Eastern Conference Finals?

[Xplosive]

1. Tyson Chandler and Dirk Nowitzki complement each other as well as can be imagined. Look what they did in the 2011 playoffs. I understand that they are declining, but I think that they by themselves would still probably outplay whatever 4-5 combination the Bulls can throw together.

The Bulls have Derrick Rose, but the Mavs have 2 very good perimeter scorers: Monta Ellis and Chandler Parsons. Jameer Nelson is still a very decent point guard and Dallas will have 4 three point shooters on the floor at all times.

Rick Carlisle is also a hell of a coach. I didn't say I'd necessarily pick Dallas over Chicago. But, when the time comes, I'd definitely need to think about it.

2. The Bulls will be at least a semi-decent offensive team. I'd say they will probably float around top 5-10 in offensive efficiency next season. But none of those teams I mentioned are bad defensively. GSW was 4th in defensive efficiency last year. This year, they will improve their 12th ranked offense with the addition of Steve Kerr who understands the triangle and will push the pace. OKC, LAC, and SAS were also top 7 in defense. So let's not pretend that all those teams can do is score.

Portland has 2 young superstars in Lillard and Aldridge. Lillard is bad defensively, but he's not Kyrie Irving "bad". Robin Lopez is an underrated, athletic center. Wesley Matthews is well-rounded (much like Stephenson) except a better shooter. Nicolas Batum is a triple-double threat and lock-down defensively. Thomas Robinson gives you energy and more athleticism off the bench. They have a good young coach. Sorry, but they are a better team than the Bulls.

3. Derrick Rose and Chris Paul are the 2 best point guards in the league. Rose smashed CP3 in his MVP season, but CP3 was better before then, and he has been better since then. Rose has more upside at this point in his career, but Paul is the better shooter, passer, and on-ball defender.

1. Tyson Chandler and Dirk Nowitzki complement each other as well as can be imagined. Look what they did in the 2011 playoffs. I understand that they are declining, but I think that they by themselves would still probably outplay whatever 4-5 combination the Bulls can throw together.

The Bulls have Derrick Rose, but the Mavs have 2 very good perimeter scorers: Monta Ellis and Chandler Parsons. Jameer Nelson is still a very decent point guard and Dallas will have 4 three point shooters on the floor at all times.

Rick Carlisle is also a hell of a coach. I didn't say I'd necessarily pick Dallas over Chicago. But, when the time comes, I'd definitely need to think about it.

2. The Bulls will be at least a semi-decent offensive team. I'd say they will probably float around top 5-10 in offensive efficiency next season. But none of those teams I mentioned are bad defensively. GSW was 4th in defensive efficiency last year. This year, they will improve their 12th ranked offense with the addition of Steve Kerr who understands the triangle and will push the pace. OKC, LAC, and SAS were also top 7 in defense. So let's not pretend that all those teams can do is score.

Portland has 2 young superstars in Lillard and Aldridge. Lillard is bad defensively, but he's not Kyrie Irving "bad". Robin Lopez is an underrated, athletic center. Wesley Matthews is well-rounded (much like Stephenson) except a better shooter. Nicolas Batum is a triple-double threat and lock-down defensively. Thomas Robinson gives you energy and more athleticism off the bench. They have a good young coach. Sorry, but they are a better team than the Bulls.

3. Derrick Rose and Chris Paul are the 2 best point guards in the league. Rose smashed CP3 in his MVP season, but CP3 was better before then, and he has been better since then. Rose has more upside at this point in his career, but Paul is the better shooter, passer, and on-ball defender.

1. Dallas = Felton, Ellis, Parsons, Dirk, and Chandler. They don't have much on the bench and defensively they don't match up well at all. If we were talking 2010 Dirk maybe I would worry a little but if you are thinking Tiny Hands Chandler will be the difference, I would rethink that a few times.

2. Triangle offens =/= pushing the pace. I believe GSW will take a step back on offense because players like Iggy and Curry are best in isolation situations. I doubt they will be any better than last season and might be a lot worse. The Bulls improvement in the post will have the most effect against smaller teams like GSW.

As for S.A. and OKC, you get no argument from me about them being top offense/defense teams that will pose huge challenges for the Bulls. But the other teams you list have weaknesses the Bulls can exploit.

3. Rose will continue to dominate CP3, he is simply too strong and fast for Paul, and Rose's defense has improved a lot since his MVP year from what I've seen in obviously limited minutes. The Clippers could easily beat the Bulls if the additions of GarPax don't turn into impact players, but if they are enough to get past the Cavs, I don't see the Clippers as a tougher challenge than the Cavs.

 

[The Hawk]

I think that right now the teams better than the Bulls on paper are for sure the Cavs, Spurs, and Thunder. The Bulls are pretty much in the next level with Houston, the Heat, the Clippers, and maybe Houston or Portland.

