# OFFICIAL PLAYOFFS THREAD-- First Round: Chicago Bulls v. Miami Heat



## Showtyme (Jun 24, 2002)

Well, I've never made a game thread before, but I figured I'd give this a shot.

*First Round Eastern Conference Playoffs: the Miami Heat vs. the Chicago Bulls*
Game 1 - Saturday, 8 pm ESPN
Game 2 - Monday, 8 pm TNT
Game 3 - Thursday, 8 pm
Game 4 - Sunday, 1 pm 
All times ET​








*Chicago Bulls*
(41-41, 4th Central Division)






































​*Kirk Hinrich*
3rd-year G, Kansas
15.8 ppg, _6.3 apg_ (15th in NBA), _1.18 spg_, 36.5 mpg.

*Ben Gordon*
2nd-year G, Connecticut
_16.8 ppg_, 2.9 apg, 2.7 rpg, _43.9% 3pt_ (5th in NBA)

*Andres Nocioni*
2nd-year F, Argentina
13 ppg, 6 rpg, 39.2% 3pt, 83.9% FT (leads starters)

*Malik Allen*
5th-year F, Villanova
4.9 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 48.8% FG (7 ppg and 3.7 rpg as a starter)

*Michael Sweetney*
3rd-year F/C, Georgetown
8.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 18.5 mpg

*Bench*




























*Luol Deng*
2nd-year F, Duke
14.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.9 apg, .92 spg

*Tyson Chandler*
5th-year F/C, Dominguez HS (CA)
5.3 ppg, _9.1 rpg_, 3.4 offensive rpg (3rd in NBA), 1.31 bpg, 56.6% FG.

*Chris Duhon*
2nd-year G, Duke
8.7 ppg, 5.1 apg, .95 spg, 3.16 A/TO (8th in NBA)

*Luke Schenscher*
1st-year C, Georgia Tech
1.8 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 61.5% FG

_____________________________________________

v.
_____________________________________________








*Miami Heat*
(52-29, 1st Southeast Division)




































*Dwyane Wade*
2nd-year G, Marquette
_27.2 ppg_ (5th in NBA), 5.7 rpg, _6.7 apg, 1.95 spg_ (6th in NBA), 49.5% FG

*Jason Williams*
8th-year G, Florida
12.3 ppg, 4.9 apg, 37.2% 3pt, 2.87 A/TO (13th in NBA)

*Antoine Walker*
10th-year F, Kentucky
12.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2.0 apg, 35.4% 3pt

*Udonis Haslem*
3rd-year F, Florida
9.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 50.9% FG

*Shaquille O'Neal*
14-year C, LSU
20.0 ppg, _9.2 rpg, 1.76 bpg, 60.0% FG_ (leads NBA)

*Bench*





























*Gary Payton*
16th-year G, Oregon State
7.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 3.2 apg

*James Posey*
7th-year G, Xavier (Ohio)
7.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.3 apg, .79 spg, _40.3% 3pt_

*Derek Anderson*
9th-year G, Kentucky
8.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.3 apg.

*Alonzo Mourning*
13-year C, Georgetown
7.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg, _2.66 bpg_ (3rd in NBA)


__________________________________________

*In The Media*​
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/...20apr20,0,4325710.story?coll=sfla-sports-heat
_
"They're *athletic and young and they're all freewheeling*," point guard Gary Payton said. "They're playing really loose, so it's going to be a good challenge."
...
Riley is expected back in South Florida today, with Wade, O'Neal and Williams expected to be in Saturday's starting lineup.

With Williams getting the tendinitis in his right knee under control, and with forward James Posey apparently beyond the tendinitis in his right Achilles, the only lingering concern is the recovery of center Alonzo Mourning from a partially torn right calf muscle.

*The team said Mourning is expected to be available Saturday.* The Heat today will have to trim its 15-man active list to a 13-player playoff roster, with second-year guard Dorell Wright and rookie center Earl Barron most likely to be deactivated. Wright scored 20 Wednesday._


http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060419/APS/604191237 
_"The season was on the ropes for a while," Bulls coach Scott Skiles said after his team's win Wednesday night. "And they turned it around, and did it in an impressive fashion."

Miami also played its final two games without coach Pat Riley, who traveled home to upstate New York on Sunday night to be with his ailing 96-year-old mother. It's believed Riley may return to South Florida on Thursday to begin playoff preparations.

The Heat won the season series with Chicago 2-1, *with the road team prevailing in all three meetings. Wade averaged only 12.3 points on 24.3 percent shooting in those games - his lowest numbers against any opponent this season.*_


http://chicagosports.chicagotribune...lsgamer,1,872983.story?coll=cs-home-headlines
_But he came close to gushing over his players Wednesday as his team *closed the regular season with a defensive field-goal percentage of .426, the best in the NBA for the second straight season.* The Bulls are the first team to lead in back-to-back years since San Antonio in 1998 and 1999.

"We spend an awful lot of time on it," Skiles said of his team's defense. "It took us a little bit longer this year for the guys to start taking a lot of pride in it, but they did.

"I bet if you went back 20 or 30 years in the league, nobody ever has done it with guys this young. It's a great accomplishment for a young team."_

*Showtyme's Keys To The Series*​
Points In The Paint
Dwyane Wade v. Kirk Hinrich
Fouls and Free Throws
Do What Got You Here: Stingy Defense and Shared Offense

GO BULLS!!
:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:​


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## El Chapu (Oct 23, 2004)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

Nice presentation Showtyme. 

Are there any official dates?


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## Showtyme (Jun 24, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



El Chapu said:


> Nice presentation Showtyme.
> 
> Are there any official dates?


I've been looking but nothing's posted yet. I think they'll be released sometime tomorrow, at which point I'll update the thread.

Thanks!


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## Simpleton (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

Is Songaila even playing?


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## ndistops (Oct 31, 2005)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

Game 1 - Saturday, 8 pm ESPN
Game 2 - Monday, 8 pm TNT
Game 3 - Thursday, 8 pm (TV TBA)
Game 4 - Sunday, 1 pm (TV TBA)

We'll go from there.

I found out that, should it happen, Game 6 is on Thursday the 4th - meaning I can't go even though I have tickets because I have a final on the 5th


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## Showtyme (Jun 24, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



ndistops said:


> Game 1 - Saturday, 8 pm ESPN
> Game 2 - Monday, 8 pm TNT
> Game 3 - Thursday, 8 pm (TV TBA)
> Game 4 - Sunday, 1 pm (TV TBA)
> ...



Thanks for the info. I've put the dates into the original post.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/schedule


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## TwinkieTowers (Jul 16, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

As seemingly one of the few non-realist, optimistic Bulls fans on this board, I expect the Bulls to win the series in seven games.

The good news is that Deng is finally in the playoffs. His inside presence (in a face-the-basket, slashing sense) will be valuable, a presence that was sorely missed in last year's playoffs, as will his likely defense on Antoine Walker and/or James Posey. He has also shown the last few games a very nice-looking jumper with great rotation.

I believe Sweetney's play could be pivotal. He is the closest, weight-wise, to Shaq and is five inches shorter, making his center of gravity lower, and thus, making him *slightly harder to push around than most of his defenders are. He also occasionally shows very good craftiness in his post offense.

If Songaila indeed comes back, expect him and Allen taking turns on drawing Shaq or Mourning away from the paint with their exceptional midrange shooting. If either can hit their shots, watch Deng and Noc slash their way to the basket often.

Another positive thing to note is that the Bulls free throw attempts differential has actually lowered to -6.2, from -7.5 about a month ago. Aside from that horrible 76ers game, the Bulls have been getting to the line a heck of a lot more lately. 

The Bulls are known league-wide for their non-stop motor play, but, duh, this is the playoffs, where every team will be playing the same way the Bulls have been all season. Hey, I'm no professional basketball analyst, but I'm saying what I'm thinking, and I think the Bulls have a legitimate shot at beating the Heat.

Heck, even Sam Smith is saying it, of all people. 
http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/cs-060419smithscout,1,4145219.column?coll=cs-home-headlines


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## ScottMay (Jun 15, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

I believe the Bulls can win the series vs. Miami -- that's right, win it, not merely be competitive -- if they employ the same strategy Phil Jackson employed in the 1996 East Finals. The Magic had two individual players (Shaq and Penny) that the Bulls couldn't dream of stopping one-on-one, so they didn't even try. They let Shaq and Penny run wild and focused on stopping everyone else, and the result was an easy series win.

I think we should do the same with the Heat. If we aggressively try to stop Shaq and Wade, we're going to set a series record for most fouls committed, and they're going to combine for at least 50 points on an off-night anyway. Let's play strong one-on-one defense on Shaq and Wade, but not go crazy throwing the kitchen sink at them. If their pressure valve guys like Walker, Posey, Williams, and Haslem have big games, we're probably sunk.

Let the games begin!


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## theanimal23 (Mar 2, 2005)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

Heat 4-2, but I can really see our team taking it to 7. We will need SOLID performances each game from Kirk, Ben, Noce, and Deng. Lets hope Tyson of all people is ready to play. I want to see what he is made of here. Earn your contract buddy.


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## narek (Jul 29, 2005)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

Sam Smith thinks the Bulls have a chance. Is that a good thing or a bad thing:

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune...cout,1,4145219.column?coll=cs-bulls-headlines



> Now it's the Bulls who get to find out two of the biggest questions hanging over the NBA this season:
> 
> Did Pat Riley overreact with the personnel changes he made to the Miami Heat after it was minutes away from going to the NBA Finals last year?
> 
> ...


More at the link.


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## IbizaXL (Sep 21, 2005)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

im hoping for an exciting 1st Round :cheers:


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## step (Sep 19, 2005)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

Put most of my uCash on the Bulls, now they better win!


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## Showtyme (Jun 24, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



ScottMay said:


> I believe the Bulls can win the series vs. Miami -- that's right, win it, not merely be competitive -- if they employ the same strategy Phil Jackson employed in the 1996 East Finals. The Magic had two individual players (Shaq and Penny) that the Bulls couldn't dream of stopping one-on-one, so they didn't even try. They let Shaq and Penny run wild and focused on stopping everyone else, and the result was an easy series win.
> 
> I think we should do the same with the Heat. If we aggressively try to stop Shaq and Wade, we're going to set a series record for most fouls committed, and they're going to combine for at least 50 points on an off-night anyway. Let's play strong one-on-one defense on Shaq and Wade, but not go crazy throwing the kitchen sink at them. If their pressure valve guys like Walker, Posey, Williams, and Haslem have big games, we're probably sunk.
> 
> Let the games begin!


I think we could leave Hinrich on Wade for one-on-one. But I don't think Hack-A-Shaq will be as a bad an idea as it has been in the past.

Schenscher, Sweetney, and Malik Allen, although they can sometimes contribute in spurts, are basically 15 fouls that we can use up on Shaq. Chandler can do his best but we'll need the double team... for some reason I feel like Nocioni should be the guy to double down the most, as Hinrich can't leave Wade. And if Chandler's too busy trying to defend Shaq one-on-one, then he can't be as effective in patrolling the paint and protecting against the slashers. However, I've noticed in recent games that Shaq doesn't bully around down low as much. Miami is one of the best lobbing teams in the league, but Shaq doesn't receive the ball as much behind his defender. They like him getting the ball near the block with him coordinating the offense from there on certain plays.

Have Deng try to lock up Antoine Walker. 

And after that, I think we can try and make Jason Williams, Gary Payton, and Udonis Haslem try to beat us. In terms of offensive threats that will blow up big in any given game, Shaq, Wade, and Antoine are the primary guys.

If we get Darius back for this series, it would help a whole lot, because he's a solid guy to have in terms of the matchups. In the one game he played against Miami, a 97-100 loss in December, Darius went 8-of-9 for 19 points and 5 rebs.

To be honest, I think we retain the psychological advantage. Their stars HAVE to dominate us in four games. That's a lot of pressure for a young Dwyane Wade that historically gets shut down by Hinrich and a Shaq that is aged and not 100%. We have nothing to lose; we weren't really supposed to make the postseason.

I think our team defense will do a good job against them; we hold them to 92.7 ppg this season, the third best defense played on them (behind San Antonio, Dallas, and New Jersey). It's just a matter of whether our points can come at the appropriate time to give us a chance to win. And I'm feeling pretty good about our offensive firepower; we're averaging 103.9 ppg in April, 38.3% from 3 pt, 45.3% from the field.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Chicago wins this series in 7 games. It will be the only upset in the Eastern Conference, except for the minor possibility of Washington upsetting Cleveland in the 4-5 matchup. I really think that we are capable of doing what we need to do to win this, if we just keep playing like we have been.


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## 7thwatch (Jul 18, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

We can score against these guys, their defense is not all that great. However, we have to find a way to continue to contain Wade. There's not much we can do about Shaq, we don't even have a very big body to throw at him. We have to shut down Wade and the rest of their vets and hope for strong showings from Kirk, Ben, Luol, and hope that its Nocioni's "birthday" every game. If our defense is good I think we can keep the games close. All I can really ask for in this series is that game by game, we give ourselves a chance to win. If we can do that, anything can happen in the final minutes.


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## DaBullz (Jul 15, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

Miami shook up their roster after a 59 win season and Riley took over as coach. They still were a 52 win team, even though they looked like they were coasting through the regular season.

I think Riley deserves a lot of respect as a coach. Everywhere he's gone, they've been pretty effective teams.

The regular season is over. Shaq is a 3-time champion who knows what the playoffs are all about. He played 59 regular season games, and just 30 minutes a game. That's indicitive that Shaq is getting up in years, and that Riley didn't want to wear him out on meaningless regular season games. Realize they're the #2 seed, and they're a pretty healthy team with a lot of talent and depth.

The big question mark is Zo. He's been out, but I suspect he'll be playing in the playoffs. It's certainly Rilely's best hope that he doesn't need Zo in the opening series, but he'll play if they need him. 

Riley's team clearly matches up against the bulls well. Consider that if the Bulls go 3 guards, Riley can counter with Wade, White Chocolate, and Payton. The Heat should dominate the Bulls inside with Shaq, Zo, and Walker (heck, their 3rd stringer, Doleac, would see LOTS of minutes on the Bulls). The Heat counters the Bulls depth with a 7 man rotation of Wade, Shaq, JWill, Walker, Haslem, Mourning, and Payton with Posey, Anderson, Doleac, and Kapono.

If the Heat want to counter 3 guards with a lineup of Wade, Zo, Shaq, Walker, and Payton, we're going to have a hard time stopping them at the defensive end, and they can play zone. We better hit those outside shots like crazy.

The Heat also will have the three best players on the court in Wade, Shaq, and Walker.

In the Bulls' favor is momentum. They're riding a 6 game win streak and a 9-1 record for their last ten games (month of April). I think they could surprise the Heat in the first game or two, but this is the playoffs and Riley won't be focusing on the Heat's next opponent after the first game. It's all on him to figure out the formula to beat the Bulls.

For certain, the Heat will have to up their play a notch, or they will not make it out of round 1. The Bulls have no real higher notch to play up to.


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## step (Sep 19, 2005)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



> The Heat also will have the three best players on the court in Wade, Shaq, and Walker.


Sorry, I stopped reading the rest when you rated Walker that high.


