The incredible, forgettable Bulls

NBA: Phoenix Suns at Chicago BullsI lost thirty dollars on the Chicago Bulls last night.

I saw they were only laying 2 ½ points at home, in an elimination game, against the Cleveland Cavaliers.  I assumed that was easy money.  In a must-win game with their season on the line, the Bulls would most certainly bring everything they had and force a seventh and final game in this series.

They didn’t.

I know thirty dollars isn’t a lot to wager for some of you heavy hitters out there.  It’s not for me either but the account was dwindling and I was pretty sure the Bulls would show up.

Again, they didn’t.  They might as well not have gotten out of bed.

It was one of the worst performances I had seen from a basketball team this season.  So allow me to get my thirty dollars’ worth in this rant.

I met up with Brotha E after a late round of golf and sat down to watch the game in its entirety.  I’m behind in my NBA playoff watching this season which probably explains why I’m able to pick the outcome of these games with account-draining inaccuracy.  Plus I have a night job which means I can’t always be glued to the tube.

Cleveland Cavaliers at Chicago BullsThe Bulls actually started the game strong just as I thought they would.  They got the ball inside to Pau Gasol early who seemed to be scoring rather effectively.  After all, Chicago’s size in the post was supposed to be a factor in this series.

It wasn’t.

Tom Thibodeau, who still coaches Chicago as of this moment, will soon be fired, last night’s blowout the final straw.  Chicago went so flat, Brotha E and I joked he might be fired by game’s end.  Rumors of Thibodeau’s dismissal had gotten louder as the season progressed.  Derrick Rose was allegedly unhappy with the way the franchise handled the Thibodeau situation.  He sure didn’t play like it.

It was literally the most shameful performance I’ve seen from a team this year.  Chicago scored 31 points in the first quarter then didn’t combine to score that many over the next two.  They shot 37% from the floor and 20% from behind the arc.  That’s four out of twenty for those of you keeping track at home.  Cleveland out-rebounded them by 20!  Their saving grace was Jimmy Butler but he’s not going to beat a LeBron-led team by himself.  Butler will likely be playing elsewhere next year and be all the happier for it.

NoahThe Chicago Bulls team that took the floor Thursday night looked like they did not want to be there.  So what would be the point of throwing this exact same team out there next season?  Gasol’s long in the tooth, Noah never gets a play called for him, they have very little perimeter presence and Derrick Rose is hardly the MVP of a few years ago, at least not as consistently as they need him to be.

The Bulls who are supposed to be one of the better defensive teams in the league couldn’t stop a nosebleed.  Seriously, how do you get outrebounded by 20 in your final game of the season?

If Thursday night was any indication, the windy city’s window just slammed shut.  As long as LeBron remains in Cleveland, the road to the Finals will travel through that town.  The Chicago Bulls as currently comprised just aren’t good enough.

There was a point late in the game where LeBron got called for his fourth foul.  You could almost sense a turning point.  It was… a turning point for Cleveland.   The Bulls couldn’t take advantage.  He didn’t pick up another foul for the rest of the game and demoralized Chicago with every possession.  He finished with 15, 9 and 11.

ThibsAnd so, it’s back to the drawing board for the Bulls.  The announcement on Thibodeau will come shortly.  Fred Hoiberg’s rumored to take his place.  Hoiberg has no head coaching experience but after Thursday night’s performance, anything would be an improvement.

I’m not all that upset about losing the thirty bucks on Chicago.  I’d just like to think that someone on that roster is more upset about losing that game than I am about losing my wager.

I don’t blame the Bulls for not winning.  I blame them for not trying.

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12 Replies to “The incredible, forgettable Bulls”

  1. Based on what I saw from the news outlets and your commentary above, it appears that I made the right call last night – I chose to turn off the TV and have “personal” relations with my wife while my kid was over at a friends house. Sounds like I scored more often than the Bulls. I’m a University of Alabama alum but I really do like Noah even though he’s about as wacky as Willy Wonka. I wIsh he was with the right team that would get him a ring – with limited skills (easy for me to say when I can’t beat my 8th grader in the driveway now), he plays so hard every night. The Rose saga just needs to go away – can you say Iverson, Carmelo, Nash, Malone, etc. Not a knock on him per se, just win some and then we can talk about how great you are.

  2. I’m a huge Noah fan as I went to Florida, Moose.

    I think he’s a fit on any team. You can’t really run a play for him but he’s an asset defensively and he’s a high energy guy.

    A guy like that can play on my team any time.

    Rose? That’s a different story.

  3. That was pitiful but we must move on.
    Gasol, despite early success was hurting. Give him his props for toughing it out. DRose should take note.
    How ’bout those Rockets saving McHale’s job last night. Clips in deep trouble.

    Hedging? Series: Tampa +120. Rangers are too quick for them. Lock up some $$.

  4. With this series’ loss, it now looks as if Tom Thibodeau will be on the way out . GM Gar Forman and Head of Basketball Operations John Paxson over the last eighteen months, haven’t been overly enthusiastic with the coaching style of their now beleaguered head coach. I don’t believe Thibs’ can be blamed for the loss, as it came down___ the Cavaliers simply being better than the Bulls at the end of the day. At times Rose was apprehensive and with good reason , his confidence is not what it once was . The only other players on the Bulls’ team with any solid contributions in the series were Joakim Noah , Pau Gasol and Jimmy Butler.

  5. Bulls owner: LeBron James
    For that matter, Entire eastern conference owner: LBJ

    No surprise. Rose is the most over-rated superstar ever. Incredibly athletic, but consistently inconsistent…especially since the injury. Might be one of the only MVP’s to not make it to the hall…we’ll see.

    The far more epic collapse happened here in LA.
    19 point lead w/3 min left in the 3rd quarter?
    Outscored 40-15 in the fatal 4th?
    All with Harden on the bench??
    LMFAO!

    We’ve seen this before…Down a certain yellow brick road…

    “I’m melting…melting”

    Once the Clippers, always the Clippers.

  6. So now I should hedge, Bets? You’re confusing me.

    Alright, I’ll look into it.

    But… the Lightning have played them pretty well this year. I like our chances.

  7. So the question for Chicago now, Al, is who they keep to build around and who they let go.

    I don’t think all is entirely lost. They have some decent pieces and they do play in the East, which sucks, but they need to build a team around beating LeBron.

    As if that’s possible.

  8. I didn’t watch any of that game, Bleed, but I can’t imagine how Billy Crystal felt.

    How the hell do you give up 19 points when you are that close to advancing?

    I’m not sure which of those two teams is more dysfunctional. I do know Golden State will handle either seemlessly.

  9. How about them Hawks / Wizards? Pierce should be on suicide watch after his 3 pointer being waved off by refs. Don’t know if the Hawks have a formula to beat the Cavs but who knows? Hawks seem to be healthy, we know the Cavs aren’t. Can LeBron do it again with no real help?

  10. I don’t know if Pierce is on suicide watch but Wizards fans sure are.

    (Wait, they do have WIzards fans, right?)

    Think about it, Moose. Ten years ago, when there’s no instant replay, that shot counts and the game goes into overtime.

    And yes, I like Cleveland to win that Hawks series. I just don’t know they can go through Golden State with only him healthy.

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