Let's take a quick look at this series:
Ugh, on second hand, let's not look at this series. It's as bad as the Heat-Bulls series, but this time the Bulls are the on the wrong side of it. Let's let Simmons handle it:
"I keep getting e-mails from Bulls fans wondering why (A) I haven't written about their monumental sweep of a Miami team that could have doubled as the cast for "Cocoon 3," (B) I haven't admitted that I was wrong about Chicago declining to trade for Pau Gasol last February and (C) I haven't recanted my running argument that Chicago should have kept Tyson Chandler and not signed Ben Wallace. First of all, I picked the Bulls in five; it's not like the Miami sweep was shocking. Miami was a complete mess. Second, I still think they should have traded for Gasol, although it's clear that Luol Deng is untouchable at this point -- I'll admit it, I definitely underestimated his talents -- but still, they couldn't have gotten Memphis to bite for Thabo Sefolosha, Tyrus Thomas, expiring contracts and the Knicks' pick? And third, I still don't believe they can beat the Pistons without any low-post scoring. You're not beating the Pistons with jumpers. You're just not. That's why I'm picking the Pistons in six. So if that happens, and you think it was a good move to spend $64 million on Wallace for a second-round exit that would have happened, anyway, I don't know what to tell you."
We rip on Simmons when he's in the wrong (as we will in a little bit), and because he's the most popular writer for ESPN, so if he's wrong a million readers believe him (and dozens of bloggers will follow suit). But he hit this one on the nail. Point to The Sport Guy.
MJD on the Bulls-Pistons series so far: " The Pistons are like Ike, the Bulls are like Tina". It doesn't have any profound analysis, but that title is on point. Some points on the series so far:
- The Bulls have been giving up too many rebounds, in particularly offensive, to the Pistons. Hit the stats! Detroit outrebounded the Bulls 51-30 in Game 2. They also outrebounded them 46-38 in game 1, and those numbers are closer than they should be. Offensive rebounding? Detroit had 15 in game 2, 14 in game 1. Game 2 featured 22 second chance points for Detroit.
The Bulls during the regular season averaged 43.7 rpg, while holding their opponents to 40.7. The Pistons only averaged 40.5 rpg. They are not suppose to be outrebounding the Bulls, not with Ben Wallace in the middle. Where is Big Ben?
Wallace is averaging 7.5 rpg in this series. That's the same as Tayshaun Prince, a SF, for Detroit. Rip Hamilton is up there with 6.5 rpg. Obviously they are grabbing long rebounds, but that's Wallace's forte! From The Detroit News:
"The other factor has been the Bulls' insistence on fronting the post and playing more zone. They are playing in front of Rasheed Wallace and Chris Webber, which puts the Pistons in better offensive rebounding position."
And PJ Brown? The starting PF for the Bulls has been in foul trouble all series long. Sound familiar? Those Bulls commentators a while back attacked Tyson Chandler because he was "always in foul trouble", especially in the playoffs. Look it up. Anyway, looks like his replacement at PF is having similar trouble. He's played 20 minutes total, and has picked up only 3 rebounds, all offensive.
Coach Saunders on rebounding:
"We have been talking more about pursuing the ball, more so than just getting contact (boxing out)," Saunders said. "Our guards have really been locked in as far as getting the long rebounds, which has really helped. Mostly, though, it's just been a mindset. We knew we had to rebound against Orlando and Dwight Howard or they would have kicked our butts, and the same has held for this series."
All them loose boards are going to the 'Stones, and given them too many second chances, which is wearing the Bulls out on defense. Hence, their offense suffers, too.
- The zone defense the Pistons are using on the Bulls is killing them. Saunders again (providing the winning quotes):
"It's called the hyperbolic, paraboloid, transitional, floating zone defense."
Has Flip been listening to Keith Murray again? Let's just call it "The Most Beautifuliest Zone In The World". Whatever you wants to call it, it's killing da Bulls. The Pistons are keeping them out of the paint, forcing them to settle for jumpers. They can't shoot any spot-up shoots; everything is coming off the dribble (hence rushed). I can't even remember seeing the Bulls take a clean spot-up jumper in either game. And the Bulls FG% is under 35% in both games. Coincidence?
