Tag Archives: Carlos Boozer

by | April 27, 2012 · 5:20 PM

Chicago Bulls vs. Philadelphia 76ers First Round Preview

Why so serious?

It was an almost monumental collapse that sent the Philadelphia 76ers to the verge of missing the playoffs entirely. Luckily, they aren’t the 2007 New York Mets and they just squeezed into the postseason, aided by the perpetual hump that taunts the Milwaukee Bucks. As with anything in this culture of spin, the Sixers readily admitted that they prefer to face the Chicago Bulls, who are the number one seed in the East. It seems as though they have an aversion to playing the Miami Heat and as such they didn’t even try to win their last regular season game so that they could lock up the eighth seed. If this logic seems flawed, that’s because it is. Yet, when a team realizes who and what it is, as the Sixers may have done as they watched their excellent first half of the season be for not, they must adapt to a mindset that reaches above limited expectations. Therefore: bring on the Bulls!

Obviously, this is not an ideal scenario for the Sixers. They are the eighth seed and have lost all sense of identity as the shortened season slogged into a battle of attrition with body, fatigue, and Doug Collins. Despite having capable players and some depth the defined roles of players have been blurred and they can no longer threaten an opponent from all sides. Especially in late game situations, Philadelphia becomes a haphazard mess as player take arrant, contested jumpers and become uninterested defensively. Though they possess the ability to force turnovers late, and have done so repeatedly, their instinct to close and win games is nonexistent. If they hope to overcome this self-imposed obstacle they better have a damn good plan and execute it flawlessly because at the end of games, Chicago is their antithesis.

Perhaps, with an oft ailing Derrick Rose, the Sixers thought they matched up well with the Bulls. On paper, maybe. Andre Iguodala and Luol Deng matchup well and should cancel one another out. This same line of thinking is extended to the matchups of Elton Brand and Carlos Boozer; and Lou Williams and the shell formerly known as Rip Hamilton, who, despite riding the pine (a dated term as the folding chairs the players sit on resemble the luxury of a fine recliner) for much of the season, has shown occasional bursts of his former, productive self; and Thaddeus Young, with his range, could conceivably draw Taj Gibson out of the paint, where his shot blocking is to be feared. That is where the comparisons, flawed as they are, end.

Jrue Holiday is not the reigning NBA MVP, Rose is. Evan Turner was the second overall draft pick a couple of years ago but he has yet to fully understand his roll on the Sixers and can get completely lost over the course of a game. Then there is Jodie Meeks and Spencer Hawes. All are decent players, unrefined, but decent nonetheless. Yet, they cannot fully match the depth that Chicago brings to the table.

The Bulls, to go along with the players already mentioned, have Joakim Noah, Ronnie Brewer, Kyle Korver, John Lucas, C.J. Watson, Omer Asik, Mike James (remember him?), and the main man, Brian Scalabrine. Here the advantage is the Bulls’. Oh, and they have Rose.

One interesting note, however, is that the Sixers, this season, performed better against the Bulls when Rose was on the court. Their net rating goes from -5.2 with him on the bench to 5.8 while he is in the game. This can be attributed to the rise in their 3-point percentage from 18.8 percent to 26.3 percent with Rose on the floor.

It will be interesting to see who Iguodala guards. He will likely split time between Rose and Deng but when not guarding one, the other has the potential to thrive.

Personnel aside, the Bulls implement one of the most disciplined defenses in the league. They hold their opponents to a league low 88.2 points per game on 42.1 percent field goal shooting, a number that is second best in the league. Chicago also allowed a league low in number of 3-point shots they allowed their opponents to take as they are quick to chase players off the arc, forcing them into the teeth of their defense. Perhaps the heart of their defense is their rebounding. They led the league in defensive rebounding, rarely allowing a second chance opportunity. What the Bulls lack in mediocre offense, and it is just that, make no mistake, they more than make up for in superb defense that will be tough for the Sixers to crack.

This series will be dominated by defense. The 76ers have the third best defense in the NBA so Chicago shouldn’t feel all high and mighty entering this match up. Where the Sixers should try and exploit the Bulls is by getting to the free throw line. Philadelphia is much more adept at creating fouls and going to the line than Chicago. This could be a great equalizer as the Sixers are ranked 23 in points per game and 24 in pace.

Essentially, the meeting of the Bulls and Sixers will not be exciting to the casual fan. It will be marred with slow, tedious action, countless turnovers forced by two good defenses, and a veritable lack of scoring. In the end the Bulls will out bore (and it will be boring) the Sixers and advance to the second round. One could hope this series would be similar to the Bulls and Pacers first round meeting last season, but that seems a bit far-fetched. Those Pacers were hungry, these Sixers are lost.

