The Bulls, 5 Games In...

[Xplosive]

Its waaayyyy early into the season but a quick analysis so far...

1. The Bulls are the team to beat in the East. The Cavaliers and their coach have a lot to learn, its early but unless the Cavs make major adjustments they might not beat Miami or Toronto in the playoffs.

2. Pau Gasol has been the MVP of the Bulls. his scoring, rebounding, and defense has been so good that Joakim Noah has been an afterthought. The difference between Boozer and Gasol is a perfect example of why statistics are overrated because they don't tell the complete story.

3. Offensive rebounding could keep this team from winning it all. Once Joakim, Rose, Butler, and Gasol are all healthy and in the starting lineup rebounding should improve but the Bulls still need to get more rebounding out of the starting SF position. MDJ and his 3 rebs a game isn't the answer.

4. Mirotic is the X-Factor. If he can develop a midrange game and learn to grab some offensive rebounds he could be rookie of the year. Thibs is starting to show more confidence in Niko' by giving him more minutes than Dough-Mac, and by midseason he could overtake MDJ for starting SF.
Noah, Pau, Niko, Jimmy, and Rose = Not 1, Not 2, Not 3....Championships???

Overall...

This might be the best offensive AND defensive Bulls team we have seen since MJ, Pip, and Phil left town. The bench is loaded with weapons, Jimmy and Derrick can defend any backcourt, and the Noah/Taj/Gasol 3-headed monster will terrorize opposing PF/C's. Health is the real opponent for this team so buckle up for the long ride.

 

[Scoot26]

1. The Cavs are still the team to beat until someone beats them in the playoffs. The Miami Heat struggled early in 2010-11 as well. Cleveland looks more lost than the Heat did, but I factor that into the inexperience of the players in general and the fact nobody but LeBron plays defense.

2. So far, yes Pau has been the MVP. TO me that's kind of troublesome. But that could be more on the fact Rose and Noah are battling returning from injuries and having current injuries/illness.

3. The Cavs won their only game this year because they got O boards. I don't understand it thus far since the Bulls have been pretty good at stopping that over the years and get plenty of their own offensive rebounds. So, we'll see what happens there.

4. Mirotic is not starting this year.

Agreed, this is the best offense the Bulls have had since Jordan. We'll see on defense though.

 

[clonetrooper264]

Our defense in the first halves of games has been pretty bad imo. We usually fix things in the second half, but I'm pretty sure if you look at the first half stats vs the second half stats, it's a whole different team. Our rebounding has also been unusually poor. I'm not sure how much of this is Jo not being healthy. He's usually the main source of offensive boards. Gasol and Gibson have been getting decent or good rebounding numbers though, so I'm guessing it's more the long rebounds that we're not getting. That and with Gasol always rotating to protect the rim, his guy usually isn't getting boxed out. So long as Tristian Thompson isn't getting 12 offensive boards though, I suppose we have been able to live through it.

Pau has been the MVP thus far to me too, but Butler is a close second imo. Once Rose and Noah are actually healthy, I predict that will change.

 

[payton 34ever]

1. The Cavs are still the team to beat until someone beats them in the playoffs. The Miami Heat struggled early in 2010-11 as well. Cleveland looks more lost than the Heat did, but I factor that into the inexperience of the players in general and the fact nobody but LeBron plays defense.

2. So far, yes Pau has been the MVP. TO me that's kind of troublesome. But that could be more on the fact Rose and Noah are battling returning from injuries and having current injuries/illness.

3. The Cavs won their only game this year because they got O boards. I don't understand it thus far since the Bulls have been pretty good at stopping that over the years and get plenty of their own offensive rebounds. So, we'll see what happens there.

4. Mirotic is not starting this year.

Agreed, this is the best offense the Bulls have had since Jordan. We'll see on defense though.

Why is Cleveland the de facto favorite? Sure, they look good on paper, but so do a lot of teams. You said yourself in the same paragraph (inexperience, nobody plays D but LeBron) exactly why they don't deserve to be favorites until they prove something.

 

[clonetrooper264]

Why is Cleveland the de facto favorite? Sure, they look good on paper, but so do a lot of teams. You said yourself in the same paragraph (inexperience, nobody plays D but LeBron) exactly why they don't deserve to be favorites until they prove something.

Because in all likelihood they will not pull a Dwight Howard Lakers and implode. If their offensive guys are clicking, they're virtually unstoppable. I don't trust the Bulls to win many shootouts against Cleveland.

 

[Xplosive]

Why is Cleveland the de facto favorite? Sure, they look good on paper, but so do a lot of teams. You said yourself in the same paragraph (inexperience, nobody plays D but LeBron) exactly why they don't deserve to be favorites until they prove something.

Exactly.

Kevin Love isn't going to magically learn to play defense like Chris Bosh, and Kyrie won't suddenly grow into D-Wade. The Heat=Cavs concept is severely lacking some key ingredients. Even the newer lightweight LBJ doesn't seem to match up to the 260lb bully he was for the Heat. I think the Cavs will crash and burn.

 

[Scoot26]

Why is Cleveland the de facto favorite? Sure, they look good on paper, but so do a lot of teams. You said yourself in the same paragraph (inexperience, nobody plays D but LeBron) exactly why they don't deserve to be favorites until they prove something.

What clone said. They'll also WILL grow as a team. You don't need a Top 5 defense to win in this league. You do need a Top 10 offense to win though.