Even worse, the Bulls best shooters are the ones shooting. When the Bulls do get a shot off (and there have been a lot of turnovers and shot clock violations), here's who is shooting (totals for both games):
Ben Gordon 16 FGA (has hit 5)
Kirk Hinrich 14 FGA (hit 6-7 in Game 1, but 0-7 in Game 2)
Luol Deng: 11-28 FGA (the only guy shooting, and he's off so far)
Those are your best shooters. So who is shooting?
Chris Duhon: 1-11 FGA
Tyrus Thomas: 6-14 FGA (same number as Hinrich)
Nocioni: 5-18 FGA
Ben Wallace: 8-14 FGA
So Ben Wallace is shooting as much as Hinrich and Gordon? That's probably what Detroit wants. He's a terrible shooter, and you can always foul him (he's an even worse FT shooter). Plus it wears him down, and keeps him away from focusing on rebounding.
And Nocioni? He's our favorite Bull, but come on... he can't be the offensive go to guy. Yet there he is, shooting more than the guards, and second only to Deng in FGA for the Bulls doing the series.
Speaking of Nocioni, his plantar facilitis is apparently slowing him down so much that he couldn't guard Prince very well in Game 2. Prince dropped 25 on him. The Detroit offense is spreading the ball well. In Game 1 the backcourt (Hamilton and Billups) both topped 20 points; in Game 2, it was Prince and Webber topping 20 points. And Rasheed Wallace hasn't even gone off yet.
The Bulls are pretty much in the hole. What they have going for them is two home games (they were the best team in the East at home, going 31-10), and the fact that Flip Saunders is still considered a shaky coach in the playoffs. Still, we see the Pistons splitting the pair in Chicago and closing this series out in 5 (as we predicted).
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Geez, see what this series has done to me? I can't even write correctly.....If I didn't comment on this post you could 'call' me chicken or something like that.
Jack Cobra! Yeah, the Pistons have kicked it into a higher gear, it is impressive. But I had to see it coming - they are the best team in the East, so they weren't going down easy.
Still, the Bulls should be putting up more of a fight. The Ben Wallace thing really is bad... he has to do better than 7.5 rpg, and he has to stop the Pistons from getting into the lane (which they have done a bit so far). That's why he was paid the big money, that's why he was brought to Chicago. If not now, when?
The Pistons are just shooting the lights out right now, everyone's been saying the bulls are the future heirs to pistons' throne as best team in the east, and Detroit isnt ready to give it up yet. If they lose this series, hell even if they get swept, it still isnt time to panick. Of course they could use a low post scorer and ANYONE over 6'9, but PJs contract is off the books next year, they probably have the 9th pick in the draft....people just have to patient. Everyone wants to win now, this isnt a popular opinion but if the bulls hang on to curry and chandler maybe there beating Detroit now. The point is, hang onto everyone, try to add some peices via free agency, count on improvement from thabo and tyrus, and see what happens next year. No reason to blow this shit up no matter how this series ends.
this isnt a popular opinion but if the bulls hang on to curry and chandler maybe there beating Detroit now.
I, for one, can tell you that it isn't a popular opinion. But I think that, yeah, if the Bulls have Gordon, Hinrich, Deng, Chandler and Curry right now, they are balanced and able to beat the Pistons. Or be closer than they are now.
And no, there is no reason to blow this team up. But I don't agree with the patience thing. If patience is the plan, then they should have stayed with Chandler/Curry; but by signing Wallace to the big deal (who has a limited amount of time at his peak left). The Paxson plan makes no sense to me - the Bulls are a playoff team no matter what - so either you are trying to make the leap into legit contender (which requires a low post presence, which is why Gasol should have been acquired), or you are trying to build for the future (so why sign Wallace to a huge contract?!?).
That's been my big beef with this team. Anyway, I think they can still make a series of it, but they have to come out with a superior offensive gameplan (to make up for the lack of a low post presence), which I don't see Skiles pulling off. And they would need Ben Wallace to earn that money on the boards and defense (because you sure aren't paying him for his offense). I'm not sure I believe they can pull it off, but we'll see...
I guess if I didn't comment on this post you could chicken or something like that, so here is my brief breakdown. Who would have known the Pistons would be playing at such a high level? It's as if they just kicked it into another gear that no one in the East knows about. On top of that, the Bulls are playing horribly. It would be easy to say they are facing an 'emotional letdown' after sweeping the Heat, but come on, that was like two weeks ago. The facts are facts and the Pistons are man-handling the Bulls.