Bulls aren't as tough as you think

[JBone4eva]

Well I would say the difference is we have more youth and KG is playing at his highest level since the championship year. If he can keep up that offense it really makes us a much betfter teal

I think KG was better overall last year, but not hugely so.

I don't honestly, I think he's playing exactly the same as last year, only difference now is that he and the coaching staff (by accident of course) have discovered that he can thrive at the center position using his skills and savvy with minimal drop off due to the lack of big centers in the league now.

I think what makes us different this year is mainly the athleticism and defense of Avery.  His solid defense and runing the floor has contributed a great deal to our no longer getting into double digit first quarter deficits.  Earlier this year we struggled getting out of the gate, now it seems we do well in the first quarter usually having a lead or being very close, our problem now is our second quarter at times.

Another reason I feel we're different is that after the all star break Doc found a solid bench rotation for the second quarter that cuts down on our second quarter shooting spells with our offense mainly featuring Kevin.  I honestly wish we'd do that the majority of the game, I feel that's how we won the title in 08.

The fact that Avery, Bass, Pietrus, and to some degree steamer can actually be ahead of Rondo on breaks also makes Rondo more effective at the point which has paid dividends.

These reasons make me feel that like the thread starter, I feel that we can beat Chicago in six if we're fortunate enough to make it to the second round.

[chambers]

They are going to be brutal and this series could go 7 games.
Rose is going to be useless in my opinion. He might be good for the first 2 games but he's bound to be sidelined or doing 50% of his normal work load.
One of our biggest keys will be our bench including Ray Allen+Steimsma. Avery Bradley getting inside and getting to the free throw line, subsequently getting Noah/Boozer in trouble will be valuable.
The most important thing is Rondo dominating the match up with Rose- which is very possible in Rose's current state. KG+Bass vs Boozer and Noah is a white out.
It's Asik, Gibson, Korver, Watson and the rest that worry me.
We are going to have to get Pierce open and firing on the three point shots to draw Deng outside so he can penetrate.

Can't wait.

[green7]

wow this will be a great series rondo needs to be vintage rondo, i'm talking keeping the offense going fast breaks/and all.


with bradley now in the starting line up we have two guards that can give rose alot of trouble.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5VUiIO-ue4

[cman88]

Well I would say the difference is we have more youth and KG is playing at his highest level since the championship year. If he can keep up that offense it really makes us a much betfter teal

I think KG was better overall last year, but not hugely so.

I disagree....since the allstar break, kg has been averaging 17.2PPG...and is 16ppg for the year. thats the best since the championship year.

last year KG was primarily a jumpshooter and he didnt look good in the playoffs..pretty much everyone in the media has stated how much better KG looks this year.

kg is posting up on people down in the post and looking for his shot. something he really didnt do last year..and I think it makes us a better team.

maybe hes just being more agressive, but we NEED an agressive KG offensively in the playoffs if we want to win in the playoffs

[Fafnir]

Well I would say the difference is we have more youth and KG is playing at his highest level since the championship year. If he can keep up that offense it really makes us a much betfter teal

I think KG was better overall last year, but not hugely so.

I disagree....since the allstar break, kg has been averaging 17.2PPG...and is 16ppg for the year. thats the best since the championship year.

last year KG was primarily a jumpshooter and he didnt look good in the playoffs..pretty much everyone in the media has stated how much better KG looks this year.

kg is posting up on people down in the post and looking for his shot. something he really didnt do last year..and I think it makes us a better team.

maybe hes just being more agressive, but we NEED an agressive KG offensively in the playoffs if we want to win in the playoffs

He scored a little less last year and took slightly fewer shots but he was more efficient overall. Offensively his years are a wash, he's scoring 1.1 points more per game on 1.5 more shots. Just not a big difference at all.

Meanwhile his rebounding last year was elite instead of good and his defense was better.

