Chicagoist: Bulls Let Big Lead, Playoff Hopes Slip Away

Cletus Warhol

Fri, 11 May 2007 15:04:07 -0600

"Overall, these Bulls are where the Jordan era Bulls were in '88 or '89. It'll be another year or two before they can really compete." Yeah, no doubt, Benji. I'm just a bit sad because I thought they might have been a little further along than that after the way they handled Miami. On the bright side, that nice draft pick from the Knicks should get them another quality player. And who's on the free agent market this off season?

Benjy

Fri, 11 May 2007 12:13:20 -0600

Unfortunately, you can't work on height like you can on strength. How many times last night did Ben Gordon try and drive to the hoop, only to get stuffed by taller defenders? They need to learn to play to their strenths a little better. Deng has, and it shows in how his game has progressed. Overall, these Bulls are where the Jordan era Bulls were in '88 or '89. It'll be another year or two before they can really compete.

Cletus Warhol

Fri, 11 May 2007 12:05:27 -0600

You hit the nail on the head, mike. The young Bulls need to put on some muscle mass and get used to the fact that, in the playoffs, any time you take the ball to the hole you're going to get smacked good and hard (hell, you don't even have to take it to the hole to get smacked good and hard by the Pistons). The most frustrating thing about the Bulls right now is that their most pressing problems (other than lack of muscle) are psychological. Coming out with an aggressive mindset and playing with enough focus to eliminate mistakes is imperative in the playoffs. They were able to do it for one half last night, but then the relentless pressure (defensive and psychological) of the Pistons wore them down and they reverted to that frightened brand of basketball they played in the first two games (and for various portions of the regular season). When that happens, they get into this mindset where nobody wants to take the shot no matter how open they are and they overpass until the possession is frittered away (either with a shot clock violation, bad "time running out" shot or turnover). As frustrating as this series was/is, I still think they have the talent to take it to the next level and that this is just part of the learning curve. I remember how weak and pathetic the Jordan Era Bulls looked against the old bad boy Pistons before they broke through into championship level play, and these baby Bulls can do the same.

mike

Fri, 11 May 2007 11:10:58 -0600

Horace Grant was a key part of the shift, but he wasn't that physical for a power forward. The big difference came when Jordan and Pippen beefed up their slender frames with the help of Bulls strength coach Al Vermeil. Meanwhile, brick wall Bill Cartwright began to mete out justice to anyone foolish enough to play dirty down low.

Chicago 2016

Fri, 11 May 2007 10:46:07 -0600

They didn't learn how to do it. They drafted Horace Grant. The first year he averaged double-digit rebounds (1991), the Bulls won their first championship. If Ben Wallace can't play with any heart, the Bulls can neither expect to win anything now, nor in the future.

mike

Fri, 11 May 2007 08:50:13 -0600

That was a pretty demoralizing loss. I remember when the bad boy Pistons used to manhandle Jordan and Pippen back in the late 80s. It was like a trip back in time last night. This Bulls team can't play physical. They're going to have to learn how, just like the old Bulls did.

Chicago 2016

Fri, 11 May 2007 08:07:02 -0600

The Bulls are playing with no heart. Isn't that why they got Ben Wallace? At least Pau Gasol plays with some heart...