there isn't a player on the court that will be guarded more closely, and relied upon more heavily than him. With the lack of a swing man who can score on pace with Rose, and take over a stretch of a game, the Bulls will have a hard time beating any elite teams.
They are a year ahead of schedule. Their run in these playoffs will be gravy, a great learning experience for their first year coach and young nucleus of talent. Though if the Bulls want to be taken seriously, they have to find a legitimate perimeter scorer. Otherwise these young Chicago Bulls will not overcome the aura of Michael Jordan's Bulls teams.
And what are we supposed to think the Celtics are for real? Shaq couldn't even stay on the floor for 10 minutes!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd the Heat, come on.
Celtics are in big trouble without Shaq. Their experience will help them beat a young team like the Bulls.
ReplyDeleteDon't sleep on Heat. I know everyone is but the bottom line is LeBron and Wade individually carried teams deep into playoffs. Now that they are together who knows what they can do.