Game Preview #67: The New Orleans Hornets verses the Chicago Bulls

by chgobr on Mar 14, 2009 9:24 AM CDT

[Note by your friendly BullsBlogger, 03/14/09 12:05 PM CDT: Thanks to chgobr for today's game preview -ed. ]

Stuck in the muck: Last night's repeat of the "Bulls Break your Heart" show triggers the myriad of reasons to fire VDN. Can we have an end-of-game play beyond giving the ball to Rose and letting him drive into Dalambert? Oh yes we cannot leave out Vinny's ability to stymie the opposition with creative miss-matches. Where is the adjustments to stop opponents layup parade? Where is our scheme for an end-of-game lock-down defense? Where are the creative plays after time outs? But who replaces VDN? The only coach I would be confident could make this team better would be Phil Jackson. Maybe another coach could do the trick but I'm skeptical. This would be our 4th coach in two years. To combat my Bulls-induced depression I ruminate about trades. Our resident cap guru Sports2 shows us how to get under the cap as well as a radical version of a way to succeed. My hope is Toronto decides they are going no-where with Chris Bosh and is open to a trade. I think they like Deng.

The silver lining: We need to get out of our funk and look at the positives. Noah seems to becoming a player. Rose is hanging in there and learning. Salmons has been solid. In the East the first team to win 31 games makes the payoffs. NJ and Milwaukee both lost last night. If we keep losing we are only 1 1/2 games behind to catch indiana for a possible 8th seed in the 2009 draft. A win tonight and we go ahead of Milwaukee for the last playoff spot. It is a win-win.

Tonight's game: The Hornets come to town attempting to revenge a 107-93 Bulls win at New Orleans. A minor asterick in the Bulls win in New Orleans is that Chris Paul did not play. We all hope watching Paul is a fast foward of Rose. The Hornets are getting excited about a possible 3 seed in the West. So tonight we see another version of a team salivating to play our pathetic Bulls. We can hope they are overlooking tonight in anticipation of a key game against Houston on Monday. Hollinger's playoff odds have New Orleans finishing 3rd in the West and the Bulls still in the 8th spot.

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Comments

I would say it is a must win...

at this point. We need to get to the playoffs this season, even if we get swept. Rose and Noah need the experience. We have to take advantage of the Buck’s loss.

by 72-10 on Mar 14, 2009 9:37 AM CDT reply actions

Guess Chris Paul and Tyson Chandler's numbers tonight and win a sense of grim satisfaction!

I say Paul goes for a triple-double, 25 points, 15 assists, 12 rebounds.
Chandler dominates the inside because he will be guarded by Tim Thomas, and the Bulls will switch every pick and roll. Something like 20 points on 10 for 10 shooting, and 13 rebounds.

Confusion breeds success. If they don't know each other, opponents can't have strategy. GENIUS.

by Ozzie Montana on Mar 14, 2009 12:10 PM CDT reply actions

Ozzie - before we die I would like to have one really good Bulls team to root for.

by chgobr on Mar 14, 2009 12:19 PM CDT up reply actions

You missed out on the glory days huh?

Sucks to be you

Hinrich + Gordon + Deng + Paxson + Del Negro = FAIL

by Johnny"B"ull on Mar 14, 2009 4:51 PM CDT up reply actions

No - I saw almost every game

It still sucks to be me as a Bulls fan today. I’m hoping we can muster up at least one more good season before I croak.

by chgobr on Mar 14, 2009 6:04 PM CDT up reply actions

The Jordon Bull years are my favorite sports years.

I do not think we will ever see anything like that again.

by chgobr on Mar 14, 2009 6:06 PM CDT up reply actions

Dude I'd take good team basketball, with coordinated defense schemes, and real offensive sets and plays

anything but this crap VDN and Paxson are presenting on the floor.

Actually I see H.S basketball teams better coached than what Vinny is doing. The Bulls coaching can’t hold any water compared to the college games going on this weekend.

This is very sad era for the Bulls organization.

man up!

by exult463 on Mar 14, 2009 6:28 PM CDT up reply actions

13 rebounds?

im looking somewhere near 17

On Behalf of Sue, Wjb, majoyenrac, Bullshooter and all the other Hinrich fans...Ill keep the Hinrich Hope coming...There will be light!

by piccolomair on Mar 14, 2009 12:36 PM CDT up reply actions

David West has to get his 20 points and 11 rebounds

Plus Hilton Armstrong is good to dominate some, as well. Big picture, picco, big picture.

Confusion breeds success. If they don't know each other, opponents can't have strategy. GENIUS.

by Ozzie Montana on Mar 14, 2009 12:43 PM CDT up reply actions

You really think that little of the players on this team?

Or do you think that highly of Vinny Del Negro? I would say any coach that’s more than slightly better than Del Negro, which would be a lot of coaches, would make this team better.

Viva la nuance! Reading comprehension rules!!!

by tyger1147 on Mar 14, 2009 12:23 PM CDT reply actions

If you believe the first teams to 30 in the East are in...

Then the Bulls are out. Milwaukee is 30-38. Should we start collecting lottery balls?

" I've looked at these numbers and decided the #1 problem

is that Ben Gordon is selfish..." -your friendly bulls blogger

by Dionysus2.0 on Mar 14, 2009 2:22 PM CDT reply actions

Good pickup - I made it 31 games!

by chgobr on Mar 14, 2009 2:28 PM CDT up reply actions

Just like last year the must win game was at Philly

They blew it last season, I’m pretty confident they blew it last night. With the Hornets, Celtics, and Lakers in 3 of the next 4 games, I don’t expect them to do much of anything. It’s actually pretty considerate of the Bulls to free-fall right around March Madness. Now we can all focus on the tourney and see what new propped up 20 year old will lead us to glory!

Confusion breeds success. If they don't know each other, opponents can't have strategy. GENIUS.

by Ozzie Montana on Mar 14, 2009 2:42 PM CDT up reply actions

I don't really see much in the college level that

says NBA star. It’s rather weak this season.

Pool and a pond... Pond be good for you.

by SoulEater7 on Mar 14, 2009 4:37 PM CDT up reply actions

gotta agree with u on noah

im finally ready to wear that jersey again

..on 2/18/09, Noc was gone..and on the next day, Larry "The Chucker" was just a bad dream...

by Belize on Mar 14, 2009 2:41 PM CDT reply actions

So for anyone still pissed about the Miami game (OT, I know, but not meriting even a fanshot)

The Heat is doing it again – to Utah this time.

(Note, that would be a “real” team, with a “real” coach.)

The Jazz had a 107-100 lead with a couple to go in the 4th, and Miami came back to tie it up 107-107 and take the game to OT.

Then the Jazz had a 115-107 lead with a couple to go in OT, and Miami came back to tie it up 115-115. Starting the second OT now….

Man-slave, bring me my PB&J!

by wjb1492 on Mar 14, 2009 2:56 PM CDT reply actions

Not the last second drama of the Bulls-Heat game,

as the Jazz basically get blown out in the 3rd OT – but the game did have that extra OT, and the drama of Wade hitting 50 finally (while playing 52 minutes). In fact, Wade was just 1 assist short of a triple-double, with 4 steals and 6 TOs thrown in to boot. It’s not really close, but I really want to pretend it is and say he was just short of a quintuple-double. ;) And for those keeping track, he was called for 2 whole fouls this game.

And in a 3 OT game? Beasley played just 20 minutes. (I actually still think he’s going to be great in the league as he figures it all out, but I’m going to enjoy this anyway!)

Man-slave, bring me my PB&J!

by wjb1492 on Mar 14, 2009 3:30 PM CDT up reply actions