Does it really matter if the Bulls beat the Hawks?

[Scoot26]

There's no way the Bulls can beat the Heat in a 7 game series.

Just because they have the best record in the NBA, the best team defense, the most rebounds, the MVP, Coach of the year, GM/Executive of the year, home court advantage, and they swept the Heat 3-0 in the regular season ... Wait a second. Where was I going with this again?

Oh, yeah. The Bulls have a very good chance of beating the Heat in a 7 game series.

... like I said.

I agree.

Every series is different and the playoffs are (most of the time) about matchups. The regular season usualy will be a telling sign of how the teams matchup against each other. While we beat the Heat 3 times, every game was close, which tells you that the teams might just matchup fairly evenly.

Boston's problem I think revolves around Kendrick Perkins. Boston beat them (a few times handily) with Kendrick Perkins, then in the final regular season game (With Perkins no longer on the team) they had nothing to show. Perkins might have been the glue to that team advancing deep in the playoffs. I still think that trade was a bad move if you are indeed trying to win another championship. If the Celtics are trying to regroup for the future already, then maybe its not so bad, but they in turn took away their chance to win a championship this year.

And for those of you going off how Miami has looked so far in the playoffs...if I recall, didn't Orlando look absolutely unstoppable through the first two rounds last year? Weren't most people on their bandwagon as saying they were a sure thing to return to the NBA Finals? Boston dismantled them.

Not saying the Bulls are going to dismantle Miami, I'm just saying we never know what is going to happen and the earlier rounds arent always a telltale sign of whats to come.

 

[Chi-Town Brahma]

Let the Heat get the much needed enjoyment on beating a young/inexperienced 76ers team & putting their foot to the head of a withering giant that once was the Boston Celtics.

I truly believe we've seen Chicago play two of the better teams in the playoffs this year. By that, I mean ready to play & both having never say die attitudes that resemble the Bulls. If we see our boys advance to the ECF I don't see why they wouldn't be prepared enough to kick the needy Heat. Writers & analysts can boast & gloat over Miami all they want but it is clear the Bulls are back were they were in the Nov-Jan time frame.....being overlooked &, pretty much, under-appreciated by the media.

It may not be to the exact amount, but they are definitely being looked down on while the Heat are the ones riding on such high horses. If anything, Miami should be praying to God himself that the Hawks knock off the Bulls.

I'm confident our team can beat the Heat in 7. Beating them in 6 would be just as good.

 

[TopekaRoy]

Scoot26, I'm in agreement with your agreeing with me!

I think people are being fooled a little by the fact that the Heat are playing well against teams who are not the Bulls, and the Bulls are struggling with teams who are not the Heat. Like you (and many others) have said, it's all about match ups, and the Bulls match up well with Miami.

Don't let the first 2 rounds of the playoffs fool you. In the regular season, the Bulls always played really well against the best teams and often struggled with the weaker teams. Why should the playoffs be any different?

It just amazes me that people say we can't do something we've already done 3 straight times. I don't think the Bulls will blow out, or get blown out by, the Heat. Each game will probably be close and it will come down to execution and who closes out the games better.

But first they have to get past Atlanta ...

 

[Scoot26]

Let the Heat get the much needed enjoyment on beating a young/inexperienced 76ers team & putting their foot to the head of a withering giant that once was the Boston Celtics.

I truly believe we've seen Chicago play two of the better teams in the playoffs this year. By that, I mean ready to play & both having never say die attitudes that resemble the Bulls. If we see our boys advance to the ECF I don't see why they wouldn't be prepared enough to kick the needy Heat. Writers & analysts can boast & gloat over Miami all they want but it is clear the Bulls are back were they were in the Nov-Jan time frame.....being overlooked &, pretty much, under-appreciated by the media.
It may not be to the exact amount, but they are definitely being looked down on while the Heat are the ones riding on such high horses. If anything, Miami should be praying to God himself that the Hawks knock off the Bulls.

I'm confident our team can beat the Heat in 7. Beating them in 6 would be just as good.

Thats the other thing, with the way the media is protraying Miami, the Bulls might become underdogs in this series. I don't know that takes some of the pressure off them or not, but they could also do what the Bears do and play the disrespect card.

