Just a quick reminder: don't get carried away. This doesn't mean the Heat suck, or that the Heat won't ever compete again, or that LeBron sucks. Great teams lose all the time. It's a strange phenomenon, sure, but the Heat CAN lose to a battered Bulls team and still be a top contender for the NBA title.
Ok, one more thing: The Wall Street Journal and ESPN picked-up on LeBron not wearing his new shoes yesterday. A month late my friends.
Now that I've got that out of the way, let's relish in last night's beautiful victory. Hustle and energy were the two key factors for the Bulls last night. As is always the case when these two teams compete, the Bulls made the Heat earn every bucket. And with Dwyane Wade absent from the lineup, getting open shots was no easy task for Miami. The Bulls hilariously outrebounded the Heat 49-27.
Taj Gibson the MVP
I speak with my closest Bulls confidant about this all the time: where the heck did Taj come from? After a few years as a middling offensive player, Gibson clearly put in some work in the offseason to become an unstoppable post force. He bullied the Heat last night for 19 points on 8-12 shooting. Carlos Boozer did score 27 points and grab 9 boards, but it is certainly time to question if the Bulls are starting the right guy at power forward. Taj's superior defensive game makes him a better canidate for 32 minutes + per game, but I doubt that happens this year. Still, Taj has made Boozer completely expendable.
My one concern about Taj? The Bulls don't run nearly enough plays for him. When he's putting up prolific scoring efforts, the Bulls often do not go to him in the fourth quarter. With Derrick Rose out of the lineup, I see no reason why the Bulls couldn't work the offense through Taj, who almost needs to be doubled every time at this point.
The Return... Of Joakim Noah
Joakim Noah admittedly lit up the box score against the Pelicans, but I didn't see the confidence from Noah that I saw last night. For the first time all season, Noah looked in command of his destiny offensively, while looking like the high energy defensive player that opposing fans love to hate. Noah also made an inspiring speech about rallying around Rose after the game.
If this Joakim Noah is here to stay, fans are in for a real treat this season (and 5th seed).
Let's not get carried away, it was one game, and the Heat were missing Dwyane Wade and Birdman. I don't think the Bulls can beat the Heat in a 7 game series right now, but they might be able to with Derrick Rose.
Unlike last year, players have taken on scoring roles. I think the main difference from this team compared to last year is the sense of identity. It certainly took a while, and the Bulls hit the skids after Rose left the lineup. However, this team knows that they all must contribute offensively, something I think was distinctly missing from last year's team.
Last year: late Nate takeover.
This year: Taj, Luol Deng, and even Kirk Hinrich all know that they MUST step up and assume scoring roles. Luol and Kirk may be more comfortable as secondary scoring options, but both have shown remarkable progress on the offensive end this season, particularly in terms of confidence and assertiveness. Veterans, just like younger players, can learn new things.
I was wrong about breaking up this team...I think.
Tweet
No comments:
Post a Comment