If you hype something and it succeeds,
you’re a genius – it wasn’t a hype. If you
hype it and it fails, then it was just a hype.
-Neil Bogart
CHICAGO — A matchup two years in the making proved more ragged than explosive. The juxtaposition of two all-star point guards trying to spark flint in a game both cities wanted if just to feel something catch and burn for a night, resulted in a sloppy – and at times lackadaisical – demonstration of a faux showdown. Turns out, Chicago was the better team Monday – and Derrick Rose wasn’t necessarily the catalyst. Lead down the stretch by Carlos Boozer and Mike Dunleavy Jr. who combined for 33 points on 65 percent shooting, the Bulls pulled away from the Cavaliers late, 96-81 on Monday night.
Carlos Boozer continued his display of methodic fade-away jumpers, pivoting lay-ins, and fourth quarter masochistic screams en route to his fifth game this season shooting above 56 percent from the field (only shot above that percentage twice in his career, so let’s all just wait for Carlos to be…Carlos sometime soon). The hyper-dispersed offensive production can found in the stat line, with each of Chicago’s starters in double-figures for points. Derrick Rose play didn’t exceed expectations but it was enough to keep Cleveland at bay and Chicago in the half-court preying on the Cavaliers’ 18 turnovers (most this season).
Rose also had BY FAR his best game defensively, holding Irving to a 0-6 start from the field and forcing countless turnovers and fast breaks with his lateral stability and improved positioning in Tom Thibodeau’s defensive system. DRose did leave late in the game however, as a result of a “minor sprain…nothing really bad.” Hopefully this is more truth than optimistic outlook from the Bulls training staff.
Kirk Hinrich and Luol Deng played like men ready to head out of town at season’s end, after a wretched 22 percent combined shooting night from the two veterans. This doesn’t even indicate how poorly Hinrich was defensively, particularly in the half-court, refusing to stop Irving or Dion Waiters when prompted. Both will have to pick up their play if they want the Bulls to re-sign them at the end of the year.
Andrew Bynum played with shades of the fortress Cleveland desired when they signed the 7-footer, frustrating Joakim Noah and producing reasonable numbers considering restricted minutes (21) – finishing with 11 points and 6 rebounds.
Tristan Thompson also had a balanced game – relentlessly driving and overwhelming the defensive liability that is Carolos Boozer – finishing with 14 points and 13 rebounds (5th double-double this year). However it was the dawdling start of Kyrie Irving that kept most of those salivating before tip dry throughout the entire first half. Scoring just two points in the first twenty-four minutes, Irving brought the game within catching distance in the fourth quarter before Chicago counteracted the surge.
Game Ball: Mike Dunleavy Jr. As painful as his transparent skin appears on camera and any jump shot he takes inside of 23-feet, he found the bottom of the net when his team needed him most, connecting on a multitude of three-pointers and long jumpers throughout the fourth quarter when Chicago was struggling to hammer in the final nails of the proverbial coffin. We haven’t seen Mike Dunleavy Jr. that animated since:
Although he and Kirk Hinrich were arguably the worst defenders on the court Monday night, caught flat-footed on a variety of occasions, his offensive game and team interlocking took a significant step forward as he embraced the bright lights for the first time in his new city.
Josh Planos
Contributor @ Sportswunderkin | Contractor @ Tomorrow’s Online Marketing |
| Intern @ Rivals.com |
| Email: [email protected] |
| Follow me on Twitter: @jplanos |
With the 2013 NBA preseason in the books for Chicago Bulls fans (8-0), it’s finally time to – yet again – revel in the moments just before the nautical dawn of the 2013-2014 regular season. The good news is we only have to sit close-fisted 96 more hours to see what many of us have been waiting upon for well over a year. The tantalizing notion of a championship in a city that has been swept under the rug by LeBron James governed teams for three of the last four seasons or the unlikely aptitude of a Thibodeau squad to remain in any way cohesive physically by season’s end.
While Mike Dunleavy, Tony Snell, and Erik Murphy are in no way transcending pieces, this team appears far more balanced and dangerous in the half-court than any since Thibodeau came on three years ago.
It’s almost humorous to consider the Bulls are looking to improve on what many believed to be a quasi-hollow 2012 season, a mixture of insatiable progress and unnerving torment. The desire for progression and respect from a battered yet dauntless coalition whose shear will-power kept a city afloat into the second round of the playoffs.
After reexamining their 2013-2014 regular season schedule, I have Chicago going 61-21. Still seeing the Heat coming out as the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference at 63-19 and taking the season series against the Bulls, but a closer conference hierarchy in 2013 than we’ve seen in a while.
