2011 Playoffs Bulls - Hawks : Q&A with Peachtree Hoops
by your friendly BullsBlogger on May 1, 2011 11:00 PM CDT
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PrintAnother series, another chance to engage in conversation with a fine SBNation bro-site, this time Atlanta Hawks blog Peachtree Hoops. I emailed some questions to Jason Walker, his responses below, my Q's in bold:
1. With Hinrich being out, who do you see getting the primary and backup responsibilities of defending Derrick Rose?
While I would like to believe that, by this point of the season, Larry Drew would know that Jamal Crawford can't stay in front of any PG (or play it effectively on offense either), the large part of the responsibilities will fall between Crawford and Joe Johnson, neither of which are up to the challenge, though Joe can pick his spots (like at the end of the first game this season between the two teams). Jeff Teague will start (because, you know, Jamal Crawford's a 6th man!), and you'll probably find yourself saying, "why don't they play that guy", but his minutes will be limited while Drew deploys a defensively challenged Crawford/Johnson backcourt to get more "shotmakers" on the court.
2. A lackadaisical finish to the season and several home blowout losses (including one to the Bulls) have created the perception that the Hawks quit fairly easily. Do you think that's warranted still, or have the playoffs brought back the intensity up for Atlanta?
This team plays its best only when it has to play its best. When it's a matter of choice--like say, when they are up by a decent margin or behind a bushel of points with more games to play (see Game 5 against Orlando), they get loose, very loose.
That said, I believe they'll come out guns blazing defensively to try and do to Chicago what they did in Orlando. Problem is, Kirk Hinrich is out, and in Game 1 in Orlando he held Jameer Nelson to a single point and largely affected him negatively the entire series. So if Chicago stays with it through an early Hawks push, which I believe they will, and continue to attack the softness that is the Hawks perimeter defense, which will cause the Hawks' bigs to cheat, collapse, and generally help out on those drives, leaving shooters like Korver open....well, we've seen how that plays out against this level of competition, and it isn't pretty.
3. We know the Hawks run a lot of isolation plays. How much is this due to coaching, and how much due to the players on the roster being possibly undisciplined?
We speculated before the season that when the chips were down after trying the Larry Drew flex, would Joe Johnson bail on it? Drew tried, and so did Joe, but in the end they have settled on this medley of iso and flex that usually leaves someone dribbling for 5-8 seconds before shooting from 20 feet or beyond.
4. Jason Collins was obviously a big factor in defending the Magic. Without a natural foil on the Bulls like he had with Dwight Howard, does Collins factor in at all in this series?
With Josh Smith and Al Horford healthy, I expect Collins will only play a factor if there is foul trouble. Plus, without Hinrich, they'll need whatever defense Marvin Williams can provide, so he'll start.
5. As a Hawks fan, outside of pulling a monumental series upset, what would you consider a success?
Sadly, this franchise has never been out of the second round while in Atlanta. So being that this is the third year in a row the Hawks are at this point, and knowing that with Johnson again quickly with a long contract, and management pulling all the resources forward to make as long a run as they can this season (trading Jordan Crawford, selling the #31 pick, trading next year's #1), getting drop kicked again in the second round, no matter the length, has to be considered deflating. Only winning will suffice, no matter the degree of difficulty.
Well, that got a bit depressing, but I thank Jason for his candor, heh. Make sure to check out Peachtree Hoops throughout the series.
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nice interview
thanks!
See the most important parts are the ones that are unseen
See the wings don't make you fly and the crown don't make you king
He said the Hawks
only play their best when they have to. The Bulls have played like that at times. I really want the Bulls to hit them in the mouth and never look back.
I don't always block shots, but when I do....I block yours.
Kyle Korver is open as soon as he gets out of his car at the UC. -
Stacey King
I think we remember the Bulls playing like that at times
but those times were maybe once in ten games. I really think that compared to other teams, the Bulls MO is consistent effort.
This life long, extremley passionate Bulls fan has chosen to cheer alone.
- sloantojordantorose
by JockstrapNoah on May 2, 2011 2:14 AM CDT up reply actions
consistent effort
while playing down to the level of competetion? I guess at least even if we play down to a team we continue to try even if we arent playing our best, which i dont think the hawks really do.
The hawks are a fluctuating team during games, there are times when they look like one of the best teams in the entire nba, on both ends of the court. Its pretty scary. They however cannot maintain that level of play. Defensively the reason is the roster, their best offensive players are also their worst defenders at times, and you often see them ‘conserve energy’ on the defensive end so they can do more on the offensive end. Offensively though they are a strictly jumpshooting team, this extends to the bigs on that team as well. When they are all hitting, they are unstoppable. But at some point the law of averages catches up and they shoot themselves out of a quarter, perhaps a game.
I dont care what the D.N.A. Says, the Guy wearing number 12 Cannot be Kirk Hinrich, he is definetly Kurt. Kirk can actually play basketball!
hey at least their "worst defenders"
give effort and isn’t named Carlos Boozer
See the most important parts are the ones that are unseen
See the wings don't make you fly and the crown don't make you king
I agree.
Those that would say teams do better when they’ve been tested…well, we already played four games against Indy where we sure were tested. It would be so nice to see consistent scoring and defense…all aspects of the game clicking for multiple games. Playing lazy or having our scoring deserting us for most of a game won’t work in the next round. The time to pull it together is NOW.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 2:59 PM CDT up reply actions
This series will get real ugly, real fast for Atlanta.
by adocarbog on May 2, 2011 10:14 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
let's hope so, i'm tired of "playing down to competition"
I’m sure Rose/CJ remembers that “steal and three” by armstrong and this becomes a revenge series type.
See the most important parts are the ones that are unseen
See the wings don't make you fly and the crown don't make you king
What do the Bulls have that's so much better than the Hawks?
The Hawks have a player similar to Luol Deng (Josh Smith) and Joakim Noah (Al Horford), and while Joe Johnson isn’t Rose, he has the ability to match up with him for a few games.
Boozer couldn’t jump before and now has turf toe. Ronnie Brewer is probably still hurt. Watson hasn’t been the same since the plantar fasciitis diagnosis. We’ll probably see limited amounts of either KT or Asik. The roles of Korver and Crawford are similar, and both had a huge round 1 series.
I’m pretty confident the Bulls will win this series, 5 or 6 games seems realistic just cause I trust Rose over Johnson in the clutch, but the idea that there’s this huge gap doesn’t make sense to me. There’s a huge gap in the regular season when Boozer is a 20/10 guy and Atlanta is playing their crappy bench 15mpg. Here we’ll probably see Crawford/Johnson/Smith/Horford average 38-40mpg each. And the Bulls still haven’t found a way to score consistently when opponents trap Rose.
by YaoPau on May 2, 2011 11:29 AM CDT up reply actions 5 recs
by your argument, the only HUGE advantage we have then is
coaching. i meant it’s not even a contest, Thibs>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>drew.
See the most important parts are the ones that are unseen
See the wings don't make you fly and the crown don't make you king
Thibs. And with that a whole lot of unselfishness
You always were second best! And in this business, Bub, second best don't *cut* it!
Did Thibs outcoach Vogel last round?
I thought Vogel was much more creative defensively and did a better job playing matchups. Obviously Thibs set the bar really high with a great regular season, but in a 7 game series I don’t think he’s proven that he’s an advantage yet.
by YaoPau on May 2, 2011 11:57 AM CDT up reply actions 4 recs
Not knocking Thibs, but I agree 100%.
I think the great regular season record was more of a testament to the work ethic Thibs instilled as a coach, not entirely on his ability to form a game plan. Which I’m not saying he’s bad at, but I think the Bulls got to where they were in the regular season by not taking any games off, constant hard practices, etc. That’s great for seeding high in the regular season, but in the post season it’s more about the ability to adapt to the other team’s game plan, et cetera.
ASIK AND DESTROY
by JStymie on May 2, 2011 12:02 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
I agree that he kinda was outcoached in the Pacers series
But the guy did make some adjustments for game five. Primarily going with Asik instead of Thomas. As well as keeping Boozer’s un-productive ass on the bench for Taj. I just believe that when it comes to the playoffs I’ll take the direction of a guy who’s won a championship and coaches unselfish players, over a a guy who is trying to manage a team that has way too many me first guys.