[Celtics18]

Well I would say the difference is we have more youth and KG is playing at his highest level since the championship year. If he can keep up that offense it really makes us a much betfter teal

I think KG was better overall last year, but not hugely so.

I disagree....since the allstar break, kg has been averaging 17.2PPG...and is 16ppg for the year. thats the best since the championship year.

last year KG was primarily a jumpshooter and he didnt look good in the playoffs..pretty much everyone in the media has stated how much better KG looks this year.

kg is posting up on people down in the post and looking for his shot. something he really didnt do last year..and I think it makes us a better team.

maybe hes just being more agressive, but we NEED an agressive KG offensively in the playoffs if we want to win in the playoffs

He scored a little less last year and took slightly fewer shots but he was more efficient overall. Offensively his years are a wash, he's scoring 1.1 points more per game on 1.5 more shots. Just not a big difference at all.

Meanwhile his rebounding last year was elite instead of good and his defense was better.

What makes you believe that Kevin Garnett was playing better defense last year?

[OsirusCeltics]

The key to suceeding in the playoffs is FEAR in my opinion

When facing a team, do you actually fear them? Its about who you fear with the ball in their hands. If they are able to take over a game regardless of the defense in front of them. When I think of the Bulls, theres no one I fear. Its cool to put up nice numbers in the regular season when no one is overly scouting you and the pressure is much less a factor. Sorry but I don't fear the Bulls bench, its more of overachieving to me. Rose also doesn't fear me. Rose's offensive explosions doesn't influence the game that much, and he's not that clutch. The Bulls are pretenders. Its the Celtics series to lose

I think the Knicks and the Heat are more of a threat, because they have Wade and Carmelo that I fear

[raynman]

The key to Banner 18 is REBOUNDING! That's why the only two teams I'm worried about is the Lakers and the Bulls.. KG can't take on all their bigs.. I hope somehow the Knicks fall to #8 so they will "soften up" the Bulls for us..

[Big_Dave31]

The key to Banner 18 is REBOUNDING! That's why the only two teams I'm worried about is the Lakers and the Bulls.. KG can't take on all their bigs.. I hope somehow the Knicks fall to #8 so they will "soften up" the Bulls for us..

I agree, well, with the rebounding part anyways.  Bulls and Lakers will be our toughest match ups.  The worst rebounding team in the league vs the best rebounding team in the league in a 7 game series?  That is going to be [dang] hard to get past.  We will not be a pushover though.

It will require us to play at our absolute best to get past the Bulls, but, if we were to get past them, I would feel very confident against Miami, I just think we have their number, and they have absolutely no answer for Rondo.  It would kind of be like 2008 where our hardest series was in the second round against the Cavs, that's what I compare this to.

[LeoMoreno]

I've been thinking about this since long time ago. We were sure to enter the playoffs and get past round 1. Then it was Miami or Chicago. Miami looked easy to beat even then (back in February when this first occurred to me) but that's a whole other story.

Chicago's biggest pros aren't rebounds. It's the fact they don't have depth, they have very well balanced scoring. Every player on their team can get 10 points a game. In most games during the regular season one or two take over and score 20+ but in the playoffs, Boozer, Rose, Noah, Deng, Korver, Lucas III, Asik, CJ, any, and every player can score.
 
Then come the rebounds which we've played without for... what, 40 years? We barely ever had good rebounders. The reason why Bulls rebound so well against us is that our bigs don't close out at all. But I see it differently. Rondo, Bradley and Pierce like to come from behind opposing bigs and basically steal a rebound. Especially Rondo and Pierce. If Stiemsma, KG and Bass work on rebounding and boxing out we could very well allow a few offensive rebounds to the Bulls. Offensively, it's just not our game. Once a player jumps to shoot, all 4 are sprinting back. Expect the Celtics to shoot better than 55%.

