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Bulls Snag Cole, Butler

djames — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 07:03:33 +0000

The Bulls went looking for a little depth at point guard in the first round, and they got exactly that with 6’2″ guard Norris Cole out of Cleveland State. Though the Bulls obviously have their guy at point guard in league MVP Derrick Rose, Cole could be a very nice fit for the team and a solid pick at number 28. Cole is touted as a good shooter with strong range but also a talented passer with good court IQ. The Bulls could very well use Cole to run a second unit, and it looks like he has the maturity and basketball IQ to do exactly that.

Also getting snagged by the Bulls – with the 30th pick – was Jimmy Butler out of Marquette. As a small forward, Butler will also look to be in a back up position, though he could also be counted on to pick up the scoring load with the second unit. Butler is considered a good scorer but an exceptional defender, which is exactly the type of player that the defensive minded Chicago Bulls are looking for. Though he’s also a good rebounder, Butler was criticized for not having great athleticism, but he still be a very solid fit for the Bulls in a peripheral role on an already deep team.

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Still a Strong Season for the Bulls

djames — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 14:59:51 +0000

Now with the NBA season completely over, and the Dallas Mavericks stunning the Miami Heat and their fans, it’s a good time to take a look back and see how the Chicago Bulls fit in for next season. Though some might want to make major changes to the roster after they were beat soundly by the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, there’s no getting around the fact that the Bulls make major strides in 2010-2011. Despite some significant injuries, the Bulls put together one of the best defensive units in the league and were able to take a big stride after losing in the first round the previous season. Moving forward, it doesn’t seem that the Bulls have all that much to fix.

The main reason, of course, is because of league MVP Derrick Rose. Rose dominated the NBA for much of the season, though he struggled to hit jump shots in the Heat series as they packed it in and made him a volume shooter. While Rose showed some limitations, he also has shown his ability to improve in the offseason, something he doubtless will attempt to do this offseason as well. Outside of that, the Bulls really could use another offensive player to put pressure on the defense, which the Mavs found in Jason Terry and J.J. Barea. Barea in particular got into the lane and wreaked havoc, softening up the Heat defense, a unit that the Bulls will doubtless see again. Though the Bulls don’t need another superstar, obtaining a couple of offensive minded players this offseason could go a long way.

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Heat Join Bulls After Getting Knocked Out

djames — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 14:57:24 +0000

Though it looked for a couple of weeks like the Miami Heat were poised to win a championship, the Big Three ended up no match for the Dallas Mavericks down the stretch in the NBA Finals. Down 3-2, the Heat put up a substantial fight but couldn’t hold it together in the second half in Game 6 once Dirk Nowitzki finally got it going. In the early going, it was Jason Terry and J.J. Barea who carried the Mavs while Dirk struggled to find his stroke. Terry was hitting three-pointers and jump shots from very early on while Barea continue to put a significant amount of pressure on the Heat, eventually breaking the Heat spacing and opening up an elite defense. Once Dirk heated up, the series was over.

Like the Bulls, the Heat now have to head into their offseason scratching their heads as they look to find a way to improve. Though their star-studded team got them all the way to the cusp of an NBA championship, the deep Dallas Mavericks proved too much for the Heat and eventually LeBron James wasn’t able to pull the team together. Even with another great effort from Dwyane Wade, LeBron faded in the fourth quarter in each of the last two games, bringing about a hailstorm of criticism. For now, both Chicago and Miami will have some work to do in the offseason.

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Bulls Can Learn From Heat

djames — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 18:35:05 +0000

People can say what they want about the Miami Heat, that they’re simply a superstar-laden team with a bunch of spoiled players that turned the league upside down by forming a conglomerate. But more than anything else, what is making the Heat win right now has nothing to do with the hoopla. Instead, it’s their unbelievable versatility and defensive intensity, which they showed clearly in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. After the Dallas Mavericks stayed right with the Heat for much of the game, LeBron and Wade ratcheted up their defensive games and ultimately put Dallas away. As Bulls fans should know, putting together strong fourth quarters is nothing new for the current Eastern Conference champion Heat.

