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Man, it still hurts. Several days have gone by and the pain has not subsided. I needed a couple of days to clear my head and look at this season that was in a more positive manner. So, here we go:
It shouldn’t hurt this much since technically speaking all this Bulls success arrived one year ahead of time. It’s hard to say that and even harder to digest it having just “witnessed” the grueling series against Miami. But the truth is the truth – this all came one year ahead of its time. No one expected Derrick to be the MVP aside from himself. No one expected coach Thibs to be the Coach of the Year except for Doc Rivers in Boston, who knew what kind of an assistant he had lost. And also, no one expected the Bulls to have the best record in the NBA, to go from 41 wins to 62 with a new coach and several new players on the roster. The team made it to the Conference Finals and lost in a heart-wrenching series to Miami Heat. The problem is how close the losses were. Even with three superstars to our one Miami won the series 4-1, with all the losses coming in a relatively close fashion. All the losses in the series were a result of a fourth quarter collapse. Majority of the praise should go to the Heat defense but the Bulls simply didn’t execute and make any shots in the fourth. Plain and simple.
I know I’m supposed to focus on the good things that happened this year and I have but I also have to look at what went wrong in this series and what’s ahead for the Bulls in the immediate future.
Derrick Rose is not the reason why the Bulls lost this series. 
Anyone that says otherwise can argue all day about it but the truth is that D-Rose is the guy that got us here and if not for him we wouldn’t have made it out of the first round. Did it take Rose 120 shots in this series to score 117 points? Yes, and those are some awful numbers. No one can deny that. Derrick’s shot was not falling all series long, not just when LeBron was guarding him. People will give all the credit to LeBron and he did do the best job on Derrick out of anyone that I have ever seen, but the truth of the matter is that Rose’s shot just wasn’t falling. James blocked his shot numerous times during the series but Derrick Rose had an abysmal series shooting the ball.
Despite all these shooting problems I still say that this was not Derrick’s fault. He is one superstar to Miami’s three and is also the most physically challenged superstar out of the four stars. I’m not saying that there is a problem with Rose physically but he is 6’2” – 6’3” and Wade, 
LeBron and Bosh are all taller. What I’m getting at here is that it is harder for Derrick to get a shot off than it for those other 3, especially when he is being guarded by a guy who is as athletic as he is and is 6 inches taller than him with a considerably wider wingspan. Put a 7’4” guy that’s as athletic as LeBron (hypothetically speaking) on James and we’ll see how he performs in that instance. Everyone would be singing a different tune.
Again, I’m not trying to protect Rose here, he played awful and shot the ball atrocious. There is a bigger reason out there why we lost aside from Derrick’s poor play.
The main reason is and has been all year long Carlos Boozer.
I have defended Boozer all year long and was absolutely giddy in the off-season when I heard that the team signed him. I was envisioning a great pick-n-roll scenario with Rose, a power forward who can score with his back to the basket as well as knock down an open jumper. Basically, all the things that I watched Carlos do for years in Utah. Yes, there were people warning us about Boozer. They said he’s injury prone and a MAJOR defensive liability – both of those being extremely on point. I was aware of that and willing to accept those deficiencies because of the positives I mentioned above. I thought to myself that the rest of the team will pick up the slack defensively and they have – the Bulls finished the regular season as one of NBA’s top defensive teams. That wasn’t the problem. The problem surprisingly was Boozer on the offensive end. That, no one could have expected.
When he signed here people including myself expected a 20-10 guy, someone to take the pressure off Derrick Rose on the offensive end and be that 2nd scorer that the team desperately needed. WE DID NOT GET THAT! 
If we had gotten that production from him this season would not have finished the way it has. His scoring threat would have opened the floor better and made Miami cover someone else other than Derrick. I am not saying that it magically would have fixed Bulls’ offensive woes but it certainly would have helped. Boozer had 2 decent games against the Heat but it wasn’t enough. In the other 3 games he disappeared completely. In two out of the three games he was benched for the fourth quarter. That is not what the Bulls paid $80 million for and if this is what we should expect from him in the next four year, well, we have a HUGE problem.