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## mizenkay (Dec 29, 2003)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

_Coach Scott Skiles echoed general manager John Paxson in saying *Darius Songaila is unlikely to make the team's 13-man playoff roster*, which will be announced Thursday. Songaila suffered a broken right foot last month. …_


bummer. 


http://chicagosports.chicagotribune...sbits,1,7170185.story?coll=cs-bulls-headlines


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## The ROY (Nov 11, 2004)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

LOL @ ya'll acting as if we have ANYYYYYyy chance at beating the heat.

If they made NJ look like a 10 win team last year, what do you think they'll do to us?


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## DaBullz (Jul 15, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



step said:


> Sorry, I stopped reading the rest when you rated Walker that high.


8-13, 4-4 3Pt, 22 points and 5 boards against us last game.

He's their third option. On many teams, he'd be first.


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## The ROY (Nov 11, 2004)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

The ROY's predictions : 

1. I predict the future STAR of this team will emerge in this series.

2. I predict the series will get heated, maybe due to an altercation, from the heat getting frustrated with our style of defense.


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## Rhyder (Jul 15, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



The ROY said:


> LOL @ ya'll acting as if we have ANYYYYYyy chance at beating the heat.
> 
> If they made NJ look like a 10 win team last year, what do you think they'll do to us?


Will you give me 50:1 odds on the Bulls winning the series?


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## kirkisgod (Jul 25, 2005)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

Nocioni does have some history with d-wade and I predict at some point wade will be frustrated at our aggresive style of defense and start some possible altercations. Either that or he'll score 50 on us. 

I dont see how we are ever going to stop Shaq. 

We might have the worst starting frontcourt of any playoff team ever. 

With all that said..............Bulls in 4


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## Rhyder (Jul 15, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

Rhyder's two keys to winning the series:

#1. Noc and Deng have to get Shaq in foul trouble. I don't care if Diesel blocks 4 shots in a row, keep driving at him. Shaq doesn't really draw many (called) offensive fouls, so I don't think we can rely on our guys to do this on the defensive end. Limit Shaq's minutes and we can handle Mourning, but Shaq is going to wear our frontcourt down, and I'm not talking about in the course of the game. We need to limit his minutes else our frontcourt will have nothing left by the end of the series.

#2. Kirk and Ben. These two are going to have to shoot well from three to give the Bulls a chance most games. No time for disappearing acts as Ben did last year during the playoffs. Deng and Noc improvements offensively should relieve a lot of the pressure on Kirk and Ben to hit shots. Ben has been playing with a ton of confidence lately, and I don't mean in just his shooting. He has been penetrating, drawing some fouls, passing, and playing much more consistently on defense as of late. We shouldn't need to see Pargo or Pike out on the floor unless there is garbage time at the end of a game.


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## mizenkay (Dec 29, 2003)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

just to update the TV schedule:

game three in chicago is on *TNT* and game four in chicago is on *ABC*

per bulls.com


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## T.Shock (Feb 11, 2003)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

I like TB#1's strategy of replicating the '96 finals and also a little bit of what the Pistons did against the '04 Lakers. Shaq and Wade are going to get theirs no matter what, but if they drop 30 each and we are able to hold Walker, White Chocolate, Posey, Payton, and Haslem to 20 we stand a good chance to win the game. Contain the guys that can be stopped and hope to play solid enough on the two stars to steal a couple of games.


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## Showtyme (Jun 24, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



DaBullz said:


> Miami shook up their roster after a 59 win season and Riley took over as coach. They still were a 52 win team, even though they looked like they were coasting through the regular season.
> 
> I think Riley deserves a lot of respect as a coach. Everywhere he's gone, they've been pretty effective teams.
> 
> ...


I can't really dispute anything you say here. In theory, Payton, Wade, Walker, Zo and Shaq should be enough to trample us in terms of matchups. But the Bulls, honestly, are on the losing end of MOST team matchups. But we managed to take 2 of 3 games from NJ, 3 of 4 games from Washington, 2 of 4 games from Philly (matches up way better than us), etc. We've beaten the Clippers, the Nuggets, the Spurs, the Grizzlies, the Lakers... all this season, all matched up terribly.

There's more than just grit and jib propelling our wins. We play team defense that collapses on talents, rotates quickly, and targets a team's weaknesses. It's not Hinrich vs. Wade, although that's probably the closest thing to a matchup. It's Hinrich + Gordon + Nocioni + Deng + Chandler + Scotty Skiles. In the games I've watched, our guys really swarm and force tough shots. They don't always go for the big block or gamble for the steal to create turnovers; they just hang tough and rotate their guys really well to take guys out of their game. It's not a matter of one guy smothering another guy; it's about team defense, and in this area, I think the Bulls are one of the very best.



> In the Bulls' favor is momentum. They're riding a 6 game win streak and a 9-1 record for their last ten games (month of April). I think they could surprise the Heat in the first game or two, but this is the playoffs and Riley won't be focusing on the Heat's next opponent after the first game. It's all on him to figure out the formula to beat the Bulls.
> 
> *For certain, the Heat will have to up their play a notch, or they will not make it out of round 1. The Bulls have no real higher notch to play up to.*


This is exactly the heart of it. I, and several other NBA guys on ESPN, don't think Miami is going to step up into playoff quality. I respect Pat Riley tons for his New York and L.A. days, but remember the 2001 Miami Heat team he coached? The Heat were a 3 seed, Charlotte was a 6 seed, and Miami got swept in 3 games. The Hornets were not that good a team, the Heat were one of the more talented teams in the league (Eddie Jones, Brian Grant, Anthony Mason, Alonzo Mourning all in their primes; Tim Hardaway still with some game left in him). They lost to the Hornets, a talented but emerging young team (Baron Davis, Mashburn, Eddie Robinson!!!) EDDIE ROBINSON.

Riley's team has stepped into the playoffs with more talent and gotten overcome. Shaq's still dominant but I question whether or not he can really still get it done the way he used to. Wade is Wade but as noted, Hinrich and the Bulls have a tendency to really do an effective job on him (more effective than any other team). So Payton, Walker, and Williams will have to beat us... and while those guys can step it up and go nuts, their inconsistent play is the reason for Miami's overall inconsistency this season.

It's a bold prediction, but I think Chicago will go in there and take two games from the Heat, lose one of their own at home, and win the series in 7 games.


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## Wynn (Jun 3, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

Shaq is the key. We need to put an all-out assault on the Diesel. Every play needs to drive into the lane right at him. We need to have a big body laying on him all game long. Between Sweets, Malik, O'Fella, and Schenscher, Shaq needs to smell like another man's sweat all night long. We need to keep Tyson as far away from Shaq as possible so that we have him in the game at the end to block and alter shots. 

I'm comfortable with Hinrich, Gordon, Duhon against Williams, Payton, and Wade. I'm confident that Deng will be fine against Walker. Noc and Haslem is another pair I'm comfortable with. As long as we play Shaq vs. Sweets/O'Fella/Schenscher/Malik, I think we wear the big fella down over the course of the series.

Closing four of Hinrich, Gordon, Deng, Noc, Tyson should be able to finish the job. 

I think it'll be a fun series, and certainly Miami is the favorite, but I don't think this series will be a cakewalk for either team.


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## The ROY (Nov 11, 2004)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

maybe ya'll don't remember how we were murdered by the wizards frontline last year. we're going against another type of BEAST altogether. If AD and Eddy were here, I'd fill a BIT better about our chances. But our team is just TOO small.


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## TripleDouble (Jul 26, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

3 Keys to the Bulls having any shot:

*1. Avoid Chandler playing Shaq as much as possible:*
The Bulls need Chandler to rebound and be a weakside intimidator. If he plays Shaq straight up he'll be in big foul trouble every game. Sweetney, Luke and Allen need to be able to extend their 18 fouls on Shaq for the 35 minues per/game he'll be on the court.

*2. Bulls guards have to play Miamis' guards to a standstill:*
That means that Hinrich has to do a good enough job on Wade and Gordon needs to score enough so that the both of them together can offset Wade. 

*3. Deng and Nocioni have got to significantly outplay Miami's SFs:*
These are the guys who can help to neutralize Miami's front court advantage by helping out on the boards and attacking the basket to cause foul trouble. SF is also the position where the Bulls have the biggest talent advantage in the series. That has got to be maximized.


Playoff rotation:

C: 20 Sweetney, 10 Luke, 10 Allen, 8 Chandler
PF: 18 Allen, 24 Nocioni, 16 Chandler
SF: Deng 36, Nocioni 12
SG: Hinrich 12, Gordon 36
PG: Duhon 24, Hinrich 24


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## Wynn (Jun 3, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



The ROY said:


> maybe ya'll don't remember how we were murdered by the wizards frontline last year. we're going against another type of BEAST altogether. If AD and Eddy were here, I'd fill a BIT better about our chances. But our team is just TOO small.


I disagree. Going at Miami strength to strength is exactly what we can't do. Trying to outproduce Shaq in the post has been a recipe for disaster since the guy came into the league. Having AD and Edward puts Shaq right into his comfort zone. Going after him with your 24 bench fouls, driving at him on offense, making him work both ends of the floor, and keeping him on the foul line for 6 or 7 games is the way to reduce his impact on the series.


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## step (Sep 19, 2005)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



> LOL @ ya'll acting as if we have ANYYYYYyy chance at beating the heat.
> 
> If they made NJ look like a 10 win team last year, what do you think they'll do to us?


Pity they destroyed that lineup.



> It's a bold prediction, but I think Chicago will go in there and take two games from the Heat, lose one of their own at home, and win the series in 7 games.


I'm with ya, winners in 7!


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## El Chapu (Oct 23, 2004)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

I love my Bulls, always try to remain optimistic, but I feel 4-1 Miami is about right.


----------



## ndistops (Oct 31, 2005)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

Celebration ensues for the fact that all games are nationally broadcast so I won't miss any.

I think the key to this series is D-Wade. Shaq will get his points whether in the paint or by shooting 50 FTs a game, but the Bulls for whatever reason play better defense on Wade than just about any team in the league. If we can hold Wade to under 25/game for the series I believe we will win it.

The other key has to be Kirk and Ben. This is THEIR team. Those are the two guys we will presumably be building around because they are the offense. It will be Kirk's job to distribute the ball well, get the bigs involved, let the role players play their game, and shoot it himself. I think he's capable of doing that. Ben is built for the playoffs. SI's Ian Thomsen said that were he predicting the Bulls to advance, he'd pick Ben as the star of the playoffs because guard play rules the playoffs. Ben's been playing as well as anyone in the league the last two weeks, and if he can continue his magic we have a shot.

Prediction: Heat in 7. This will be a classic series if you ask me.


----------



## T.Shock (Feb 11, 2003)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



ndistops said:


> Celebration ensues for the fact that all games are nationally broadcast so I won't miss any.
> 
> I think the key to this series is D-Wade. Shaq will get his points whether in the paint or by shooting 50 FTs a game, but the Bulls for whatever reason play better defense on Wade than just about any team in the league. If we can hold Wade to under 25/game for the series I believe we will win it.
> 
> ...


We're actually getting decent treatment this year. Game 1 is being given the Full Circle treatment by ESPN (last reserved for the 2nd UNC-Duke contest) and Games 2 and 4 are being broadcasted unopposed (meaning another game at the time) on ABC. Pretty good if you ask me. Let's just hope we don't look ridiculous in front of everybody. Stage fright is a terrible thing.

Imagining Shaq in his underwear...

(shudder) 

Imagining the Miami Heat cheerleaders in their underwear.

:yes:


----------



## jnrjr79 (Apr 18, 2003)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

To me, it's fairly simple. We're a perimeter team, largely. If the shots are falling, especially the 3-ball, we have a chance. If not, we're toast, unless we penetrate and get to the line at a rate much higher than we're used to.


----------



## TwinkieTowers (Jul 16, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



The ROY said:


> maybe ya'll don't remember how we were murdered by the wizards frontline last year. we're going against another type of BEAST altogether. If AD and Eddy were here, I'd fill a BIT better about our chances. But our team is just TOO small.


Well, last year the Bulls were missing Luol Deng, who adds offensive variety to this team. Don't forget that Noc has improved his shooting, which makes his ability to penetrate much more effective. Don't forget that both teams are a year older, which is a good thing for the young Bulls but a bad thing for the older Heat.

The Heat were incredibly dominant last season, and I couldn't even fathom the Bulls winning a game against them if they made it past the Wizards. The Heat dominated the Bulls last year in the regular season (81-105, 97-108, 105-101 OT, and 86-104), with the Bulls' lone win with Shaq getting injured two minutes into the game.

This season was different, with the two losses being really close games (just look at the Gameflow charts on the ESPN.com box scores) and the one win being what it is.

The Bulls don't exactly lack size; they just lack highly talented or skilled size. I expect the pick-and-roll to be used by the Bulls almost all the time, and that can draw Shaq or Mourning away from the basket. However, I expect that once the Bulls get two wins in the series, Riley will counter with Shaq and Mourning on the floor at the same time; that's where the Bulls must counter with a Phoenix-like run-and-gun offsense.

Here's another encouraging stat: free throw attempts. The Bulls averaged 28.2 free throw attempts in the month of April, which is a lot closer to the 30.1 attempts their opponents averaged over the season. This should bode much better for the Bulls, who score more points than their opponents from the floor.

You gotta believe in your own team more!


----------



## BG7 (Jun 25, 2003)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

TB#1 has the wrong idea on how to approach this series. The key is not to let Shaq and Wade get theirs, but to take them out, and the way we've been playing lately, we are playing the style that we need to do exactly that.

1. Dwyane Wade, keep this guy to pure dribble penetration. I love Wade, but this guy is not Kobe, he's not Gilbert Arenas, he's not Lebron James, he is the best penetrator in basketball, but get a hand in his face and he'll probaly miss the jumper. We are the best team at taking charges in NBA history. Nocioni, Hinrich, Allen, Chandler, do their usual stuff, sliding there in time get Wade with charges, take him out of his element, if we can do this like we have been all season, Wade will either play like **** like he has against us all year, or he will grow as a player.

2. Fastbreak. Wade is the point guard, he'll be the first guy down the court. Remember his little and one spiel before the ABC game, well that is exactly what we want. Deng, Nocioni, Gordon, Hinrich, Chandler, all have to be fastbreaking, stay in control, don't get charges, try to get Wade on their side or behind them, protect the ball and get Wade to foul them.

3. Penetrate, penetrate, penetrate. The Heat let people get in the lane way too easy, kind of like the Raptors last night, but not quite that bad. I like this, Hinrich, Nocioni, Deng have all been driving pretty aggressively lately, and Gordon has, and he's started to drive harder without the floater, get Shaq to foul you, its no mystery that they'll give some blatant Shaq fouls and pass them off to Haslem and Walker, and Mourning, but oh well, we are an a lot better team in the second half of the season because we have been penetrating more. Shaq is moving a lot slower than those Lakers day, he's not an elite center anymore, despite being the best in the league still, which just means no one has stepped up as a great center, and Yao got injured. 

4. Long ball, simply hope Duhon, Hinrich, Nocioni, Deng, and of course Gordon are making their threes, lets hope for more 9 for 9 three point performances from Gordon!

5. Malik Allen, if he is making those jumpshots he's been making lately, we can stretch the defense inside, and maybe get a better shot inside for Chandler or Sweetney to score, Shaq isn't that good of a defender down there anymore, maybe they can pick up fouls on him too.

6. Hack a Shaq- if all else fails.

We should win in 6 imo, and NO Bulls fans should be saying we are going to lose this series.


