Game Preview #13: Bulls at Portland Trail Blazers
by Teri on Nov 23, 2009 6:50 PM CST
19 comments
[Last minute preview help. Thanks to new best friend of BaB Teri! -ed.]
Since nobody did a preview for this game, as a semi Blazer fan, I did a brief preview of tonight's game. It's my first, so here goes...
The fourth game of the annual "circus" trip takes the Bulls into the Rose Garden to face the Portland Trailblazers. The Bulls had lost 4 straight games against the Blazers, and the last two in blow out fashion. The Blazers holds a 10-5 record while only losing two game at home versus Nuggets and Hawks.
Position Matchups
Center
Joakim Noah/Brad Miller vs. Greg Oden/Joel Pryzbilla
Oden averaging 10 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks per game this season is another young and up and coming center in the West. Joakim won't have a easy night in the paint tonight battling with Oden and Pryzbilla for rebounds. The key is to get Oden into foul trouble from the beginning. Blazers Coach Nate McMillan has been practicing "2 fouls for each half rule" for his big men.
Power Forward
Taj Gibson vs. LaMarcus Aldridge
Taj Gibson is our starting forward. 'Nuff said.
Small Forward
Loul Deng vs Martell Webster/Brandon Roy
Martell Webster while he hasn't been shooting well at the beginning of the season, in his first game back in the starting lineup, (after McMillan experiments with a small lineup starting both Steve Blake and Andre Miller) he shot 4/7 for three pointers for 7/13 in field goals in their last game against Timberwolves in a blow out.
Also expect to see Brandon Roy at the SF spot when the Blazers are going small, with either Blake or Miller along with Rudy Fernandez at the 2 spot.
Shooting Guard
John Salmons/Kirk Hinrich vs Brandon Roy
Brandon Roy will create some problems for the Bulls. He can take Salmons off the dribble and is bigger and stronger against Kirk. He can get to and finish at the rim, and also can hit those mid-range jumpers as well. Try to keep him out of the lanes and force him to shoot jump shots is the better bet.
Point Guard
Derrick Rose vs Steve Blake/Andre Miller
Steve Blake has always had problems against quick, small guards, and we've all remember how Derrick totally owned Andre Miller last season. However, Derrick is not at his full strength, but if he continues to progress and attack the rim and pushing the tempo like he did, then he should have no problem against these two.
Final thoughts and prediction
If the Bulls continues their slow offensive pace, they will definitely lose because Blazer is very efficient in scoring in slow paces, so the Bulls should try to push the tempo. If the Bulls keep going with their newfound defense, forcing turnovers and capitalize on these opportunities and run, I'll take the Bulls 98-94
In Vinny's own word "Run! Attack! Run!"
Check out Blazersedge's preview of tonight's game.
FanPosts are user-created posts from the BlogABull community, and are to be treated as the opinions and views of that particular user, not that of the blogger or blog community as a whole.
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this really feels like a blowout in the making.
"What is going on up here?"
"I never know, man."
no, you may just be paranoid from last year
but this Blazer team has really gotten off to a slow start in blazer fans perspective. Were very efficient on the defensive end but on offense we still lack some things. If our guys can get consistent then it’s another story and were missing our 6th man and starting SF.This is going to be a very close game.
gl bulls
Trade for Luis Amundson!!Do it KP!!
"in blazer fans perspective" is key. i dont see the bulls ever getting to the hoop tonight.
and they have proven they cant shoot straight for 48 mins.
"What is going on up here?"
"I never know, man."
I haven't seen many Bulls games this year but from what i've seen
If Rose goes to being his old self, hes going to cause problems. If Deng gets hot, its gonna cause even bigger problems for the Blazers and of course Noah, imo the most improved player in the league thus far.
Trade for Luis Amundson!!Do it KP!!
I am always pessimistic about the Bulls so who really knows what will happen...
Jekyl or Hyde which team will we see out there? Some nights we look very fluent and other nights we can’t hit a shot and disorganized.
Pretty spot on preview, I would say.
Noah’s been a pretty good rebounder this year (I think I saw that somewhere), though Oden and Przybilla aren’t far behind. Attacking with Noah would be a good idea, to get Oden in foul trouble. Or just attack the middle with anyone, that seems to work as well.
Rose, even not 100% should be enough to outdo Miller and/or Blake. Though at least Blake can hit an open three on occasion.