The issue isn’t in the fact that Boozer didn’t perform this year like he should have. The issue is that his trade value has completely plummeted and no one will want him now. People in Chicago have turned on him after only one year. What is going to happen in a couple more years if his play doesn’t improve? The dislike of an athlete in this town could be at an all-time high.
There are some moves in the off season that the Bulls need to make. A shooting guard that can knock down a shot and create one on his own is desperately needed. The Boozer topic will be debated all off-season long, whether he could be traded or not, whether anyone is willing to take on his contract or not. The Bulls had a phenomenal season and even though it didn’t finish in a way everyone had hoped for, the team looks like a major title threat for years to come. With some moves this off-season the team should be right at this stage next year and hopefully even a step further.
Thanks for an awesome year BULLS, next season can not come soon enough.
I think it’s time to panic. Not because we don’t know what to do on offense or the fact that Miami’s defense is just as good, if not better than the Bulls’. It’s hard to admit that and perhaps I’m off the topic here but the truth right now is that the Miami Heat is playing better than the Bulls. That does not mean that coach Thibodeau and his assistants won’t figure something out by tonight, because they just might. They know more about the game of basketball than I ever will. Having seen what’s happened in these last 3 games though, I’m not too optimistic. Miami’s athleticism is becoming real evident on defense and everyone knows with the Big 3 on offense they are superior to the Bulls in that aspect, too.
So what can the Bulls do now?
Well, here is what they will not do – throw in the towel after two tough loses. Yes, these two losses have been very hard to swallow especially for those who have watched this team all year long. I have watched almost every game this season and have not seen the team look as puzzled or as confused as in this series. Miami is an exceptional team with 3 superstars and as the season has progressed everyone on the team has bought into the whole team concept, including LeBron, Wade and Bosh. They have found a sense of unity on offense and defense. The bench has gotten better with the return of Udonis Haslem and Joel Anthony has stabilized the center position with his rebounding and his above average defense. Mike Bibby is good for an occasional 3-pointer here and there but that is all you can expect from him at this stage of his career. The Heat is more of a complete team now than it has been all year long.
Let’s focus on the Bulls, however, and what they have to do in order to extend this series past the five games it looks destined for at this point. Miami’s defense has been superb in the last two games and the Bulls have not found an answer offensively. Rose hasn’t done anything in the last two games and Miami is clogging the middle with the intent of having Rose either pass or take an uncomfortable shot – he is getting nothing easy. Having shut out main option down, Miami has taken the momentum completely out of the series. Bosh has dominated the highly publicized “pillow fight” between he and Carlos Boozer and with that shown that Miami’s No.3 option is better than the Bulls No.2 on offense and defense. LeBron has morphed into a role of a facilitator rather than just a scorer and D-Wade has done whatever is being asked of him – whether to guard Derrick Rose or score on his own.
More is expected of Rose and I think he will come out tonight and play better. He has to otherwise this series is over. Boozer, hmmm, well, I’m done expecting much from him and there is almost no way he can duplicate 26 points and 17 rebounds. Noah needs to stay on the floor, he can not get involved in shouting matches with fans and also must not pick up stupid fouls. His size, blocking ability and energy is needed out there and he really hurts the team with those quick fouls in Game 3. Bench needs to provide a scoring boost, not in the range of 50 points but anything 25 and over would be extremely helpful. The defense needs to get closer to Bosh and not let him shoot jumpers all day, especially early on. He is extremely soft and when faced with a physical defender early in the game Bosh has a tendency of disappearing for the remainder of the game. LeBron and D-Wade will get theirs one way or another, so it is crucial to contain Bosh and make it a Big 2 instead of a Big 3.