----------



## BullSoxChicagosFinest (Oct 22, 2005)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

ESPN is going 'full circle' for the Saturday night game:



> In-Game Plans for ESPN's Full Circle: Bulls-Heat NBA Playoff game on April 22 at 8:00 p.m. ET
> 
> 
> 
> ...


http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2006/news/story?id=2351314

Marc Stein ranks the Bulls at #11 of all the teams in:



> 11. Chicago Bulls
> 
> 
> A well-connected assistant coach told me earlier in the season that the hard-driving Scott Skiles was wearing on the young Bulls to the brink of losing them.
> ...


http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2006/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&id=2406847


----------



## TwinkieTowers (Jul 16, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



> We should win in 6 imo, and NO Bulls fans should be saying we are going to lose this series.


That's my kind of fan!


----------



## McBulls (Apr 28, 2005)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



TwinkieTowers said:


> Well, last year the Bulls were missing Luol Deng, who adds offensive variety to this team. Don't forget that Noc has improved his shooting, which makes his ability to penetrate much more effective. Don't forget that both teams are a year older, which is a good thing for the young Bulls but a bad thing for the older Heat.
> 
> The Heat were incredibly dominant last season, and I couldn't even fathom the Bulls winning a game against them if they made it past the Wizards. The Heat dominated the Bulls last year in the regular season (81-105, 97-108, 105-101 OT, and 86-104), with the Bulls' lone win with Shaq getting injured two minutes into the game.
> 
> ...


Nice analysis. I'd add that,

The Bulls are third in the league behind Miami and the Clippers in rebounding. So our lack of size doesn't mean we can't clear the boards. When he's on, Chandler is one of the best rebounders in the game, and Sweetney, Harrington & Allen are decent rebounders. But the main reason the Bulls rebound well is that they keep the guards back to help with that task at the expense of losing fast break opportunities. Anyway, I don't expect Miami to dominate the boards.

Many have pointed out that the Bulls have to hope to become hot from the 3 point line if they have a chance. But the hope is not misplaced. The Bulls are one of the best 3 point shooting teams in the NBA, and, as we all know, if Ben is on he like he has been recently, he is unstoppable. Last year Gordon disappeared in the playoffs, but look for him to show up this time. Many have pointed out the advantage Miami has on the inside, but the Bulls have a clear advantage in long-range shooting.

On the pessimistic side, the Bulls are third in the league in fouls committed, and lead the league by a wide margin in DQs. This is a critical area that the Bulls showed improvement in during April. One can only be pessimistic about their chances of continuing this in a series against a team with a bunch of stars and ex-stars. Most of Miami's stars may be nearly washed up, but my guess is that they will get the usual tender-loving treatment from the refs that they have come to expect, while the young Bulls are very likely to get the royal shaft.

Altogther, the negatives outweigh the positives, and the Bulls will most likely lose the series with our best players sitting on the bench for long periods of time in foul trouble. But who knows? 

That's why they play the games.


----------



## Jonathan (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

Check out NBA.com's playoffs page. Up at the top they have a player from each team pictured for each series in rotation. Most of them have the team's best player, but

1. I don't know who R. Nash is.

and 

2. Shaquille O'Neal! Chris Duhon! It's the Heat and Bulls on ESPN!

http://www.nba.com/playoffs2006/


----------



## BG7 (Jun 25, 2003)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

Heres how the playoffs will play out

*Round 1*

1. Detroit 
8. Milwaukee

Detroit wins 4-0

4. Cleveland
5. Washington

Cleveland wins 4-3

3. New Jersey 
6. Indiana

New Jersey wins 4-2

2. Miami
7. Chicago

Chicago wins 4-2

----------------------------------------------------------
1. San Antonio
8. Sacramento

San Antonio wins 4-2

4. Dallas
5. Memphis

Dallas wins 4-3

3. Denver
6. LA Clippers

Clippers win 4-1

2. Phoenix
7. LA Lakers

Lakers win 4-2

*Round 2*

1. Detroit
4. Cleveland

Detroit wins 4-1

3. New Jersey
7. Chicago

Chicago wins 4-1
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. San Antonio
4. Dallas

Dallas wins 4-3

6. LA Clippers
7. LA Lakers

Lakers win 4-2

*Conference Finals*

1. Detroit
7. Chicago

Chicago wins 4-3
----------------------------------------
4. Dallas
7. LA Lakers

Lakers win 4-3

*NBA Finals*

7. Chicago
7. LA Lakers

Chicago wins 4-3

It should be a good playoffs.


----------



## ChiBron (Jun 24, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



jnrjr79 said:


> To me, it's fairly simple. We're a perimeter team, largely. If the shots are falling, especially the 3-ball, we have a chance. If not, we're toast, unless we penetrate and get to the line at a rate much higher than we're used to.


Pretty much.

*Miami in 5.*

Trying to keep my expectations as low as possible.


----------



## TwinkieTowers (Jul 16, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

That is the greatest prediction ever! The Bulls will make it to the East finals, but I still think the Pistons will beat the Bulls in 7.


----------



## step (Sep 19, 2005)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

LOL go sloth!

Here's mine:








Chew me up as usual!


----------



## mizenkay (Dec 29, 2003)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

*tyson chandler* will answer your email questions during the bulls' playoff run.

:biggrin:



http://www.nba.com/playoffs2006/mailbox_chandler.html


----------



## BG7 (Jun 25, 2003)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

Hopefully I win NBA.com's pick and roll. In the past, I was a first place winner, and won a Bulls logo ball, it wasn't a very good ball however, it didn't bounce very good.


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## anorexorcist (Aug 3, 2005)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

The farthest I think we can get is the conference finals (upset the Heat, own NJ, and finally meet the Pistons), but at that point I'm gonna have to bet against my own team. Sad, I know, but you have to draw the line somewhere.

Like I said, I think we can beat the heat in 7. After that, we'll see what happens.


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## TwinkieTowers (Jul 16, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

Yea. I'll be at my first Bulls game at the United Center for Game 3. Gotta at least go to one game before I graduate.


----------



## Philomath (Jan 3, 2003)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



TwinkieTowers said:


> That's my kind of fan!


That is the notoriously irritable (and notoriously notorious) Sam Smith's kind of fan too:

ChicagoSports.com (login required) 

PG
Kirk Hinrich vs. Jason Williams EDGE: BULLS.

SG
Ben Gordon/Chris Duhon vs. Dwyane Wade EDGE: HEAT.

SF
Luol Deng vs. James Posey EDGE: BULLS.

PF
Andres Nocioni vs. Udonis Haslem EDGE: BULLS.

C
Michael Sweetney vs. Shaquille O'Neal EDGE: HEAT.

Coach
Scott Skiles vs. Pat Riley EDGE: BULLS. (!)

Bench
Assuming Zo is ineffective EDGE: BULLS.

Sam Smith's pick: Bulls in six.


----------



## Philomath (Jan 3, 2003)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

(duplicate)


----------



## McBulls (Apr 28, 2005)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

Sam says it will take 6 games to put Miami away, so I got tickets to all three Bulls homegames.


----------



## BG7 (Jun 25, 2003)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

I played a Heat fan online in NBA Live, and the results of game 1 are in.

Chicago Bulls defeat the Miami Heat 88 to 87 in overtime.

Bulls fall behind but come back in the game using the hack a shaq method in the 4th quarter. Tyson Chandler fouls out in the 4th quarter early on. Bulls jump to a 10 point lead in overtime, but the Heat bring it down to one as a result of missed freethrows. Heat have the ball left with 5.7 seconds left, get it down court in a jumble, Shaq gets it, passes to Haslem who tries to get a shot over Sweetney but misses, Schenscher rebounds, and jets the ball up court to Hinrich as time expires.

Ben Gordon was the high point man with 46 points.


----------



## BG7 (Jun 25, 2003)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

forgot to mention, Gordon gets injured in the first quarter, but comes back in the second. Dwyane Wade gets injured in the 4th, and does not return.


----------



## Bulls96 (Jun 25, 2003)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

Come on folks be real !

We all love our Bulls…but we should know our limitations.

We don’t have reliable or even a decent PF or C. We're a perimeter team, and the playoffs are all about dominating the paint and post plays on both ends of the floor. How much Kirk, Ben, Nocioni or Deng could handle …against such force, like Shaq and Co. , before their shots will stop falling due to fatigue and exhaustions…and a referee’s double standard “BS”.

The most optimistic prediction I can come up with is :

Game 1 Bulls
Game 2 Heat
Game 3 Heat
Game 4 Bulls
Game 5 Heat
Game 6 Bulls
Game 7 Heat

…. and I hope I am wrong


----------



## jordanwasprettygood (Feb 18, 2006)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



step said:


> LOL go sloth!
> 
> Here's mine:
> 
> ...


Whoa there, what is up with the curvature of your bracket. I'm used to good old rectangular setups, your bracket shape has thrown me off kilter.

But anyways, as for this series, realistically I know the odds are stacked against us, but...

BULLS IN SEVEN!!!!


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## TwinkieTowers (Jul 16, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



> the playoffs are all about dominating the paint and post plays on both ends of the floor


Right, because Dennis Rodman and Luc Longley just lit it up back from 1996-1998.

But, seriously, most dynasties won with either dominant post play or dominant point guard play. The Spurs have Duncan, the Pistons have Billups, the Lakers had Shaq, the Bulls had Scottie (he was the point guard), the Rockets had Olajuwon, the Pistons had Isiah, the Lakers had Magic and the Celtics had Parrish and Walton.


----------



## Showtyme (Jun 24, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

In the regular season series, the away team always won.

If that's the case here, we're guaranteed to win in 7. 

Woo hoo!


----------



## El Chapu (Oct 23, 2004)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

Whats the over/under of FTs attempted by Shaq and Wade this series?


----------



## BG7 (Jun 25, 2003)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

It begins

<img src="http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a77/cbulla21/searchforthechampionship.jpg">


----------



## BG7 (Jun 25, 2003)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

Above or Below- Dwyane Wade shooting 30% in the series.

He shot 24% in the season series.


----------



## step (Sep 19, 2005)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



> Whoa there, what is up with the curvature of your bracket. I'm used to good old rectangular setups, your bracket shape has thrown me off kilter.


:rofl: Just took the one off the nba site, good ol paint.


----------



## IbizaXL (Sep 21, 2005)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



sloth said:


> Above or Below- Dwyane Wade shooting 30% in the series.
> 
> He shot 24% in the season series.


Like ive said before, Wade was born for Playoff basketball....he`ll shoot above 30%.

Im willing to bet ucash


----------



## Aurelino (Jul 25, 2003)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

It's all about Shaq. If Chicago can get O'Neil in early foul trouble (he's had his problems lately with offensive fouls), this might be a good series.


----------



## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

I dont know if anyone has brought this up or not and forgive me if they have, but I am updating the NBA Standings that I post in the subforum in NBA General forum and to make a long story short, 5 weeks ago Miami was 50-20. Right now they are 52-30. Do the math. 

We are red hot and Miami is cold. I dont foresee a sweep.


----------



## DaBullz (Jul 15, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



truebluefan said:


> I dont know if anyone has brought this up or not and forgive me if they have, but I am updating the NBA Standings that I post in the subforum in NBA General forum and to make a long story short, 5 weeks ago Miami was 50-20. Right now they are 52-30. Do the math.
> 
> We are red hot and Miami is cold. I dont foresee a sweep.


Miami was 12-3 in March
And 4-7 in April

(You have them going 2-10 in their last 12 games, so something is fubar)

They were 4-4 in April before losing to the Bulls, and the last 3 losses their leading scorer was Walker, Wright, Wright, leading rebounder O'Neal, Doleac, Haslem, leading assist man Anderson, Kapono, Anderson. In other words, they were resting their starters big-time.


----------



## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

hmmm. I wonder how my standings were so far off?I never checked the actual games. I see, they were 40-20, not 50 and 20, ok, my huge mistake. 

One number off makes a difference. So they went 12-10 the rest of the way. ok.


----------



## DaBullz (Jul 15, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



truebluefan said:


> hmmm. I wonder how my standings were so far off?I never checked the actual games. I see, they were 40-20, not 50 and 20, ok, my huge mistake.
> 
> One number off makes a difference. So they went 12-10 the rest of the way. ok.


Better. But they were 12-7 before playing the Bulls. Shaq and Wade played 20 minutes each in that game, 0 minutes each against Atlanta, and 0 again in the final against Boston.

The record doesn't indicate they're in a losing way, it indicates they've been resting their starters and those guys will be well rested to face us! gulp.


----------



## jnrjr79 (Apr 18, 2003)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

Bulls in 3!












I'll figure out the math later, but I'm sure it's possible with the Pythagorean Theorem, pi, derivatives, the chaos theory, plate techtonics, photosynthesis, or something.


----------



## DaBullz (Jul 15, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



jnrjr79 said:


> Bulls in 3!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


A tripleheader, no less.

(Ernie Banks used to always say "let's play 3")


----------



## Rhyder (Jul 15, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

My lines:

Chicago (+7) @ Miami
Miami @ Chicago (+0.5)

I have Miami rated as the third best team in the league (SA #1 & Phoenix #2), but only slightly ahead of Detroit and Dallas.


----------



## mizenkay (Dec 29, 2003)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

a couple of housekeeping/programming items. i'm sure we all know by now that darius songaila has been left off the playoff roster. same for eddie basden. bummer about songo, but if the foot isn't healed, it's not healed. 




> Songaila has been sidelined since early March with a fractured right foot and might be healthy enough to return in two weeks. But the Bulls couldn't afford to gamble on the 6-9 forward being ready down the road, *so they left Songaila and rookie Eddie Basden off their playoff roster.*
> 
> ''It's healing nicely and [Songaila] could possibly play in the second round, but we can't eat up a roster spot waiting for the second round,'' Skiles said. ''We've got to make sure our roster has enough guys, so if someone goes down in the first round, we have bodies to play with.''
> 
> That's especially important considering guard Chris Duhon has been fighting a balky back for weeks. Guard Randy Livingston, who joined the team a month ago, could take on a more important role if Duhon goes down.



also, for those in chicago who don't want to watch/listen to actual NBA announcers because they cannot live without the announcing stylings and crinkledwrappers of tomandred, CSN is showing the games too. stacey king will be joining their gamecallin' crew for the run. 




> EXTRA COVERAGE: In addition to airing on Comcast SportsNet, Game 1 of the Bulls-Heat series Saturday night will be broadcast on ESPN, and the self-proclaimed World Wide Leader in Sports will provide ''full-circle'' coverage. In addition to the regular game broadcast on ESPN, ESPN2 will carry a feed using ''above-the-rim'' cameras mounted on both baskets, with commentary from the studio crew of John Saunders, Greg Anthony, Tim Legler and Stephen A. Smith.
> 
> ESPN360 will provide a live stream of the ESPN telecast, and the game also will be carried by Spanish-language ESPN Deportes.
> 
> On the Comcast SportsNet broadcast, Stacey King will join the regular crew of Tom Dore and Johnny ''Red'' Kerr





that is all.


----------



## Rhyder (Jul 15, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



mizenkay said:


> also, for those in chicago who don't want to watch/listen to actual NBA announcers because they cannot live without the announcing stylings and crinkledwrappers of tomandred, CSN is showing the games too. stacey king will be joining their gamecallin' crew for the run.


I'm one of those people as long as Tom is doing the PbP. Is he doing the entire postseason?

I will watch the national broadcast if Wayne's doing the game, and not by the slimmest of margins.


----------



## mizenkay (Dec 29, 2003)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

i think tomandred and theking are doing the entire post-season run. 

since nba league pass is now over, i will be "forced" to watch on TNT and ESPN.