Most intriguing games:
10/29/13 – at Heat: This is it. Here’s to hoping Nazr Mohammed isn’t starting at center with Noah doing his best rendition of Greg Oden in the past week. Expect beaming smiles, shiny rings, and explosions the whole family can enjoy.
11/06/13 – at Pacers: Noah/Hibbert Rose/Hill Butler/George, I’m sold.
11/24/13 – at Clippers: What will this Chris Paul – Derrick Rose matchup yield? An overwhelming amount of advertisements both are stars in? Please no more, State Farm. I’m also slightly hoping Jordan or Griffin have a fast-break opportunity on Boozer just because.
12/11/13 – at Knicks: A shootout or a shutdown. Jr. Smith going off or Thibodeau going hoarse by halftime, which one is more plausible?
12/19/13 – at Thunder: With Westbrook back, the Thunder transition game will be in full-effect. Boozer could do the impossible and out-muscle an opponent for the first time since his Utah days. God only knows what Kendrick Perkins’ off-season consisted of.
01/29/13 – at Spurs: When searching for Rose’s highlights, you’ll find a multitude of them coming against a Tim Duncan matchup: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZimlxGDbPi0
02/09/13 – at Lakers: With Kobe back and the all-time scoring ranks on his mind, this matchup is sure to produce something memorable: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxHl9JYm-IM
03/03/13 – at Nets: Will Jason Terry make a fool of himself in front of a national audience? Will Noah blaze his pistols? All I know is this should end up being a game both of these teams desperately want.
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Soldier Field erupted Sunday in a way unseen since a loaded-defense and special teams unit (Devin Hester, mostly) that may well be the best unit in the past decade, stormed into the Super Bowl in 2006. It was a sight for the sorest of eyes.
When Cutler lead perhaps the most improbable drive of his career since coming to Chicago – ultimately concluding with a perfect back-shoulder-fade to Martellus Bennett who crashed into the end-zone with just ten seconds remaining – the little boy in me was ready to scream towards the heavens a quote that Chicago natives have applied to four different major-market sport franchises: this is our year. But is it?
Much like the Bears Super Bowl run in 2006, it’s important to remember in the NFL it’s not how you start but how you finish. Eli Manning has made a career out of this mantra alone (see 2008 New York Giants Wikipedia page). After a 31-30 win Sunday against division foe Minnesota, the Bears have beaten (albeit narrowly) two 2012 Playoff teams and are just one of eight NFL teams to begin the season 2-0. This is the first time Chicago’s remained unblemished after Week 2 since 2010.
Chicago cannot claim to be notoriously fast-starters, but they are proficient at collapsing. Since 2011, they have unraveled over the last 5 games of the season – with 1-4 and 2-3 records to show alongside the gut-wrenching anxiety that Chicagoans know simply as January. As exciting as Hester’s kickoff-return was to open Super Bowl XLI:
Lovie Smith would be the first to attest the vitality of a strong finish over the promise of an enthusing start.
To clarify, Bears fans should be ecstatic. However, a rational fan is wise – and anyone can pin the lack of a run-game as a concern. Matt Forte has accrued just 140yds on 38car’s thus far (3.7ypc) – with just 1td. This is problematic. All roads lead through the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers, who are all inside the top 18 in the latest NFL Power Rankings. This is problematic.
The good news is, Green Bay has the 30th best passing defense in the league and if the 49ers can handle them, the Bears can…try? Chicago hasn’t beaten Green Bay since Sep. 27, 2010 and have gone 1-6 in that same frame.
Cutler is a wildcard. Every team he has ever played for has known so. He can make plays like this:
But he can also make passes like this:
Cutler has shown serious improvement in leadership, which was clearly evident when his team ran the one-minute offense to perfection against Minnesota Sunday, but his timing and care for the ball will be tested often this year with games against Pittsburgh, New Orleans, Baltimore, and Dallas remaining. Cutler just always strikes me as the guy at the party who’s clearly unenthused with any/all forms of entertainment, the one who mooches the vodka all whilst never displaying any means of sympathy or excitement. The good news is Brandon Marshall appears to be the man at parties, who has put himself in a position to make the Pro-Bowl this year.
If the Bears win on Sunday against Pittsburgh underneath the primetime lights, we might have something brewing. Until then, we can enjoy this week’s satisfaction and pray that the Bears – under new head coach Marc Trestman – have found something different in this Canadian Kool-Aid, and can jump a three-year hurdle into the Playoffs.
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