I'll cover the devastating loss to the Rockets later today, but for now, I have some awesome NBA stories you need to read.
LeBron Flips Out on Mario Chalmers
It's always nice to see LeBron James show some emotion, particularly when it's at the expense of Mario Chalmers' feelings.
Dan Bernstein on Derrick Rose
This is really the first time I've ever seen a Chicago journalist viciously attack Derrick Rose. There are some great points brought up about Reggie Rose and BJ Armstrong. By no means am I saying I agree with everything Bernstein wrote, but it's a fascinating perspective on Chicago's hometown hero.
Life Beyond the Arc
Grantland's Zach Lowe analyzes the role of the three pointer, and it's future in the NBA. I try to avoid too much basketball sabermetrician magic in my blog, but it is pretty much undeniable that the corner three is the NBA's free lunch. I'm not a believer in sabermetrics for basketball as much as I am for baseball, but the efficiency of the corner three and ideas to get players the ball in their respective hotspots are incredible revelations that Bulls' management has thus far ignored.
Tweet
Showing posts with label Miami Heat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Miami Heat. Show all posts
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Friday, December 6, 2013
Beating the Heat: December 2013 Edition
In case you missed it, cancelled your cable subscription, stopped looking at social media sites, or completely avoided anyone remotely interested in Chicago sports today, the Bulls dismantled the Miami Heat last night, winning 107-87. LeBron James scored just 21 points, and the Heat were never really close to matching the Bulls' intensity or effort.
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
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
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Game Preview: Bulls (7-9) Vs Heat (14-4)
Live from Chicago tonight at 8:30PM, the Bulls will take on the hated Miami Heat. The Heat may be without the Birdman (personal reasons/getting tatted up) and Dwyane Wade, who will be icing his knees for the next 4 days and tending to the sale of his River West condo. Still, the Heat have the best player on earth in LeBron James as well as a rejuvenated Michael Beasley and future Hall of Famer Ray Allen.
As a quick side note: watch this video on Nikola Mirtoic. You won't be disappointed.
It's quite popular for Chicagoans to hate on LeBron James or try to position him against Michael Jordan. LeBron is one of my favorite players, but more importantly, it doesn't matter that he's not as good as Michael Jordan. Jordan hates the Bulls organization, and his relative skill set has nothing to do with tonight's game.
What's relevant for tonight is that LeBron is SHOOTING 59.5% from the FIELD. He also happens to be connecting on 47.4% of three pointers, on his way to averaging 26 points per game. Wow. So, LeBron doesn't miss. We can only hope that he actually wears his new shoes, which will cause his feet to ache.
Luckily, Luol Deng is the best LeBron stopper in the league at this point. Without Dwyane Wade, expect the Bulls to clog the paint and force LeBron to become primarily a passer tonight. Unfortunately, we all know LeBron's an elite passer. Crap.
The Bulls Will Make Miami Earn EVERY POINT
I was at the Bulls-Heat game last season where the Bulls ruined Miami's huge winning streak. This is one of those things that doesn't show up on paper, but the Bulls play the Heat extremely well. I think Taj Gibson will absolutely abuse whoever Miami tries to throw at him in the post, and the Bulls might be able to pair him with Carlos Boozer against the undersized Heat front court.
The Bulls lack of energy on defense this year does scare me quite a bit, especially because the Bulls haven't closed out on three point shooters. And the Heat have a lot of capable three point shooters (Ray Allen, James Jones, Shane Battier, Mario Chalmers, Norris Cole, Beasley sort of). Still, expect the Heat to EARN every damn basket.
Miami is a defensive juggernaut itself, and the stalling Bulls offense could struggle mightily. I'm already scared about every minute Marquis Teague has to play with Mike James out due to injury. Look for the Heat to go on huge runs whenever Kirk Hinrich is out.
It should be a great game tonight. We know Miami is the superior team at this point, though I'm not sure that's the case with Derrick Rose healthy. Regardless, the Bulls will give the Heat everything they can handle on both ends of the ball. Taj and Boozer are the keys to tonight's game.
Without Wade, the Heat lose a scoring punch, but I think they pull out this game.
Final Score: Heat 98 Bulls 93
Tweet
As a quick side note: watch this video on Nikola Mirtoic. You won't be disappointed.
It's quite popular for Chicagoans to hate on LeBron James or try to position him against Michael Jordan. LeBron is one of my favorite players, but more importantly, it doesn't matter that he's not as good as Michael Jordan. Jordan hates the Bulls organization, and his relative skill set has nothing to do with tonight's game.
What's relevant for tonight is that LeBron is SHOOTING 59.5% from the FIELD. He also happens to be connecting on 47.4% of three pointers, on his way to averaging 26 points per game. Wow. So, LeBron doesn't miss. We can only hope that he actually wears his new shoes, which will cause his feet to ache.