Deng and Boozer...
I hate Noah because he hates KG. Actually I see him as I see all French people: cowards who don't like being envious to superior forces and therefore hate them (no offense to the French, it's just my personal opinion). Try speaking English in France, I dare you. Anyway, he is one big that doesn't worry me. In fact, what worries me is the fact Deng and Boozer had Pierce and KG for breakfast this season, and whole last season. Deng was uncontainable. KG always gives his best against Boozer, and that never bothered Carlos' scoring.

As for Rose, Bradley did great on one of the best 1on1 players - Wade. Watson isn't that big of a threat to us, so expect Rondo to lurk around, deflecting passes. Actually that's one huge advantage. Rose, if cannot find room for driving to lay-up/hugemegadunk, tries finding Boozer or Deng, never Noah (unless already in paint). KG, Stiemsma and Bass love poking the ball away and intercepting passes, and Rondo is already circling around trying to steal a pass. Again, expect Boozer and Deng to get nasty on us when they figure out their usual play is falling apart. It really doesn't seem to me as Rose will do that much damage, regardless if because of Bradley's defense or the recent injury.

Basically, their offense is textbook basketball performed by great players. As Chuck would say: give me great offense over great defense and I take it. Their offense is great but what will decide this match up with them (are we counting out Atlanta already? D:) is our offense. Against us it looked like there's always 3 red jerseys to one green, which means it again depends on our shooting. With Pierce, Allen, KG, and Pietrus being fascinating shooters for years, and Stiemsma, Rondo and Bradley becoming awkwardly amazing and regular, I really think Chicago should fear us more than we fear them. Our team is an enigma this year, and we know everything about Chicago.

[Fafnir]

What makes you believe that Kevin Garnett was playing better defense last year?

Defensive rebounding is a part of defense, you have to finish possessions.

Beyond that the team was better defensively with regards to being better than league average last year, the eye test, and he defended at the PF spot at a higher level last year than this year.

I think he's truly at the point where C is his best position, last year that was still in flux.

[Celtics18]

What makes you believe that Kevin Garnett was playing better defense last year?

Defensive rebounding is a part of defense, you have to finish possessions.

Beyond that the team was better defensively with regards to being better than league average last year, the eye test, and he defended at the PF spot at a higher level last year than this year.

I think he's truly at the point where C is his best position, last year that was still in flux.

I agree with that last part.  You almost seem to be implying that it's a demotion, sort of like playing center in your twilight represents a kind of hall of fame power forward grave yard. 

Anyway, as to numbers showing that he defended better last year, (I never know which of the many sites that have slightly different numbers for defensive rating to trust) I think the data comes closest to showing that his defensive impact has been similar this season and last.  I guess one could dissect the numbers to have an endless quibble, but I don't feel like partaking in that.

 My eye test tells me that he's still one of the very best defensive players in the league.  He keeps doing it a little more creakily, but he just keeps doing it.   

To me, Garnett's ability to play at this level as he advances in age and loses some foot speed is nothing short of amazing. The reason it impresses me even more than what others have been able to do is that he was a guy who relied so much on his athleticism when he was younger.  He's still an athletic guy, relatively speaking, but at this point it just looks like equal parts skill and heart by KG. 

The "heart" part is more stunning than anything.  I know they don't keep stats to analyze it, but his desire to push himself to go a little further than his body says it can go is just so visceral when you watch him play.

It seems almost impossible that he'll be able to keep it up for another year after this.  But, it being KG, I think it would be foolhardy to count it out. 

[stylo617617]

we control deng we win in 6 ,he goes off like he ddi last time(which he probbaly wont becuase his shot attepts will go way down with rose ) we lose in 5

rose is going to go off & they'll rebound & defend us but this chicago team reminds of the lebron's last clevland team a 1 man show .a injured mans show at that 

[jdz101]

wow this will be a great series rondo needs to be vintage rondo, i'm talking keeping the offense going fast breaks/and all.

You sirs are counting chickens.

We have to beat Atlanta first I believe.

[Employee8]

Time for the Bulls to prove just how tough they are tonight.