You always were second best! And in this business, Bub, second best don't *cut* it!
by Yibs on May 2, 2011 12:16 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
But the guy coaching the underdog...
needs to be more creative. I was impressed with Vogel in that he got the team to play hard and tried aggressive double teams to force Rose to give up the ball. But Thibs didn’t panic, made minor adjustments , and won the series 4-1.
by El Toro de Goro on May 2, 2011 4:22 PM CDT up reply actions 2 recs
I don't believe Atlanta will be able to score consistently
and I don’t think they will play the same type of defense Indiana did. On paper, the matchup is far more even than it might otherwise seen, but as long as the Bulls do a decent job on Al Horford, i don’t see anyway the rest of the Hawks can manufacture enough high percentage shots.
I feel really good about the Bulls defense in this series. The only thing that may hurt us is a Crawford / Horford pick and roll, but Crawford is such a gun and so undisciplined I don’t see them consistenly using that and being effective. Deng on Johnson is an advantage for us – Johnson can’t beat Deng off the dribble, he will become a jumpshooter. Noah/Asik/Thomas vs. Horford is another advantage. At the very least Horford will have to work for everything. The ability to throw multiple bigger defenders at him we’ll be key.
Plus I expect to win the rebounding battle. I don’t think they will be able to keep Noah off the offensive boards while I expect us to be a bit better at locking down the defensive boards.
And I expect Rose to have a good series even with the traps, because Crawford and Teague won’t be able to guard him. And one thing about the traps – Indy was rotating 4 big guys about equal minutes. Under your scenario the Hawks will be playing 2 guys 40 minutes each – those 2 guys have to stay out of foul trouble, they can’t get too exhausted and they have to be impactful players on both ends of the court.
Atl was very lucky Orlando had the worst shooting performance of the playoffs against them. I watched a few games in that series – all Atl wins. They weren’t that impressive, especially in the 4th. Will we win each game by 20, no. But I can see us controlling the series throughout if we play our game.
by Basketball Smurf on May 2, 2011 11:45 AM CDT up reply actions 3 recs
It's just weird to me
that after a tight series against a certifiably shitty Pacers team, the consensus seems to be that the Bulls will roll over a Hawks team that is probably better.
I keep hearing that Josh Smith takes bad shots. Well, overall he had a .540 TS% which is right there with Rose’s and Deng’s. And they’re missing Hinrich, but Hinrich was a 9.8 PER player for them this year, and the Hawks were -125 this season with him playing vs +58 with him off the court. Offensively, a Crawford/JJ/Williams/Smith/Horford lineup gives them five legit scoring options. They’re going to have a stinker game or two because of their shot selection, but I see that lineup as more of an offensive threat than anything the Pacers had.
I agree the Hawks have less front-court depth, but I also think Horford/Josh Smith can run all day. With longer timeouts and rest between between games I’d be surprised if exhaustion is an issue. And both players played 35mpg this year and averaged under 3 fouls per game. Zaza’s not a bad #3.
by YaoPau on May 2, 2011 12:13 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Watching a few of the Hawks / Magic games...
The Hawks didn’t seem to be playing anywhere near as aggressive on D as the Pacers were in round 1. My feeling on the series is that ATL just doesn’t have the same defensive match-up issues for us that a pumped-up Pacers team had with their size. And while they have a lot of offensive options, their play style feeds into the Bulls D style pretty well.
The Bulls offensive rating against the Hawks went 97.7 → 114.0 → 135.4. In the game we lost with the 97.7 offensive rating, Boozer didn’t really have a good night (11 points, 7 rebounds, 2 turnovers), so it’s not like if he continues to play poorly, it further alters that outcome. The difference is, that night, you had a team high of 15 points (Deng) with Rose held to 12 on 5-21 shooting. I really don’t see that happening again. Likewise, I don’t see Horford doubling his season average PPG like he did that once often enough.
Even in the game we lost with Horford going off for 31 points, the Hawks were still held to 5 points below their season average offensive rating. I’m not saying sweep or that ATL should be taken lightly, but I also wouldn’t count on, during the players, virtually the entire Bulls lineup playing below average.
ASIK AND DESTROY
by JStymie on May 2, 2011 12:35 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
not to be flip
but did you actually watch any of the Hawks-Orlando series? They played horribly. Smith’s TS% in that series was .461 – that is why people are saying he took bad shots. They have 5 scoring options and no passing. Individually they are a handful, but I think their type of offense plays right into the Bulls D.
Hinrich sucks, you won’t ever hear me debate that. But his D and ability to force Rose to take bad shots and turn the ball over would have been key. I don’t see any comparable defensive match-up for Rose as Johnson has with Deng.
And if the Pacers played with Vogel all season, I don’t think its a stretch to say they would have ended up with 43 or 44 wins. The Hawks were a 46 win team and now they are missing their starting point guard. I’m not saying it will be a blowout, but their isn’t anything besides a random Atl player getting hot from 3 that scares me about that team. Judging the Pacers as shitty is like still regarding the Memphis as the 8th best team in the West. The playoffs have shown otherwise.
by Basketball Smurf on May 2, 2011 1:05 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
"And if the Pacers played with Vogel all season, I don’t think its a stretch to say they would have ended up with 43 or 44 wins."
To wit: the Pacers’ 0.526 winning-percentage (20-18) was just a shade under the Hawks’ season winning-percentage of 0.537.
I watched the 2nd half of three of the games
I’m purposely trying to stay away from mentioning specifics of the series because I missed a lot of it.
From what I saw though that that was kind of an oddball matchup. The Hawks were almost always playing Horford at PF and Smith at SF, with Zaza/Collins doing nothing inside on offense. That’s not something the Hawks are used to, and with no Marvin Williams or easy buckets inside for Horford I saw Crawford/Smith/JJ trying to force things.
As for the Pacers, there’s no comparison to the Grizzlies. The Grizzlies finished the season 34-19 and added Battier late. It’s true the Pacers were 20-18 under Vogel, but they also finished 13-17 if you start after Vogel’s cake schedule from his first eight games. They had no star, nobody to close games, nobody to draw fouls, and Vogel played the young guys leaving some of his best APM players (Dunleavy, Foster, McRoberts) on the bench. I keep reading that the Pacers were this secretly good 8th seed, but I compare their roster to the other playoff teams and there’s nothing there.
Yeah, I don't think they were all that great either
but I really do think their cohesion, incredible amount of physicality, bothered the Bulls a lot, and completely took them out of their offensive game. Yet we STILL won that series in five.
If the Bulls have big time trouble with the Hawks, that means everything I’ve seen from this team this year has been a lie. We’re basically designed to destroy teams like Atlanta, despite certain stats and matchups that say otherwise
The Playoffs: That magical time of year when I become a fan of every team that Lebron James isn't playing for.
by Juiceboxjerry on May 2, 2011 2:45 PM CDT up reply actions
i just think the Pacers defended us better than the Hawks could ever hope to
even if ATL is the better offensive team, i think the fact that our guys won’t have to work quite as hard to score will be the difference. our defense is still amazing, our rebounding should still be amazing, and Rose will probably have an easier time of it this series. i’d be stunned if it went beyond 5 games, and i’d be stunned if 2 or more of those wins weren’t fairly comfortable ones.
I don't know the stats for Josh Smith.
But I watched that ATL series, most of it anyway and no matter what the stats said much of the time he takes any shot he can. Whether it’s likely to be blocked, too far, contested, open, close, it doesn’t matter. He will take some amazing shots but shoot many more stupid ones. It’s how that team gets on hot streaks but a half a quarter later can’t hit water falling out of a boat. The Bulls must play as they did in many ways against Indiana. Good perimeter defense, help each other, score consistently, and get contributions from Deng and hopefull Boozer or Noah. Use Korver on the wing to get Rose open. If they don’t take ATL for granted they should win…but ATL sure has the ability to get hot and could make this very interesting. You have no idea what team will show up any game or any quarter.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 2:02 PM CDT up reply actions
I don't think it's making excuses to say that Indiana matched up well with us
they have lots of scrappy bigs to throw at booz and Noah and absorb fouls in the lane (Atlanta does not) a couple or three guards athletic enough to make rose work (Atlanta does not), and more youth and energy and debatably more passion to be in the playoffs than Atlanta. Throw in the way we beat them during the season, what it took for them to win a game, the hinrich injury, Teague getting no burn so far in the playoffs…I don’t think there’s any reason not to consider this the easier series. “they beat Orlando” isn’t an argument for their greatness, orlando’s been overrated and everyone knew the hawks matched up with them well.