Roy may or may not be a tough matchup. If the whistles don’t go his way, sometimes he’ll stay back and complain at the refs instead of going back and playing defense. I think being called a borderline superstar (and paid like one) has gone to his head a little.
Aldridge has started rebounding in the last few games! Will wonders never cease. Except apparently Oden’s foul trouble has been contagious since that started.
Webster did have a great game against the Timberwolves. But frankly, I could have a good game against the Timberwolves. Well, maybe only the Nets, but still.
Bulls have a good chance to take this game, because the Blazers don’t play for 48 minutes either. Though I have to say, I’m not going to be pulling for you tonight at least.
πάτερ, ἄφες αὐτοῖς, οὐ γὰρ οἴδασιν τί ποιοῦσιν.
Bulls are heavy under dogs
After the last two road beat downs, I’d be happy with a competitive game.
by RogersPark Kris on Nov 23, 2009 7:49 PM CST up reply actions
If the Bulls stay aggressive out there, then they've got a good chance.
On both ends of the floor. Bulls defense has been pretty good, but I admit that I don’t watch them enough to tell about their offense. It looked pretty good in the first half against Denver though. I did get to see that. Didn’t see the second half, which apparently didn’t work out as well.
Still, Portland hasn’t been putting teams away very well. At least it seems that way, despite their point differential. Keep it close, and you’ve got a chance. Blazers’ are something like 22nd in the league in points in the fourth quarter this year, something that was a strength for them last season.
πάτερ, ἄφες αὐτοῖς, οὐ γὰρ οἴδασιν τί ποιοῦσιν.
Looking at their website and watching some games.....
They seem to start both miller and blake. I am not sure if that was beginning the season or now, but they have both started together 9 games. I was thinking i would much rather have hinrich start over taj this game. People always are talking about doing it and i think that this game would be perfect for it. You can have salmons back to where he is best and have him guard roy and i think deng would do a decent job on aldridge. He will at least rebound better than taj does anyway. What do you guys think about this.
the 2-pg starting lineup is out
The Blazers are now back to a more traditional lineup of Oden/Aldridge/Webster/Roy/Blake, with Przybilla, Rudy and Miller being the key reserves.
How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009
Well still...
I think this would be a good team to go to a three guard lineup so salmons can go back to his best position because i think we would match up better that way. I really think deng could match up well with aldridge. Also taj should not start anyway….
"I really think deng could match up well with aldridge."
That would be the fastest way to ensure a blow out tonight. Granted, LMA seems to take more perimeter shots than I would have him do, but if he didn’t take Deng to blocks than I’d fine him for stupidity.
This is one of the worst teams for us to go small ball on considering their length and our poor perimeter shooting.
"Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen." - Michael Jordan
If Blake starts on DRose...
The Bulls need to abandon the pick n’ roll and have Derrick attack Blake one on one. If VDN insists on having Derrick go pick ‘n roll, he needs to do so with someone like Deng as the pick man. That should be the closest we get to small ball, i.e. having a smaller guy as the pick man. Joel P is a pretty solid pick ’n roll defender from what I remember, so they’d be doing more harm than good running it traditionally.
"Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen." - Michael Jordan
Thats the thing though....
I dont think aldridge would take advantage and take him to the post, and if he did he would just do a fade away jumper.
That possible, but I just don't see LMA being that dumb
With his length and high shot release, he wouldn’t need to fade away on Deng. He could face and get off good shots with little resistance.
"Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen." - Michael Jordan
This could either be a nice win, or horrendously huge blowout loss.
Though at least this season the amount of trolling Blazers fans will be kept to a minimum thanks to Scott Skiles….er Nate McMillan coaching under the influence.
Rose and Miller have a nice matchup, they always seem to take advantage of one another offensively. I’d like to see the ball out of Roy’s hands as much as possible, and pray the crappy Bulls offense makes their jumpers.
The 2009 White Sox....like a 40 degree day.
I would still take Nate over Vinny any day of the week and twice on game days
But his punch-clock style game management and unconditional support of Blake/anything Roy wants really is wearing the nerves thin.
Ceterum censeo Lakers esse delendam
Forgot to mention the bench
Blazers definitely have one of deepest bench: Pryzbilla, Fernandez, Miller, Outlaw, while the bulls really only have two serviceable players off the bench, Kirk, Brad and occasionally Pargo, maybe JJ
"You can't give up hope just because it's hopeless! You gotta hope even more, and cover your ears and go 'bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla!'"
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