Doyle Rader predicts: Bulls defeat 76ers 4-1

Travis Huse predicts: Bulls defeat 76ers 4-1

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by | July 14, 2011 · 10:57 AM

NBA Lockout Day 14: USA, Colangelo Gearing Up for London 2012

Colangelo would like to see the U.S. win a third consecutive gold

There are currently 34 players listed on the United States Men’s National Team roster. That is 22 more than will make the trip, reserves excluded, to London next summer to compete in the Olympics. With the NBA lockout now two weeks old, Jerry Colangelo must start considering who will make the final cut as training camp will begin early next July. Final roster selections have to be submitted by June 18, 2012.

One year is not a lot of time to assemble a national team especially with a lockout going on. Since Team USA won the gold at the FIBA World Championships last summer in Turkey they received an automatic bid for the Olympics. That means that they will not have to compete in the FIBA Americas Championship which begins August 30 and runs through September 11. However, it also means that Colangelo will not have an opportunity to see the players compete as a cohesive unit this summer and with a protracted lockout it may be some time before he can see them in game situations.

With the breadth of talent that Colangelo has to draw from it should not be a major concern when whittling down the roster. Most of the players already on the national team’s roster already have a well established pedigree of competing internationally and are household names in the NBA. Due to this, Colangelo has stated that there are really closer to 18 players who are under consideration to compete in London. He will begin contacting players in a month or so to gauge their interest in being a member of the national team.

Currently, each member of the Redeem Team that won gold in Beijing in 2008 is committed to returning to the program in 2012. This includes Kobe Bryant who stated his interest in returning to the Olympics last year. Other members of the Redeem Team including LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard, Deron Williams, Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony, Carlos Boozer, and Tayshaun Prince have yet to make a public statement of interest in returning to the team. Wad has said that he is on the fence about whether he should return but Chris Paul has stated that he will play.

Two players from the 2008 gold metal team, Jason Kidd and Michael Redd, are no longer with USA basketball which leaves at least two roster spots open but Colangelo has said that “three or four of those spots are vulnerable.” These spots will likely be filled by members of the 2010 FIBA World Championship team. That team was led by Kevin Durant and also featured Chauncey Billups, Tyson Chandler, Stephen Curry, Rudy Gay, Eric Gordon, Danny Granger, Andre Iguodala, Kevin Love, Lamar Odom, Derrick Rose, and Russell Westbrook. A name that has also been mentioned as a possible candidate, though he is currently not on Team USA’s standing roster, is Blake Griffin.

These two pools of players present Colangelo with a combination of skilled veterans, players in their prime, and explosive young talent. What will play into the final roster decision is how Colangelo and head coach Mike Krzyzewski want to shape the team. Both the Beijing and Turkey teams are very different. In Turkey, Krzyzewski chose to stray away from the traditional five-man lineups that have been a cornerstone in basketball since its inception which was more indicative of how the Redeem Team played. Instead he went with players who were versatile and could play multiple positions on the floor. These players also used their length and quickness to their advantage which played into the stifling defense that the team showed during the World Championships. The team also went small. Chandler was the only true center on the roster and Odom started at the position during the tournament.

Based on the success that the smaller, speedier lineup had it would not be surprising if Team USA maintained this model for the Olympics in 2012. The team has a bevy of speedy guards to choose from who can either create for themselves, like Rose and Westbrook, or distribute, like Paul. However, position versatility will likely remain the most important factor when selecting players to fill the roster.

This is beneficial for players like James, Durant, Love, and Amar’e Stoudemire who can alternate around the wing and in the frontcourt. Though any incarnation of the 2012 team will likely feature Howard as the anchor in the middle, depending on his entry into free agency next summer, he would likely be one of only a couple of players on the team that played a fixed position. Paul would be another such player.

As Colangelo begins to contact players he must also weigh the present state of the NBA and what may or may not happen between now and next July. How will the lockout, and potentially newly structured collective bargaining agreement, play into the player’s decisions? If players continue to sign overseas, how will those contracts be structured in terms of eligibility to play on a national team? If the NBA season is canceled should he hold a minicamp for tryouts? How will Bryant’s knee hold up for another year? How will free agency play into the minds of Howard, Paul, and Williams? How much will each player require in terms of insurance if they get injured while playing for Team USA? If the lockout is protracted, what shape will the players be in? Phew! And those are only some of the questions that Colangelo must consider. At least the lockout does not prevent Colangelo from speaking with the players.

No matter the make-up of the future roster, the United States will be heavy favorites to repeat as gold medalists. Tough all of the players from 2008 opted out of playing in 2010, the Olympics are too big of a stage to ignore. Colangelo knows this as it creates even more “value to them in terms of their own brands.” These days, for many players, it is all about marketing themselves and what better place to do it than in front of the eyes of the world? James, for one, could certainly use some good press and another Olympic gold would go a long way. It looks to be a long year with many uncertainties for the players and Colangelo but the outlook is optimistic. “The one thing I do know,” Colangelo said. “We have an outstanding pool of players. Whoever the 12 turn out to be, they will represent our country very well.”