"coming up...derrick rose's ankle connects directly to wilbon's soul"
by paddyfairview on May 2, 2011 5:47 PM CDT up reply actions
not a convincing case that the Hawks are a live dog, but at least it's something
I’d counter with the Bulls defense being just so much better (and a limited Boozer only helps that)…but it’s not like Atlanta didn’t do a good job in the first round on that end.
BaB on Twitter | BaB on Facebook
"Don't nag, flag!"
by your friendly BullsBlogger on May 2, 2011 12:08 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
It's not that the Hawks are a live dog
It’s that the Bulls aren’t very good with Boozer hurt and the bench mob ineffective. Do you think the Bulls are clearly better right now than any remaining playoff team besides the Hawks?
Crawford/JJ/Williams/Smith/Horford seems like a decent offensive lineup. The Hawks are usually a solid defensive team, and they certainly have as much defensive talent inside as the Pacers. I dunno, I just don’t see why so many people are expecting a complete drubbing.
Weren't they worse than average in almost every important defensive stat?
The Playoffs: That magical time of year when I become a fan of every team that Lebron James isn't playing for.
by Juiceboxjerry on May 2, 2011 12:52 PM CDT up reply actions
Hawks were 13th in the NBA defensively
Above average in opponent eFG%, above average in DREB%, above average in fewest FT/FGA (poor in forcing turnovers). And they held the 107.7 ORating Magic team to a 102.5 ORating.
Underachieving, probably yeah. But they can underachieve and still be decent.
Hmm, thought they were worse
Thanks for looking that up.
I do agree with you that the confidence is probably getting a little out of hand. I’ve said all along that the only reason I’m so confident is because I really don’t care. If we aren’t good enough to beat the Hawks, we have no business playing the Heat or Celtics in the next round. We’d just get embarrassed, and that would be no fun. So if we’re gonna get exposed, might as well happen against the Hawks. I just don’t think that will happen.
The Playoffs: That magical time of year when I become a fan of every team that Lebron James isn't playing for.
by Juiceboxjerry on May 2, 2011 1:05 PM CDT up reply actions
Yep we are getting overconfident on this blog.
And I agree, if we cant beat the Hawks we have no business playing the ECF much less the finals. Which unsurprisingly doesn’t happen together. But how overconfident the team is, is what is important. We have a lot to prove with secondary scoring. Can we play more than one game in a series where all aspects of the game are consistent? Can Boozer be more than a spot player? Can Deng make up for Boozer more than one game? Can Noah keep producing as he has? We’ll find out. Given our injuries the shorter the better to me. It’s possible that Heat series could be 5 games.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 2:08 PM CDT up reply actions
well I'm only caring about the Hawks, now
The Bulls did only lose one game to the Pacers, and I could see them only losing one game to the Hawks. Maybe the games are still tight and it’ll be a huge worry going into the ECF.
I also just can’t shake the opinion that there were times in the Pacers series where they fought back to keep games close, and I can’t see the Hawks doing that. Though I do see them being more able to punish the Bulls for their early crapitude, whereas Indy couldn’t really.
BaB on Twitter | BaB on Facebook
"Don't nag, flag!"
by your friendly BullsBlogger on May 2, 2011 2:52 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
I agree with your assesment BaB, especially with Boozer being limited.
Formula for victory Bulls minus Boozer equals blowout.
Bulls plus Boozer equals close win.
Remember the old cliche about getting organized….less is more.
If you can't answer a man's arguments, all is not lost. You can still call him vile names.
Elbert Hubbard
by Tyrusmancrush on May 2, 2011 1:19 PM CDT up reply actions
basically I think Atl's only hope is to make this into a defensive slugfest
i.e. the type of games the Bulls tend to like to play and excel at. Both teams are half court defensive teams – the Bulls just did it 16 games better on the season than the Hawks.
by Basketball Smurf on May 2, 2011 1:19 PM CDT up reply actions
Much like the Indiana series (and basically all opponents the Bulls have playes this season)
I think the Bulls will just out-execute the Hawks at the end of games
The Playoffs: That magical time of year when I become a fan of every team that Lebron James isn't playing for.
by Juiceboxjerry on May 2, 2011 1:30 PM CDT up reply actions
Basically that is what I think
but instead of trailing for most of 3 quarters, I think they’ll be in the lead. I don’t envision many 20 pt blowouts – instead I see a bunch of 93-87, 97-85, 89-82 games where the Bulls come out on top in 4 out of 5 matchups. Atl matched up really well with Orlando. The Magic had no one to guard Crawford or Joe Johnson. We do. I don’t think Crawford is going to light up chicago like he did Orl. At least I hope not.
by Basketball Smurf on May 2, 2011 2:56 PM CDT up reply actions
One underrated aspect of this matchup when comparing us to Orlando
is that we have far better perimeter defenders than the Magic. Johnson, Crawford and Williams will not be trying to score against Jameer, Hedo and J Rich anymore. And I know the Magic have Dwight Howard, but it almost doesn’t matter, because the Hawks mostly take jumpers anyway
The Playoffs: That magical time of year when I become a fan of every team that Lebron James isn't playing for.
by Juiceboxjerry on May 2, 2011 3:01 PM CDT up reply actions
It's not necessarily their talent
It’s their style of play the plays right into the Bulls hands.
Let’s just say that if Thibs were coaching that team and Larry Drew were coaching ours, I’d be quite terrified of this series
by Option27 on May 2, 2011 12:19 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
This isn't news
The Hawks are a very talented team. If you just went on matchups, they would look good against almost any team in the league. The problem is, they play stupid as hell. They’re basically the definition of “underachievers”.
Plus, the Bulls might not have as talented of scorers, but we rebound, defend, and have the best guy in perhaps the entire league as far as scoring in the clutch goes, and those are the three things that win playoff games.
Matchups do not matter for this series. It’s dumb vs. smart.
The Playoffs: That magical time of year when I become a fan of every team that Lebron James isn't playing for.
by Juiceboxjerry on May 2, 2011 12:46 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Boozer averaged 8 points vs ATL (I believe)
There’s a huge gap in the regular season when Boozer is a 20/10 guy and Atlanta is playing their crappy bench 15mpg.
The Chicago Bulls....have a young star, Derrick Rose, who must learn to live with the tearing down of his MVP candidacy as rapidly as he constructed it. - Woj
I don't know if you are playing Devil's advocate
or really believe all this, but thanks for helping me get excited about the series. You sound like Thibs, always making the opponent sound like world beaters.
Thibs on Boozer
“He’s moving a lot better. He did his lifting and he was on the bike. He’s feeling a lot better. We’ll see what he can do (Monday). Each day he’s gotten better and better, so we’re encouraged by that.”
Really hoping to see an improvement tonight.
"Nothing can happen till you swing the bat." -Haruko Haruhara
by windycitywarrior on May 2, 2011 12:11 PM CDT reply actions
This will be fun Bulls Fans...and please, get familiar with Jeff Teague
by TruthClarity on May 2, 2011 12:21 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
This is actually a guy that makes me slightly nervous
For some reason, I must’ve got the Hawks on weird nights, but when I’ve watched them, he’s played really well. He’s got some talent. Obviously, if he can do that in this series, that could be a gamechanger.
The Playoffs: That magical time of year when I become a fan of every team that Lebron James isn't playing for.
by Juiceboxjerry on May 2, 2011 12:48 PM CDT up reply actions
Yeah
Hawks fans have been calling for Larry Drew’s head all season long for not starting Teague. He’s a monster but historically Mike Woodson and his understudy (drew) have kept young guards on a short leash for absolutely no reason. So we just keep trading talent for over the hill vets (no offense to Kirk but……I want Jordan Crawford back). Now Drew has no choice but to rely on the young man. No offense to Kirk, but Teague is more suited to start this series anyway.
The Kid is FAST and fast don’t lie. He’s got a 6’7 wingspan, blocks shots and the best Defensive PG on our roster. He’s a slasher so he didn’t match up with ORL well because D12 was in the middle and Kirk is a better shooter. If he pushes the tempo (We want no part of your half-court defense) and gets rolling early, we may at least have an oppourtunity to take a game in Chicago.
by TruthClarity on May 2, 2011 1:43 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
the difference maker between him and hinrich is solely defense.
and that is pretty much the most essential thing for a point guard to have when facing drose.
never forget...
