FROM MY LIVING ROOM--Derrick Rose sat. I proceeded to paint my living room, a
project that is taking weeks when it takes most people days. I assumed I could
leave the game on in the background as the sounds of LeBron James and Dwyane
Wade dunking on John Lucas III thundered through my room.
I didn’t paint much. I watched. You watched too and you
couldn’t believe the Bulls were in the fight, sans Rose, Rip Hamilton, along
with an injured CJ Watson and Luol Deng. Joakim Noah is recovering from the
flu, which means, basically, the only healthy starter has been Carlos Boozer
(*who dropped 2 points on the Heat*).
Yet, this was as spirited and primed game I’ve seen from the
Bulls this season. I assumed they would be out of it by the second quarter, but
they turned it on, carried by Lucas’ 24 points. This was a win for Tom Thibodeau.
He never relents, never allows the Bulls to think about their record and
settling in. I think, from afar, it’s easy to appreciate this as a fan, but it’s
even more endearing if you really watch NBA ball consistently.
I’m not breaking news here, but teams don’t always play hard
(see the Sacramento Kings) or play disciplined ball (New York Knicks) or both
(Washington Wizards). But, given that it was national TV and the Miami Heat,
the Bulls came out flying. Thibodeau has a unique gift to get his players to
buy in while also being the overbearing task-master. This makes it easier
because of his superstar who fashions himself in the same discipline.
I was impressed with the way Ronnie Brewer and Luol Deng
came out aggressive. Joakim Noah’s relentlessness gave the team the impression
that the Bulls do have a distinct advantage in some areas of the game over the
Heat.
Here’s where it gets interesting: While talk show hosts like
Dan Bernstein (whom I very much enjoy and often agree with) or Rick Morrisey will say that we
don’t learn anything from last night’s game’s victory, that simply isn’t true.
Noah was sort of the X factor last year and that factor wasn’t a factor. He just wasn’t
himself last playoffs, probably still recovering from an injury that sidelined
him for nearly half of the season.
I wanted to oust Noah this season because he returned as
this same shell. But, he’s rounded into form, a player that gives you several
extra possessions a game. He was finally the defensive player he is
characterized as (but it’s normally misplaced) and was closing off the lane and
blocking easy put backs which rallied into fast breaks.
This can be replicated in the playoffs. Noah does make this
team better. While he doesn’t solve the whole LeBron on Derrick Rose thing at
the end of games, he does give the Bulls a decided advantage. And if you have a
short memory, remember that Noah was sitting with Carlos Boozer in the fourth
quarter of nearly every game against the Heat last year.
Which brings me back to my next point, until I see
otherwise, Boozer is really the epitome of a stats-stacker. His play is fine in
stretches against tough competition, but you simply cannot factor him in when
they’re facing the Heat (there were
actually people telling me that the Bulls were giving up too much in my faux trade for Pau Gasol).
I don’t think Boozer will give you much at all in that
series and it’s why Taj Gibson so important. Speaking of which…
THE BENCH MOB IS BACK!
There was Brewer doing his little annoying thing, Omer Asik
redirecting shots, Taj finishing with authority and blocking weak lollipops and
Kyle Korver was fanning—another variable
that was missing in the playoffs last year.
All season I’ve wondered why Omer has been poor and Taj so
lacking on offense. Taj has had three good games now and Omer is looking like
the Turkish roboto guy we saw last season.
Some things don’t make sense: The Bulls have the best record
in the NBA, they’ve been among the most injured; their MVP has played like an
MVP when healthy but he was missing against the best team in the NBA; a lot of
their players haven’t played well (Omer, Taj), one has been efficient but was
missing again (Boozer) and one finally looks like himself again (Noah).
The Bulls are still the first place underdogs this season,
and it’s been interesting to watch. But, we did learn that Noah can exploit one
of Miami’s disadvantages—something they didn’t do consistently last playoffs.
Contact Mike Mitchell at michaelkennethmitchell@gmail.com.
3 comments:
I agree with you about Noah's inspired play. The Bulls will definitely need that in the playoffs to have any chance against the Heat.
I was impressed by the Bulls' play, as usual, but the thing that stuck out to me was how toothless the Bulls are when Rose is out. Now I know this is nothing new, but discussing it in abstract one thing, and seeing it in front of your eyes is something else. I have no idea how the Heat lost that game. Even with Noah's exceptional play, it was clear the Bulls had zero players would could penetrate the defense via a dribble drive to create a shot for others or himself.
And I am officially done with Boozer. I don't care if he averages 30 and 20 for the rest of the season. These are the types of games where someone of Boozer's (supposed) stature is supposed to step up and carry the team on his back. In going 1/4 (how pathetic) against the Bulls' biggest rival in a nationally televised game with playoff seeding implications on the line and with Rose out, he ran away from the spotlight and hid in a corner. The Bulls front office must be cursing themselves and hoping/praying that there's some GM out there who hasn't caught on to the fact that Boozer is a fraud.
Anyway, I'm not trying to reiterate the point we've all made about the Bulls' lack of a multidimensional player alongside Rose. It was just fascinating in a weird way for me to see this come true in person (I think this was the first Rose-less game I personally saw this season). And the one player who is supposed to compensate for the lack of perimeter skills by providing a legitimate post threat has regressed so much that he's hardly relevant anymore. At 30, however, this is worse than regression. It's like identity theft, or falsified credentials on a resume. I think this is probably the third worst FA signing in recent Bulls history, only eclipsed by Eddie Robinson and the disaster that was Ben Wallace.
No argument here: Boozer's contract is among the five worst in the NBA.
He puts together nice games and numbers against bad competition. Sam Smith and K.C. Johnson are his apologist: What did you expect?
First off, he doesn't play from the post anymore. He did in Utah, and anyone who says otherwise is lying to fit this paradigm of Boozer.
He was known for his footwork and craftiness off the dribble. He barely puts the ball on the floor anymore.
The Bulls know they made a mistake with Boozer and it's why they've been hopelessly shopping him. There isn't a team that would take him without Noah and Deng in some sort of cap swallow.
I'm not as optimistic as everyone else with the whole "when Rip Hamilton gets back" thing. First off, what kind of play did they see from him before he went down with serial injuries to suggest he makes the Bulls a better team?
Also, if the Bulls are counting on chemistry and the sum is better than the parts formula, won't it take time for Hamilton and co. to assimilate? I think it's wishful thinking at this point because CJ, Deng (who admits that he's struggling with an injury), Derrick and Rip are not going to be 100 percent by the playoffs.
And, while last night was a nice development for Noah, I don't know if we'll have to hope for another offseason of rest and recovery because the Bulls are not getting healthier and they're not talented enough to get by in the playoffs without firing on all cylinders.
I think you made a very important point about the Bulls' deteriorating health. I do think the Bulls' elimination can come earlier than expected based simply on the health of Deng and Rose. At some point, I think the Bulls should sit Deng for an extended period of time.
I also share your concerns about Hamilton. I'm not so sure what gives others optimism since, at 34 or 35, he's clearly not the threat he once was. Although acquiring him is highly unlikely, I still think Crawford would do a lot to help this team by giving them more of a chance to beat Miami. He would immediately become your second best player and secondary creator.
In any case, this summer will be very interesting given that we know the Bulls recognize the flaws of the roster and have already tried to ameliorate some of those issues by attempting to acquire Gasol. Looks like the "we're happy with our team" rhetoric is quickly losing legitimacy. I for one am very happy that they are not satisfied with regular season brilliance.
Post a Comment