:smilewink


----------



## narek (Jul 29, 2005)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



mizenkay said:


> i think tomandred and theking are doing the entire post-season run.
> 
> since nba league pass is now over, i will be "forced" to watch on TNT and ESPN.
> 
> ...


Jalen Rose is going to be a side line reporter for TNT. Do you think he'll be at the Miami/Bulls games? :biggrin:


----------



## anorexorcist (Aug 3, 2005)

*anorexorcist's keys to the series*

Factors/Keys to the series:

--Hinrich vs. Wade, a rivalry dating back to the NCAA days. Will be interesting to see if Hinrich can continue to own wade as he has all season long. DW has his lowest scoring PPG vs any team against the Bulls
--Shaquille vs. Shaquille -- Will the big fella come to play and emblazon a renaissance? If not, can Alonzo Mourning turn back the clock and pick up the slack? Like it was said earlier, the only person who can stop Shaq is Shaq.
--'Toine, Posey, Payton, J-Will -- Can these guys take care of business if the injury continues to dog Zo, and the bulls throw everything they have at Wade and Shaq? This is what they were brought in for. Let's see if they can deliver.
--Size -- The heat are a pretty big team. While the Bulls have a few musclemen of their own, many of them strike me as chunky pieces of meat that may only be good for the hack-a-shaq technique and don't have much talent beyond that. The one exception to the rule is Malik Allen, who has been playing phenomenal over the past 2 months. Otherwise, Othella Harrington, Mike Sweetney, and Luke Schenscher are all mediocre/untalented and are not what you want to face up against Zo, Haslem, and Shaq.
--Ben Gordon -- Will he repeat his dismal, pathetic performance from last year's series against the Wizards and fizzle out? Or will he finally ascend to the upper echelon of NBA stars and become the undisputed leader of the team?
--Nocioni -- Will he get under the Heat's skin and cause mass eject-ia/technical-ia? More importantly, can he continue his stellar, much-improved-from-last-year play?
--Deng -- The Bulls didn't have him or Curry last year in the playoffs. They would never have Curry again, but this time they have him. Will he make a difference in the fate of this team?
--Perimeter Shooting
--Referees giving the Heat calls

Me being the optimist for my team, I'll hope the Bulls can win it in 7. But if not, I won't be heartbroken, like I was last year against the Wizards who I (and many others) fully expected to beat. We could have handily beaten them had Deng been back. Of course, that would have just led us to the Heat, who were on a tear/mission last year.

Looking forward to a good set of games, and watching Game 4 at the UC!


----------



## mizenkay (Dec 29, 2003)

*Re: anorexorcist's keys to the series*

bill walton in his chat today on ESPN:

*jerry gibbons (chicago): What do you think of the style of play that has been displayed by Scott Skiles' Bulls this year and how much of a chance do they have vs. the Heat? *

_ Bill Walton: They have a chance against the Heat. The Bulls are another team of the future. While Miami comes in as a favorite they are certainly not a team that is overwhelming at this point. The Bulls want to stick to their game, which is the hardest thing for young playoff teams to do against a team with a player like Shaq. Quick aside: read John Wooden's 'My Personal Best', which makes the point that your best is always good enough. If Chicago believes that they have a chance with their superb backcourt. Luol Deng is really a guard, and when he's out with Duhon, Hinrich and Gordon that's good enough. Who knows what Tyson Chandler will bring and he has got to be a source of frustration for fans and the front office, and Chicago will have trouble in the frontcourt against Shaq. While Allen and Sweetney are great guys the level of toughness, tenacity and ferocity needed to succeed and survive against Shaq is something we have yet to see from them. I would love for those guys to watch film and eventually emulate the spirit, passoin and commitment of Ben Wallace when he is at the top of his game. The dream for Chicago has got to be to capitalize on Miami's struggles down the stretch with key injuries. Alonzo Mourning is a key. What and when will he contribute? I would expect that Pat Riley will have to decide whether Posey or Walker will start. I would start Posey despite Achilles tendinitis and milk Shaq for all he's worth, then bring in Walker and run things through him for a little while. 

Bill Walton: But against an aging team like Miami the Bulls will want to run all day. Riley said they play the hardest in the league and the future is bright in Chicago, which is a good thing for the league. Shaq knows how to take care of business, though, and with Miami being in the bottom bracket of the conference the road to the conference finals looks pretty clear for Miami. _



http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=11462


----------



## LegoHat (Jan 14, 2004)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

First of all, great post anorexorcist!

I think we have enough guys to throw at Shaq, and you're right about Malik Allen, he seems to play great against his former team.

Hinrich on Wade will be the key matchup, if we can stop him from driving to the basket and getting to the free throw line we will have a good chance if winning the series. Deng and Nocioni also need to play their very best. I'm a bit worried about Chandler with the whole baby situation, maybe it will motivate him, but it could also distract him from the games.

My prediction: Bulls in 7!


----------



## spongyfungy (Oct 22, 2003)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td bgcolor="#cedced"></td> <td align="right" bgcolor="#cedced"></td> </td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff" valign="top"> <spacer type="block" height="5" width="5">
<table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="text" valign="top"> *OUR EXPERTS PREDICT THE NBA PLAYOFFS *

<table class="text" border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" width="575"><tbody><tr class="sports_chart_row"><td align="left" valign="bottom">SERIES</td><td align="center" valign="top">LACY J. 
BANKS</td><td align="center" valign="top">BRIAN 
HANLEY</td><td align="center" valign="top">JOHN
JACKSON</td><td align="center" valign="top">JAY
MARIOTTI</td><td align="center" valign="top">ROMAN MODROWSKI</td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top">*Bulls vs. Heat*</td><td align="center" valign="top">HEAT IN SIX</td><td align="center" valign="top">HEAT IN SIX</td><td align="center" valign="top">HEAT IN SIX</td><td align="center" valign="top">HEAT IN SIX</td><td align="center" valign="top">HEAT IN FIVE</td></tr><tr id="ltblue"><td align="left" valign="top">*Eastern Conference Finals*</td><td align="center" valign="top">PISTONS OVER HEAT IN FIVE</td><td align="center" valign="top">PISTONS OVER HEAT IN SEVEN</td><td align="center" valign="top">PISTONS OVER NETS IN SIX</td><td align="center" valign="top">PISTONS OVER NETS IN FIVE</td><td align="center" valign="top">PISTONS OVER NETS IN FIVE</td></tr><tr><td align="left" valign="top">*Western Conference Finals*</td><td align="center" valign="top">SPURS OVER LAKERS IN FIVE</td><td align="center" valign="top">SUNS OVER SPURS IN SIX</td><td align="center" valign="top">SPURS OVER CLIPPERS IN FIVE</td><td align="center" valign="top">SPURS OVER CLIPPERS IN SIX</td><td align="center" valign="top">MAVERICKS OVER SUNS IN SEVEN</td></tr><tr id="ltblue"><td align="left" valign="top">*NBA FINALS*</td><td align="center" valign="top">PISTONS IN SIX</td><td align="center" valign="top">SUNS IN SEVEN</td><td align="center" valign="top">PISTONS IN SIX</td><td align="center" valign="top">PISTONS IN SEVEN</td><td align="center" valign="top">PISTONS IN FIVE</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>


----------



## LegoHat (Jan 14, 2004)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

Brian Hanley is crazy, there is no way in hell the Suns will win the championship.


----------



## REEF_DA_CHIEF (Jun 19, 2005)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



ScottMay said:


> I believe the Bulls can win the series vs. Miami -- that's right, win it, not merely be competitive -- if they employ the same strategy Phil Jackson employed in the 1996 East Finals. The Magic had two individual players (Shaq and Penny) that the Bulls couldn't dream of stopping one-on-one, so they didn't even try. They let *Shaq and Penny run wild and focused on stopping everyone else, and the result was an easy series win*.
> 
> I think we should do the same with the Heat. If we aggressively try to stop Shaq and Wade, we're going to set a series record for most fouls committed, and they're going to combine for at least 50 points on an off-night anyway. Let's play strong one-on-one defense on Shaq and Wade, but not go crazy throwing the kitchen sink at them. If their pressure valve guys like Walker, Posey, Williams, and Haslem have big games, we're probably sunk.
> 
> Let the games begin!


I am hoping that leaving Shaq and Wade to run wild and focusing on everyone else is the Bulls strategy because then the Bulls would pay dearly. Shaq is more focused than he has ever been and Dwayne is a different player during the post season. The Bulls are hinging its hopes that Wade continues his 24 percent shooting slump against them like during the games in the regular season. I guarantee you that if the Bulls employ the stategy that is posited in the above post then prepare for the Shaq/Wade onslaught. I actually predict that the Bulls will steal two wins from us but if they let SHaq and Wade roam freely via one-on-one coverage, it might be a sweep. Wish for you all the best guys.


----------



## El Chapu (Oct 23, 2004)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

My feelings via The Sports Guy:

"Take it from someone who attended 30-35 Clippers games in person this season and watched another kajillion NBA games on TV -- not only are the officials worse than ever, they favor the stars like never before. You can't even look cross-eyed at LeBron, Kobe or Wade in the fourth quarter of a playoff game without the refs whistling you for a foul (terrible news for Kurt Thomas, by the way). And if you don't think we're going to have about 500,000 embittered, furious, ranting-and-raving Wizards fans on our hands in about two weeks, you're crazy."

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/060421


----------



## mizenkay (Dec 29, 2003)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/sfl-421patriley,0,4180505.story?coll=sfla-sports-front




_MIAMI -- *Heat coach Pat Riley left the team after Friday's practice at American Airlines Arena upon learning of the death of his 96-year old mother Mary.

The team said Riley is expected to return in time to coach Saturday's 8 p.m. first round playoff opener against Chicago.*

Riley, who spent four days earlier this week in upstate New York with his mother, was with the Heat for its practice on Friday morning.

*Following Friday's practice, back up center Alonzo Mourning said he would be unavailable for Game 1 against the Bulls. Mourning is recovering from partially torn right calf muscle sustained March 22 against Detroit.*

Also, after practice Antoine Walker confirmed he would start at small forward Saturday against the Bulls. James Posey, the former starter who is retuning from Achilles tendonitis will play off the bench. _


----------



## TomBoerwinkle#1 (Jul 31, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



REEF_DA_CHIEF said:


> Shaq is more focused than he has ever been and Dwayne is a different player during the post season.


I do believe that Shaq will show up with more intensity for the playoff games, but I have seen absolutely nothing from the Diesel to suggest he is "more focused than he has ever been."

Where did you come up with that one?


----------



## BG7 (Jun 25, 2003)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

Heat fans are kidding themselves if they think Wade will instantly be scoring 30 ppg on 50% shooting on the Bulls. They fail to realize that Wade isn't shooting 24% against the Bulls because he is just flat out missing shots, Bulls are taking away the lane from him, and that is his strong point, and without that, he is a far less dangerous player, and will be regulated to just the point guard role, in which he gets a lot of turnovers in when he can't drive in the lane.

Shaq is a wild card, I think he is too out of shape to turn into a dominant player in the playoffs, and he is a step slower on defense so if we drive like we have been, it will be easier to get fouls tacked on Shaq.

Heat fans are just setting themselves up for a let down with Dwyane Wade, he isn't going to be the guy that determines the outcome of the series.


----------



## spongyfungy (Oct 22, 2003)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



sloth said:


> Heat fans are kidding themselves if they think Wade will instantly be scoring 30 ppg on 50% shooting on the Bulls. They fail to realize that Wade isn't shooting 24% against the Bulls because he is just flat out missing shots, Bulls are taking away the lane from him, and that is his strong point, and without that, he is a far less dangerous player, and will be regulated to just the point guard role, in which he gets a lot of turnovers in when he can't drive in the lane.
> 
> Shaq is a wild card, I think he is too out of shape to turn into a dominant player in the playoffs, and he is a step slower on defense so if we drive like we have been, it will be easier to get fouls tacked on Shaq.
> 
> Heat fans are just setting themselves up for a let down with Dwyane Wade, he isn't going to be the guy that determines the outcome of the series.


 Man sloth, when did you turn against Wade like this? You were one of his biggest supporters.


----------



## ndistops (Oct 31, 2005)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



El Chapu said:


> My feelings via The Sports Guy:
> 
> "Take it from someone who attended 30-35 Clippers games in person this season and watched another kajillion NBA games on TV -- not only are the officials worse than ever, they favor the stars like never before. You can't even look cross-eyed at LeBron, Kobe or Wade in the fourth quarter of a playoff game without the refs whistling you for a foul (terrible news for Kurt Thomas, by the way). And if you don't think we're going to have about 500,000 embittered, furious, ranting-and-raving Wizards fans on our hands in about two weeks, you're crazy."
> 
> http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/060421


Does Simmons not watch the East anymore? Specifically the Bulls? We dealt with this crap for much of the season.


----------



## MB (Apr 19, 2006)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

Hi, noobie here. A fan of my fellow contryman Andres Nocioni.
I´m mostly a lurker, and I really enjoy your play by play game threads.
Good luck against the Heat! :wordyo:


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## TomBoerwinkle#1 (Jul 31, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

Welcome!

Hope you choose to lurk less and post more. Go Noc and Go Bulls!


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## Cyanobacteria (Jun 25, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

Ont the Dan Patrick show, Dan just picked the Bulls to upset the Heat! Followed by the breaking news sound effect.

He then proceeded to pick 2 or 3 other upsets as well though and all from his fixture bit: Predictions Sure To Go Wrong, so grain of salt and all.

I like the Bulls to make it a competitive series, but I expect the Heat to win in 6. Then again this Bulls team just doesn't go away and keeps surprising me. Does anyone else besides me think the Bulls actually have a better chance in a 7 game series than the old 5 gamers because of wear and tear on Shaq if the Bulls push it all series?


----------



## BG7 (Jun 25, 2003)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



spongyfungy said:


> Man sloth, when did you turn against Wade like this? You were one of his biggest supporters.


I still am, but from watching him so much, I know every facet of his game. Unless he learns to make jumpshots consistently while being heavily covered, he'll be a nonfactor in the series. A large portion of his success comes from driving to the lane. Well, we have two defensive entities that make Wade inneffective. Kirk Hinrich, he makes every jumpshot that Wade takes difficult, and then the Andres Nocioni, Luol Deng, Tyson Chandler facet that get in the way and draw the charge on Wade. When Wade doesn't get the lane, he gets a lot of turnovers.

3 keys to the series imo

1. Can Shaq make his freethrows. We have Michael Sweetney, Malik Allen, Othella Harrington, Luke Schenscher, Randy Livingston, Eric Piatowski, and Jannero Pargo as players we can just rack up fouls on Shaq on. Although it'd be good to keep Pargo in the game until the end if we need some clutch shots and Gordon ain't hitting, and Malik Allen is really good, he can help us stretch the defense with his jumpshooting, and open it up for an isolation on Shaq to give us a chance to draw fouls on Shaq.

2. Antoine Walker/Jason Williams, these two guys will have to play big with Dwyane Wade effectively being taken out of his element.

3. Is Chicago hitting the long ball? If we are, we should win easily, if not, the game becomes one of those ugly games that grind out to the end. I was watching the Lakers vs. Wolves game on ESPN Classic today, and damn, thank god that we don't have to go against that Shaq. The modern Shaq just isn't anything special anymore, so it won't be like those Lakers games where if you aren't making shots, it'll allow the other team back in the game because Shaq just plain isn't dominant anymore like he was. Hopefully Nocioni, Sweetney, etc. Drive hard at Shaq, bang him up a bit, same goes for Zo. 

bulls in 6.