1.7%
anything is possible...
by wrigleyrocker12 on May 2, 2011 3:14 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
I guess I didn't even read your post about Teagues defense lol
But yeah, I haven’t really watched the Hawks play, yet I find it hard to believe that anyone is more pesky and in your face than Kurt.
never forget...
1.7%
anything is possible...
by wrigleyrocker12 on May 2, 2011 5:01 PM CDT up reply actions
i find it hard to believe that Teague is a better defender than Hinrich
but i haven’t seen him play as nearly as much as you have.
by Basketball Smurf on May 2, 2011 3:17 PM CDT up reply actions
i believe he'll have a great series offensively
but still will not stop Drose.
Boozer singing: My toes, my knees, my shoulder, my beard.
Bulls = A United States special military operation
Hawks = Osama Bin Laden
"And thank you to God for making me an Atheist." - Ricky Gervais
by MichaelClutchtree on May 2, 2011 1:19 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
is the injury to boozer not a loss to some fans here?
Boozer singing: My toes, my knees, my shoulder, my beard.
by JLbuLL on May 2, 2011 1:21 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Boozer was a virtual non-factor in the 3 games against the Hawks this season.
Not saying that means you ignore the impact he could have, but in one close loss and two blowout wins, Boozer was a non-factor then, so him being a potential non-factor in this series isn’t alarming.
http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201103020ATL.html
http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201103110CHI.html (didn’t play)
http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201103220ATL.html
ASIK AND DESTROY
oh ok thanks :)
Boozer singing: My toes, my knees, my shoulder, my beard.
by JLbuLL on May 2, 2011 1:37 PM CDT up reply actions 2 recs
Over the past few seasons
Boozer hasn’t fared well against Horford and J-Smoove. You may want to look up some old Jazz-Hawks box scores from the last few years. The only time I can remeber him giving us trouble was during the 07-08 season when he went off for 36 points in one game. Other than that, he’s pretty much been a non-factor against us; and without Jerry Sloans nice system to boost his numbers i’ll be interesing to see what how plays against us this series.
by TruthClarity on May 2, 2011 1:49 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Well, I know he's played shitty aginst them this year, so that's not surprising
Poor Booz. Not that I’ll be worried if he has a bad game, but I could see the fanbase turning on him if he has another stinker tonight (meaning hearing a lot more boo’s)
The Playoffs: That magical time of year when I become a fan of every team that Lebron James isn't playing for.
by Juiceboxjerry on May 2, 2011 2:07 PM CDT up reply actions
it's strangely been relegated to a non-factor
He’s been so bad even when healthy.
BaB on Twitter | BaB on Facebook
"Don't nag, flag!"
by your friendly BullsBlogger on May 2, 2011 2:52 PM CDT up reply actions
5 more hours til game time..(chicago time)
See the most important parts are the ones that are unseen
See the wings don't make you fly and the crown don't make you king
(It is also 5 hours to game time on the East Coast.)
by silentpete on May 2, 2011 1:52 PM CDT up reply actions 9 recs
On Rondo's home planet, tonight's game airs 367 years from now
The Playoffs: That magical time of year when I become a fan of every team that Lebron James isn't playing for.
by Juiceboxjerry on May 2, 2011 2:08 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
I thought he was a nerdluck
"coming up...derrick rose's ankle connects directly to wilbon's soul"
by paddyfairview on May 2, 2011 5:57 PM CDT up reply actions
"coming up...derrick rose's ankle connects directly to wilbon's soul"
by paddyfairview on May 2, 2011 5:59 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
did i count wrong? rofl. sorry
when i checked it was almost 2pm so i said 5 hours= 7pm right?
See the most important parts are the ones that are unseen
See the wings don't make you fly and the crown don't make you king
The # of hours between current local time and when the game starts is the same in every time zone.
ASIK AND DESTROY
by JStymie on May 2, 2011 3:37 PM CDT up reply actions 3 recs
LOL
Beat me to it. I was sure panduh would see that after the first post. Perhaps he thought he typed 7pm the first time but yeah, 5 hours until it starts is the same everywhere regardless of what time it is now.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 3:39 PM CDT up reply actions
damn, I was gonna say, someone should get a hold of Dr. Handsome and see who won the Bulls game
The Playoffs: That magical time of year when I become a fan of every team that Lebron James isn't playing for.
by Juiceboxjerry on May 2, 2011 4:09 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
where the hell has he been?
also thank you guys for not shitting on me about that.
See the most important parts are the ones that are unseen
See the wings don't make you fly and the crown don't make you king
He's in China
I believe he said he would be back in early May?
never forget...
1.7%
anything is possible...
by wrigleyrocker12 on May 2, 2011 6:04 PM CDT up reply actions
No computers in china?
Or is he a political prisoner
I get clients down to 5% body fat with ease you fucking idiot. - dakoose
And on the seventh day, God created a point guard....
(Sorry, I just thought this picture was really cool. Here’s a link to the article it’s from. Shoals from Free Darko previewing the second round. I actually thought he made some pretty good points about the Bulls, and how this is likely just a case of them not feeling comfortable in the “favorite” role. And that we should likely expect more when they’re back in the familiar underdog spot against a team like the Heat or Celtics.)
The Playoffs: That magical time of year when I become a fan of every team that Lebron James isn't playing for.
by Juiceboxjerry on May 2, 2011 2:38 PM CDT reply actions 3 recs
I just hope he is well rested.
I heard a rumor he was in Pakistan last night breaking OBL’s ankles. Most have been a long night and a long flight.
Swirsky said on Bulls.com in the preview Gibson will start.
Which seems to indicate as well that Booz will play.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 4:00 PM CDT up reply actions
can we please play this gd game already?
i’m beginning to forget what the players look like
The Playoffs: That magical time of year when I become a fan of every team that Lebron James isn't playing for.
by Juiceboxjerry on May 2, 2011 3:15 PM CDT reply actions 3 recs
Just start drinking now.
I have.
Bears. Bulls. White Sox.
by The Voiss on May 2, 2011 3:19 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Se7 probably beat you to it.
he started at midnight. lol
See the most important parts are the ones that are unseen
See the wings don't make you fly and the crown don't make you king
Nice!
I’m going Wednesday. 300 level but dead center.
The Chicago Bulls....have a young star, Derrick Rose, who must learn to live with the tearing down of his MVP candidacy as rapidly as he constructed it. - Woj
Only sat 100 level one other time (the Nocioni playoff game years ago)
Long live business expense accounts!
by Bin Bin on May 2, 2011 3:28 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
lol nice seats man! the closes i got was at the 200 level (for free)
See the most important parts are the ones that are unseen
See the wings don't make you fly and the crown don't make you king
That's dope.
I’ve sat in the 100s only a couple times. Last year I was at the Phoenix game (this was the game that afterward, Vinny/Pax got into it) and I was only 3-5 rows from the floor. But those were by far the worse seats I’ve ever had because I had to deal with countless people walking in the isle blocking my view, smh. So, if I were to ever buy seats that close again, I have to remember not to buy aisle seats. Oh and Benny took my friends camera when she was trying to take a picture of him. He gave it back and she got a free t-shirt out of him as well.
The Chicago Bulls....have a young star, Derrick Rose, who must learn to live with the tearing down of his MVP candidacy as rapidly as he constructed it. - Woj
Yeah, I'm cognizant of that. Sitting right on our tunnel tonight, so I don't think much in and out around me.
Got reserved table at that Budweiser Carvery/Pub place inside the UC. The beer will flow like wine….
I hope we have Bulls fans behind the scorer table.
Always irritates me to see idiot fans sticking their face into the shot acting like an idiot to get on tv. Of course that’s usually irritating when the other team’s fans somehow get there lol.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 3:43 PM CDT up reply actions
Bulls pregame on Bulls.com at 630...for those out of town like myself.
Tune in to Bulls.com at 6:30 p.m. CT tonight for Harris Pregame Live. Joining the Bulls Radio Network team of Steve Kashul, Chuck Swirsky, and Bill Wennington will be Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen and Bulls.com’s Sam Smith.