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by | May 15, 2011 · 2:38 PM

Eastern Conference Finals Prediction: Bulls vs. Heat

Battle of wills.

The league’s MVP squares off against Miami’s three-headed beast for the chance to go to the NBA Finals.

1. Chicago Bulls vs. 2. Miami Heat

What the regular season taught us was that the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat are very evenly matched. Their three meetings were decided by a combined total of eight points, all Bulls victories. That was the regular season, and that was before each of these teams slogged their way to within a series of the NBA Finals. Miami, despite having to go through the Boston Celtics, has seemingly had the easier road thus far. They were never in any real trouble against the Philadelphia 76ers and handled the Celtics better than most anyone could have imagined. They celebrated like East and West Germans did when the Berlin Wall fell after they beat the Celtics. All they needed was David Hasselhoff in a light-up jacket and their celebration would have been complete. Perhaps the celebration was a bit premature; Ganesa has not removed all of their obstacles. Miami is, after all, only half way to their goal and have to face the team with the best record in the league.

Chicago faced their largest test in the first round as the Indiana Pacers threw everything they had at the Bulls, exposing a multitude of weaknesses that had been overlooked by outside observers. The Pacers eventually succumbed to the Bulls’ rebounding might. Though the Atlanta Hawks won two games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, they were their own Achilles heel falling back into predictable Isolation sets late in games which allowed Tom Thibodeau to keep his defensive unit on the floor stifling Atlanta’s best efforts to play one-on-one basketball.

Defense will dominate this series. It has been the hallmark of both of these clubs throughout the regular season and in the playoffs. This post season, Chicago has limited its opponents to the fewest points per possession while Miami ranks fourth. Defensive rebounding has a lot to do with limiting an opponent’s points and both teams are adept at cleaning the defensive glass.  Where the Bulls do out-pace the Heat is in turnovers. Chicago creates more turnovers, and thereby more scoring opportunities, than the Heat. However, history would not appear to be on Chicago’s side despite the similarities of the two clubs. Six times in NBA history a team with the league MVP and no All Star teammates has faced a club with three or more All Stars in the playoffs. The team with more All Stars has won five of those meetings. The last time this happened was last season when the Cleveland Cavaliers were eliminated by the Celtics in the second round.

Marquee Matchups:

Derrick Rose vs. the Miami Heat

Head Coach Erik Spoelstra and LeBron James have made it very clear that Miami will employ multiple defenders in their attempts to slow down the league’s MVP. Everyone from Mike Bibby, Mario Chalmers, Dwyane Wade, and James will spend time guarding Rose. Bibby will start the game “guarding” Rose, Spoelstra has said, but Chalmers will be the one tasked with defending him for much of the game. “I think he’s one of the best in the NBA in getting in the paint. I have to do a good job of keeping him out,” Chalmers said and the numbers support his belief. Rose leads the playoffs in points inside of five feet with 106. When Rose gets into the paint he is shooting 45 percent, but when he gets within the restricted area his average climbs to 54 percent. In terms of shot distribution, 38.7 percent of Rose’s field goal attempts are taken at the rim. If the Heat does manage to limit Rose’s drives to the rim they still have not completely stopped him. He is shooting 46 percent on his midrange field goal attempts and most of these shots come as a result of the pick-and-roll. Rose leads the playoffs in scoring off the pick-and-roll with 118 points and runs 11.9 of them per game. To contain Rose’s scoring Miami must trap him along the perimeter and force him into a three-point shot. Beyond the arc, where Rose takes his second highest percentage of shots, he only shoots 27 percent.

Chicago’s defense vs. Miami’s offense

King Ghidorah

Slowing down the trio of James, Wade, and Chris Bosh (or Ghidorah as Hoopdata refers to them) is near to impossible. Even if one has a bad night or is swept into the emotion of a game, the other two will step up. What makes them especially potent is their ability to get to the free throw line. During the regular season, the Heat’s trio went to the charity stripe 36.3 percent of the time they attempted a field goal against the Bulls. As a team, Miami has the third highest offensive rating at 111.7 and that is despite playing a slow paced game. However, Chicago has the top rated defense in the league.

The Bulls have the pieces in place to pester Miami’s attack. Keith Bogans and Ronnie Brewer will be the primary defenders on Wade. Both are defensive minded two guards who can make Wade’s offense not flow as smoothly as it did against the Celtics. In the post, Joakim Noah will guard Chris Bosh. Noah has flustered each and every opponent that he has defended this post season and even had Josh McRoberts take a half-hearted punch at him that missed out of frustration. If Bosh let the ambiance of the TD Garden get to him, Noah will have him completely off kilter. As for James, his main defender will be Luol Deng. Size wise, Deng matches up well with James, however, in their regular season meetings James connected on 54.6 percent of his shots with Deng defending him.