These are all things that can be accomplished tonight. I’m not saying it’s going to be easy but I have believed in this team all season long and will continue to do so. The intensity, desire and defensive awareness need to be at an all-time high and anything else simply won’t do. If we win this game tonight it’s a whole new series again.
And if we lose?
I can’t even begin to think that far ahead…
It was only one game.
That is all.
It was that after the Bulls overpowered the Heat in Game 1 and it’s the same thing after Miami’s win in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. People love to draw conclusions and give instant proclamations after every single game and thus such was the case Wednesday night after the finish of Game 2. After Game 1 it was all about how great the Bulls were and how awful the Heat is. Following Game 2 it was a total reversal, all the praise going to Miami’s players while all the blame and criticism was centered on the Bulls. Everyone needs to relax and realize that this will be a long series with more momentum shifts than Lindsay Lohan’s court visits.
Wednesday night was not pretty and even the biggest of Bulls fans would have to agree with that. What worked in Game 1 did not in Game 2. The three point shot was not falling. Defense was not as sharp despite holding Miami to 85 points. The bench did not produce the way it did in the first game, yet it still outscored Miami’s bench 20-17. In Game 1 the advantage was 28-15in Bulls’ favor. The shooting percentage dropped from 44% to an abysmal 32% and free throw percentage dipped from 85% in Game 1 to 61%. So many different guys stepped up in the first game and everyone had an off game last night. This can’t happen again, can it?
The odds are on our side because this Bulls team has not lost three games in a row all year long but they also haven’t played against an opponent such as the Heat three times in a row. Now, I’m not saying that it is impossible for this team to lose three games in a row, especially when they struggle like they did in the last game. The Bulls simply need to play better, no other way to say it. There are numerous things that need to be addressed more than others.
First, Derrick Rose has to play better. It is hard to criticize Derrick, he is the MVP and he does so much for the team but he deserves some blame this time around. He shot a bad percentage from the field (7 of 23) and had some very bad shots late in the game. The Heat defense stifled him and he couldn’t find an answer for once. He needs to penetrate more and if the shots are not available have two people commit to him and then dish it out to his teammates. In my opinion he needs to speed up the tempo and use his blazing speed to make everyone else on defense uncomfortable. Also, Mike Bibby’s lack of speed need to be exploited more.
Second, a secondary scorer needs to appear out of somewhere. I don’t care who it is but someone else aside from Derrick needs to step up. Preferably, Carlos Boozer should be that guy but it is pretty clear that he can not be counted on night in and night out. Therefore, it will most likely be Luol Deng and even he needs to contribute with more than 13 points like he did in Game 2. Deng had a very effective first half but went completely missing in the second half. That can’t happen again if the Bulls want to escape the South Beach trip with at least one victory.
Third, the defense and the intensity need to be upped by several notches. The heroics of Game 1 need to be duplicated and while I’m not expecting two monster jams by Taj Gibson again they would certainly be welcomed by this Bulls fan. The aggressive and suffocating defense needs to return tonight and return with vengeance. Anything else will simply not do.
The Bulls have to weather the early storm that is most likely going to happen. The crowd will be into it (assuming they arrived on time of course) and if the Bulls have a good first quarter that will neutralize the crowd noise. This game is crucial and if the Bulls can somehow steal this one then the pressure shifts completely on Miami again. The home court advantage is no more and it’s up to the team to regain it. That is done with intensity, defensive pressure and the ability to limit the turnovers. If the Bulls do all that then we will be all talking about a victory tomorrow. If they don’t, however, then…
Well, let’s not even go down that road unless we absolutely have to.
What makes a good day great? Playoff games back to back with potential for series clinching victories for two different Chicago teams. That is the case tonight as the Bulls try to finish off the Pacers before the Blackhawks take on Vancouver in the all deciding Game 7 in British Columbia. We’ve discussed the situation of the Bulls in the previous article and it is time now to focus on the Chicago Blackhawks and the all important Game 7 in Vancouver.