If I’m not mistaken Stacey King should be handling post game now that he can’t broadcast the games.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 3:50 PM CDT reply actions
This isn't worth a fan shot I doubt, but kinda cool to see the food Mayor Daley is betting.
http://www.nba.com/bulls/news/mayor-daley-backs-bulls-wager-local-products.html
The wager includes products from these Chicago Companies:
– Abundance Bakery: Three dozen Bulls Red Velvet Cupcakes
– Affy Tapple: 10 Cases of Affy Tapples
– Azteca Foods: Flour and Corn Tortillas and Chips
– C.J. Vitner Snack Co.: Sizzlin’ Hot Crunchy Kurls, Popcorn and Potato Chips
– Connie’s Pizza: 20 Cheese and 11 Sausage
– Fontanini Italian Meats: Three Cases of Italian Beef
– Gonnella Baking: A Three-foot Super Sub Sandwich
– Robinson’s Ribs: Three BBQ Sauce Gift Sets
– Vienna Beef: 2,011 Chicago Style Hot Dogs
– Sam’s Lasagna: Chicken, Veggie and Turkey Lasagnas
Anything we would win is to be donated to the Chicago food depository. I’m guessing some Coke will be involved.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 4:03 PM CDT reply actions
haha
The Playoffs: That magical time of year when I become a fan of every team that Lebron James isn't playing for.
by Juiceboxjerry on May 2, 2011 4:12 PM CDT up reply actions
That's funny as hell
but I almost feel bad for Nelson now. That thing has gotten so blown out of proportion. It’s not like he went on national TV and declared that they would win or something. He was talking to Rose privately, and had no way of knowing that everyone would hear what he said. It’s lame that the Atlanta players even took offense to it in the first place
The Playoffs: That magical time of year when I become a fan of every team that Lebron James isn't playing for.
by Juiceboxjerry on May 2, 2011 4:14 PM CDT up reply actions
I think it was blown out of proportion...
But as far as having no way to know, I mean he stepped in front of a camera during D.Rose’s on-court post game interview. Did he not think they would air the interview? ;)
ASIK AND DESTROY
It was blown out of proportion sure.
But I don’t feel sorry for any of these guys making 10-20 times what I do. Least not about something silly like this.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 4:18 PM CDT up reply actions
If Nelson only makes 10-20 times what you make...
then I want your salary. He makes about 100-200 times what most people make.
But yeah, I definitely don’t feel sorry for these guys.
I was told there would be no math.
Yes 100 is closer you are correct. I was lazy with moving a decimal but my point is, I think correct as well…he makes an absurd amount of money like many pro athletes and I’m not concerned his feelings got hurt from reaction to him saying something stupid.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 5:19 PM CDT up reply actions
lol no worries.
I actually like math so I was glad to look at it and understand where I made my error. I’m a damn nerd.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 5:27 PM CDT up reply actions
Nah
Only a little bit, because it was almost a friendly gesture to Derrick, but no, he was interrupting an interview and knew it was going on tv. You shouldn’t just disregard a team like that on national TV.
never forget...
1.7%
anything is possible...
by wrigleyrocker12 on May 2, 2011 5:04 PM CDT up reply actions
That's too funny.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 4:17 PM CDT up reply actions
I really don't like these talking basketball commercials
However, they have improved since the Dwight Howard is handsy one. That was just awful.
I'm keeping this thread up top until gametime. MORE SERIES PREVIEWS
http://www.hoopinionblog.com/2011/05/playoff-series-preview-atlanta-hawks-vs.html
http://bullsbythehorns.com/?p=2944
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/BDL-s-Playoff-Previews-with-Chicago-and-Atlanta
BaB on Twitter | BaB on Facebook
"Don't nag, flag!"
by your friendly BullsBlogger on May 2, 2011 4:21 PM CDT reply actions
That Hoopinion analysis is devastating to the Hawks.
Collins is useless in this series, Teague lacks the experience and Johnson lacks the athleticism and skill set to deny Rose on defense and run plays on offense, Chicago denies Johnson and Crawford their shots and outrebounds the Hawks. In short, Bulls in four.
i love this line
Collins could conceivably match up against Kurt Thomas to create a one-on-one wrestling/flopping match to run concurrent with a four-on-four game of basketball but even then Chicago would be at an advantage once a shot went up as Thomas rebounds and Collins doesn’t.
by Basketball Smurf on May 2, 2011 6:50 PM CDT up reply actions
Am I wrong Matt that you dislike Yahoo sport's columns?
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 5:21 PM CDT up reply actions
I saw yfbb's tweet about the new normal shittiness of the bulls
but I think the Bulls are a team in transition, from a Boozer + Bench Mob team to a Noah with major minutes and second option team with Taj getting heavy minutes. Everybody has a new role in these playoffs and that takes some adjustment since everyone’s role was saw micro-defined in the regular season.
Noah is and should be the second option on this team, maybe not as a scorer but as a decision maker in the paint. An engaged and healthy Noah is scary but this team hasn’t played like that since November. The intensity of the playoffs is an odd thing to deal with when making that transition and I think that was the reason for the poor play in the first round.
This life long, extremley passionate Bulls fan has chosen to cheer alone.
- sloantojordantorose
we're just seeing the legend of playoff boozer
The quest for seven is on.
by sin on May 2, 2011 4:33 PM CDT up reply actions
yeah thats true
Boozer has been awful. I want this offense to run through Boozer much less. I hope that it does because I don’t think he’s needed as a secondary scorer.
This life long, extremley passionate Bulls fan has chosen to cheer alone.
- sloantojordantorose
by JockstrapNoah on May 2, 2011 4:53 PM CDT up reply actions
Thought this was a pretty cool video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrLIK6SAk_0&feature=feedu
(bear with me on the first guy JBJ, it gets better, and DRose is in it too!)
never forget...
1.7%
anything is possible...
To make it better, Skip was bashing on Westbrook
RealSkipBayless Skip Bayless
Worst thing that happened to Thunder was DRose running away with MVP. Westbrook trying to BE Rose. But Rose doesn’t have KEVIN DURANT!
RealSkipBayless Skip Bayless
Problem w/ Westbrook: HE dribbles it up, decides whether to shoot or pass. How many times you think Durant thinks: That blankety-blank …
RealSkipBayless Skip Bayless
Before it’s too late, somebody on OKC organization must see to it that Durant gets significantly more shots than Westbrick … sorry, brook.
never forget...
1.7%
anything is possible...
by wrigleyrocker12 on May 2, 2011 5:24 PM CDT up reply actions
One of my favorite things about this season is how wrong hollingers theories have turned out to be
"coming up...derrick rose's ankle connects directly to wilbon's soul"
by paddyfairview on May 2, 2011 6:03 PM CDT up reply actions
Wow that video is extry cool.
I thought hearing CP3 was really cool along with Rose. No Skippy was needed…
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 5:26 PM CDT up reply actions
I just love how that guy is doing EXACTLY what I thought he would before the playoffs started
I don’t often call out when I’m right about something, but before the Thunder played one game, in the around the NBA thread, I said that Westbrook was gonna try and hijack the playoffs from Durant, and that that would be an issue. Sure enough, that’s like the main media topic surrounding this team. It’s not like it was a difficult call, if you watch that team on even a semi-regular basis it’s easy to see, but I was still right ;p
The Playoffs: That magical time of year when I become a fan of every team that Lebron James isn't playing for.
by Juiceboxjerry on May 2, 2011 5:27 PM CDT up reply actions
HA! He said crazy
You always were second best! And in this business, Bub, second best don't *cut* it!
I just felt like typing something because I'm bored and want the game to start
The Playoffs: That magical time of year when I become a fan of every team that Lebron James isn't playing for.
Got a Delorean and some Plutonium from crazy middle east guys?
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 5:26 PM CDT up reply actions
I had a deal all set up, but apparently something happened last night to make them call it off...
The Playoffs: That magical time of year when I become a fan of every team that Lebron James isn't playing for.
by Juiceboxjerry on May 2, 2011 5:28 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
I might get some static from going off topic
But that made me so proud of our troops. I surely hope the National Anthem is played on TNT tonight.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 5:30 PM CDT up reply actions
I think they already announced that it would be played Nationally
I just hope the arena is packed, and it’s as kick ass as it usually is for Hawks games (or the Bears playoffs)
The Playoffs: That magical time of year when I become a fan of every team that Lebron James isn't playing for.
by Juiceboxjerry on May 2, 2011 5:33 PM CDT up reply actions
I think it will be amazing.
I would love to be there in person.
I don't always block shots, but when I do....I block yours.
Kyle Korver is open as soon as he gets out of his car at the UC. -
Stacey King
Yeah, can't wait
I think I’m more excited for that than the actual game.