X-Factors:

Because Miami will not be able to keep Rose out of the paint all the time, Joel Anthony will be the team’s last line of defense. Luckily for the Heat, he is their best defender and a more than capable shot blocker, blocking 4.1 percent of the shots taken while he is on the court. In fact, he is much more than that. He is Miami’s version of what Kendrick Perkins was for the Celtics in previous seasons. Anthony’s efficiency rating during the playoffs is a +101. In another nod to how valuable he is to the team, Miami’s opponents shoot 50 percent while Anthony in on the bench. While he is on the floor their opponents shoot 39 percent.

What are we to make of Carlos Boozer? This has been his worst post season statistically. He has shown flashes of why the Bulls signed him last summer, but they have yet to be consistent. He must show up in this series. Miami will focus primarily on Rose which will create opportunities for Boozer and he must capitalize on them. Many of his scoring opportunities will come off missed shots and he needs to be in position to get the offensive rebound and the put-back. Activity on the offensive glass will help the Bulls limit Miami’s possessions and their transition offense. If Boozer continues to slump, Taj Gibson will be called upon. Gibson is far more active on the offensive glass than Boozer and has been more productive over all. His athleticism could be the key to creating more scoring opportunities for the Bulls, especially when bench players are in the game. Chicago’s bench out-classes Miami’s.

Prediction:

This will not be high scoring series, that much is certain. Both of these teams’ defenses are too good. Since these teams are evenly matched across the board, this series will not feature many, if any, blowouts. These games will be close. Can the Bulls find their offense when Rose is not creating off the dribble? They have yet to show that they can. What does Miami have left in its tank after their emotional series victory over the Celtics? Did they exhaust themselves? In terms of an overall team, Chicago has the advantage. Yet, when it comes to edge, Miami is the team that has it after defeating its archetype. The Heat defeats the Bulls 4-3.

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by | May 14, 2011 · 4:28 PM

Carlos Boozer is out of touch

You have got to be kidding.

K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune tweeted a comment made by Carlos Boozer on Saturday afternoon. As may player comments end up on Twitter it is nothing all that surprising. However, the content of what Boozer had to say is perplexing:

“Nobody talked about us at the start of the season. Nobody talked about us during the season. Nobody’s talking about us now.”

Yes, he really said that. Queue up Hall and Oats because Boozer is clearly out of touch. Apparently, Boozer failed to notice that his teammate, Derrick Rose, won the MVP. There was a lot of media coverage surrounding that event. Apparently, he failed to notice that his coach, Tom Thibodeau, won coach of the year. Again, there was a ton of coverage for that. Now, we know he did not participate in all the games during the regular season, but the Bulls did win 62 games, which was the most in the entire league. That was talked about a lot. Oh, let us not forget, Gar Forman was named co-executive of the year. Some press there too.

Clearly Boozer is right. Nobody talked about the Chicago Bulls this season. They might as well be the Toronto Raptors or Detroit Pistons.

Give us a break, Carlos. You went to Duke, we know you have to be kind of smart. Just because you are averaging only 11.8 points and 9.5 rebounds this postseason, they are career lows, it does not give you the right to be completely moronic. Instead of saying that no one is talking about you, why don’t you hit the gym. You have the Miami Heat to play on Sunday and Rose cannot keep winning series’ by himself.

Honestly, Boozer’s comments are dumber than anything Chris Bosh has said during post game press conferences. It is just that stupid. But, hey, maybe he lives under a rock and does not watch television or read ever.

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by | May 10, 2011 · 1:13 PM

Pat Riley and Gar Forman named co-Executives of the Year

Power brokers

It is somewhat of a meaningless award in a sense, but Executive of the Year is awarded to those who generally orchestrate a trade or signing to dramatically improve their team. One of the men who finds himself the recipient of such accolades this year deserves it. The other? Well, kind of, sort of, but not so much.

Gar Forman, of the Chicago Bulls, deserves credit for bringing in players such as Carlos Boozer, Ronnie Brewer, Keith Bogans, Kyle Korver, and Kurt Thomas. He deserves credit for hiring Tom Thibodeau and for the 21 more wins they had this year over last. He deserves all the credit in the world for those improvements. They still pale in comparison to what his counterpart and co-winner did.

Gordon Gekko…er, Pat Riley pulled off one of the greatest strokes of off-season genius. Not only did he retain his star player in Dwyane Wade but he also acquired LeBron James and Chris Bosh via sign-and-trade. In one summer he created one of the most talented teams in the NBA without breaking the bank as he was still able to fill the Heat’s roster with bit players to surround his three stars.