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## TomBoerwinkle#1 (Jul 31, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



Cyanobacteria said:


> He then proceeded to pick 2 or 3 other upsets as well though and all from his fixture bit: Predictions Sure To Go Wrong, so grain of salt and all.
> 
> I like the Bulls to make it a competitive series, but I expect the Heat to win in 6. Then again this Bulls team just doesn't go away and keeps surprising me. Does anyone else besides me think the Bulls actually have a better chance in a 7 game series than the old 5 gamers because of wear and tear on Shaq if the Bulls push it all series?


Yes and no. If we can take it to 7 it may wear out Shaq some, but it also gives Zo and Posey time to heal.


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## smARTmouf (Jul 16, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

Do we hack a Shaq?

or do we let him destroy our interior defense? 

I say let him eat in the paint and take it to him on the pick and rolls so he'd get into foul trouble.

then step on his toes really hard.


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## TwinkieTowers (Jul 16, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

I'm looking at Shaq's stats over the past three years, and I noticed that while his rebounding numbers are generally higher in the playoffs, his scoring numbers are actually lower. There is especially a significant decline from his regular season to the playoffs last season.

2005 Regular Season: 22.9 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 2.7 apg, 2.3 bpg, 2.8 topg
2005 Playoffs : 19.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.5 bpg, 3.2 topg 

Nothing can take away his intangible presence on the floor, but from a statistical standpoint, Shaq's playoff performances are on the decline, meaning the Bulls will have a definite shot to win this series.


----------



## Brian. (Jul 11, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

Something that is real effective against Shaq is the pick and pop. We run it a lot when Shaq is either guarding Dice or Sheed. He just isn't quick enough to get out there and contest the shot which gives our bigs a lot of open jumpers. Good luck guys


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## The ROY (Nov 11, 2004)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



smARTmouf said:


> Do we hack a Shaq?


Do it like detriot does it, play him straight up


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## mizenkay (Dec 29, 2003)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

just so we have this "on the record" here are the predictions from the regular bulls writers/chicago sports columnists so far:


LACY J. BANKS	- *Heat* in SIX

BRIAN HANLEY	- *Heat* in SIX

JOHN JACKSON	- *Heat* in SIX 

JAY MARIOTTI - *Heat* in SIX

ROMAN MODROWSKI - *Heat* in FIVE

SAM SMITH - *Bulls* in SIX


_None of the other Tribune writers have made predictions that i've seen (though i'll bet we can guess what Marcia thinks). McGraw said the Bulls advancing is "far fetched" and for fans not to "get too excited" but i don't think he's made a formal call on the outcome. 

Has anybody seen/read any other LOCAL predictions? Not the ESPN dudes (except maybe Greg Anthony) cause they're all picking/sucking up to the Heat. Oh and Stephen A. thinks the Bulls can upset the Heat too. Stephen A. you are a crazy MOFO! i LOVE it!_


added:

PHIL ARVIA - *Heat* in FIVE



> Cutting to the chase, Heat in five.
> 
> Oh, but what about the oh-so-hot Bulls? What about their 12 wins in the last 14 games? What about their dramatic surge to a .500 record and the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference wing of the soon-to-commence NBA playoffs?
> 
> ...




um, phil, can you say assclown??

:clown:



http://www.dailysouthtown.com/southtown/columns/arvia/x21-ard1.htm


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## mizenkay (Dec 29, 2003)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

SOUTHTOWN PAUL - *Heat* in SIX

http://www.dailysouthtown.com/southtown/dssports/pro/211sd7.htm

SP also gives the nod to WADE in the KH/DW matchup. Has he not been paying attention? not that Wade won't be a very, very tough task for the Captain, but does Kirk's history against Wade (going back to COLLEGE) mean nothing?


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## IbizaXL (Sep 21, 2005)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



TwinkieTowers said:


> I'm looking at Shaq's stats over the past three years, and I noticed that while his rebounding numbers are generally higher in the playoffs, his scoring numbers are actually lower. There is especially a significant decline from his regular season to the playoffs last season.
> 
> 2005 Regular Season: 22.9 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 2.7 apg, 2.3 bpg, 2.8 topg
> 2005 Playoffs : 19.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.5 bpg, 3.2 topg
> ...


Shaq had a nagging thigh-bruise injury through out the Playoffs that season


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## TwinkieTowers (Jul 16, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



Gio305 said:


> Shaq had a nagging thigh-bruise injury through out the Playoffs that season


He was also a year younger.


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## IbizaXL (Sep 21, 2005)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



TwinkieTowers said:


> He was also a year younger.


true, but what im saying is that the decline stat-wise was due to a nagging injury. Age didnt really play huge factor

anyways, thats in the past. Shaq is healthy this time


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## maswe12 (Feb 23, 2005)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



TwinkieTowers said:


> I'm looking at Shaq's stats over the past three years, and I noticed that while his rebounding numbers are generally higher in the playoffs, his scoring numbers are actually lower. There is especially a significant decline from his regular season to the playoffs last season.
> 
> 2005 Regular Season: 22.9 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 2.7 apg, 2.3 bpg, 2.8 topg
> 2005 Playoffs : 19.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.5 bpg, 3.2 topg
> ...



Look at his minutes...they were down too. He was out of shape and hobbling because of that thigh injury all playoffs.


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## IbizaXL (Sep 21, 2005)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

^^
Im surprised he even managed to produce that much with an injury. I wonder how he would play now that hes healthy..... :eek8:


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## DaBullz (Jul 15, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

Shaq has some guns on him.


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## Frankensteiner (Dec 29, 2004)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



mizenkay said:


> SOUTHTOWN PAUL - *Heat* in SIX
> 
> http://www.dailysouthtown.com/southtown/dssports/pro/211sd7.htm
> 
> SP also gives the nod to WADE in the KH/DW matchup. Has he not been paying attention? not that Wade won't be a very, very tough task for the Captain, but does Kirk's history against Wade (going back to COLLEGE) mean nothing?


As much as I love Kirk, this idea of him shutting down Wade is slowly rising to mythical proportions. Wade had good games playing against the Bulls last year despite being matched up against Kirk (IIRC).

Wade's 2005 vs. Bulls: 50 FG%, 25 pts, 6 reb, 7.5 ast

I think we'll play him well in the series but we're looking at the Kirk/Wade matchup through a very small sample size (not to mention largely ignoring Wade's good games against us in '04-'05).


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## IbizaXL (Sep 21, 2005)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



Frankensteiner said:


> As much as I love Kirk, this idea of him shutting down Wade is slowly rising to mythical proportions. Wade had good games playing against the Bulls last year despite being matched up against Kirk (IIRC).
> 
> Wade's 2005 vs. Bulls: 50 FG%, 25 pts, 6 reb, 7.5 ast
> 
> I think we'll play him well in the series but we're looking at the Kirk/Wade matchup through a very small sample size (not to mention largely ignoring Wade's good games against us in '04-'05).


agreed.

it wasnt Kirk that slowed Wade down, its was a Bulls team effort.


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## TripleDouble (Jul 26, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



Frankensteiner said:


> As much as I love Kirk, this idea of him shutting down Wade is slowly rising to mythical proportions. Wade had good games playing against the Bulls last year despite being matched up against Kirk (IIRC).
> 
> Wade's 2005 vs. Bulls: 50 FG%, 25 pts, 6 reb, 7.5 ast
> 
> I think we'll play him well in the series but we're looking at the Kirk/Wade matchup through a very small sample size (not to mention largely ignoring Wade's good games against us in '04-'05).


Good post. I don't expect to shut down Wade. The Bulls just can't let him step his game up a notch like he's done in the playoffs in the past. I'd be happy if Wade averaged 27 points per game on 20 or so shots.


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## mizenkay (Dec 29, 2003)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



Frankensteiner said:


> As much as I love Kirk, this idea of him shutting down Wade is slowly rising to mythical proportions. Wade had good games playing against the Bulls last year despite being matched up against Kirk (IIRC).
> 
> Wade's 2005 vs. Bulls: 50 FG%, 25 pts, 6 reb, 7.5 ast
> 
> I think we'll play him well in the series but we're looking at the Kirk/Wade matchup through a very small sample size (not to mention largely ignoring Wade's good games against us in '04-'05).


well, this is true. but wade hasn't played well against the bulls this year, _and that's something to consider._ my "rant" was mostly against southtown paul (i know you read this) who tends, imo, to not give bulls players the benefit of the doubt. call it star struck or whatever. kirk has played wade very, very well. and yes, he has help. 




next...

here is a "scout's take" from CNNSI.com - profiles of the Heat and Bulls. here's what they say about the Bulls. 



_Congratulate the Bulls simply for making the playoffs because it's not something you would have predicted for them in January. You can hand that to coach Scott Skiles's competitiveness: he won't allow them to let up. He plays no favorites: If you aren't playing well he's sitting you. In the long run those guys are benefiting from that approach -- they might hate him for it now, but they've got to understand that Scott's looking at a bigger picture. Of course, too, he's got the backing of his GM [John Paxson], so the players have nobody to complain to if they're unhappy ... I thought Ben Gordon took a step backward earlier this year when he looked like he was riding his accolades, but he's had some big games lately. He's not a ballhandler or a playmaker, and a lot of times he struggles when a second defender comes at him ... Because of their lack of bigs, they play small most of the time with Hinrich and Deng and Gordon and Nocioni playing the four spot: They spread the floor really well and they're a great drive-and-kick team. When they get in that mode, Gordon is especially good scoring off the dribble and he's a great shooter too ... *Hinrich has carried the load since he's been there. He plays both guard spots, he's got toughness and from the get-go he's had to step up when they've needed it. Sure he's failed a few times, but he also takes the big shots and he doesn't whine about getting hit, he just gets up off the floor and gets on with it.*_


http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/basketball/nba/specials/playoffs/2006/04/20/east2/index.html


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## Frankensteiner (Dec 29, 2004)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



mizenkay said:


> well, this is true. but wade hasn't played well against the bulls this year, _and that's something to consider._ my "rant" was mostly against southtown paul (i know you read this) who tends, imo, to not give bulls players the benefit of the doubt. call it star struck or whatever. kirk has played wade very, very well. and yes, he has help.


Well, I wasn't trying to say Hinrich doesn't do a good job guarding Wade, because he does. My point was that as well as he's played him this year, we still can't reasonably expect Wade not to get his and even explode for a couple of games in the series. When going up against great scorers, even good defenders will tend to get burned from time to time (ex: Gordon going off for 30 against Artest earlier this season).


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## The 6ft Hurdle (Jan 25, 2003)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



mizenkay said:


> _Congratulate the Bulls simply for making the playoffs because it's not something you would have predicted for them in January. You can hand that to coach Scott Skiles's competitiveness: he won't allow them to let up. He plays no favorites: If you aren't playing well he's sitting you. In the long run those guys are benefiting from that approach -- they might hate him for it now, but they've got to understand that Scott's looking at a bigger picture. Of course, too, he's got the backing of his GM [John Paxson], so the players have nobody to complain to if they're unhappy ... I thought Ben Gordon took a step backward earlier this year when he looked like he was riding his accolades, but he's had some big games lately. He's not a ballhandler or a playmaker, and a lot of times he struggles when a second defender comes at him ... Because of their lack of bigs, they play small most of the time with Hinrich and Deng and Gordon and Nocioni playing the four spot: They spread the floor really well and they're a great drive-and-kick team. When they get in that mode, Gordon is especially good scoring off the dribble and he's a great shooter too ... *Hinrich has carried the load since he's been there. He plays both guard spots, he's got toughness and from the get-go he's had to step up when they've needed it. Sure he's failed a few times, but he also takes the big shots and he doesn't whine about getting hit, he just gets up off the floor and gets on with it.*_
> 
> 
> http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/basketball/nba/specials/playoffs/2006/04/20/east2/index.html


Not to ruin the party especially one that the Miz is throwing, but does this "scout" actually watch any of our games ? 

Ben Gordon, not a ballhandler or playmaker ? I guess that wasn't him scoring 21 in the 4th quarter with 8 minutes to go against a formerly hot New Jersey team, or him pouring in 16 in the 4th quarter to shoot us out of an 89 - 73 deficit with 9 minutes to go against another playoff team.

And by big shots, does that mean Kirk Hinrich takes the big hits like he were a wide receiver trying to catch a pass against Rodney Harrison ? The guy plays a part in our wins, but hitting big shots is not his value to this team.

It's nice that this guy respects what we do, too bad he doesn't know what the hell he's talking about.


----------



## step (Sep 19, 2005)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



> Heat backup center Alonzo Mourning will not play in Game 1 vs. the Bulls. Mourning is still recovering from a torn right calf muscle. Head coach Pat Riley initially said that Mourning was a game-time decision.


This will either make you happy or sad.


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## REEF_DA_CHIEF (Jun 19, 2005)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



TomBoerwinkle#1 said:


> I do believe that Shaq will show up with more intensity for the playoff games, but *I have seen absolutely nothing from the Diesel to suggest he is "more focused than he has ever been."*
> 
> Where did you come up with that one?



The playoffs havent started yet.


----------



## gyrus (Nov 23, 2005)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

OT: I was looking at Ben Gordon's nbadraft.net profile, and attended to this:


> Off the court issues could scare some teams away as well


What kind of off-the-court issues has he had?


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## mizenkay (Dec 29, 2003)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

MIKE MCGRAW - *Heat* in FIVE


http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/sportsstory.asp?id=180571


----------



## maswe12 (Feb 23, 2005)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



Frankensteiner said:


> As much as I love Kirk, this idea of him shutting down Wade is slowly rising to mythical proportions. Wade had good games playing against the Bulls last year despite being matched up against Kirk (IIRC).
> 
> Wade's 2005 vs. Bulls: 50 FG%, 25 pts, 6 reb, 7.5 ast
> 
> I think we'll play him well in the series but we're looking at the Kirk/Wade matchup through a very small sample size (not to mention largely ignoring Wade's good games against us in '04-'05).


Wade has struggled in chicago last year as well. The problem this year is that the one game in Miami he was playing in neutral and just putting up jumpers and so the stats are pretty skewed. But he has had this problem playing in chicago for his whole career--it just seems like it is the one place where he forces his game and doesnt let it come to him. I don't know how Kirk got the reputation of stopping him. I cant even remember kirk guarding him for most of the games over the last 2 years. I think as a team you guys have a good rotation on him with hinrich, duhon, gordon even Deng is fast enough to switch on him if he gets loose. Added to that, skiles seems to be one of the growing number of coaches that switches his attention from Shaq to Wade. SO I dont think Wade is goign to go off for more than 35 during the series, but I do think he can get around 23-24 pts and his assist numbers will determine how long the series goes. His assists are pretty much an indicator of the shots that JWill, posey, and toine are hitting and if they miss their open shots this series will be pretty close.


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## mizenkay (Dec 29, 2003)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



The 6ft Hurdle said:


> Not to ruin the party especially one that the Miz is throwing, but does this "scout" actually watch any of our games ?
> 
> Ben Gordon, not a ballhandler or playmaker ? I guess that wasn't him scoring 21 in the 4th quarter with 8 minutes to go against a formerly hot New Jersey team, or him pouring in 16 in the 4th quarter to shoot us out of an 89 - 73 deficit with 9 minutes to go against another playoff team.
> 
> ...



gosh. i thought he was right about skiles and completely spot on about gordon "riding his accolades". i realize there are still those who can't/don't respect kirk and what he brings to the team, but i thought this guy right in this comments about him too. i'm not saying you don't respect him. 




to each his own. 


par-TAY!!