The Playoffs: That magical time of year when I become a fan of every team that Lebron James isn't playing for.
by Juiceboxjerry on May 2, 2011 5:46 PM CDT up reply actions
o . 0
Can’t say I would go that far.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 6:04 PM CDT up reply actions
I hope it is rocking too.
I think being packed better not be a worry…c’mon it’s a playoff game no matter who the opponent is.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 5:46 PM CDT up reply actions
TNT has said they will show it.
I don't always block shots, but when I do....I block yours.
Kyle Korver is open as soon as he gets out of his car at the UC. -
Stacey King
Have they said what announcers will be used?
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 5:44 PM CDT up reply actions
Kaplan announced it on CTL
so I haven’t heard who the announcers will be.
I don't always block shots, but when I do....I block yours.
Kyle Korver is open as soon as he gets out of his car at the UC. -
Stacey King
Drat I sure hope it's Marv and Steve Kerr.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 5:47 PM CDT up reply actions
:thumbs down:
Game 1: Hawks @ Bulls 8:00 (TNT – Dick Stockton and Mike Fratello, SR: David Aldridge)
Could have given us Kevin Harlan and Reggie Miller.
The Chicago Bulls....have a young star, Derrick Rose, who must learn to live with the tearing down of his MVP candidacy as rapidly as he constructed it. - Woj
You gotta be kidding me...
Watch the refs are gonna be like joey crawford and bavetta..
You always were second best! And in this business, Bub, second best don't *cut* it!
Does Dick Stockton know he's doing tonights game?
That man is clueless.
never forget...
1.7%
anything is possible...
by wrigleyrocker12 on May 2, 2011 6:07 PM CDT up reply actions
Aw shit
Whenever Stockton is announcing I have to watch the damn refs so I have some idea what the hell is going on. Might as well put it on mute.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
The Playoffs: That magical time of year when I become a fan of every team that Lebron James isn't playing for.
by Juiceboxjerry on May 2, 2011 6:08 PM CDT up reply actions
I'm not even kidding either. I'm seriously depressed
The Playoffs: That magical time of year when I become a fan of every team that Lebron James isn't playing for.
by Juiceboxjerry on May 2, 2011 6:09 PM CDT up reply actions
Well shit.
I don't always block shots, but when I do....I block yours.
Kyle Korver is open as soon as he gets out of his car at the UC. -
Stacey King
by sue369 on May 2, 2011 6:11 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
....i think i'm gonna mute it.
is bill “cherry pire” wennington and swirks on the radio?
See the most important parts are the ones that are unseen
See the wings don't make you fly and the crown don't make you king
Fucking Stockton!
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 6:32 PM CDT up reply actions
Are you fucking kidding me?
"Did Michael Jordan join the Pistons when he couldn't beat them? No. He dug down deep and went out and kicked their fucking ass."
OT but my brother was on the ship that had Bin Laden's body.
Wish I could talk to him.
Kurt Hamstring
Wow, that's pretty cool
There’s a story he can always tell people
The Playoffs: That magical time of year when I become a fan of every team that Lebron James isn't playing for.
by Juiceboxjerry on May 2, 2011 5:33 PM CDT up reply actions
Yeah I haven't been able to talk to him for a week. The ship has been silent for a week now.
crazy.
Kurt Hamstring
Now you know why.
I bet he has a lot he’ll be able to tell you when he can.
I don't always block shots, but when I do....I block yours.
Kyle Korver is open as soon as he gets out of his car at the UC. -
Stacey King
Man, this is pretty cool:
KCJHoop K.C Johnson
Jeff Van Gundy flew in just to see Tom Thibodeau accept the Coach of the Year award.
I knew they were pretty tight, but I didn’t know they were THAT tight
The Playoffs: That magical time of year when I become a fan of every team that Lebron James isn't playing for.
They were together in both New York and Houston right ?
how long was that…. 10 years?
This life long, extremley passionate Bulls fan has chosen to cheer alone.
- sloantojordantorose
by JockstrapNoah on May 2, 2011 5:35 PM CDT up reply actions
Yeah, it was a while
The Playoffs: That magical time of year when I become a fan of every team that Lebron James isn't playing for.
by Juiceboxjerry on May 2, 2011 5:41 PM CDT up reply actions
He thanked him for lobbying him for the award during the presser.
That’s pretty darn cool to hear about JVG. I’ve appreciated a lot of his comments broadcasting…surely don’t always agree but it’s great to hear that he supports Thibs like this.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 6:00 PM CDT up reply actions
jvg may sound like a moron at times
but ive always liked the guy
The quest for seven is on.
by sin on May 2, 2011 6:39 PM CDT up reply actions
This was kinda too lame for me to make it a fanshot
I lol’ed at the end though.
http://www.collegehumor.com/video/6497841/lebron-james-ditches-space-jam
never forget...
1.7%
anything is possible...
by wrigleyrocker12 on May 2, 2011 5:33 PM CDT reply actions 2 recs
haha, good shit
The Playoffs: That magical time of year when I become a fan of every team that Lebron James isn't playing for.
by Juiceboxjerry on May 2, 2011 5:41 PM CDT up reply actions
I'm preparing myself for disappointment tonight.
Too much confidence will result in rage if the Bulls don’t kill them.
"Smith stripped. Smith stopped! Smith stopped again by Pippen!"
I'm not as confident as people here
It’s the playoffs, nothing is ever easy.
never forget...
1.7%
anything is possible...
by wrigleyrocker12 on May 2, 2011 5:39 PM CDT up reply actions
I don't think it will be easy either.
I don't always block shots, but when I do....I block yours.
Kyle Korver is open as soon as he gets out of his car at the UC. -
Stacey King
I doubt it's going to be easy.
We haven’t blown out opponents we are heavily favored over often. It took 5 games for that to happen against Indy as well.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 5:49 PM CDT up reply actions
Forgot what a gameday actually feels like
sad that we aren’t treated to Neil/Stacey anymore and are forced to national broadcasts
"The Zen philosopher Basho once wrote: 'A flute with no holes is not a flute, And a doughnut with no hole is a Danish.' He was a funny guy."
So is he going or not? lol
bbdoolittle Bradford Doolittle
by BullsBlogger
Thibs says Boozer to go through warmups and is a gametime decision. If he can’t go, Kurt Thomas gets the nod. #bulls #hawks #nba
never forget...
1.7%
anything is possible...
Not really. That's been how Thibs has played it
Keep the bench intact by starting the vet
The Playoffs: That magical time of year when I become a fan of every team that Lebron James isn't playing for.
by Juiceboxjerry on May 2, 2011 5:44 PM CDT up reply actions
That's true.
I’m almost happy if Booze doesn’t play…if he’s still having a lot of trouble with the toe it isn’t gonna help him or the Bulls to see him play 15 minutes or whatever and look terrible.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 5:53 PM CDT up reply actions
Maybe the bench mob isn't dead? I'm interested to see if they get more burn this series
I know everyone thinks tibs is a stubborn ass about this stuff, but I think he will start working match ups as we get deeper in
"coming up...derrick rose's ankle connects directly to wilbon's soul"
by paddyfairview on May 2, 2011 6:07 PM CDT up reply actions
It sure would be great to see the bench mob
providing more points and better D than they did in the first series. Performing like they did in game 5 and playing as a unit more (as opposed to subbing in one at a time). Dunno but I have to trust the COY on how best to do it. And I do hope he continues to adjust in game.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 6:14 PM CDT up reply actions
Just sit his ass
I don’t want to watch him if he’s gonna be gimping around with his head hanging. Rest him until he feels like he can really go. We don’t need him right now (Knock on motherfucking wood)
The Playoffs: That magical time of year when I become a fan of every team that Lebron James isn't playing for.
by Juiceboxjerry on May 2, 2011 5:43 PM CDT up reply actions
Yeah, I agree.
The Bulls have the depth to weather Atlanta, and I’d rather Boozer and his offense be ready to go for Miami or Boston.
"Smith stripped. Smith stopped! Smith stopped again by Pippen!"
by ColonelFatheart on May 2, 2011 5:46 PM CDT up reply actions
Am I the only one who thinks he could be over exaggerating the injury?
It can be used as an excuse for his poor play, and then he goes out and has a good game tonight and everyone says “Oh what a tough guy!”
Or maybe Booz is really just starting to piss me off.
never forget...