With the game still very much in doubt, Dwyane Wade was the one to get the team going. Wade hit a mid-range jumper, had a nice pass inside to Chris Bosh for a couple free throws then made a phenomenal block on the defensive end, frustrating the Mavericks as they attempted to mount a comeback. But Wade wasn’t done, as he then cashed a three-pointer with a hand in his face to all but seal the deal. When LeBron came down the lane to throw down a dunk moments later, the Mavericks were beaten. Once again, the Heat showed that their two biggest playmakers, Wade and LeBron, can beat you shooting, passing and defending – a combination that no team in the league can currently handle.

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Rose Has Some Work to Do

djames — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 18:25:13 +0000

Everyone knows that Derrick Rose is a special player, one who certainly was a solid choice for the league MVP this year, even if LeBron James had a compelling case as well. But while Rose dazzled MVP voters with spectacular plays and clutch moments throughout the regular season, the playoffs showed that he’s still a young player who needs to continue to refine his game. One of the best dual threats in the game, Rose had difficulty facilitating at various parts of the Heat series and was able to be severely slowed down by James in crucial moments. Ultimately, LeBron and the Heat get to go on to take on Dallas in the Finals while the Bulls get to regroup, get some rest in the offseason and then figure out what to do from there.

For Rose, who has shown considerable improvement from season to season so far in his career, he will need to work mainly on shot selection. It was nice to see him add a much better three-point stroke to his arsenal this year, though teams dared him to shoot in the postseason and were eventually able to significantly slow him down. The Bulls are often at their best when Rose can get into the lane and find teammates, though Rose was limited to being a jumpshooter and scorer for much of the Heat series. But Rose has shown his maturity and work ethic so far in his career – two things he’ll need if he’s to lead the Bulls past the Heat someday.

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Lose or Elimination Tonight for Bulls

djames — Thu, 26 May 2011 15:40:05 +0000

Though the Chicago Bulls came into the playoffs with the best record in the regular season and title aspirations, those aspirations will come to an end tonight if they can’t find a way to rally around their home crowd and get a win against the Miami Heat. The Bulls have been frustrated on offense by a committed, energetic and very fundamentally sound Heat defense over the last few games, which has led the Heat to winning three straight and taking a commanding 3-1 series lead. Derrick Rose in particular has to play more efficient, as the league’s MVP has had a major problem making jump shots and has really not been able to get his team going offensively. For the Bulls to win, Rose needs to find his shot on the floor but also needs to limit his turnovers while getting his teammates involved.

But the Bulls also need another big performance from their role players, which they were able to get from them in Game 4. Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng have all played pretty well as the Heat have really worked on shutting down Rose. Rose has been able to make some spectacular plays and shown signs of life on offense, though the Heat have been able to really frustrate him overall and limit his potential. But the series could completely turn around if Chicago can pull it together and get a big win tonight in front of their fans, something that could propel them to push the series as far as it can go.

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Bulls Lose in OT

djames — Wed, 25 May 2011 15:20:58 +0000

Though the Bulls came very close to knotting the series, the Miami Heat pulled it together in the fourth quarter and in overtime, helping them grab the win and a 3-1 series lead. While the Bulls did a great job shutting down Dwyane Wade for much of the game, D. Wade took over in OT and carried Miami to the win and a full command of the series as it shifts back to Chicago. But while Wade was there in the end, it was LeBron James who once again was the star, as the former two-time MVP poured in 35 points, swatted three shots and ripped two steals. LeBron also has had a highlight-reel block on Derrick Rose in the first half.

Though Derrick Rose had a couple of highlights himself, including a ridiculous dunk, the current MVP really struggled to shoot from the outside and ultimately couldn’t get his teammates going. Rose ended up with six assists and seven assists while shooting eight for 26 from the floor. The rest of the team put together a strong game as Joakim Noah put up 14 big boards and six assists while Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng both scored 20 points. But eventually the Bulls will have to find a way to get Rose going offensively outside of highlight-reel dunks, which just hasn’t happened so far this series. Rose will have another chance to rally around his home crowd tonight as the Bulls look to get back in the series.