:rock:


----------



## MikeDC (Jul 16, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

I'm guessing the Heat in 6, though I think there's certainly a chance we can pull it out. We have significant advantages at two positions (PG and SF). They have significant and probably bigger advantages at SG and C. The advantage at C is huge, the advantage at SG depends on how much Ben brings to the table. If Ben brings it, then I think we've got a pretty good shot to win. I think the PF position is slightly in our favor.

And while I think their positional advantages are bigger than ours, we have more, and that gives us more flexibility in how we can go after then. I'm optimistic.


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## mizenkay (Dec 29, 2003)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2006/columns/story?columnist=sheridan_chris&id=2416672#


_*Who's the favorite?* The betting line on this one is Heat by 8, with the only teams listed as bigger Game 1 favorites being the Spurs (8½) and Pistons (12 ½). Miami went 2-0 against Chicago in games that meant anything. The Bulls won by 24 at Miami last Sunday in a game that meant nothing to the Heat. Two numbers in Chicago's favor: The Bulls have the NBA's best record thus far in April (9-1), and Miami is 1-10 against them in postseason meetings.

*Why watch?* Because you get to watch Dwyane Wade, and you get to see whether Andres Nocioni and/or Ben Gordon can defend him. Those two players have carried the Bulls on their surge into the postseason, but they'll need to get it done at the other end in this series.

*Key matchup:* Shaquille O'Neal vs. Michael Sweetney. Chicago doesn't have many other defensive options against Shaq, who's got Sweetney by at least five inches and 50 pounds -- and that latter number would be even bigger if not for Sweetney's dietary habits. The Big Fella averaged exactly 20.0 points this season, making it 14 straight seasons he's averaged at least 20. His career playoff average is 26.6.


*X-factor:* Gordon. Which Ben are we going to see? The Bold Ben who shot 9-for-9 from 3 point range against Washington last Friday, or the Little Ben who was scoreless in 16 minutes with five turnovers in Game 6 against the Wizards last season, tarnishing his Sixth Man trophy.


*Little-known facts:* Bulls coach Scott Skiles went to the playoffs only once in 10 seasons as a player, in 1993-94 when he was Shaq's teammate with Orlando. The Magic were swept in three games by the Pacers, whose roster included current NBA coaches Sam Mitchell and Byron Scott and aspiring NBA referee Haywoode Workman._


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## TwinkieTowers (Jul 16, 2002)

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=84899 

*Regular season: *_The Heat beat Chicago twice -- but by a combined total of four points. The Bulls won in Miami last Sunday, but the Heat rested Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal._

*Storyline:* _The Bulls enter the playoffs as the most dangerous of the lower seeds, having won 12 of their last 14 games. Chicago coach Scott Skiles gets his team to play defense nightly, but the Bulls have been on a hot streak with their shooting. They averaged 113.5 points in their last six games. That's bad news for Miami, which has looked vulnerable recently. Miami coach Pat Riley, having executed a massive (and seemingly unnecessary) roster overhaul and having booted Stan Van Gundy as coach, must get this team looking like a championship contender in a hurry, and that won't be easy against the young Bulls._
*
Stars:* _The Bulls' hot streak began when Skiles stopped using Andres Nocioni as a small forward off the bench and put him in the starting lineup as a power forward. Nocioni averaged 17 points and 9.8 rebounds after the change. For the Heat, Wade must drastically increase his production against the Bulls, his hometown team. Wade was awful against the Bulls this season, scoring just 12.3 points and shooting 24.3 percent. Give a lot of credit for that to Chicago's Kirk Hinrich, who seems to have Wade's number.
_
*Learn his name:* _Luke Schenscher, Bulls. He is a Sideshow Bob-headed midseason pickup out of Georgia Tech who, at 7-1, will be called on to whack O'Neal four or five times a night. If Schenscher can make life tough on O'Neal for 10-15 minutes per game and provide a couple of inside baskets, he will have earned his contract._

*X-factor:* _Heat injuries. Alonzo Mourning has not played since March 22. Jason Williams has played just three games in the last three weeks. James Posey, too, has made only three appearances in three weeks and shot 7-for-21 in those games. Can these guys be playoff-ready by this weekend?_
*
Prediction:* _The Bulls will push the Heat to the edge, but the presence of O'Neal inside will be just enough to get Miami into the second round. Take Miami in seven games. _


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## JRose5 (May 4, 2003)

> If Schenscher can make life tough on O'Neal..


:laugh:
I love that.


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## mizenkay (Dec 29, 2003)

covers.com 


_But the Bulls, with their stable of quick and athletic players, present a *huge matchup problem* for Miami’s man-to-man. With guards Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich scorching the Heat with their penetrating abilities and forwards Luol Deng and Chris Duhon slicing them up on the inside, *Chicago’s shot a combined 45.4 percent against the Heat through three meetings this season and covered the number in each tilt.*

It’s the kind of attack that can only be effectively slowed with a group effort._


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## ndistops (Oct 31, 2005)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



step said:


> This will either make you happy or sad.


How can Mourning out make anyone sad? This helps our chances immensely.




JRose5 said:


> I love that.


Do not doubt the power of the Schenschation. :biggrin:


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## step (Sep 19, 2005)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



> How can Mourning out make anyone sad? This helps our chances immensely.


I'd rather play the team at full strength, so that way it's all left on the court. No excuses, no ifs, no buts, nothing.


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## TripleDouble (Jul 26, 2002)

*Re: OFFICIAL PLAYOFF THREAD-- First Round: Miami Heat*



step said:


> I'd rather play the team at full strength, so that way it's all left on the court. No excuses, no ifs, no buts, nothing.


I'd rather win. Alonzo is a huge advantage for them. I hope he misses several games.


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## Pippenatorade (Dec 29, 2005)

*I want this post marked in bold. 

The Heat win this series 4-0 or 4-1. The only way I see the Heat winning 4-2 is if they are up 3-1 and pretty much know they have the series locked so they come out lackluster, or if a major piece of the Heat goes out for the series. They know they're the better team.

Call it arrogance or smugness, but I bet if I turn out to be right, all of those who would have called it smug if I was wrong will say not a word about it. The Heat have PLAYOFF players. It's no different from Cleveland winning the season series 5-0 against Jordan's Bulls one year, only to be torn apart by those same Bulls in the playoffs. What fans of teams like the Bulls often find out is that players like Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'neal can sometimes look down so much on a team like the Bulls in the regular season that they just don't care. That may be a crime to some, but, like it or not (and I hated it), Shaq's mantra in LA was "nothing matters till the playoffs." And Bulls fans are about to find out what that means. 

See I have to credit the Bulls. You get their full effort and full focus every time you play them from game 1 to game 82. Miami v. Chicago, not so much. Miami has not given the Bulls their full effort and focus. They have not done so with a lot of teams. But this is the playoffs. Now the Bulls do get the full focus and effort of the Heat. Now, instead of wanting to rest in the second half and not break too much of a sweat in the first, Shaquille O'neal is going to be giving Tyson Chandler his famous buggy-whip elbow. About 2 or 3 of those and you'll see the difference from the playoffs to the regular season. 

So yes, I was wrong about the Bulls making the PLAYOFFS, EVEN though I maintained that the bright line is not being the 15th best team in an NBA of 30 teams. That to me means very little. Make the second round (and I doubt anyone REALLY believes that last year's team wouldn't have with Deng and Curry) and now you've crossed that bright line into "relevance." 

So please, write this down, print it, put it on a leaflets and paste it on cars. This is my prediction and I have the BALLS (unlike a lot of Tyson backers from last summer) to state it very clearly and in a manner in which it will be remembered very clearly EVEN if I'm wrong in the end.*


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## Showtyme (Jun 24, 2002)

Here's my bold predictions.

Game 1: Chicago win, 100-93 (a close one put away in the 4th quarter)
Game 2: Chicago loss, 112-96 (not close at all)
Game 3: Chicago win, 95-85 (a big win for Chicago)
Game 4: Chicago loss, 102-97 (a close loss at home)
Game 5: Chicago loss, 94-86 (can't get the offense off the ground)
Game 6: Chicago win, 98-92
Game 7: Chicago win, 100-95

Those are my bold predictions. I used to buy into talent, and I agree that talent is what gets you all the way to the Finals. And that's all that really matters, right? In some sense, we are sort of in the same boat as the Memphis Grizzlies because I just don't think they have enough raw talent to win it all, even though they are a substantially better team than us. The truth is, the talent creates consistency that will survive through several rounds of the playoffs. It only demands that others on the team step up when the stars falter, which is not frequent (by definition of being a star).

But now, I don't buy into talent being the preeminent factor in deciding a single series. I do think the Bulls have a shot at upsetting the Heat, even though they are one of the most talented teams in the league. The Bulls have created a NEW consistency, a consistency of teamwork. We might have different guys lead our team in scoring or assists or rebounds, but as long as we have 4 out of the 6 main guys step in and do their jobs excellently, we always have a shot at beating any team in the league.

It's not a fantasy. We were not supposed to make it this far. We are definitely one of the least talented teams in the league, if you define talent by the raw sum of playing ability of our roster. But there's a Gestalt effect in operation with the Bulls, a real and visible one. The commentators noticed it, this board has talked about it for months now, the GM and coach have been preaching it... and it's gotten us this far.

And to be honest, I just don't think the Heat are all that invincible. Wade is hot stuff but we do a better job locking him up than any other team in the league. Shaq, you all have been saying, has been saving his best stuff for the playoffs, but they've done that in past years too. In past years, "saving Shaq" for the playoffs meant 22 and 11.5 and 2.5 blocks in 67 games. The truth is, this year he's been averaging CAREER LOWS (or near-career lows) in every single category except FG%. His PF's have gone up to near his career high as well, meaning he's not in as good shape as he used to be and is getting into foul trouble more often.

If it takes playing him in less than 60 games and limiting him in many ways to "save him" for the playoffs, then I think it says something about the level of player that Shaq is now. Tim Legler was saying (not that he's all that bright) that people just don't FEAR Shaq anymore, the way they used to. He doesn't have that intimidating factor anymore. Guys like Andrew Bynum are going out there and trying to show him up.

In my opinion, they're going to try to beat us without going to him that much in the first few games. When they find out that we can hand them losses if they don't bring their best, they'll unleash Shaq but find that his game has suffered a bit, and that they are running up against a prepared, well-oiled machine that has entered the playoffs playing its best basketball of the season.

My greatest fear with Miami is that Antoine Walker and Gary Payton will beat us. Walker is still a killer talent, a legit 20 ppg guy on most teams in the NBA, and he's got the moxie that Wade is still developing. Payton is the embodiment of being an experienced veteran, and the hungriest guy on this roster for a ring. If those guys step up big, then it'll be really hard to stop the entire team. Fortunately, I think our bench depth gives us as good a chance as we can have on defending all of those guys.


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## BG7 (Jun 25, 2003)

Some guy on ABC just picked us to upset the HEat.


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## Wynn (Jun 3, 2002)

Pippenatorade said:


> *So yes, I was wrong about the Bulls making the PLAYOFFS.*


It takes a lot of courage to admit a mistake. Thanks for putting it in bold.



> *Call it arrogance or smugness, but I bet if I turn out to be right, all of those who would have called it smug if I was wrong will say not a word about it.*


I'll call it smug right now, and without all of the bold text. The problem with being a know-it-all and publishing every random thought across the internet is that when you are proven wrong, you look like an even bigger idiot. I do like that you attempted to admit you were wrong, but the page and a half of bold faced type surrounding your admission leads me to believe you haven't learned anything from it.

C'est la vie. Youth is a wonderful thing. Don't ever grow up...


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## SausageKingofChicago (Feb 14, 2005)

Wynn said:


> It takes a lot of courage to admit a mistake. Thanks for putting it in bold.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Your a nasty piece of work wynn


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## SausageKingofChicago (Feb 14, 2005)

I don't like the composition of the Heat's team notwithstanding the talent they have on paper

Having said that Dwayne Wade is just too special of a player for the Heat not to win this series - and it all starts and stops with that IMO 

Kirk may play him as well as anyone can but in turn Kirk needs to find balance in his game so that he contributes on the offensive end . 

If he can do that its the Heat in 5 and if we can't its the Heat in 4 

The best thing for us to come from this series against a veteran team like this or the Pistons if that was who were facing is that - if your going to take your lumps as you are maturing as a playoff team , best to have your beatings given by a master rather than some have assed biyatch (meaning teams that are on a comparative level )


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## mizenkay (Dec 29, 2003)

all right. here it is. my official prediction right at the wire.

*bulls in seven.* 

i believe. print that on a pamphlet.


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## JRose5 (May 4, 2003)

mizenkay said:


> i believe. print that on a pamphlet.



:laugh:


About time we get going, the earlier games today have been boring.
Let's go Bulls!


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## SkywalkerAC (Sep 20, 2002)

Go Bulls!

Gordon is a shot-making machine


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## www.sportsinferno.com (Apr 22, 2006)

Miami layed a turd on the court and you guys couldnt get the W. 

Bulls can win this series...Miami looked like HELL tonight


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## TripleDouble (Jul 26, 2002)

www.sportsinferno.com said:


> Miami layed a turd on the court and you guys couldnt get the W.
> 
> Bulls can win this series...Miami looked like HELL tonight


Don't think that had anything to do with the Bulls at all?


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## www.sportsinferno.com (Apr 22, 2006)

TripleDouble said:


> Don't think that had anything to do with the Bulls at all?


yeah...I like what Gordon and Nocioni were able to do tonight...I did not get to really pay full focus to the game until the end because the Tigers were on TV for once...but I think there are some things the Bulls can do to slow Miami. 

I think they need to let Antoine Walker beat them. He is more of a problem for Miami than a solution. He waste's posessions numerous times and seems to hurt more than help. Sagging on the wings to ensure he gets more touches would help...


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## DaBullz (Jul 15, 2002)

...


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## IbizaXL (Sep 21, 2005)

DaBullz said:


> ...


i think i know what your thinking :biggrin: lol


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## Showtyme (Jun 24, 2002)

> "No moral victories at this point in the season," Gordon said. "We've just got to figure out how to slow them down. I thought in the first half they had way too many fast-break points and in the key moments of the game we had some turnovers that really hurt us."


http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=260422014

That's the right mentality, for sure. I like how they are really not letting a close loss in game 1 where they put a ton of effort out there limit them.

It might be just me, but I think BG wants to be the guy that pushes them over the edge. He'll be watching Wade this series and it seems like he's competitive enough to really want to go head-to-head against Dwyane.

But if Shaq continues to beat up on us like he is, I don't know that there's a lot we can do. All I know is that we'll make the adjustments. Our team's ability to execute has come a LONG way since game 6 against the Wizards last year.

And it appears that we're not going to be able to get the job done without some more Luol Deng. With Noch and Gordon playing the way they were, it's hard to make room for Deng. He just won't be able to stand up in the frontcourt when they've got Shaq in there for 37 minutes; they need two big bodies just to deal with him.