1.7%
anything is possible...
by wrigleyrocker12 on May 2, 2011 5:48 PM CDT up reply actions
yeah, I was thinking about that too
I hope that’s the case. Seems like something he would do. It’s not like we saw him limping or in any sort of pain prior to him sitting for the rest of the game. And in the past, he’s been pretty pronounced when he’s not feeling his best on the floor
The Playoffs: That magical time of year when I become a fan of every team that Lebron James isn't playing for.
by Juiceboxjerry on May 2, 2011 5:54 PM CDT up reply actions
It wouldn't surely be the first time a player struggling has an injury exaggerated
making it easier for the coach to sit him. To me it really doesn’t matter…for the first game if he’s really hurt best to sit him. And if the coach has no confidence in playing him, needs an excuse to sit him it’s best to sit him again. We’ve got plenty more games to use to get him back into the playoffs anyway even in this series.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 5:57 PM CDT up reply actions
Kurt over Taj. What's the thinking there?
Keeping the bench intact, I guess. And hopefully it means that Asik is a big part of Thibs’ plan going forward.
"Smith stripped. Smith stopped! Smith stopped again by Pippen!"
by ColonelFatheart on May 2, 2011 5:44 PM CDT up reply actions
i like that KT ove rTaj
i think KT is a better style fit for D Rose with the pick and pop game, im thinkin 10-12 from KT tonight if hes a starter
One thought is protect Rose
just set the tone for the series. If Atlanta tries anything funny, Kurt will get somebody into the fetal position. I’m afraid that Taj would respond the same way he did when Noah called him Taj-a-woo.
You can bet they will try to hard foul and intimidate us.
Playoffs are known for that anyway and it worked to a degree for Indy so I think it’s definitely going to happen. KT will try to equalize ZaZa and whoever starts playing cheap.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 6:09 PM CDT up reply actions
Most are worried about Horford/Smith
I’m hoping Joe Johnson can be contained
"The Zen philosopher Basho once wrote: 'A flute with no holes is not a flute, And a doughnut with no hole is a Danish.' He was a funny guy."
That's an interesting point.
They weren’t worried about JJ during the Orlando series because he was contained pretty much. I think keeping him from having more than one good game is important.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 6:16 PM CDT up reply actions
i think deng guards jj because he handles the ball way more than jsmoove.
and deng is our best on ball defender.
See the most important parts are the ones that are unseen
See the wings don't make you fly and the crown don't make you king
So bogans on smith? I doubt it.
"coming up...derrick rose's ankle connects directly to wilbon's soul"
by paddyfairview on May 2, 2011 6:08 PM CDT up reply actions
wait how are the line ups?
pg- teague
sg-jj?
sf-marv?
pf-josh
c-horford r
right?
See the most important parts are the ones that are unseen
See the wings don't make you fly and the crown don't make you king
Teague is gonna start but all reports indicate
he won’t be in there long and Crawford will play even more minutes.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 6:11 PM CDT up reply actions
bogans should be good enough to cover marvin then.
josh might destroy boozer tonight though.. ofcourse the two gators will be battling it out. rose will handle whatever guard he’s assigned and deng will be on JJ.
See the most important parts are the ones that are unseen
See the wings don't make you fly and the crown don't make you king
I don't think Booze will be in there very long if at all.
He’s not starting and if you look at the tweet above he’s a gametime decision to be a backup.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 6:18 PM CDT up reply actions
Guess I was wrong...Sue just said he was starting.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 6:20 PM CDT up reply actions
Oh yeah I guess they go back to normal against us, so...kt or booz on smith. Ugh. I'd start taj .
"coming up...derrick rose's ankle connects directly to wilbon's soul"
by paddyfairview on May 2, 2011 6:15 PM CDT up reply actions
That's an interesting question.
Deng always says he guards the opponent who is the most dangerous. He might end up switching if one or the other starts going off.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 6:07 PM CDT up reply actions
I say Josh Smith
If he guards JJ, they have nobody to guard Josh Smith. If he guards Josh Smith, we can put Bogans/Brew on JJ.
never forget...
1.7%
anything is possible...
by wrigleyrocker12 on May 2, 2011 6:08 PM CDT up reply actions
Won't he guard Marvin Williams?
PG Teague/Crawford
SG JJ
SF Williams
PF Smith
C Horford
I hope not
Josh Smith might drop 50 in Boozers face. And maybe do it efficient for once.
never forget...
1.7%
anything is possible...
by wrigleyrocker12 on May 2, 2011 6:16 PM CDT up reply actions
well as long as we shut down everyone else i'm fine with that.
See the most important parts are the ones that are unseen
See the wings don't make you fly and the crown don't make you king
Yeah I bet that's what we see early
But when taj subs in our backcourt won’t lose defensive punch so we should do work vs their bench
"coming up...derrick rose's ankle connects directly to wilbon's soul"
by paddyfairview on May 2, 2011 6:19 PM CDT up reply actions
exactly. unless boozer actually gets it going offensively(which at this points i doubt)
then does thibs sub him out?
See the most important parts are the ones that are unseen
See the wings don't make you fly and the crown don't make you king
See I think if he struggles in this game it will be injury related
I’m one of the last guys who thinks Indiana really was a bad matchup for him. Not that I trust his mental toughness but a million interchangeable quick little fuckers who foul hard is a nightmare for a guy who can basically only be effective when he’s playing HIS game. I think as a rule going forward we see taj when he picks up that extra foul
"coming up...derrick rose's ankle connects directly to wilbon's soul"
by paddyfairview on May 2, 2011 6:25 PM CDT up reply actions
I'd still rather see
Rose-Teague/Crawford
Bogans/Brew-JJ
Deng/Taj-Smith
Boozer/Korver-Williams
Noah-Horford
Just change it when they come into the game.
never forget...
1.7%
anything is possible...
by wrigleyrocker12 on May 2, 2011 6:23 PM CDT up reply actions
but boozer can't even keep up with a fucking 5 year old let alone a 6'7" athletic SF
See the most important parts are the ones that are unseen
See the wings don't make you fly and the crown don't make you king
Nor can he keep up with a 6'9 better and more athletic PF/SF.
It’s more safe putting him on Williams IMO.
never forget...
1.7%
anything is possible...
by wrigleyrocker12 on May 2, 2011 6:26 PM CDT up reply actions
You want him under the hoop to rebound
Josh Smith isn’t much on offense. Maybe he gets a couple alley-oops on Boozer, but I’m not worried overall.
exactly. the least he can rebound if he can't get his offense going.
See the most important parts are the ones that are unseen
See the wings don't make you fly and the crown don't make you king
when was the last time Josh Smith dropped 50 on anyone?
he isn’t a great offensive threat. Boozer just needs to stand 5 ft back and let him shoot. If he is having that much trouble, switch Noah onto Smith.
by Basketball Smurf on May 2, 2011 6:45 PM CDT up reply actions
bogans is good enough to guard marv.
so deng will be on jj, i would think..
See the most important parts are the ones that are unseen
See the wings don't make you fly and the crown don't make you king
That makes way more sense
"coming up...derrick rose's ankle connects directly to wilbon's soul"
by paddyfairview on May 2, 2011 6:17 PM CDT up reply actions
See but then Booz has to guard josh Smith
that’s my issue.
never forget...
1.7%
anything is possible...
by wrigleyrocker12 on May 2, 2011 6:18 PM CDT up reply actions
Noah will probably guard him
The Chicago Bulls....have a young star, Derrick Rose, who must learn to live with the tearing down of his MVP candidacy as rapidly as he constructed it. - Woj
Then what do you do about Horford?
I’d rather have Boozer on Smith than Horford. (Well actually, defensively, I’d rather just not have Boozer at all, but that’s not an option.)
marvin williams is such a non-threat I think they match him up with JJ
at some point in the game
by Basketball Smurf on May 2, 2011 6:44 PM CDT up reply actions
Boozer is starting.
I don't always block shots, but when I do....I block yours.
Kyle Korver is open as soon as he gets out of his car at the UC. -
Stacey King
I'd rather have him test it early
and find out than disrupt the rotation. Gives Hawks a reason to account for him too, and if they don’t, exploit that.
"The Zen philosopher Basho once wrote: 'A flute with no holes is not a flute, And a doughnut with no hole is a Danish.' He was a funny guy."
where is that from?
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 6:20 PM CDT up reply actions
CTL
I don't always block shots, but when I do....I block yours.
