Playoff Positioning

[All4One1ForAll]

If Washington loses to Charlotte tomorrow (they just lost to Charlotte a couple games ago at home, and now they play them at Charlotte), and we win against the Clippers, we'll have the 3rd seed. Not bad considering our start.

 

[teamballer]

The Bulls being a threat to us was contingent on Derrick Rose getting back to some semblance of what he was before his injury. That hasn't happened. A Bulls team with "League Average Player Derrick Rose" isn't a threat to us at all. Add to that the fact that Thibs appears to have lost the team and I just don't see them making much noise in the East.

Not that I think the Bulls are a serious threat (I was actually shocked by how overrated they were even in the offseason) but the whole Thibs lost the team thing is being overstated by the media. I really can't recall any team tuning out their coach in the playoffs. Regular season, sure, some players will sabotage their coach and not try as hard. In the playoffs, though, all of that goes out the window. No player wants to lose a playoff series.

 

[godfather]

The Bulls being a threat to us was contingent on Derrick Rose getting back to some semblance of what he was before his injury. That hasn't happened. A Bulls team with "League Average Player Derrick Rose" isn't a threat to us at all. Add to that the fact that Thibs appears to have lost the team and I just don't see them making much noise in the East.

I agree, but I don't think anyone anticipated Bulter blossoming into a star. I mean Butler, Gasol, Noah, and even a somewhat good Rose is a pretty stacked team, with a lot of really nice role plays like Hinrich, Gibson, Brooks, and Mirotic.

Right now they're a mess, but I am willing to give them a little bit of the benefit of the doubt. They can still make a trade, tweak the roster a bit, maybe Rose stops playing thinking he is the old Rose (I think that's been a big problem too).

Not sure Rose has to be the old Rose, but he needs to be willing to adapt his game, and thus far he doesn't seem to really want to.

So they might be a chemistry mess, but they're still very talented.

 

[Jack Brickman]

I agree, but I don't think anyone anticipated Bulter blossoming into a star. I mean Butler, Gasol, Noah, and even a somewhat good Rose is a pretty stacked team, with a lot of really nice role plays like Hinrich, Gibson, Brooks, and Mirotic.

Right now they're a mess, but I am willing to give them a little bit of the benefit of the doubt. They can still make a trade, tweak the roster a bit, maybe Rose stops playing thinking he is the old Rose (I think that's been a big problem too).

Not sure Rose has to be the old Rose, but he needs to be willing to adapt his game, and thus far he doesn't seem to really want to.

So they might be a chemistry mess, but they're still very talented.

Butler has really come back down to earth though after an amazing start. In January, he only shot 41.7%. Not bad, but not the absurd percentages he was putting up earlier this season.

 

[godfather]

Butler has really come back down to earth though after an amazing start. In January, he only shot 41.7%. Not bad, but not the absurd percentages he was putting up earlier this season.

I've said this before, and I'll say this again. Much like Kyrie Irving, I don't think Rose is a point guard at all.

I can't even judge Butler too much, because playing with Derrick Rose has got to be hard on other scorers. Unless you're a spot up shooter, then its probably not doing Butler much justice.

If I were Chicago, I'd be in the market for a point guard. Far as I am concern, they don't have one, and that's always been a problem for the Bulls with Derrick Rose.

Move him to the 2 guard, get a real point guard, and I'd be very scared to play them.

Derrick Rose is much like Allen Iverson, in that he can become a black hole on offense if you give him too much freedom. And he's definitely not as talented as he was, so that's a big problem for the Bulls.

 

[KilgoreTrout]

The Bulls being a threat to us was contingent on Derrick Rose getting back to some semblance of what he was before his injury. That hasn't happened. A Bulls team with "League Average Player Derrick Rose" isn't a threat to us at all. Add to that the fact that Thibs appears to have lost the team and I just don't see them making much noise in the East.

I'll be damned. I had thought Rose was playing well, when he was playing, but he really DOES have a PER of 16.04. He's Wesley Matthews.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/statistics/_/page/3

Everyone was climbing over themselves to predict the Bulls in the Finals, before the season started. Derrick Rose really is back! Guess not...

 

[KilgoreTrout]

I've said this before, and I'll say this again. Much like Kyrie Irving, I don't think Rose is a point guard at all.

I can't even judge Butler too much, because playing with Derrick Rose has got to be hard on other scorers. Unless you're a spot up shooter, then its probably not doing Butler much justice.

If I were Chicago, I'd be in the market for a point guard. Far as I am concern, they don't have one, and that's always been a problem for the Bulls with Derrick Rose.

Move him to the 2 guard, get a real point guard, and I'd be very scared to play them.

Derrick Rose is much like Allen Iverson, in that he can become a black hole on offense if you give him too much freedom. And he's definitely not as talented as he was, so that's a big problem for the Bulls.

Rose still used to average 7 APG. Kyrie's never done that. Now Rose is down to 4.9 (< Kyrie).

 

[All4One1ForAll]

 

[wuck]

If the season ended today, the Cavs would not have to swap their first-round draft pick with Chicago, Chicago would not be able to use the Sacramento first-round pick, Miami would forfeit their first-round draft pick to Philadelphia, and neither of the first-round picks that the Cavs traded for Mozgov would vest this year.

I'm bored on a Cavs off-night.

 

[KI4MVP]

Now we need to follow through and keep winning.

 

[Snarly]

If the season ended today, the Cavs would not have to swap their first-round draft pick with Chicago, Chicago would not be able to use the Sacramento first-round pick, Miami would forfeit their first-round draft pick to Philadelphia, and neither of the first-round picks that the Cavs traded for Mozgov would vest this year.

I'm bored on a Cavs off-night.

The best thing is we were all in a panic with the "let it all out" thread soaring. Well now your post just put all that behind. Finally I can say this with out feeling odd about it. We are looking like master minds right now.

 

[The Oi]

Not that I think the Bulls are a serious threat (I was actually shocked by how overrated they were even in the offseason) but the whole Thibs lost the team thing is being overstated by the media. I really can't recall any team tuning out their coach in the playoffs. Regular season, sure, some players will sabotage their coach and not try as hard. In the playoffs, though, all of that goes out the window. No player wants to lose a playoff series.

Kobe!

 

[Cavsfan161]

In other news how about steph curry damn

 

[Ryan Gladish]

He aint got nothin on that Kyrie 55.

 

[Jack Brickman]

I'll be damned. I had thought Rose was playing well, when he was playing, but he really DOES have a PER of 16.04. He's Wesley Matthews.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/statistics/_/page/3

Everyone was climbing over themselves to predict the Bulls in the Finals, before the season started. Derrick Rose really is back! Guess not...

If Derrick Rose played for Cleveland, he would have the fifth highest PER on the team (sixth if you count Varejao).

LeBron James - 26.17
Kyrie Irving - 20.92
Kevin Love - 18.72
Timofey Mozgov - 18.00*

*This is his PER since joining the Cavs.

Derrick Rose just isn't a great player any more, and that makes the Bulls no longer scary.