Having Forman as the co-winner of the honor is like having Marvin from Jackson Steinem & Co. being named co-stockbroker of the year along with Gekko. It just simply does not equate.

Other executives, who vote for the award, have not given Riley his full credit. This is likely because of how they truly feel about the man who is the Gordon Gekko of the NBA. However they feel about Riley is of little concern, though. Riley deserves to be the sole recipient of the award. His consolation prize will just have to be Wade, James, Bosh and the way the Miami Heat are playing right now. Tough break.

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by | May 2, 2011 · 5:15 PM

Eastern Conference Playoff Predictions: Bulls vs. Hawks

Get used to this.

This series has the word ‘zoo’ written all over it. Or maybe it has the words ‘animal’ and ‘cracker’ written all over it.

1. Chicago Bulls vs. 5. Atlanta Hawks

It was not an easy task knocking off the Indiana Pacers, but the Chicago Bulls won the series and have advanced. Leading the team to success, Derrick Rose showed why he is going to be the NBA’s youngest MVP. It was more than Rose, however, that helped the Bulls overcome a scrappy and determined opponent. Their frontcourt dominated the glass as the team averaged 46.4 rebounds per contest. Chicago has been a dominant rebounding team all season denying their opponents second chance opportunities on the offensive end of the floor.

The Atlanta Hawks, during the regular season, were a mediocre rebounding club. This changed in the first round when the team played the Orlando Magic. Atlanta out-rebounded Orlando by an average of 4.5 rebounds per game thereby increasing their rebounding average from 39.2 to 45.3. Apparently, Dwight Howard is not as “handsy” as a certain talking ball would have us believe. The Magic were not good and Atlanta deserved to win. Now, they face a much stiffer task in the Bulls, who dominated them during the regular season.

In their three games against the Bulls during the season, the Hawks averaged only 80 points, 14.8 fewer than their season average, took 6.7 fewer three-point shots, and collected only 40.6 percent of the available rebounds. Needless to say, Chicago clipped the Hawks’ wings.

Marquee Matchups:

Derrick Rose vs. Jeff Teague

With Kirk Hinrich likely missing the entire series, Atlanta finds themselves short-handed at the point guard position. Head Coach Larry Drew has penned Jeff Teague as the team’s starting point guard. Thereby the task of “defending” Rose has fallen to him. The two players were only on the court at the same time for 13 minutes during the regular season but the numbers are not all bad for Teague. While Teague was on the floor, Rose shot just 14 percent on field goals, missing all of his shots inside the arc. The sample size is extremely limited but are slightly promising.

As the Pacers did before them, the Hawks will use a platoon defense on Rose. Jamal Crawford will be forced to guard him at times and it would not be surprising if Joe Johnson or even a small forward, such as Marvin Williams,  guarded Rose at times during the series. However, the bulk of the duties will fall on Teague. If Atlanta wants to reverse their regular season fortunes against Chicago, Teague must stay out of foul trouble. Hopefully, he took notes on how Paul George defended Rose in the first round. If he can duplicate that at times the Hawks will be in a much stronger place defensively.

Carlos Boozer vs. Al Horford

Boozer has an issue with turf toe but is going to play through the pain. It seems that he is always injured. In the first round Boozer was a complete non factor. He shot 35.8 percent and averaged just 10 points. He also turned the ball over 18,8 percent of the time that he had it and committed 19 fouls in the five game series. Against the Hawks, Boozer will be even less of a factor offensively as he will be matched up against Al Horford.

Horford dominated Boozer in their meetings during the season. While Horford was on the floor, Boozer averaged 10.9 points on 42 percent shooting and 6.4 rebounds. Conversely, Horford tallied 22.5 points and connected on 75 percent on his field goal attempts. The only striking blemish is  the -16.1 effeciency rating that Horford has. However, that has more to do with the over all poor performance of his team against the Bulls.

X-Factors:

Both the Bulls and Hawks use a ton of Isolation plays. In fact, watching this series is going to make everyone mad and yell at their televisions or internet streams for someone to pass the ball. Twitter will surely be entertaining when Joe Johnson puts himself in late game Isolation situations against the top rated defensive team in the league. Oh, the fun that we will have with those contested jump shots! Rose, too, however,  works almost exclusively in Isolation sets. He pulls his defender out on an island, makes a move by him, and bull-rushes the rim. It is simple and more effective than it sounds.

Since the Bulls rely heavily on their rebounding, Joakim Noah will have to be as frustrating and annoying as he was against the Pacers. Atlanta’s up tick in rebounding should concern the Bulls…to an extent. Where Noah will be valuable is on second chance opportunities and tip ins.