I don’t want the Hawks to lose. Plain and simple. Duh, that goes without saying, right? Well, earlier in the series when the Hawks were playing disinterested and with no fire I wanted the season to mercifully come to an end. It was just sad to see our champs get absolutely manhandled by a team that we hate and that hates us. We all assumed that the Canucks were better, they were the top seed in the NHL for a reason, but what they did to the Hawks in the first three games was not a pleasant experience. Then, the hit on Seabrook happened and everything changed. Our guys started playing with more fire and the momentum has since completely shifted in Blackhawks’ favor. With the series tied at 3-3 it’s anyone’s game tonight and games 7 rarely disappoint, in hockey especially so.
After the shellacking that Vancouver took in games 4-5 they came to Chicago for Game 6 looking to change some thing. They said they were going to close the lanes better and allow less room for our players to feel comfortable and they did just that. Throughout the entire game on Sunday night they displayed their class with slick passing, physical play and timely scoring. Even the biggest Hawks fans would have to agree with the fact that Vancouver outplayed us for majority of the game but didn’t score when it mattered most. They led at 3 different times in the game but still came up short. They dominated the play in overtime but couldn’t find the winner, some might even say they were unlucky. If some had wondered who had the momentum up until now, well it’s pretty clear – WE DO!
Momentum is a strange thing. Vancouver had it for the first three games and then it disappeared from them faster than you can say elbow to the chin. They haven’t been to regain it since then. Home fans are certainly hoping they will do so tonight because if not this would just another in the long line of failures for this proud hockey franchise. The invincibility and the reputation that came with the league’s best record, league’s best offense and defense is completely gone right now. Our boys know and believe that they can do it and I believe that the mission will be completed tonight.
It will be crucial to score first tonight and if the Hawks do so they will be the fourth team in NHL history to come back from down 3-0 in a seven game series. I expect a close game tonight and I anticipate a very happy day tomorrow in Chicago. A late empty-netter will seal Vancouver’s faith and propel our team to the next round.
PREDICTION: Hawks 4 Canucks 2
It’s just another Tuesday in April, right? WRONG!!! This Tuesday could go on to be remembered forever in Chicago sports history. We all hope it’s for a good reason of course, but it is also likely that there will be a lot of grumpy people tomorrow. In case some of you haven’t figured out what I’m talking about I’m talking about the Bulls and Blackhawks having a chance to clinch their first round series on the same day. The Bulls were expected to be in this position and some feel they should have clinched by now. The Blackhawks, in the meantime are looking to overturn a 3-0 deficit against NHL’s best regular season team and become just the fourth team ever to come back from a 3-0 deficit to win the series.
We’ll start with the easier out of the two: our Chicago Rose’s…ahem, I mean Bulls. The Bulls are up 3-1 in the series against Indiana and are looking for the final nail in the coffin tonight. The Pacers have provided a much sterner challenge than most anticipated but that’s to be expected come playoff time. The story surrounding tonight’s Game 5 is our superstar/MVP-soon-to-be Derrick Rose. He sprained the ankle on Saturday and has been walking around in a boot over the last couple of days, although latest reports have Rose playing tonight. People are questioning whether he should be playing if he’s not at a 100% and don’t want to see the Bulls put added pressure on Derrick to come back sooner than he should. Rose has been saying for a couple days now that he should be fine come tip off time but what would you expect from a guy that means so much to his team, right? He knows how much the team depends on him and therefore doesn’t want to let down his teammates, the organizations and the entire city that idolizes him so much.
Regardless what most think, he will be in the lineup tonight and will most likely have a good game, too. He doesn’t want this series extended any longer and with the clincher tonight could see his ankle get couple more days of rest with the Atlanta/Orlando series just about to get interesting. If the Bulls play up to their potential they should win tonight although I see another close game on the horizon. The whole series has been close and there is no reason to think the same won’t happen again.
PREDICTION: Bulls by 7