Luckily, Luol Deng is the best LeBron stopper in the league at this point. Without Dwyane Wade, expect the Bulls to clog the paint and force LeBron to become primarily a passer tonight. Unfortunately, we all know LeBron's an elite passer. Crap.
The Bulls Will Make Miami Earn EVERY POINT
I was at the Bulls-Heat game last season where the Bulls ruined Miami's huge winning streak. This is one of those things that doesn't show up on paper, but the Bulls play the Heat extremely well. I think Taj Gibson will absolutely abuse whoever Miami tries to throw at him in the post, and the Bulls might be able to pair him with Carlos Boozer against the undersized Heat front court.
The Bulls lack of energy on defense this year does scare me quite a bit, especially because the Bulls haven't closed out on three point shooters. And the Heat have a lot of capable three point shooters (Ray Allen, James Jones, Shane Battier, Mario Chalmers, Norris Cole, Beasley sort of). Still, expect the Heat to EARN every damn basket.
Miami is a defensive juggernaut itself, and the stalling Bulls offense could struggle mightily. I'm already scared about every minute Marquis Teague has to play with Mike James out due to injury. Look for the Heat to go on huge runs whenever Kirk Hinrich is out.
It should be a great game tonight. We know Miami is the superior team at this point, though I'm not sure that's the case with Derrick Rose healthy. Regardless, the Bulls will give the Heat everything they can handle on both ends of the ball. Taj and Boozer are the keys to tonight's game.
Without Wade, the Heat lose a scoring punch, but I think they pull out this game.
Final Score: Heat 98 Bulls 93
Tweet
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Why Won't LeBron Wear his New Shoes?
On occasion, Stormin Normin likes to share his opinions on fun issues that are loosely related to what matters in the NBA.
Performance footwear is a strange hobby of mine, so whenever a footwear topic becomes a hot button issue in the NBA, I simply can't help but comment.
The performance footwear blogosphere (yes that does exist) has been buzzing because LeBron James has only worn his flagship Nike LeBron XI shoe for a handful of quarters this year, opting instead for the previous version of his shoe. Nightwing2303, the premier performance footwear reviewer, in my opinion, considers the LeBron XI the best iteration of the line.
I can't walk right now, so I can't comment, but the shoes look awesome, and the technical specs suggest the shoe will play extremely well.
So why aren't they good enough for LeBron and his terrible feet?
Obviously James wear tested the shoe, so I cannot imagine this is the first time LeBron's ever worn the shoe. However, the nature of the materials dictates a fairly long break-in time, so LeBron's preference for a fresh pair every game may not provide him with the break-in time adequate for the shoe to fit comfortably.
Nike is paying LeBron a lot of money to be playing advertisement for this $200 basketball shoe, so I imagine Beaverton is none too pleased with James' current selection. Guaranteed Nike engineers are working on anything possible to get the shoe up to snuff for LeBron.
While I doubt sales of the fashion-driven men's version of the shoe will suffer, kids across the country may not want their parents to shell out $200 for a shoe LeBron isn't even playing in. Derrick Rose's last adidas shoe is still sitting on shelves, largely because he never played an NBA game in them.
What does this have to do with the Bulls?
Footwear is important to any basketball player. No, the LeBron XI won't add 5 inches to my vertical, but I will be comfortable and not have to worry about the shoe while I'm playing. The same cannot be said about playing in Chuck Taylors or Air Force 1s or any really old shoe. Being comfortable while you're playing basketball is paramount to success, particularly over a long, grueling season.
So you can imagine just how happy I am that Joakim Noah quit wearing tennis shoes, opting for Adidas basketball sneakers this season. Noah has struggled with foot problems, and I think the major reason was his Le Coq Sportif shoes.
Essentially, I hope James, and to a greater extent Noah, help stress the importance of footwear on the court. The last thing I want to see happen is a Bulls injury because a player gets another $50k a year from an unknown brand instead of sticking with the tried and true Nike, adidas, and Under Armour.
Performance footwear is a strange hobby of mine, so whenever a footwear topic becomes a hot button issue in the NBA, I simply can't help but comment.
The performance footwear blogosphere (yes that does exist) has been buzzing because LeBron James has only worn his flagship Nike LeBron XI shoe for a handful of quarters this year, opting instead for the previous version of his shoe. Nightwing2303, the premier performance footwear reviewer, in my opinion, considers the LeBron XI the best iteration of the line.
I can't walk right now, so I can't comment, but the shoes look awesome, and the technical specs suggest the shoe will play extremely well.
So why aren't they good enough for LeBron and his terrible feet?