Prediction:

Chicago is better than Atlanta. Plain and simple. However, the Hawks just upset a Magic team that features, as some believe, the league’s most dominant big man. With Hinrich out, the Hawks are down a capable scorer who can play both sides of the ball. Because everything the Hawks have done offensively against the Bulls this season can be described as anemic at best, this is a point of concern. The Hawks find themselves flying too close to the sun and in their fall back to Earth they will not be able to keep up with the running of the Bulls. Bulls defeat Hawks 4-1.

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by | April 14, 2011 · 10:33 AM

Eastern Conference Playoff Predictions: Bulls vs. Pacers

Rose will be particularly thorny for the Pacers

Two rookie head coaches square off as division rivals become first round opponents.

1. Chicago Bulls vs 8. Indiana Pacers

The Bulls enter the postseason with a 60 plus win season for the first time since the Jordan era. Headed up by the likely MVP, Derrick Rose, the Bulls, coached by the likely COY in Tom Thibodeau, bring a formidable defense to the playoffs. Chicago has the best team defensive rating in the league at 100.2 and the second best opponents points per game holding the  opposition to 91.3 points. With that strong defense, the Bulls are also tops in the league in rebounding margin. They average 44.1 rebounds per game while holding their opponents to 38.5. The Pacers will have their work cut out for them if they hope to have a chance in this series.

Chicago won the regular season series three games to one and averaged 102.3 points per contest while Indiana mustered an average of 90.8 points. However, the Pacers are one of the few teams that were able to keep up with the Bulls on the glass in their regular season meetings. Indiana averaged 45.8 rebounds against Chicago, which averaged 48. They will need to keep the rebounding close if they wish to keep games manageable.

Marquee Matchups:

Darren Collison vs Derrick Rose

This will be the point guard matchup for the series. It will be up to Collison to stop, or at least steer Rose into the defense behind him which is easier said than done. Their regular season meetings this season were a lopsided affair to say the least. Rose averaged 27 points against Collison and the Pacers this season. This is because of all the Isolation plays that the Bulls run for Rose. Chicago is tops in the league in terms of offensive Isolation efficiency while Indiana is one of the worst at defending it. Collison, himself, allows 1.16 points per possession when an opposing player isolates him. That mark is the worst on the Pacers and he will be the one tasked with covering Rose most often.

Danny Granger vs Luol Deng

Neither Deng nor Granger shot particularly well when matched up with against each other this season. Both small forwards are lengthy which gives them the ability to pester shots and disrupt the passing lanes. Deng’s primary weapon is his work off the ball and his ability to slash into the paint for easy scoring opportunities. Granger will likely have to work through a variety of screens to keep up with Deng’s movement around the court.  Luckily for Granger, the Pacers are one of the better teams in the league at defending ball and off ball screens.

Granger’s takes his shots either at the rim or from 16 feet and out. These are the area’s where he is most effective as he shoots 61.1 percent at the rim, 35 percent from 16-23 feet, and has an effective field goal percentage of 57.9 from behind the arc. Deng will need to defend the perimeter well and also keep Granger from getting into the paint. Limiting Granger to mid-range jumpers will be key for Deng and the Bulls.

X-Factors:

Despite what Dr. Jack Ramsay thinks, Keith Bogans is not that great of a defender. That much will be shown during this series when he is forced to chase Mike Dunleavy Jr. all over the court. Dunleavy is not a Reggie Miller type in terms of movement but picks his spots nicely. Dunleavy, who is six-foot-nine, should have no problem shooting over the six-foot-five frame of Bogans either. For these reasons Thibodeau should call on Ronnie Brewer to take over the main duties of defending Dunleavy. Brewer is six-foot-seven and the best defender on the Bulls. He wont be on the floor for scoring purposes, Chicago has plenty of scoring threats, but his play will be crucial in disrupting the offense of the Pacers and creating turnovers.

Despite what many people assume, the Bulls do not have good offensive post production. Chicago is ranked 22nd in the league in points per possession when posting up. They will not have much success in the post against the Pacers because of Indiana’s frontcourt size and especially because of Jeff Foster. Foster is the best post defender on the team and will force players like Carlos Boozer and Taj Gibson out of any semblance of a comfort zone when down on the blocks. Along with his post defense, Foster will also provide much-needed rebounding for the Pacers. Anyone familiar with his game knows that he is a rebounding machine. Foster averages 6.1 offensive and 7.3 defensive rebounds per 36 minutes of game time. Those numbers are good for a total rebounding percentage of 20.7 while he is on the floor.

