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After a successful 3-1 homestand the Cavaliers hit the road for a short two-game trip, starting with the first game of the season against the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls got off to a rough start but have righted the ship and won 8 of their last 11 games. The winning streak coincides exactly with the injury to star guard Zach LaVine. The Bulls are 5-13 when LaVine plays and 8-4 without him.
The Bulls have won five straight at home. In the last 11 games their only losses were to Miami and Milwaukee on the road and Denver at home. They beat Milwaukee, New Orleans, Philly, and the Lakers. The split with Milwaukee involved both games going to overtime, so at the moment they are playing at the same level as the 21-7 Bucks. The Bulls are playing great basketball.
In their last 11 games they are averaging 115.5 ppg, which would put them 14th. They rank 12th in scoring defense. Over the last two weeks cleaningtheglass.com has them 9th in point differential, 11th in offense, and 10th in defense.
Offensively the Bulls are more of an outside shooting team, ranking 29th in 2-point shooting percentage and points in the paint. They are 20th in 3-point rate and 16th in 3-point percentage. They rank 28th in assists per possession so they’re more of an isolation team. As a result they don’t turn the ball over much, ranking 2nd in fewest turnovers per possession. They get the matchup they want and go one-on-one.
The Cavs should try and stay in front of them on the perimeter and contest 3-pointers since they are decent at 3-point shooting but second worst at 2-point shots and in the paint. They’re not a particularly tall team; all their starters are 6’5 to 6’7 except for the center, Vucevic, who is 6’10” and his backup, Andre Drummond.
Defensively the Bulls are about average in opponents’ effective field goal percentage, 2-point percentage, 3-point percentage, free throws, block percentage, and defensive rebounding. But they are 12th in scoring defense because they are 5th in forcing turnovers. They are also 5th in steals, so the Cavs need to focus on protecting the ball against a smaller but very athletic team that excels at stealing the ball. The Cavs should avoid forcing passes into tight windows and just attack the rim when they get a good matchup. The Bulls rank 20th in opponents’ 3-point percentage so the Cavs should hoist 3’s when they have a good look and drive when they don’t.
In their last 11 games the Bulls are allowing an average of 109.2 points, which would be 3rd if it were for the entire season. They are playing excellent defense.
DeMar DeRozan leads the Bulls in scoring at 22.3 ppg on 46% from the field and 36% on 3’s. He’s the master of the mid-range jumper, but age may be catching up to the 34-year-old as his effective field goal percentage is in the 18th percentile. It was in the 40’s the last two years. Also, the Bulls are over 10 points worse defensively when he’s on the floor and 10.5 points worse overall.
Center Nikola Vucevic averages 16.6 points and 10.3 rebounds. PG Coby White is having a great season with 17.6 points on 46% overall and a blistering 42.3% on 3’s. The Bulls are 10.5 points better when he is on the floor, second only to PF Patrick Williams. LaVine, by the way, is -10.6 which explains why they are winning so much more without him.
Patrick Williams, who was taken one pick ahead of Isaac Okoro in 2020, must be playing great defense. He’s averaging 10.0 ppg but the Bulls are outscoring opponents by 15.2 points when he’s on the floor. He’s in the 89th percentile in block percentage among forwards so he’s definitely altering shots.
The Bulls are on a roll right now, having won 8 of 11 and beaten some good teams in the process. Their offense has gone from bad to average and they are playing great defense. This will be a very tall order for the depleted Cavaliers roster. Donovan Mitchell is still out with an illness, Sam Merrill is questionable, and of course Garland and Mobley are out for the rest of the year (the year 2023, that is).
The Bulls have won five straight at home. In the last 11 games their only losses were to Miami and Milwaukee on the road and Denver at home. They beat Milwaukee, New Orleans, Philly, and the Lakers. The split with Milwaukee involved both games going to overtime, so at the moment they are playing at the same level as the 21-7 Bucks. The Bulls are playing great basketball.
In their last 11 games they are averaging 115.5 ppg, which would put them 14th. They rank 12th in scoring defense. Over the last two weeks cleaningtheglass.com has them 9th in point differential, 11th in offense, and 10th in defense.
Offensively the Bulls are more of an outside shooting team, ranking 29th in 2-point shooting percentage and points in the paint. They are 20th in 3-point rate and 16th in 3-point percentage. They rank 28th in assists per possession so they’re more of an isolation team. As a result they don’t turn the ball over much, ranking 2nd in fewest turnovers per possession. They get the matchup they want and go one-on-one.
The Cavs should try and stay in front of them on the perimeter and contest 3-pointers since they are decent at 3-point shooting but second worst at 2-point shots and in the paint. They’re not a particularly tall team; all their starters are 6’5 to 6’7 except for the center, Vucevic, who is 6’10” and his backup, Andre Drummond.
Defensively the Bulls are about average in opponents’ effective field goal percentage, 2-point percentage, 3-point percentage, free throws, block percentage, and defensive rebounding. But they are 12th in scoring defense because they are 5th in forcing turnovers. They are also 5th in steals, so the Cavs need to focus on protecting the ball against a smaller but very athletic team that excels at stealing the ball. The Cavs should avoid forcing passes into tight windows and just attack the rim when they get a good matchup. The Bulls rank 20th in opponents’ 3-point percentage so the Cavs should hoist 3’s when they have a good look and drive when they don’t.
In their last 11 games the Bulls are allowing an average of 109.2 points, which would be 3rd if it were for the entire season. They are playing excellent defense.
DeMar DeRozan leads the Bulls in scoring at 22.3 ppg on 46% from the field and 36% on 3’s. He’s the master of the mid-range jumper, but age may be catching up to the 34-year-old as his effective field goal percentage is in the 18th percentile. It was in the 40’s the last two years. Also, the Bulls are over 10 points worse defensively when he’s on the floor and 10.5 points worse overall.
Center Nikola Vucevic averages 16.6 points and 10.3 rebounds. PG Coby White is having a great season with 17.6 points on 46% overall and a blistering 42.3% on 3’s. The Bulls are 10.5 points better when he is on the floor, second only to PF Patrick Williams. LaVine, by the way, is -10.6 which explains why they are winning so much more without him.
Patrick Williams, who was taken one pick ahead of Isaac Okoro in 2020, must be playing great defense. He’s averaging 10.0 ppg but the Bulls are outscoring opponents by 15.2 points when he’s on the floor. He’s in the 89th percentile in block percentage among forwards so he’s definitely altering shots.
The Bulls are on a roll right now, having won 8 of 11 and beaten some good teams in the process. Their offense has gone from bad to average and they are playing great defense. This will be a very tall order for the depleted Cavaliers roster. Donovan Mitchell is still out with an illness, Sam Merrill is questionable, and of course Garland and Mobley are out for the rest of the year (the year 2023, that is).
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