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## HKF (Dec 10, 2002)

Pippenatorade said:


> *
> 
> See I have to credit the Bulls. You get their full effort and full focus every time you play them from game 1 to game 82. Miami v. Chicago, not so much. Miami has not given the Bulls their full effort and focus. They have not done so with a lot of teams. But this is the playoffs. Now the Bulls do get the full focus and effort of the Heat. Now, instead of wanting to rest in the second half and not break too much of a sweat in the first, Shaquille O'neal is going to be giving Tyson Chandler his famous buggy-whip elbow. About 2 or 3 of those and you'll see the difference from the playoffs to the regular season.
> 
> *


This is the reason most people expected the Bulls to lose in 4 or 5 games.


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## TwinkieTowers (Jul 16, 2002)

If you guys were watching the same Game 1 I was watching, the Heat did give their all against the Bulls. Shaq said that he'll be bringing it in the playoffs, and he delivered in Game 1. Wade finally brought his A game (this season), Antoine Walker played with a lot more jib than I've seen from him in a long time, and Jason Williams had a pretty good game as well. In short, the Heat played "playoff basketball". Yet, the Bulls only lost by five.

Whether or not the Bulls win this series, if every game in this series ends up being close like Game 1 did, I can say that the Bulls may be one legitimate post threat away from being arguably the best team in the NBA.


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## Anima (Jun 3, 2003)

Don't know if this has been mentioned yet but game four is going to be on ABC Sunday at noon.


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## kirkisgod (Jul 25, 2005)

Go BULLS of the Chicago persuasion.


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## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

TwinkieTowers said:


> If you guys were watching the same Game 1 I was watching, the Heat did give their all against the Bulls. Shaq said that he'll be bringing it in the playoffs, and he delivered in Game 1. Wade finally brought his A game (this season), Antoine Walker played with a lot more jib than I've seen from him in a long time, and Jason Williams had a pretty good game as well. In short, the Heat played "playoff basketball". Yet, the Bulls only lost by five.
> 
> Whether or not the Bulls win this series, if every game in this series ends up being close like Game 1 did, *I can say that the Bulls may be one legitimate post threat away from being arguably the best team in the NBA.*


Thats the game I saw! We lost by five. A couple of ill-advised turnovers and Wade, and Shaq were on. Yet they did play without Haslem and Mourning. But people can say we played without Deng. He didnt show up imo. Call if nerves, I hope he shows up for the rest of the playoffs. 

I wouldnt say the best team in the nba. Miami is not the best team. I think they are top 5 or 6 in the nba. It is obvious we need muscle. We need a real center! Maybe two centers and another young, scoring pf that can rebound. Not to mention a big sg/sf that can defend and score.

I have changed my mind about the bulls needed a star. Gordon is on his way. Deng will not be far behind him and Nocioni may be the third player that will be a star. Hinrich will be Hinrich. Solid. 

We more assets that will address our weaknesses, then we will contend.


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## Future (Jul 24, 2002)

Kinda OT, but related to the playoffs. I'm going to game four next week, does anyone know how much parking will be? Will they raise prices because its the playoffs?


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## Cyanobacteria (Jun 25, 2002)

Showtyme said:


> http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=260422014
> 
> That's the right mentality, for sure. I like how they are really not letting a close loss in game 1 where they put a ton of effort out there limit them.
> 
> ...


Yeah, looks like the Bulls need to be firing on ALL cylinders (or at least 5 at a time).


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## Showtyme (Jun 24, 2002)

Gordon had a tough playoffs last year, where he sort of "disappeared" and it took the beginning half of this season until he reappeared. This year, I think he's going to make his mark on the playoffs with a vengeance and make sure that everyone knows just how good he's gotten.

Deng is a year behind Gordon, as he didn't have a playoff appearance last year. Whether he steps up and plays hard or not, I think this is going to be an extremely valuable experience for him too. These playoffs are NOT the run at the Finals, most likely, but making them will prove totally worth it.

I look for us to get into this series in Game 2 and push the Heat to the limit. If they can simply do that, even if they come away with another loss, they'll test Miami in its greatest weakness: consistency. An overactive Shaq and an overburdened Wade would have to do a lot to overcome the Bulls constant, harrassing attacks on them. And if they did overcome in Game 2, it would make Game 3 in the United Center that much more difficult to win. We WILL take a few games in this series, I'm positive. It's just a matter of whether it'll be enough to go 7 games or not.


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## LegoHat (Jan 14, 2004)

If Haslem is indeed suspended it means Antoine Walker will have to play a lot more than usually. We need to take advantage of the fact that he's a terrible defender and just keep going at him, Noc and Deng should have a field day playing opposite him.


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## Showtyme (Jun 24, 2002)

LegoHat said:


> If Haslem is indeed suspended it means Antoine Walker will have to play a lot more than usually. We need to take advantage of the fact that he's a terrible defender and just keep going at him, Noc and Deng should have a field day playing opposite him.


Great point. I think that a small lineup of:

Hinrich/Gordon/Nocioni/Deng/Allen

should have enough balance to make things happen. And we get to have our five best offensive players on the floor at the same time.

Sub in Duhon for Gordon and Chandler and sometimes Luke for Allen, then let the kids play. I agree, keep Deng and Noch in there the whole game if they can avoid foul trouble.


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## Showtyme (Jun 24, 2002)

Kirk Hinrich is a killer player. He really is big time.

But he's not a point guard. Contrary to Steve Kerr's belief, he is NOT the next Steve Nash.

You can talk about his 29 points, 7 assists, and tell me that you can't argue with the way he steps up and helps this team. But the honest truth is, each player isn't being truly maximized. 

I watched the game and Ben Gordon had some ill-advised shots, but he wasn't getting plays run for him and he wasn't getting the ball in his hands. Tonight was really Kirk's strength and weakness both on display at the same time: great defense and scoring, with crazy overdribbling. He has one way of making himself feel comfortable, and that's by using the opposing big guy as a cone to dribble around, drawing defenders like a trail of magnets, and finding a guy in the corner.

The worst thing is, I don't know if I can really blame him. I don't know if our team has the offensive savvy to do anything besides the penetration-and-kick, which strangely every player on our team has become good at. That and a simple screen-roll comprise most of our offense.

And Kirk got a lot of crap for that behind-the-back pass tonight, but the truth is, Chandler wasn't even looking for it. That's partially Kirk's fault, but it's partially Chandler's fault AND the entire team's fault (and therefore, Skiles' fault), because they just aren't an offensively flexible team. Hinrich should be more aware of what his team can handle, but he's just frustrated because that WAS a good dish and should have ended in a big, unguarded dunk.

We often had three guards on the floor tonight, three guys with passing vision and the ability to handle the ball. Duhon, Gordon, and Hinrich can all get in the lane, distribute the ball, and be active away from the ball. Why, then, does the ball not travel between players more? It's like we only pass the ball around the arc when we're looking for a mismatch or just trying to get the offense started on the other side of the court; we are rarely moving the ball fluidly to create openings and spread the defense.

And the fact is, we run a conventional offense with one primary ball distributor. Duhon looked like he was being used as a SHOOTING guard, sometimes! And guys like Gordon need to work in tandem with the ball handler, to gain the trust of the point guard and be able to have some freedom, otherwise we're just wasting him as well and we might as well have Eddie Basden in there to use his length on defense.

It was a solid game, and we fought back hard, and maybe a lot of others on the board have seen this more than I have, but I felt like I was watching Donovan McNabb in the Super Bowl two years ago. He gets the job done, but he can't get his entire team to play at a higher level when the crunch time hits and he just hopes that by doing the same thing he always does, the team will grit out a win.

The team has to elevate its level of play. I don't know how else to put it.


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## www.sportsinferno.com (Apr 22, 2006)

Can we all stand up and give Dwayne Wade a nice round of applause... :clap: He finished his first playoff game of the 05-06 season tonight!


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## DaBullz (Jul 15, 2002)

Nice post, Showtyme, but I simply don't see it.

The Bulls got blown out in game 2. The score was closer than the actual game. 

The Heat mailed it in for most of Q4. Shaq taking and missing pretty lacksidasical shots in the post. The Heat settled for jumpers. The Bulls were ice cold for half of Q4, and while they were getting garbage time points, the Heat wasn't even trying that hard. 

When push came to shove, Wade went crazy. Blocking shots and getting any shot he cared to. It was like that all Q4, but the Heat didn't care to try.

As for the rest, I've seen it the whole season. You're not telling us anything new.

Hinrich is a great guy to have on the court for most of the time. But give the bulls a big lead and the surest way to lose that lead is to call plays for Kirk. Game after game when we had leads, it was like that, until he stopped shooting.

What we've needed all along is a BIG player who has the skills of a guard. Nobody likes Antoine Walker, but when's the last time he's not been in the playoffs? He's HUGE and handles the ball like a guard. Passes terrific. Grabs boards. Or Pierce.

The thing is you get to go "small" while still being "big" at the defensive end.

Anyhow, this is the playoffs. We're not playing against teams tanking because their season is basically over, or in the middle of a 2-15 streak of 17 games. There is no Skiles coaching magic that can really win with these guys.

We're basically stuck hoping we find an actual big in the draft, trade, or FA. And then we need two.


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## McBulls (Apr 28, 2005)

www.sportsinferno.com said:


> Can we all stand up and give Dwayne Wade a nice round of applause... :clap: He finished his first playoff game of the 05-06 season tonight!


Wade had better watch out, the falling act is getting old very fast. If the NBA has any concern about not becoming another World Wrestling club, they need to limit the number of times he gets a call just because he falls down.


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## BG7 (Jun 25, 2003)

The more Wade plays the more I dislike him. When he came from Marquette, he did all the same stuff, same spin moves, same crazy shots and ones, but somewhere in the past year he got the idea to fall down, and I don't like it, its annoying, he gets bad fouls called because of it, and it makes him look like a major *****.


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## Showtyme (Jun 24, 2002)

DaBullz said:


> Nice post, Showtyme, but I simply don't see it.
> 
> The Bulls got blown out in game 2. The score was closer than the actual game.
> 
> ...


Yeah, basically. 

I know that the Heat were stepping up like crazy tonight, and it wasn't all because our defense wasn't there. I think home court was pretty apparent also, from the refs; I wonder if they'll give us the same type of treatment at the UC.

But you nailed it, DB. Hinrich's great to have until we start losing. He just takes way too long to get stuff started, and he's terrible in the fast break other than his own pull-up jumper, which isn't so bad. It sort of reminds of Sam Cassell; I hope that Kirk one day has that level of savvy.


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## BG7 (Jun 25, 2003)

Lets also hope that Kirk doesn't start looking like Sam.


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## TwinkieTowers (Jul 16, 2002)

I think Wade likes the taste of hardwood floor.

Not to discredit Hinrich's defense on Wade, because it's been exceptional, but I think Skiles should put Deng on Wade and see if his length can affect his game. Hinrich should be able to guard Walker effectively.


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## TwinkieTowers (Jul 16, 2002)

sloth said:


> Lets also hope that Kirk doesn't start looking like Sam.


http://nbadraft.net/profiles/kirkhinrich.htm


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## Darius Miles Davis (Aug 2, 2002)

Wow, you guys are really reaching to find something not to like about Wade. So what if he falls down? Have you noticed a guy named Nocioni on our team who's a hell of an actor? 

Please. Dwyane Wade is all about winning. I've got serious respect for that guy.


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## Showtyme (Jun 24, 2002)

Darius Miles Davis said:


> Wow, you guys are really reaching to find something not to like about Wade. So what if he falls down? Have you noticed a guy named Nocioni on our team who's a hell of an actor?
> 
> Please. Dwyane Wade is all about winning. I've got serious respect for that guy.


I give Wade mad props, but I also think he's overrated.

It was such a weird game to watch. Wade's so crazy athletic and Shaq dominates inside, but there were just so many jumpers. I guess when the scorers are Kirk, Nocioni, Walker, Jason Williams... it can be expected. But I'm surprised Wade's jumper has improved so much; he's still not great jump shooter but he really put it away with competitiveness in his J at the end of the game.

Mad props, but we CAN handle this guy. He wasn't out there looking invincible.


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## DaBullz (Jul 15, 2002)

I don't see Hinrich's offense on Wade being that effective. Sure, Wade's stats weren't great for a couple of games...

When I watch the Bulls vs. Heat, what I see is Wade being double teamed. Hinrich is on Wade, but another Bulls guard is shadowing Wade. This is why JWill gets so many open looks.

Wade made Hinrich fall down a couple of times (at least), without even touching him. Wade got two clean looks at the basket with the game on the line - made one, the other hit the rim about 4 times before missing.

It's really hard to tell if Wade just didn't take us seriously during the regular season, or what.

And when it really came down to it... Wade's clutch play at the end of the game sealed the deal for them - a big basket at the offensive end and a big block at the defensive end. Our guy did a behind the back pass to Chandler.


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## TripleDouble (Jul 26, 2002)

Darius Miles Davis said:


> Wow, you guys are really reaching to find something not to like about Wade. So what if he falls down? Have you noticed a guy named Nocioni on our team who's a hell of an actor?
> 
> Please. Dwyane Wade is all about winning. I've got serious respect for that guy.


This is the playoffs. People are supposed to be passionate (hence subjective). Has it really gotten to the point where we shouldn't hate the best player on the opposition after he's torn us up?


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## Showtyme (Jun 24, 2002)

My new key to the game: balance.

Not a rigid balance that sticks with a "balanced" game plan. Just balance in terms of going back and forth on both offense and defense to contain and score in a paced way.

Hinrich tried too hard to put the game on his shoulders. Nocioni was the beneficiary for that, because he's the one guy on our team that was born to play clean-up off of a creator like Kirk. But that's a two man game. We need balance, getting several touches to several different players. Luol Deng should get a look almost every time there's an offensive set whenever he's on the floor. Same goes for Ben Gordon. If these guys are working together to create good offense, instead of being the role players around Captain Kirk, then we'll see a more effective offense.

Defensively, we should double on Wade and double on Shaq, but be quick to understand who can rotate and who will be open. That one play that they replayed going to a commercial, where Wade draws Nocioni and finds a wide-open Walker... that's bad defensive presence. Chandler was already there for the double team; Nocioni left his guy from the other side of the court to TRIPLE-team a guy that was going to be stopped just inside the free throw line anyway. You can't just do one thing really well against this Heat team; they're showing us that they can beat us in a lot of different ways.

BALANCE. We need Deng to step up more, Gordon to have some offense, Kirk to continue doing what he's doing, Chandler to be more than a Shaq-fouler. When we play with this elusive balance, we DO resemble the Pistons. When we play in a skewed way as if we have a star on offense and as if we only have one star to stop on defense, our lack of talent becomes more exposed.


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## Pippenatorade (Dec 29, 2005)

Pippenatorade said:


> *I want this post marked in bold.
> 
> The Heat win this series 4-0 or 4-1. The only way I see the Heat winning 4-2 is if they are up 3-1 and pretty much know they have the series locked so they come out lackluster, or if a major piece of the Heat goes out for the series. They know they're the better team.
> 
> ...


:biggrin:


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## Bulls96 (Jun 25, 2003)

Pippenatorade said:


> :...It's no different from Cleveland winning the season series 5-0 against Jordan's Bulls biggrin:


IMO, it is close...but definitely not the same 

This is why some fans have a hope ... plus Shaq can easily get injured, who knows? 


We all agree that without legit PF and C we are lucky to be where we are right now… but there is always a hope for more


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## Pippenatorade (Dec 29, 2005)

Bulls96 said:


> IMO, it is close...but definitely not the same
> 
> This is why some fans have a hope ... plus Shaq can easily get injured, who knows?
> 
> ...


