Chicago Bulls (4-3) Vs Indiana Pacers (9-0)

The Indiana Pacers are dismantling the NBA and making a mockery out of the rest of the league. Paul George's troops are thus far undefeated, and I've yet to see a team really threaten them. Admittedly, it's only been 9 games, but Paul George looks like the frontrunner for this year's MVP. The team plays an ugly offensive game, but so do the Bulls.

I really really do not buy the Indiana Pacers as an NBA champion, but with George and Roy Hibbert making the leap, it may be time for me to capitulate.

The Bulls played well last night against the Raptors, but the Pacers blew out the Milwaukee Bucks, 104-77.

Quick Stat Lines:

Paul George: 24.6 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.6 SPG, 48.7% FG%

Roy Hibbert: 11.4 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 4.8 BLOCKS PER GAME

Hibbert is the best rim protector in the game, and the Bulls are going to have a very difficult scoring inside. As hard as Joakim Noah tries, he is simply not a real threat offensively, particularly against a strong defender like Hibbert. I assume Hibbert will matchup with Boozer most of the time, so hopefully Boozer lingers outside of the paint to open up the lane for Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose (if he plays).

Key Matchup: Derrick Rose Vs George Hill

George Hill and GF

The Bulls did a masterful job containing Paul George last time these two teams played. Thus, I'm not concerned about stopping him. Rather, I want Derrick Rose to abuse point guard George Hill.

CJ Watson started the last time, and Rose owned him every time he asserted himself. However, those moments were few and far between. Hill can't guard Rose--well, no one can guard Derrick Rose--so if he plays and is healthy, he NEEDS to exploit this matchup for the Bulls to win. Boozer will be largely contained, so Rose needs to drive to score and create open shots for his teammates.

My Prediction... Do I break my addiction and go against the Bulls?




No, I can't do that, even against the Pacers.

Final Score: Bulls 92 Pacers 89

Post-Game Recap: The Bulls Sucked

I'd hate to put it so bluntly, but let's face it, the Bulls sucked last night. Luckily, so did Indiana for the majority of the night. It took a fourth quarter run by the Pacers starters against the Bulls bench (wtf Thibs) to turn this game into a grinding battle to a blowout.

If you want to actively engage in torture, take a look at the box score: Needles

I was going to post it here, but I don't want such hideous things populating my blog. 

What went wrong?

Rose didn't ABUSE CJ Watson

I was so optimistic at the beginning of this game as Derrick Rose hit a flurry of shots against defensive liability and former bench mob stalwart CJ Watson. However, Rose sat for a very very long time after picking up his second foul, and when he came back, he looked afraid to attack a noticeably weaker defender.

On the positive side, Rose had a few drives, including one beautiful hesitation move on the left side of the lane that left Roy Hibbert frozen in his tracks. Rose also had a beautiful slashing jump pass dish to Deng that was literally so good that Deng couldn't catch it. He's showing flashes of his MVP form, so I'm not ready to give-up on Mr. Rose just yet.

Defensively, Rose didn't look nearly as lost as he did when the famous Michael Carter Williams lit him up in only a way I've seen DJ Augustine do (yes, DJ Augustine). He did make a few terribly late attempts to pick off entry passes to Roy Hibbert. Nevertheless, I like his aggressiveness. 

He did indeed force things in the fourth quarter, ending the game with a sad 6-15 shooting outing.

Roy Owned the Paint

Admittedly, I haven't seen Dwight Howard play much this year, but Hibbert might arguably be the best rim protector in the NBA. The Bulls are not a three point shooting team--why they don't put shooters around Rose, I'll never know--so scoring easy buckets in the paint is crucial. Roy didn't allow that. He altered shots, scared off drives from Deng, Rose, and Butler, and put up his season average of 5 shots swatted. 

Roy "only" had 10 boards, and at the beginning of the game, I will admit that Joakim Noah did a very nice job of beating him thanks to effort. That quickly changed since Noah isn't in shape yet.

That wasn't so bad...

Paul George wasn't quite in MVP form

The Bulls wonderful defensive wings did a nice job slowing Paul George, holding the superstar to 21/6/3 on 6/19 shooting. Only a handful of times did the Bulls actually look exposed, like when George absolutely crossed-up Butler for a slick mid-range jumpshot.