 

[MidwayMobster]

Thats the other thing, with the way the media is protraying Miami, the Bulls might become underdogs in this series. I don't know that takes some of the pressure off them or not, but they could also do what the Bears do and play the disrespect card.

That could help! just like it did in the regular season. All the talks were about MIA or BOS...and the Bulls ended up with the #1

 

[Anytime23]

Kirk Hinrichs injury was the best thing that happened to ATL and no one saw it coming. Jeff Teague has shown that he's fully capable of running the offense, being a scoring option and bing somewhat effective on he defensive end. This ATL team has so much talent and when they play smart and their shots fall, they are very tough to beat. They are not scrubs.

And is Miami really this unstoppable force? The won in OT against an old beat up team with their PG having one working arm. The celtics have not been good since the Herpkins trade. Their backup Cs are garbage. They would have lost 2 games to NY if they werent Special person and poorly coached. They also were without billups and NY was the worst of all the playoff teams to begin with.

Miami has had their own struggles with Phi as we did with Indy.

I think we have the right pieces to take on Miami. Perimeter defenders in Brewer, Bogans and Deng. They have two PGs who I wouldn't take over our backup PG. Their steroid front court is soft with Bosh and Z. We have a bench, they don't. Theyre lucky to get one of those monster games from Jones, Chalmers, Miller, whoever. Haslem looked awful his first game back. Their x-factor is Anthony and as long as we keep the heat off the offensive glass, our bench ouyplays theirs and our defense can be somewhat effective on the big 3, I think we can win it. We got home court. If only Boozer was healthy, I'd say bulls in 6 or 7.

 

[cubsneedmiracle]

I can't wait to face the refs... err Miami Heat.

 

[Shakes]

Jeff Teague has shown that he's fully capable of running the offense, being a scoring option and bing somewhat effective on he defensive end

Jeff Teague has shown in a small sample size he can hit tough shots at the rim at far above his career rate. If he was actually as good a finisher as he has been in this series the Hawks would have been playing him before now.

Maybe he really is good and just hasn't gotten the chance but the more likely explanation is he's just having a few good games.

 

[Bulls On Parade]

You hit another nail on the head Cubs -. ESPN & everybody seems to have already chosen who will come out of the east. I would not be surprised to see the Bulls V.S. Miami, & the Refs.

To me all year it has felt that the sports commentators had a set narrative for the season. Which was Miami is awesome, then they came out & went almost .500. Ever since they have pretty much been forcing contrived reasons to keep Miami in the discussion.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Bulls beat Miami. Analysts will talk less about the Bulls winning, & more about how Miami was able to lose.

Pretty pathetic if you ask me.

 

[Shakes]

You hit another nail on the head Cubs -. ESPN & everybody seems to have already chosen who will come out of the east. I would not be surprised to see the Bulls V.S. Miami, & the Refs.

To me all year it has felt that the sports commentators had a set narrative for the season. Which was Miami is awesome, then they came out & went almost .500. Ever since they have pretty much been forcing contrived reasons to keep Miami in the discussion.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Bulls beat Miami. Analysts will talk less about the Bulls winning, & more about how Miami was able to lose.

Pretty pathetic if you ask me.

I think the series is winnable for the Bulls, but given the way the two teams have been playing the Heat deserve to be favourites right now. They're not as awesome as some people predicted (lol 73 wins) but they're playing pretty good while the Bulls really haven't played at the level they did during the regular season.

Holding home court is hugely important, that would put the pressure right on Miami and we've seen they're a team that's prone to cracking. So yeah, in a sense Miami might break down and lose, but it will require the Bulls to apply the blowtorch.

 

[CODE_BLUE56]

OP is a troll....der

 

[Diddy1122]

Someone already said it, but it's 100% true. The best thing to happen to the Hawks was Hinrich getting injured. Teague would not have seen the light of day in this series. Kirk would never go off scoring like him & we probably would've swept the Hawks. The X-factor can always turn a series. I'm betting the scouting report on Teague was very thin coming into the series, so the schemes and adjustments on defense had to be changed on the fly. While Teague is still playing very well, we've found ways to contain the 2 best weapons for the Hawks (Johnson & Crawford) for the majority of the series. Either way I think this series is over in Atlanta tomorrow night.