I guess that a true appreciation of HOW good MJ's Bulls were, and how it was never a home run for them really (MJ even said that the Finals were never close to easy for them), I view hoping for this team to beat Miami as very naive and blind. I save blind hope for college sports. 

However you make a great point. I will never dispute that if Shaq goes down with an injury and can't play, we have a definite shot to make it interesting.


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## Bulls96 (Jun 25, 2003)

Pippenatorade said:


> I guess that a true appreciation of HOW good MJ's Bulls were, and how it was never a home run for them really (MJ even said that the Finals were never close to easy for them), I view hoping for this team to beat Miami as very naive and blind. I save blind hope for college sports.
> 
> However you make a great point. I will never dispute that if Shaq goes down with an injury and can't play, we have a definite shot to make it interesting.


Thank you Pippenatorade, I always enjoy reading you comments. Yep, …MJ Bulls were great indeed! Much better than any present top NBA teams.

In mean time, I really like how we are set up for guards and SF positions.
I am not sure , I will trade Kirk, Ben and Nocioni for anything less than James, TD,Kobe, Amare or Howard. 

They (Kirk, Ben ,Nocioni) are very special and talented players with the strong characters and work ethics (rare commodities in present sport industry)

I hope Pax will trade NY pick for the next 2007 draft, get Sheldon and Przybilla and some AD type veteran…and let see what can we do with Miami next season


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## Showtyme (Jun 24, 2002)

Down 1-2. If we win the next game at home, I think we'll have a great shot at winning it all. If we lose the next one, we're definitely toast. I know that's sort of being Captain Obvious, but it's true.

Here's what I saw tonight that gives us the winning formula for success:

1. Refs on our side. I hate to put this number one, because we really did play our hearts out and do a lot of great things, but we almost NEVER get more FTA's than our opponents; today we got 46 FTA's (shot a nasty 69% from the line). To put that in perspective, usually we average 24 FTA's and our opponents usually average 30. Big calls going our way, nothing blatantly unfair, but it helps so much when the refs aren't making Miami so invincible.

2. Ball movement/. It was such a drastic difference. Instead of having Hinrich run curls with the ball, they hand the ball off to Noch or Deng and let Hinrich run off the exact same pattern except without the ball, then they give it to him at the top of the key. It's actually a really minor adjustment, and sort of just a feint of ball movement, but it helps so much.

3. Fast-breaking and Luol Deng. We say this all the time, but this team really did wreak havoc on Miami with the way they push the ball. Duhon's particularly good at it, and so is Deng. And Deng's especially valuable as a finisher.

We have STRANGE redundancies on this team: Gordon and Hinrich both run the offense with the ball in their hands, while Deng and Nocioni are both good ball-handling playmakers as well that can slash and hit shots. Deng and Hinrich are better defenders; Gordon and Noch are the most explosive scorers.

Add in Duhon as a third PG, and we've basically got three PG's and three SF's with no SG's or PF's. They complement each other really well, but in the end, I think we're going to see some trades happening. If we keep this team, though, we really DO have the potential to become the next Detroit, because on the occasional night when our diverse talents become a strength rather than a weakness, we can shut down teams with our D and make magic happen on offense. Tayshaun, Rip, and Rasheed all have that passing ability, and they have a few explosive scorers on that squad too. What we need is a real Ben Wallace type.

If we trade some players, we'll have more of a prototypical talented team, but I sort of hope we keep what we've got, because tonight was an indication of what could be.


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## Showtyme (Jun 24, 2002)

Showtyme said:


> We need balance, getting several touches to several different players. Luol Deng should get a look almost every time there's an offensive set whenever he's on the floor. Same goes for Ben Gordon. If these guys are working together to create good offense, instead of being the role players around Captain Kirk, then we'll see a more effective offense.
> 
> ...
> 
> BALANCE. We need Deng to step up more, Gordon to have some offense, Kirk to continue doing what he's doing, Chandler to be more than a Shaq-fouler. When we play with this elusive balance, we DO resemble the Pistons. When we play in a skewed way as if we have a star on offense and as if we only have one star to stop on defense, our lack of talent becomes more exposed.


This is another way of saying what I just said. They needed this; they got this.

That is all ye know on Earth, and all ye need to know.


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## TripleDouble (Jul 26, 2002)

That was a big win but I really want to see if the Bulls can hold the Heat under 100 with Shaq having his average game. That, IMO, is the key. They have to keep Jason Williams at his season PPG average instead of the 18.67 PPG he's getting in the playoffs.


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## Pippenatorade (Dec 29, 2005)

Bulls96 said:


> Thank you Pippenatorade, I always enjoy reading you comments. Yep, …MJ Bulls were great indeed! Much better than any present top NBA teams.
> 
> In mean time, I really like how we are set up for guards and SF positions.
> I am not sure , I will trade Kirk, Ben and Nocioni for anything less than James, TD,Kobe, Amare or Howard.
> ...


I will say this. Today's NBA is PATHETIC. I said before the series that the Bulls won many games just by showing up, as you can beat most any bottom 15 NBA team now just by showing up. Last night, they beat a frigging TWO seed just by bringing it 100%. I saw a two seed quit last night. 

While I have many criticisms of the Bulls, perhaps I don't give them enough credit in the effort department. I know their effort and jib is awesome, but the fact is, it may be better than any team since the 2000 Pacers and 1997-98 Jazz. The Bulls are literally scoring a 100 in the effort department. If the Heat, or any team besides the Spurs, Pistons and Mavericks think they are going to come out with THAT LOW of an effort and beat even the Bulls, they are sorely mistaken. Last night reminded me of the Miami Hurricanes basically thinking they could throw their jocks on the field against Miami in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl and still win the national championship. It doesn't work that way. I know that Shaq has always had a problem with lack of interest, and that's why I expect him to come out mad in game 4 and we'll probably see another Heat win, but IF they come out like they did last night three more times in this series, the Chicago Bulls will be playing the Indiana Pacers in round 2. AND I've said all along that all the Bulls have to do to shut my mouth is make it to round 2, because that to me is the bright line that people in this city SEEM TO THINK that merely making the playoffs is. The 8 teams to make the second round are the teams that to me are good enough that they could have merely MADE THE PLAYOFFS in 1992. 

BUT one thing I've always believed is that wins come FAR easier when you are down 2 games to a team than when you are down 1 game or tied with a team. Teams that are up 2 games in a series tend to sleepwalk, in today's NBA more than ever. Also, Tyson Chandler is still pulling a Houdini. If you add up all his good games combined this whole season you get about a month and a half of good play, and MAYBE two weeks of play warranting his contract. 

Go Hinrich, Duhon, Deng, Noce and Skiles in game 4!!


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## Pippenatorade (Dec 29, 2005)

Showtyme said:


> This is another way of saying what I just said. They needed this; they got this.
> 
> That is all ye know on Earth, and all ye need to know.


I hope "this" isn't balance. Because while this team stepped up last night it has to be one of the most unbalanced teams in NBA history. This team is probably the one team that you look at and say "if they had balance, they'd be a 1 seed." However, BALANCE is the single hardest thing to achieve in the NBA.


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## LegoHat (Jan 14, 2004)

Did everyone see Michael Jordan cheering when Shaq got his fourth foul on a foul on Ben? That was nice to see, he is really cheering for the Bulls.


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## VincentVega (Oct 12, 2003)

The Big Three, as usual:

Ben has resurfaced. That was quick. Nice job hitting big shots and a better job on D.

Nocioni may be the best player on the team...

Kirk had a lot of assists last night as a result of dribbling around, through, in, out and within the lane.


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## mizenkay (Dec 29, 2003)

in the first round so far THREE BULLS are in the TOP TEN in SCORING: Ben is 6th, Kirk 7th and Noc is 9th.

not too shabby.

http://www.nba.com/statistics/player/Scoring.jsp



also

kirk is 3rd in assists per game

and noc is the second most efficient player (dirk is #1)

and ben is 7th in MPG.




:greatjob:


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## SausageKingofChicago (Feb 14, 2005)

mizenkay said:


> in the first round so far THREE BULLS are in the TOP TEN in SCORING: Ben is 6th, Kirk 7th and Noc is 9th.
> 
> not too shabby.
> 
> ...


Nocioni has really stepped up - not only in the playoffs but in the run home to the playoffs 

Since the allstar break he was 15.2 and 7.5 on 43% FG% and about 38% from 3 

In the playoffs he's 22 and 10 shooting 56% from the field and 50% from 3 

He really has taken his game to another plateau - he's much more than just a scrappy hard player - he's really turning himself into a legit NBA player much the way Ginobili elevated his game when he assimilated between 1st and 2nd seasons 

Look for Noc to have a huge 3rd season that will really establish what he will be as an NBA player


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## LegoHat (Jan 14, 2004)

Having three Bulls in the top ten in scoring is very impressive, and very unexpected, at least for me.


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## GB (Jun 11, 2002)

Modrowski blog:

_When Miami Heat president Pat Riley acquired Antoine Walker and Gary Payton last year, it seemed he was laying the groundwork for Stan Van Gundy's exit. Both players can — at the very least — frustrate a coach, and now Riley is experiencing that first-hand.
--
This is not a team built to win a title. Shaquille O'Neal is too soft-spoken to be the leader the Heat needs, and Wade's leadership was jeopardized by Payton on Sunday.

Some saw this coming from the moment Riley acquired the two. Wonder how Van Gundy feels about it now._
http://blogs.suntimes.com/fullcourtpress/2006/04/pat_riley_is_reaping_what_he_s.html

I also found an earlier entry of his. It occurs to me that regardless of how this postseason turns out, it has been a hugely important and successful one for the future of this organization. The Bulls have really, really matured as a result of their experiences, and that will carry on into next season:

_
Curry's averaging just under 14 points and just over six rebounds for an awful Knicks team. His desire to play defense and rebound is no better than it was during his first four seasons. I don't see Curry ever living up to that "Baby Shaq" nickname that was coined more for his potential than performance.

Meanwhile, Thomas paid a huge dividend for the Bulls. Obviously, he didn't do anything on the court, but the fact Paxson and coach Scott Skiles decided to basically cut Thomas from the team and agree to pay him $13 million to stay away spoke volumes for what Bulls management demanded from its players. Some of the other players didn't like Thomas being shown the door, but they got the message.

Sweetney has been inconsistent this season, but he still helped the Bulls make the playoffs. And making the playoffs is what free agents such as Al Harrington are going to consider this summer.

And while it is a weak draft, the Bulls still have New York's top pick, and it could be No. 1. Not only has Paxson proven to be a great draft evaluator - Hinrich, Gordon, Deng - he's also clever in trades and could package that top pick.

*Paxson has made it all look so easy. He inherited an absolute mess from Jerry Krause and turned it around in short order. Bulls fans have many reasons to be optimistic.*_
http://blogs.suntimes.com/fullcourtpress/2006/04/how_good_does_that_eddy_curry.html

:greatjob:


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## Ventura (Aug 9, 2005)

ben is scoring more than kobe :banana:


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## step (Sep 19, 2005)

> Although the Bulls attempted to keep the trade talks quiet last summer, a sign-and-trade deal with the Boston Celtics was discussed to bring Antoine Walker to his hometown, Chicago, in a deal for Antonio Davis.


For Davis? How much were we willing to pay the guy? Dear god.

And for those wondering why I put it in this thread:


> "At the time it was cool; I was going to become a free agent," Walker, now with the Heat, said after Sunday's loss to the Bulls. "It was an opportunity to come back home and play. … But I wanted to play [for Miami]. I thought it was my best chance to win the NBA title, and I still believe that."


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## Showtyme (Jun 24, 2002)

step said:


> For Davis? How much were we willing to pay the guy? Dear god.
> 
> And for those wondering why I put it in this thread:


Walker for Davis would have been a terrific trade at the time. It might have hindered the development of our guys to the point they're at now, but to replace a non-scoring guy with a scoring one in a year where we struggled offensively... Walker is the type of guy that can single-handedly shoot a team back into a series, like the one against Washington.

He's actually a pretty good leader, even though he always looks like a baby. I don't know if he would have butted heads with Skiles and hindered Kirk's developing leadership qualities, but he definitely would have been a huge addition of talent to the team. His playmaking abilities, too, would really open up the offensive production of our squad.

As it has turned out, I'm glad it didn't happen, but it would have been an interesting move at the time.


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## Wynn (Jun 3, 2002)

Pippenatorade said:


> *I want this post marked in bold.
> 
> The Heat win this series 4-0 or 4-1. The only way I see the Heat winning 4-2 is if they are up 3-1 and pretty much know they have the series locked so they come out lackluster, or if a major piece of the Heat goes out for the series. They know they're the better team.
> 
> ...


*HOW COULD THIS POST BE WRONG IF IT'S ALL IN BOLD?!?!?!*


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## JRose5 (May 4, 2003)

Wynn said:


> *HOW COULD THIS POST BE WRONG IF IT'S ALL IN BOLD?!?!?!*





What, didn't you get the leaflet on your car?


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## McBulls (Apr 28, 2005)

Pippenatorade said:


> *I want this post marked in bold.
> 
> The Heat win this series 4-0 or 4-1. The only way I see the Heat winning 4-2 is if they are up 3-1 and pretty much know they have the series locked so they come out lackluster, or if a major piece of the Heat goes out for the series. They know they're the better team.
> 
> ...


You put your balls on the line, asked people to squash them if an insulting prediction related to the performance of their favorite team turned out to be wrong. So...

*SQUASH!!!!* 


Now say ouch, you're sorry. 
Promise never to be so unloyal and unsupportive of our team again and we will forgive you.


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## Electric Slim (Jul 31, 2002)

Pippenatorade said:


> *I want this post marked in bold.
> 
> The Heat win this series 4-0 or 4-1. The only way I see the Heat winning 4-2 is if they are up 3-1 and pretty much know they have the series locked so they come out lackluster, or if a major piece of the Heat goes out for the series. They know they're the better team.
> 
> ...


 :cannibal:


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## obermotz (Oct 20, 2004)

Hello,

I don't know if this Greg Cote (of the Miami Herald) blog has been listed here but both the blog entry and the comments are a pretty good read.

Peter


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## mizenkay (Dec 29, 2003)

good link, *obermotz!*. and welcome "back" to the forum. don't be a stranger!

the comments are a very entertaining read. heat fans complaining about the officials and fighting with each other! good stuff.




> Another thing how does Hinrich average 5 fouls a game in this series and today only gets 2. You don't just change your game that easy in one day. The league is making a statement that if you bad mouth the official we'll make sure you lose. I don't care what anybody says when you beat the other guy in rebounds and shot attemps and assists you should't lose the game. *The officials made sure that if miami is going to advance they better play better than god could play.* What a disgrace to basketball that the officials don't give Shaq a fifty greatest player the respect he deserves.





> WOW - I'll skip the popular jokes on someone's favorite whine..."I want to go to Miaaaaammi". *Get off the refs - the Bulls outplayed the Heats' sorry butt.* Oooohhh...Shaq's mad, he's really gonna play great on Tuesday. Isn't that what everyone said after Game 3?* Face it, Shaq looks REAL old and Wade is getting outplayed by Hinrich.*




:greatjob:


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## GB (Jun 11, 2002)

> Wade said he believes he'll be able to play Thursday. Last season against the Pistons in the conference finals, Wade sat out Game 6 with a strained rib and the Heat was blown out of Detroit, then lost a close Game 7 at home.
> 
> The Heat doesn't plan on a repeat experience in this year's first round.
> 
> ...


http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/14485330.htm


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