 

[RamiTheBullsFan]

1. Dallas = Felton, Ellis, Parsons, Dirk, and Chandler. They don't have much on the bench and defensively they don't match up well at all. If we were talking 2010 Dirk maybe I would worry a little but if you are thinking Tiny Hands Chandler will be the difference, I would rethink that a few times.

2. Triangle offens =/= pushing the pace. I believe GSW will take a step back on offense because players like Iggy and Curry are best in isolation situations. I doubt they will be any better than last season and might be a lot worse. The Bulls improvement in the post will have the most effect against smaller teams like GSW.

As for S.A. and OKC, you get no argument from me about them being top offense/defense teams that will pose huge challenges for the Bulls. But the other teams you list have weaknesses the Bulls can exploit.

3. Rose will continue to dominate CP3, he is simply too strong and fast for Paul, and Rose's defense has improved a lot since his MVP year from what I've seen in obviously limited minutes. The Clippers could easily beat the Bulls if the additions of GarPax don't turn into impact players, but if they are enough to get past the Cavs, I don't see the Clippers as a tougher challenge than the Cavs.

1. Dirk and Monta in a pick-and-pop situation is deadly offense. Tyson Chandler is an offensively efficient player- he requires a body on him at all times or it is an easy lob/dunk or offensive rebound/dunk. Dirk has the style of game where he will be deadly even at his age. When he's hot, it's over. Nobody in the NBA right now has a shot more unstoppable than Dirk's fade away when he gets going. The Mavs can beat the Bulls in a 7 game series. I have no doubt.

2. Steve Kerr has shown in summer league that he will let his perimeter players push the ball in transition with his small forwards and shooting guards. Kerr is willing to let the team get shots in transition while Mark Jackson fell in love with one pass and shoot offense. Jackson focused a lot on exploiting match-ups and it took away from their offensive rhythm and caused a lot of turnovers. Kerr will have the Warriors as a better offensive team. He knows the triangle and he is smart enough to let the players play at the appropriate times.

3. The Clippers have an entire roster that is playoff-tested. Blake Griffin is probably better than Kevin Love at this point. CP3 is light years ahead of Irving. The Cavs' head coach has never coached an NBA game yet- let alone a playoff series. The Clippers actually have a player who can defend the basket; the Cavs don't. Clippers are easily better than the Cavs. Also, Matt Barnes is an ideal player to defend LeBron. He frustrates him with his toughness and length. LeBron will get his but Barnes can slow him down.

 

[Xplosive]

1. Dirk and Monta in a pick-and-pop situation is deadly offense. Tyson Chandler is an offensively efficient player- he requires a body on him at all times or it is an easy lob/dunk or offensive rebound/dunk. Dirk has the style of game where he will be deadly even at his age. When he's hot, it's over. Nobody in the NBA right now has a shot more unstoppable than Dirk's fade away when he gets going. The Mavs can beat the Bulls in a 7 game series. I have no doubt.

2. Steve Kerr has shown in summer league that he will let his perimeter players push the ball in transition with his small forwards and shooting guards. Kerr is willing to let the team get shots in transition while Mark Jackson fell in love with one pass and shoot offense. Jackson focused a lot on exploiting match-ups and it took away from their offensive rhythm and caused a lot of turnovers. Kerr will have the Warriors as a better offensive team. He knows the triangle and he is smart enough to let the players play at the appropriate times.

3. The Clippers have an entire roster that is playoff-tested. Blake Griffin is probably better than Kevin Love at this point. CP3 is light years ahead of Irving. The Cavs' head coach has never coached an NBA game yet- let alone a playoff series. The Clippers actually have a player who can defend the basket; the Cavs don't. Clippers are easily better than the Cavs. Also, Matt Barnes is an ideal player to defend LeBron. He frustrates him with his toughness and length. LeBron will get his but Barnes can slow him down.

1. I don't need stats to know that Tyson can dunk and only dunk, so his efficiency isn't impressive. Fadeaway shots are pretty unstoppable especially from 7 footers so I get the challenge of defending Dirk. Dirk is also a lot slower than Bosh and weaker than Nene, he doesn't pose the same problems for Noah. Go look at the stats for Monta Ellis and Dirk against the Bulls in the last few years and you will see the Bulls can defend both of them pretty well with Noah and Butler. Bulls win in 5.

2. We don't know anymore about what Kerr will be than we do for the Cavs coach. Kerr might be as good at coaching defense as Mark Jackson was, but we don't have anything to go on. Phil Jackson doesn't exactly have a long tree of coaches that have success following his methods so I don't know that Kerr is a star in the making. GSW still has players like Iggy and Curry who love to dribble the clock out and play Hero Ball. Until I see anything different from them, I'm not worried about GSW.