Obviously James wear tested the shoe, so I cannot imagine this is the first time LeBron's ever worn the shoe. However, the nature of the materials dictates a fairly long break-in time, so LeBron's preference for a fresh pair every game may not provide him with the break-in time adequate for the shoe to fit comfortably.
Nike is paying LeBron a lot of money to be playing advertisement for this $200 basketball shoe, so I imagine Beaverton is none too pleased with James' current selection. Guaranteed Nike engineers are working on anything possible to get the shoe up to snuff for LeBron.
While I doubt sales of the fashion-driven men's version of the shoe will suffer, kids across the country may not want their parents to shell out $200 for a shoe LeBron isn't even playing in. Derrick Rose's last adidas shoe is still sitting on shelves, largely because he never played an NBA game in them.
What does this have to do with the Bulls?
Footwear is important to any basketball player. No, the LeBron XI won't add 5 inches to my vertical, but I will be comfortable and not have to worry about the shoe while I'm playing. The same cannot be said about playing in Chuck Taylors or Air Force 1s or any really old shoe. Being comfortable while you're playing basketball is paramount to success, particularly over a long, grueling season.
So you can imagine just how happy I am that Joakim Noah quit wearing tennis shoes, opting for Adidas basketball sneakers this season. Noah has struggled with foot problems, and I think the major reason was his Le Coq Sportif shoes.
 |
| I would never wear these on (or off) the court. |
Essentially, I hope James, and to a greater extent Noah, help stress the importance of footwear on the court. The last thing I want to see happen is a Bulls injury because a player gets another $50k a year from an unknown brand instead of sticking with the tried and true Nike, adidas, and Under Armour.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Talking Knicks and Linsanity, victory over the Heat
There was a great article in the New York Times about the end of Linsanity, and talked a bit with a friend/reader about the Melo- D'antoni feud. As much as I loathe the Knicks, this is a great story, with a bevy of opinions.
If you follow me on Twitter, you'll know I've never been a buyer of Jeremy Lin. I watched him play pretty well, lighting up mediocre point guards, and taking more shots than Allen Iverson. The flaws in his game were clear as day: he can't go left, he can't really handle the ball, and he makes a lot of unforced turnovers.
Yet, there's no doubt he can play. Is he a top 5 point guard as many speculated? Not by a long shot..
1. Derrick Rose
2. Deron Williams
3. Chris Paul
4. Russell Westbrook
5. Steve Nash
6. Rajon Rondo
7. Kyrie Irving (I'm going to regret putting him behind Rondo)
8. Tony Parker
9. Ricky Rubio (can't shoot, but neither can Rondo)
10. Kyle Lawry
And you can argue that CJ Watson, Eric Bledsoe, Darren Collison, Andre Miller, Brandon Knight, Ty Lawson, Mike Conley, Jeff Teague and John Wall are on another level above Lin. So, yeah, he's basically a league average guard playing in New York.
So if Linsanity is over, I wouldn't worry about it. There are at least 15-20 better point guards in the league (and a few are back-ups!).
When did Linsanity die for me? Not surprisingly, against Los Bulls, earlier this week. In the 4th quarter we saw Carmelo Anthony, one of the best half-court scorers in the NBA, calling for the ball against a combination of ROOKIE Jimmy Butler and Ronnie Brewer. Now, both are excellent defenders, but still, Carmelo is one of the best scorers in the game. He should be getting the ball in the 4th quarter.
Nope, Lin waves him off. Possession after possession, Lin seems to give the ball to anyone but Carmelo, until he demands the rock within the last 2 minutes (and puts up a few moments of epic chucking).
Frankly, I don't give a damn how good Lin thinks he is. He's still a 2nd year player refusing to defer to one of the best scorers in the game. And D'Antoni didn't care.
This begs the question, who's more important: Carmelo Anthony or Jeremy Lin?
In my eyes, that's a no brainer...it's probably the guy you traded several starters for. Probably one of the best scorers in the game, a guy who is considered the 3rd best small forward in the NBA.
And since D'Antoni has tried to force his run n' gun, open court style of basketball on a team built around a dominant isolation player, we've seen Carmelo go into hiding. New York fans seem to forget that Melo is awesome. He's a fantastic, top 10 NBA player who should be celebrated a lot more than a league-average point guard. Maybe this is crazy, but I think this team is better without D'Antoni and without a Lin/Melo feud.
Talking Wednesday's game against the Heat...
John Lucas III is one of my favorite players, mainly because he might even be a little shorter than me and posts hilarious shit on Twitter. He came to play, scoring efficiently, lighting up LeBron and not really turning the ball over. I'm so impressed...to the point where I might end up ordering my Lucas jersey.