One of his threes came off of a rebound that left him wide open. He did perform will guarding Rose on a few switches, but overall, George didn't have an amazing game.

The Pacers' offense is terrible

Without question, the Pacers match-up incredibly well against Miami. LeBron has to guard David West, freeing Paul George to dominant whoever matches up with him. Roy Hibbert can run free in the lane because, well, Birdman Birdman isn't going to stop him.



On the other end of the court, Indiana has a dynamic duo of wings in Lance Stephenson and Paul George to throw at LeBron and Dwyane Wade, though George was, at times, exposed during the 2013 playoffs. As I mentioned earlier, the Pacers have a dominant rim protector in Roy Hibbert that is damn-near impossible to come by.

However, the Pacers offense is pathetic. They went on a heck of a run against the Bulls last night, but most of the time, the team looks lost. They don't have a great point guard to set-up the offense, which leads to Lance Stephenson chucking up 17 shots and David West standing on the top of the key praying his jab step fakes out the defender (it's the same move EVERY time, but boy did he dominate Taj Gibson a few times).

This team won't beat Miami as is. Perhaps Granger will be the dynamic scorer they need, but I'm simply not sold on this team offensively. The Pacers probably have the same ceiling the Bulls have had the past few seasons.

Bottom line: Let's not panic just yet. Our three point shooting needs to improve but that will come when the last MVP not named LeBron James returns to form. 

As always, Let's Go Bulls!

Bulls (1-2) Vs. Pacers (4-0)

It's going to be a battle tonight at the stadium formerly known as Conseco Fieldhouse.

Let's take a look at some of our Central Division Foes' top players.

Paul George: The Leap

If you follow the writing of Bill Simmons or any of the excellent stable of Grantland NBA writers, then you are aware of the well-documented "leap." The leap happens when a player takes his game to the next level.

Honestly, I wasn't THAT impressed by the Pacers coming into this season, even after the team picked up Luis Scola and CJ Watson in the off-season. A great bench is a luxury, but at the end of the day, only 5 players play at a time, hence why the Miami Heat continue to win championships without a talented front court. However, if Paul George maintains his current pace, the Pacers are a real threat in the East.

His numbers thus far are insanely good: 27 points per game, 8.8 boards, and 4.3 assists. Even more impressively, George is shooting 53% from the field while connecting on 45% of his threes.

Now, his shooting percentages simply aren't sustainable. George has shot 43% from the field through his first three years while hitting 36% of his shots from downtown. Still, as we saw in the 2013 NBA playoffs, there's no question that George is a superior player with the potential to takeover a game.

The Butler/Deng duo should stifle him a bit early on, but even if Paul gets frustrated, he can still materially impact the game on the defensive end. He's an ok shot blocker, but he uses his length to grab tons of boards and can disturb passing lanes. I'm officially all-in on the Paul George superstar designation, but this will be the hardest match-up he's faced this year.

Same Old Roy?

I was once banned from sitting in the student section at DePaul basketball games for telling John Paxson (who was sitting a few rows in front of me) to draft Roy. He dominated my pathetic Blue Demons, but the Bulls surprisingly received the #1 pick that year, rendering Mr. Hibbert obsolete.

Remember that Roy Hibbert last year who DOMINATED that pathetically weak Miami Heat inside? Well, thus far he's resorted to his regular season form, averaging about 8 points and 8 boards. However, he's averaging an insane 5.3 blocks per game, so we could see the Bulls getting swatted in the paint.

I'd be much more optimistic about this match-up if Joakim Noah played extensively in the preseason, but thus far, Noah's looked a little sluggish and unbalanced. Maybe a few days off have given him time to get into top-notch shape, but even if he struggles, Gibson simply isn't big enough to counter the 7'2 Hibbert.

If Butler and Deng smother George, watch out for a nice hi-lo game between Hibbert and David West to become the go-to offensive option.

That being said...I'm picking the Bulls

The Bulls can't lose this game, but the Pacers are equally motivated to win this game to show that they are the Heat's primary competition in the Eastern Conference. Still, I think Rose comes to play tonight, and I wouldn't be surprised if he goes for 35 on his home court.

Final Score: Bulls 102 Pacers 95