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Bulls Face Must-Win

djames — Tue, 24 May 2011 08:20:32 +0000

The Bulls’ margin for error is now very small, as the top seed in the entire NBA playoffs face a 3-1 deficit if they can’t find a way to pull out a tough win against the Heat in Miami tonight. Though the Bulls looked very strong in a Game 1 win, the Heat have made some big adjustments and received major contributions from both Chris Bosh and Udonis Haslem down low, helping give Miami a 2-1 series lead heading into Game 4. One positive sign is that Carlos Boozer sprang to life in Game 3, though the rest of the Bulls offense really struggled to find good looks and ultimately was shut down by the Miami defense.

While the Bulls get ready for their crucial Game 4 tonight, the Western Conference could be all but decided after Dallas stole Game 4 away from the Thunder last night. Though the Thunder got out to a huge fourth quarter lead and it looked like they had the game in the bag, Dirk Nowitzki got red-hot and the Mavs forced overtime. In OT, the Mavs continued their surge and ultimately held off the Thunder to avoid a 2-2 tie and escape with a 3-1 series lead as the series heads back to Dallas. The game should serve as a warning for the Bulls in case they get out to a lead as anything can happen in the playoffs, even when the game seems all but over.

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Bulls Get Dominated By Bosh, Down 2-1

djames — Mon, 23 May 2011 20:30:47 +0000

Though the Bulls got a huge night from Carlos Boozer yesterday, they simply couldn’t slow down Chris Bosh and the Heat ended up taking Game 3, giving them their first series lead. The Bulls now will need to recover quickly and find a way to win Game 4 or they’ll be in big trouble moving forward in the series. In Game 3, the Bulls struggled to find room in the Heat defense and couldn’t find offense outside of Boozer and Rose. Even with 26 points and 17 rebounds from Boozer, Derrick Rose couldn’t get the rest of the team going and he ended up with just five assists. Joakim Noah actually had a strong passing game, helping the Bulls stay close, but in the end the Heat were too strong.

With 34 points from Chris Bosh and a great distributing night from LeBron James, the Bulls looked mostly outmatched. Bosh was hitting everything from the floor and LeBron turned into a distributor with his teammates playing extremely well. Though Bosh was the big story, LeBron dished out 10 assists, had zero turnovers, made all nine free throws and played exceptional defense. In crunch time, when the Bulls tried to make a run, LeBron started looking for his shot and ended up clinching the game with a couple big late buckets. The Bulls now only have one more day to recover before having to face the Heat in Game 4 tomorrow night with their backs against the wall.

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Bulls Need More From Boozer

djames — Fri, 20 May 2011 16:33:32 +0000

The Bulls have gotten pretty far with their formula of a dominant superstar, Derrick Rose, and a couple timely scorers. Now, with the Heat evening the series at a game apiece, it looks like the Bulls need to find some more offense or they’ll be in jeopardy of getting knocked out before reaching the NBA Finals. In Game 2, the Heat turned Rose into a volume shooter, which is one of the ways that the Bulls’ offense can get severely limited. In order for the Bulls to get back on track, they’ll need more from Carlos Boozer, who hasn’t looked particularly healthy in the postseason, even when he’s shown flashes of his former self. If the Bulls want to win the series, they’ll have to get some more consistent post scoring from Boozer or they’ll have a very tough time competing with the energetic Heat defense.

Luckily for the Bulls, they’ll have a couple more days to contemplate how to get their offense going, with an unusual four-day stretch of not playing at all. The series will pick back up on Sunday in Miami, a place that is sure to have an energetic atmosphere. The Bulls also need to find a way to limit Udonis Haslem, who came off the bench to provide an enormous spark for the Heat in Game 2.

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