Of course, Deng is clearly more hurt than he's let on. He played alright, but a healthy Deng doesn't let LeBron score at will.
Boozer looked ineffective, as is the norm for him against the Heat. He had TWO points. I'm not sure what it is, but I'll give him a pass since he's looked like Utah Boozer the last few weeks. We might actually need him in the Eastern Conference Finals, though. So Carlos, come to play.
As for the enemy... I will admit, I still love LeBron. He's one of my favorite players, and as a former headcase athlete, I genuinely feel sorry for him. He's usually the best player on the court, but once that 4th quarter comes, or something throws him off, he's not what he should be. I'd love to beat the Heat with a beasting LeBron, but that might not happen.
Dwyane Wade on the other hand went nuts in the 4th quarter. He almost single-handedly won the game and looked like an MVP out there. Let's rejoice in victory and not think about what could have happened.
And now...
BEAT THE BLA (uh, what the hell did they do at the deadline?)... I guess this is the Blazers!
If you follow me on Twitter, you'll know I've never been a buyer of Jeremy Lin. I watched him play pretty well, lighting up mediocre point guards, and taking more shots than Allen Iverson. The flaws in his game were clear as day: he can't go left, he can't really handle the ball, and he makes a lot of unforced turnovers.
Yet, there's no doubt he can play. Is he a top 5 point guard as many speculated? Not by a long shot..
1. Derrick Rose
2. Deron Williams
3. Chris Paul
4. Russell Westbrook
5. Steve Nash
6. Rajon Rondo
7. Kyrie Irving (I'm going to regret putting him behind Rondo)
8. Tony Parker
9. Ricky Rubio (can't shoot, but neither can Rondo)
10. Kyle Lawry
And you can argue that CJ Watson, Eric Bledsoe, Darren Collison, Andre Miller, Brandon Knight, Ty Lawson, Mike Conley, Jeff Teague and John Wall are on another level above Lin. So, yeah, he's basically a league average guard playing in New York.
So if Linsanity is over, I wouldn't worry about it. There are at least 15-20 better point guards in the league (and a few are back-ups!).
When did Linsanity die for me? Not surprisingly, against Los Bulls, earlier this week. In the 4th quarter we saw Carmelo Anthony, one of the best half-court scorers in the NBA, calling for the ball against a combination of ROOKIE Jimmy Butler and Ronnie Brewer. Now, both are excellent defenders, but still, Carmelo is one of the best scorers in the game. He should be getting the ball in the 4th quarter.
Nope, Lin waves him off. Possession after possession, Lin seems to give the ball to anyone but Carmelo, until he demands the rock within the last 2 minutes (and puts up a few moments of epic chucking).
Frankly, I don't give a damn how good Lin thinks he is. He's still a 2nd year player refusing to defer to one of the best scorers in the game. And D'Antoni didn't care.
This begs the question, who's more important: Carmelo Anthony or Jeremy Lin?
In my eyes, that's a no brainer...it's probably the guy you traded several starters for. Probably one of the best scorers in the game, a guy who is considered the 3rd best small forward in the NBA.
And since D'Antoni has tried to force his run n' gun, open court style of basketball on a team built around a dominant isolation player, we've seen Carmelo go into hiding. New York fans seem to forget that Melo is awesome. He's a fantastic, top 10 NBA player who should be celebrated a lot more than a league-average point guard. Maybe this is crazy, but I think this team is better without D'Antoni and without a Lin/Melo feud.
Talking Wednesday's game against the Heat...
John Lucas III is one of my favorite players, mainly because he might even be a little shorter than me and posts hilarious shit on Twitter. He came to play, scoring efficiently, lighting up LeBron and not really turning the ball over. I'm so impressed...to the point where I might end up ordering my Lucas jersey.
Of course, Deng is clearly more hurt than he's let on. He played alright, but a healthy Deng doesn't let LeBron score at will.
Boozer looked ineffective, as is the norm for him against the Heat. He had TWO points. I'm not sure what it is, but I'll give him a pass since he's looked like Utah Boozer the last few weeks. We might actually need him in the Eastern Conference Finals, though. So Carlos, come to play.
As for the enemy... I will admit, I still love LeBron. He's one of my favorite players, and as a former headcase athlete, I genuinely feel sorry for him. He's usually the best player on the court, but once that 4th quarter comes, or something throws him off, he's not what he should be. I'd love to beat the Heat with a beasting LeBron, but that might not happen.
Dwyane Wade on the other hand went nuts in the 4th quarter. He almost single-handedly won the game and looked like an MVP out there. Let's rejoice in victory and not think about what could have happened.
And now...
BEAT THE BLA (uh, what the hell did they do at the deadline?)... I guess this is the Blazers!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)