Prediction:

The Indiana Pacers matchup with the Chicago Bulls fairly well in every way except one. They cannot stop Derrick Rose. For Frank Vogel’s team to have any chance at drawing out this series they will need to get out in transition and press the issue. Unfortunately, the Pacers are very poor at scoring in transition and too often settle for contested or low percentage shots. They need to get to the rim and finish. All of this is moot, however, because Derrick Rose is going to slice though their defense and create open looks and layups for himself. It is not out of the question that Indiana might be able to squeak out two wins this series but it is somewhat improbable. Bulls defeat the Pacers 4-1.

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by | February 24, 2011 · 12:01 PM

Return of the Gator

Chomp! Chomp! Guess who's back...

We have already seen what the Bulls can do this season but injuries have placed a shadow over the damage they could be inflicting in the East.

Jaokim Noah returned to action last night as the Bulls took on the Toronto Raptors.  It was the young center’s first game since December 15 when he went down with an injured thumb which just so happened to be a game against the lowly Raptors.

Ultimately, the Bulls lost last night 118-113 but Noah looked good.  He finished the night with seven points and 16 rebounds.  He continued his play characterized by a high shooting percentage with smart shots and rebounding, rebounding and a little more rebounding.

However, Derrick Rose was the player of the evening with 32 points and 10 assists but the Bulls need to improve on the road.  With this loss, the Bulls now sit atop a 38-17 record with a .500 record in other teams’ stadiums at 13-13.  So far, they have raked up embarrassing losses in New Jersey, Philadelphia, Charlotte, Golden State and now Toronto.

Chicago is one of the top rebounding teams on the road, Rose scores more during away games and they are essentially in the middle of the pack in the rest of the offensive categories when visiting other cities.  Additionally, they are sixth in the league in points allowed at away games.

They are losing by an average of six points a game in all 13 of their road losses with six of those games decided by six points or less.  It’s a tell-tale sign of a young team: losing close games down to the wire.  Rose has shown that he is clutch over the course of the season but the numbers above show that they need more players that are willing to step up when it matters most.  Noah is that player.

He proved in college that he plays with a lot of heart and actually gives substance to the term role player.  He does a lot of dirty work under the glass and plays a level of ball that doesn’t lend itself to All-Star appearances or Nike shoe deals.  He is blue collar to the core.

Last night was only the ninth time that he and Carlos Boozer have suited up in the same game and both are key to a successful frontcourt in Chicago.  We have already seen that the Bulls cannot handle the size of the Celtics and both being healthy will definitely help against the oversized sets that Doc Rivers can put out on the court.

Tonight, Chicago will be suiting up against the Heat at home.  They have the Central Division in the palm of their hand with the flight of LeBron James from Cleveland, the implosion that occurred in Detroit and underachievement in Milwaukee.  Indiana is the only other team that can compete in the division and they have already beaten them three times.

With the Bulls now healthy, it’s up to them to show that they can win close games on the road.

Here are some upcoming road games to keep in mind for Rose and the Bulls.

March 4th in Orlando

March 6th in Miami

March 18th in Indiana

April 10th in Orlando

April 12th in New York

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by | January 24, 2011 · 11:37 AM

Deng Efficient

Deng good

When attention is given to the Chicago Bulls much of it is focused on the young rising talent that is Derrick Rose. Rose is quickly climbing the ranks of celebrity among point guards despite his number of detractors who complain that his game is far too one-dimensional (i.e. restricted to driving the lane). Nonetheless, Rose’s numbers speak for themselves as he is averaging 24.7 points, eight assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per contest. To go along with these impressive numbers, he is shooting 44.8 percent from the floor and a career best 37.9 percent from beyond the arc. Because of his youth and talent it is no wonder why he has become the face of the franchise.

However, it is not just Rose who has helped the Bulls into the third seed in the Eastern Conference with a record of 30-14. Over the summer, Chicago brought in a host of talent to surround their young point guard with including Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer, Keith Bogans, Kurt Thomas, C.J. Watson, and they even thought that having Brian Scalabrine on the roster was a good idea. This is a completely different Bulls team than the one that was fielded last season under Vinny Del Negro. Yet, they kept three main pieces as a core to build around: Rose, Joakim Noah, and Luol Deng.

Deng has found himself over looked in most discussions surrounding the Bulls. It is not surprising when his surrounding cast consists of Rose, Boozer, and Noah (especially his personality). Deng is quiet compared to his counterparts and his game is by no means flashy so it is rare to see him appear in the Sports Center highlight factory. His game does speak volumes, though.

In his seventh year out of Duke, Deng, who is just 25 years old, has established himself as a consistent and efficient wing scorer and all-around player. Yes, his numbers throughout his career have been a model of consistency but a couple of his seasons, his fourth and fifth, were shortened due to injury. His numbers across the board are close if not identical to the ones he put up in 70 games last season. This is the kind of consistency that coaches want to see and that players strive for during the course of a career.