As for Miami, they may have LeBron, Wade, & Bosh, but we have the chosen one, the Windy City Assassin, the man who hates losing more than Charlie Sheen, the MVP...DERRICK ROSE!

 

[houheffna]

Someone already said it, but it's 100% true. The best thing to happen to the Hawks was Hinrich getting injured. Teague would not have seen the light of day in this series. Kirk would never go off scoring like him & we probably would've swept the Hawks. The X-factor can always turn a series. I'm betting the scouting report on Teague was very thin coming into the series, so the schemes and adjustments on defense had to be changed on the fly. While Teague is still playing very well, we've found ways to contain the 2 best weapons for the Hawks (Johnson & Crawford) for the majority of the series. Either way I think this series is over in Atlanta tomorrow night.

As for Miami, they may have LeBron, Wade, & Bosh, but we have the chosen one, the Windy City Assassin, the man who hates losing more than Charlie Sheen, the MVP...DERRICK ROSE!

I thought Lebron was "The Chose One"? Anyway...Rose can't beat those three by themselves...I just don't see that working. Other guys are going to have to step up and stars will have to play like stars...

Can you beat the Heat with Asik and Taj playing the 4th quarter? I don't know about that...maybe, I like they way they defend...but will the Bulls be able to score?

It would be a fairly safe argument that for the first time, Rose is the 3rd best player on the floor when these two teams meet. Unless others step up and step up consistently...Miami can and will win this series.

 

[X]

Someone already said it, but it's 100% true. The best thing to happen to the Hawks was Hinrich getting injured. Teague would not have seen the light of day in this series. Kirk would never go off scoring like him & we probably would've swept the Hawks. The X-factor can always turn a series. I'm betting the scouting report on Teague was very thin coming into the series, so the schemes and adjustments on defense had to be changed on the fly. While Teague is still playing very well, we've found ways to contain the 2 best weapons for the Hawks (Johnson & Crawford) for the majority of the series. Either way I think this series is over in Atlanta tomorrow night.

As for Miami, they may have LeBron, Wade, & Bosh, but we have the chosen one, the Windy City Assassin, the man who hates losing more than Charlie Sheen, the MVP...DERRICK ROSE!

I agree, and I'm taking the Bulls in 7

 

[Diddy1122]

It would be a fairly safe argument that for the first time, Rose is the 3rd best player on the floor when these two teams meet. Unless others step up and step up consistently...Miami can and will win this series.

Beat them 3 times. Regular Season or no, 3 times is 3 times. We know how to play them.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Get rid of these pesky Hawks & then we can commence some real ECF talk.

 

[Pepe Silvia]

As for Miami, they may have LeBron, Wade, & Bosh, but we have the chosen one, the Windy City Assassin, the man who hates losing more than Charlie Sheen, the MVP...DERRICK ROSE!

This just got me pumped!

 

[Scoot26]

I agree, and I'm taking the Bulls in 7

I was waiting for you to enter.

 

[B18]

I feel that bulls could take care of miami in 6 games. Just because if there was a game 7 i would shit my pants multiple times during the game.

 

[Gunzaan]

I hope I'm wrong, but if the Bulls can squeek by the Hawks, they will lose in 5 to Miami.

The regular season proves otherwise but the playoffs are a different beast. Having watched all of the Bulls games and 3 of Miami's first round games and all 5 of of their games vs Boston, I have very little confidence left. They have 2 weapons, we have 1.

Hopefully, I am wrong but I really see most of the supreme optimism in this thread as just homers who have enjoyed a breakout season by the Bulls/Rose. Playoffs are a different animal.

 

[Bulls On Parade]

I am optimistic about 3 things when it comes to Heat/Bulls.

1. They aren't 140 years old with a one armed point gaurd.

2. Wade won't be able to drag Rose down to the floor & rip his arm out like he did with Rondo. Seriously how is no news outlets bringing that little nugget up?

3. That defense that has beaten Queen James all those years? He now works for Chicago. So in a sense. Lebron will have to face Boston one more round.

Plus, Chicago has a much more balanced team than Miami. We shall see if any of this helps Chicago. I just hope I make it through this series alive. It going to be a stresser.