Kyle Korver is open as soon as he gets out of his car at the UC. -
Stacey King
Bulls TV still listing Booze as gametime decision and questionable.
Says “most likely will start” sheesh just say you don’t really know what’s up.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 6:48 PM CDT up reply actions
Hmmm
ajchawks Michael Cunningham
by JeffGurt
#Hawks to match J. Smith vs. Noah, @Al_Horford vs. Boozer #Bulls
never forget...
1.7%
anything is possible...
either way.. boozer is going to get owned.
Al is a beast.
See the most important parts are the ones that are unseen
See the wings don't make you fly and the crown don't make you king
Foul trouble early
would be great to get Horford off his game…
"The Zen philosopher Basho once wrote: 'A flute with no holes is not a flute, And a doughnut with no hole is a Danish.' He was a funny guy."
we can only hope so.
See the most important parts are the ones that are unseen
See the wings don't make you fly and the crown don't make you king
I haven't lost any trust in Booz.
He’ll get his… at some point.
never forget...
1.7%
anything is possible...
by wrigleyrocker12 on May 2, 2011 6:23 PM CDT up reply actions
Agreed
halfheartedly…
"The Zen philosopher Basho once wrote: 'A flute with no holes is not a flute, And a doughnut with no hole is a Danish.' He was a funny guy."
That's kinda crafty.
"coming up...derrick rose's ankle connects directly to wilbon's soul"
by paddyfairview on May 2, 2011 6:27 PM CDT up reply actions
I like that for the Bulls
Easier for Noah to rebound and pass. I doubt Boozer would be a factor against either one.
Pregame starting on bulls.com
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 6:31 PM CDT reply actions
Yep I heard about it last series and wanted everyone living outside of Chicago cable
To be able to hear the pregame. AM 1000 I can’t get to stream the pregame. Tried twice and only got sportstalk before the game.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 6:38 PM CDT up reply actions
Jerry Sah Looan run? Really Pip?
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 6:34 PM CDT reply actions
Swirsky interviewing Nique is up next.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 6:37 PM CDT up reply actions
Holy shit
I knew it would happen eventually, but all of a sudden, I’m scared as hell of the Hawks :(
The Playoffs: That magical time of year when I become a fan of every team that Lebron James isn't playing for.
See I told you!
Dogs and cats living together…remember? :)
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 6:39 PM CDT up reply actions
this game wont even fucking be close dont worry
The quest for seven is on.
by sin on May 2, 2011 6:40 PM CDT up reply actions
Grandpa is back for this game.
Noah will be fired up!
I don't always block shots, but when I do....I block yours.
Kyle Korver is open as soon as he gets out of his car at the UC. -
Stacey King
That's cool to hear.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 6:41 PM CDT up reply actions
YES! super playoff noah is always awesome to watch.
See the most important parts are the ones that are unseen
See the wings don't make you fly and the crown don't make you king
itd be awesome if he started coming every game
kinda like how ray allen’s mom is always on tv
The quest for seven is on.
by sin on May 2, 2011 6:42 PM CDT up reply actions
Yeah, they just showed him on Comcast
The Playoffs: That magical time of year when I become a fan of every team that Lebron James isn't playing for.
by Juiceboxjerry on May 2, 2011 6:42 PM CDT up reply actions
Just showed him sitting in the stands.
I don't always block shots, but when I do....I block yours.
Kyle Korver is open as soon as he gets out of his car at the UC. -
Stacey King
hahaha
The Playoffs: That magical time of year when I become a fan of every team that Lebron James isn't playing for.
by Juiceboxjerry on May 2, 2011 6:44 PM CDT up reply actions
Thanks for the heads up
The Playoffs: That magical time of year when I become a fan of every team that Lebron James isn't playing for.
by Juiceboxjerry on May 2, 2011 6:41 PM CDT up reply actions
"we love kirk here" lewl
he just had to say that
The quest for seven is on.
by sin on May 2, 2011 6:42 PM CDT up reply actions
It's why he'll be back. :D
I don't always block shots, but when I do....I block yours.
Kyle Korver is open as soon as he gets out of his car at the UC. -
Stacey King
Gotta link?
sorry haven’t seen that site before. Please?
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 6:45 PM CDT up reply actions
Ok...is that part of NBA .com...couldn't find a site that worked on google
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 6:46 PM CDT up reply actions
i dont know
i have the channel on dish
The quest for seven is on.
by sin on May 2, 2011 6:48 PM CDT up reply actions
Ohhhh ok gotcha.
I didn’t know it was a channel.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 6:49 PM CDT up reply actions
i just hope the bulls don't "play down to competition"
that’s my biggest concern.
See the most important parts are the ones that are unseen
See the wings don't make you fly and the crown don't make you king
I love Pax, but I hate how he's such a frontrunner
When the team sucked, he wouldn’t go near a camera. Now that we’re winning, he’s granting every possible interview. Can’t have it both ways, man.
The Playoffs: That magical time of year when I become a fan of every team that Lebron James isn't playing for.
agreed. SWEET ONIONS BABY!!!
See the most important parts are the ones that are unseen
See the wings don't make you fly and the crown don't make you king
There's a post up a ways stating Stockton and the Czar are broadcasting.
Much as it turns my stomach.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 6:52 PM CDT up reply actions
oh. i didnt bother reading up there yet
fuck tnt fuck it good
The quest for seven is on.
by sin on May 2, 2011 6:54 PM CDT up reply actions
They cant getvrid of him
He’ll sue for age discrimination
Why the fuck is dr jack still broadcastin? please retire and open the spot for a young man you old bastard
I get clients down to 5% body fat with ease you fucking idiot. - dakoose
It is and i enjoy the mature voice of a Dick Stockton
I get clients down to 5% body fat with ease you fucking idiot. - dakoose
Oh Sam. Don't jinx us by the sweep stuff and they just can't compete with us.
I know it’s imaginary but c’mon still don’t say it.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 6:51 PM CDT reply actions
Hollinger also picked Bulls in 4
I get clients down to 5% body fat with ease you fucking idiot. - dakoose
I'm sure that a number of prognosticators did.
Just stands out a little saying it right before the game starts is all. All that matters is the Bulls respect their opponent I guess and not underestimate them.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 6:55 PM CDT up reply actions
Lets do This!!!!!!!
I get clients down to 5% body fat with ease you fucking idiot. - dakoose
FIRED UP? READY TO GO?
"Smith stripped. Smith stopped! Smith stopped again by Pippen!"
by ColonelFatheart on May 2, 2011 6:56 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
Stu Jackson and Rose just greeted one another
The Chicago Bulls....have a young star, Derrick Rose, who must learn to live with the tearing down of his MVP candidacy as rapidly as he constructed it. - Woj
GAME TIME! HO!
Well warmups but whatever. Start it already!
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 6:58 PM CDT reply actions
Yes, just what I've been waiting for!
The end to this episode of Bones!
The Playoffs: That magical time of year when I become a fan of every team that Lebron James isn't playing for.
i was kind of sad to see it end
those crazy kids and those crazy murders they got to solve. Who needs a game!
by Basketball Smurf on May 2, 2011 7:01 PM CDT up reply actions
Wheres the game thread
I get clients down to 5% body fat with ease you fucking idiot. - dakoose
I love this!!
I don't always block shots, but when I do....I block yours.
Kyle Korver is open as soon as he gets out of his car at the UC. -
Stacey King
Take off your headband, Josh Smith, you asshole
I get clients down to 5% body fat with ease you fucking idiot. - dakoose
I love how he sings it and gets the point. Not like these idiots like Beyonce who sing it and you don’t know it’s the anthem
"And the home of the BRAAAaaaAAAAAvE"
yeah can be annoying
"You control the rebounds, You control the game"- Hanamichi Sakuragi
This.
A thousand times this. He didn’t make himself the focus which is exactly right.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 7:05 PM CDT up reply actions
::goose bumps::
I don't always block shots, but when I do....I block yours.
Kyle Korver is open as soon as he gets out of his car at the UC. -
Stacey King
ugh...worst words...Dick Stockton will bring it to you after the break.
"Fast Don't Lie"
by Sandberg's evil twin on May 2, 2011 7:07 PM CDT reply actions
Well at least we all have each other in here.
We can all suffer together.
I don't always block shots, but when I do....I block yours.
Kyle Korver is open as soon as he gets out of his car at the UC. -
Stacey King
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