This season Deng is averaging 17.6 points, which is third highest on the team, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. Each of these statistics is in the top three on the team. His effective field goal percentage stands at 50 percent. Beyond his offensive numbers, he has lowered his defensive rating down to 102 from 106 last season. Head Coach Tom Thibodeau has definitely played a role in emphasizing defense this season as the Bulls, as a team, have the best defense in the league right now with a rating of 99.4 and they have accomplished this feat with Noah, the anchor of their interior defense, still sidelined recuperating from surgery to his right thumb. Much like Deng’s game, the team defense of Chicago is rarely discussed.

At full strength, the Bulls are difficult to match up with. Deng’s ability to stretch the floor, he is shooting 35.4 percent from long range, pared with their two big men and slashing guard pose a bevy of defensive challenges. However, it is because of Deng’s versatility and consistency that they are headed towards a high playoff seed just half way through the season. He does the dirty work for the team on both ends of the court.

Big three? No, Chicago has a big four and Deng fits squarely in it. John Paxson has been wise to refuse any offer that comes his way if it would be to send away Deng or Noah. These are two of their core players that the team hopes to build around for the foreseeable future. Especially now that Deng has become such a model of efficiency for the team it would be unlikely that any team could lure him away without giving up more than they are willing to. Though he may be quiet, Deng has solidified his role with his team and in the NBA as a premier (not elite) small forward and looks to only replicate his production year after year. Let Rose have the spotlight, Deng thrives with consistency because he does not need to drop 40 points every night but it is nice to know that he can every once in a while.

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by | December 16, 2010 · 3:32 PM

Joakim Noah has Successful Surgery

 

Injuries continue to hamper the Bulls

Joakim Noah had successful surgery on his thumb today. He will have a follow-up visit on Monday and will likely need a cast. When speaking about his need to have surgery, Noah said, “it sucks, but it’s [the] right thing.”

With Noah down for anywhere from eight to ten weeks for the Chicago Bulls the same old Bulls story of recent years begins to emerge once again. Noah played through the pain this season and kept it quiet. It was obvious that his thumb was bothering him though as he wrapped it regularly. Yet, he continued to produce because the team needed him as they waited for Carlos Boozer to return to health after tripping over his gym bag this summer.

Injuries during the regular season have unfortunately become the modus operandi of the Bulls in recent seasons but that in no way undermines their resilience. Last year, with Noah out, the Bulls went 6-12 and lost ten in a row. Derrick Rose missed four of the games during the ten game slide so that certainly did not improve their chances of success. Nonetheless, the Bulls, with the backing of a Rose guarantee, battled through the pain on route to the playoffs.

This season Chicago is a different squad. They brought in pieces to help them battle beyond and in spite of injuries. Last season it was Brad Miller and Taj Gibson who stepped in during Noah’s absence. This year Miller is gone. However, in his place the Bulls have Omer Asik and a veteran in Kurt Thomas who has proved time and again that he is still a valuable frontcourt commodity with a nice midrange jump shot with the ability to defend and rebound. Certainly, the Bulls will need all the help they can get from their depth now.

More than just bench help, the Bulls will need to keep their young point guard healthy. Rose has been battling a sprained right wrist, bruised elbow, a tweaked ankle, and sore hip the past several games and has been listed as day-to-day. Ever the determined player, Rose said, “If it is up to me, I’m playing. I’m sore, but I should be able to play through it.” Chicago certainly needs him to. If they were to lose Rose for any length of time the Bulls would find themselves in a precarious situation.

Chicago currently sits in first place in their division with a record of 16-8 which has them in fourth overall in the eastern conference. They likely will not seed much if any ground to the Pacers who are back to Indy .500 form in the central division. What they do have to worry about is being caught and surpassed by Orlando, Atlanta, and New York who are all breathing down Chicago’s neck. The Knicks and Hawks are a game back of the Bulls while Orlando is just a half game back. Milwaukee is also showing a marked improvement in their play of late and may start making a push in the central division.

What bodes well for Chicago is that the next ten weeks are arguably the easiest part of their schedule. The Bulls will not see a considerably tough stretch of games in a row until 7 February through the beginning of March. Until that time the only teams that Chicago faces with winning records are the Knickerbockers, Celtics, Heat, Mavericks, and Magic during a span of 25 games. By that time Noah should be back to full health and they will need him.

On 7 February the Bulls will be on the road in Portland in the middle of a five game road trip swing through the west. After Portland they travel to Salt Lake City and then to New Orleans before returning home for two games in which they host the Spurs. They then host the Heat two games later before going on another five game road trip in which they will play the Bucks, Wizards, Hawks, Magic, and Heat. For this stretch of games the Bulls will need to be at full strength as the battle for playoff seeding will be in full force especially after the All Star break.

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