3. Blake is not a better scorer or rebounder than Kevin Love. He's also not that good defensively but certainly better than Love. Varajeo is a tough defender that will irritate Blake and get him in foul trouble. Jordan is always a Hack-a-Shaq candidate in the 4th, and Kyrie is just as good of a shooter as CP3. Matt Barnes is nothing but 6 fouls to waste on LBJ and not a better defender than Jimmy Butler. The winner of Bulls/Cavs matches up very well against the Clips and with the defense the Bulls play, I give them the nod in general.

 

[Axl Rose]

Mavs were the only team to give the spurs issues

yeah they were 8th seed in the west but would have been 3rd seed in the east...they're a good team

def not a team you want to sleep on...however i cant see them making it out of the gauntlet in the west

Spurs/Clippers/OKC are the threats to come out of the west imo

it'll probably be the Spurs again....OKC added nothing other than Marrow and still have Scott Brooks as coach and the Clippers always come up short

 

[SP33]

If the Bulls are full strength, they win in 7.

 

[Axl Rose]

Cavs just got Marion

 

[clonetrooper264]

Cavs just got Marion

So...it has come to this...

Wonder if we'll see a lot of small ball with him and Lebron on the court together. Imo that still works in the Bulls' favor since we can destroy them on the inside, but we'll see.

 

[Raskolnikov]

I think both teams would have a chance of approaching 70 wins.

 

[Alpha Male]

I think both teams would have a chance of approaching 70 wins.

Is that a joke? Neither team will win 70.

 

[ChiSoxCity]

I think both teams would have a chance of approaching 70 wins.

:bizarro:

 

[Raskolnikov]

We'll see....

as I tried to point out....the Bulls are not favorites now that the trade is final.

Cavs are 3/1 in east, and people will start to sleep on the Bulls again because adding Rose isn't enough to overcome the Cavs, but Rose/Mirotic/McDermmot/Gasol.....IDK...if those guys can shoot right away they can play right away and we become deep on the bench.

 

[ChiSoxCity]

We'll see....

as I tried to point out....the Bulls are not favorites now that the trade is final.

Cavs are 3/1 in east, and people will start to sleep on the Bulls again because adding Rose isn't enough to overcome the Cavs, but Rose/Mirotic/McDermmot/Gasol.....IDK...if those guys can shoot right away they can play right away and we become deep on the bench.

The Bulls weren't favorites to begin with. But if it helps you sleep at night, press on son.

 

[clonetrooper264]

The Bulls weren't favorites to begin with. But if it helps you sleep at night, press on son.

You could've made an argument that they were favorites before the Love trade. It was kind of a toss up imo.

 

[Axl Rose]

I think both teams would have a chance of approaching 70 wins.

within 2 seasons?

sure, easy, piece of cake

 

[ChiSoxCity]

You could've made an argument that they were favorites before the Love trade. It was kind of a toss up imo.

Why? Because we traded for McBuckets? Mirotic finally joining the team? Neither one of these guys has a track record to base anything on yet. And neither one of them are regarded as elite NBA talent coming out of their respective leagues.

Rose coming back? He's a violent player who needs to push the envelope of his physical limits in order to be effective. Not good for a scoring pg coming off two season ending knee injuries.

Nope, nothing to indicate this team is a favorite with LeBron healthy as a horse with a younger, deeper supporting cast. Fandom aside, the Bulls have a lot to prove before anyone can call them favorites without sounding like a complete moron.

 

[clonetrooper264]

Why? Because we traded for McBuckets? Mirotic finally joining the team? Neither one of these guys has a track record to base anything on yet. And neither one of them are regarded as elite NBA talent coming out of their respective leagues.

Rose coming back? He's a violent player who needs to push the envelope of his physical limits in order to be effective. Not good for a scoring pg coming off two season ending knee injuries.

Nope, nothing to indicate this team is a favorite with LeBron healthy as a horse with a younger, deeper supporting cast. Fandom aside, the Bulls have a lot to prove before anyone can call them favorites without sounding like a complete moron.

You're right, the season is over

 

[ChiSoxCity]

You're right, the season is over

We don't know how good the team is yet. We're talking about winning the east based off the addition of a couple rookies, and an injury prone big past his primer. :facepalm2:

 

[clonetrooper264]

We don't know how good the team is yet. We're talking about winning the east based off the addition of a couple rookies, and an injury prone big past his primer. :facepalm2:

Considering that the Bulls made it to the 2nd round with their best offensive player being Nate Robinson a couple years ago, it's not too far a stretch to say that adding players that can at least provide some mention of offensive skill that they could make it back to the ECF. You're right, we don't know how good the team is, but it's not like we got worse than that Nate Robinson season.

 

[ChiSoxCity]

Considering that the Bulls made it to the 2nd round with their best offensive player being Nate Robinson a couple years ago, it's not too far a stretch to say that adding players that can at least provide some mention of offensive skill that they could make it back to the ECF. You're right, we don't know how good the team is, but it's not like we got worse than that Nate Robinson season.

Uh-huh, keep telling yourself that.