Because in all likelihood they will not pull a Dwight Howard Lakers and implode. If their offensive guys are clicking, they're virtually unstoppable. I don't trust the Bulls to win many shootouts against Cleveland.

Exactly.

Kevin Love isn't going to magically learn to play defense like Chris Bosh, and Kyrie won't suddenly grow into D-Wade. The Heat=Cavs concept is severely lacking some key ingredients. Even the newer lightweight LBJ doesn't seem to match up to the 260lb bully he was for the Heat. I think the Cavs will crash and burn.

Bosh knew defense before Miami and yes they are not going to have the lockdown defense ability of the Miami Heat. That said, they can score and score in bunches. Will the Bulls be able to stop that? Maybe. Can they stop it over 7 games? Maybe. We simply do not know. They have the greatest player on the planet still.

Also if Derrick Rose is not there in April-May-June, we won't beat these guys.

 

[clonetrooper264]

At the same time though, if McDermott and Mirotic develop offensive consistency, that could be a game changer in a shootout. More shooters on the floor means more lanes for Rose to drive in against a weak Cavs interior defense.

 

[Scoot26]

At the same time though, if McDermott and Mirotic develop offensive consistency, that could be a game changer in a shootout. More shooters on the floor means more lanes for Rose to drive in against a weak Cavs interior defense.

It'll be interesting to say the least. The contests against Cleveland in the regular season should be more interesting as each team will have had more time to gel. I think there's a matchup in January, February, then April.

 

[Axl Rose]

Bron isn't even playing D...however its still early in the season if they are playing this way a few months from now then maybe we can revise the favorite

same with the Bulls its still early but they have had a solid offense...they need to tighten up the defense and rebounding

if we have a top 10 offense while having a top 3 defense then i think we have a real shot this season

 

[clonetrooper264]

It'll be interesting to say the least. The contests against Cleveland in the regular season should be more interesting as each team will have had more time to gel. I think there's a matchup in January, February, then April.

The last one will probably be the most telling but who's to say that Cleveland won't pull a Miami and just destroy us in the playoffs after losing game 1 by 20 points?

 

[Scoot26]

Bron isn't even playing D...however its still early in the season if they are playing this way a few months from now then maybe we can revise the favorite

same with the Bulls its still early but they have had a solid offense...they need to tighten up the defense and rebounding

if we have a top 10 offense while having a top 3 defense then i think we have a real shot this season

Yes I know, this has been his amazing D.

 

[Scoot26]

The last one will probably be the most telling but who's to say that Cleveland won't pull a Miami and just destroy us in the playoffs after losing game 1 by 20 points?

Close victories/losses in the regular season usually mean nothing. The Heat lost all 4 games to the Nets last year in the regular season, but they were all very close games. Similar was the Bulls in 2010-11 in those 3 victories by the Bulls.. Every game was close.

You could say the Conference Finals, every game was close until 4th quarter/OT pull aways, which says certain games could have gone either way.

So we have one game this year, that was close and could have gone either way. The Bulls of course were not 100% healthy.

So of course its difficult to say as the playoffs are a different animal. But we'll have to wait and see basically. As of right now Cleveland wouldn't even make the playoffs lol, but of course that is going to change.

 

[Axl Rose]

also its said that Bron is trying to show Kyrie/Waiters that being selfish doesn't win ball games...so hes basically standing around letting them do whatever they want hoping they see that

Cleveland is far from playing up to what they could be

 

[Scoot26]

also its said that Bron is trying to show Kyrie/Waiters that being selfish doesn't win ball games...so hes basically standing around letting them do whatever they want hoping they see that

Cleveland is far from playing up to what they could be

I agree, which is why I'm cautious about the rest of the season. Cleveland is a very dangerous playoff team. I just hope they are either #2, #3, #6 #7 seed (if it gets that bad) while we are the #1.

 

[Axl Rose]

Yes I know, this has been his amazing D.

to be fair he got tripped on that 2nd one

he was completely lost on the 1st one lol

 

[Scoot26]

to be fair he got tripped on that 2nd one

he was completely lost on the 1st one lol

Lebron don't get tripped!

And he doesn't even look like he's trying one bit in the first one.

 

[DCguy]

I see a lot of yall making excuses for Cleveland which is funny. They are going to be good. But they have 2 hogs in Irving and Waiters. LeBron is not sitting back showing them anything, he is simply pacing himself. Waiters thinks he is the man, he probably thinks LeBron came to help him out. They got to work through all of that. It can be done but I am not on their jock like a lot of yall on here. They are very beatable and will be beatable come playoff time.

 

[Axl Rose]

I see a lot of yall making excuses for Cleveland which is funny. They are going to be good. But they have 2 hogs in Irving and Waiters. LeBron is not sitting back showing them anything, he is simply pacing himself. Waiters thinks he is the man, he probably thinks LeBron came to help him out. They got to work through all of that. It can be done but I am not on their jock like a lot of yall on here. They are very beatable and will be beatable come playoff time.

Bron has not been usual Bron

hes being passive and letting Kyrie/Waiters take all the shots they want

im not on the Cavs nuts but its to early to say how good they are gonna be....give them a few months atleast...not a few games

 

[DCguy]

Bron has not been usual Bron

hes being passive and letting Kyrie/Waiters take the shots they want

and im not on the Cavs nuts but its to early to say how good they are gonna be....give them a few months atleast...not a few games

Bron is doing that on purpose. Kyrie and them gonna take those shots anyway, that's their game.

I am not judging any team. But I do see a little bit of "ridng" when it comes to Cleveland and they have to show and prove just like everybody else.