Let's just jump right in to the comparisons.
Rose v. Dwayne Wade-I put Wade here because I believe Mike Miller is going to start for the Heat which means Rose and Wade will be matched up, sort of. Brewer will most likely guard Wade, but whatever, let's just use this for comparison sake. Everyone in the world thinks Wade is one of the three or four best players in the NBA. I agree, last year. This year I think he takes a minor step back, I think Wade turns into more of a jump shooter while LeBron does the penetrating and dishing. Wade is at his best going to the hoop but with LeBron and Bosh clogging the paint I think Wade will shoot more mid range jumpers. What that means is Rose has a chance this season to surpass Wade. Rose is the clear leader and best player on his team. He is going to dominate the ball the same way Wade dominated the ball last season. Wade is going to defer to other players this year, while Rose is going to have everything go through him. I'm not saying Rose will definitely be better than Wade this season, what I am saying is I believe he will be! So I'll call this a wash.
Brewer v. Mike Miller-This is a classic offense vs. defense situation. Mike Miller is a pure shooter with a versatile offensive game. He can hang out by the three point line and drain jumpers or he can create for himself and others. Best of all he doesn't need the ball to be dangerous, just having him on the court pulls at least one defender out of the paint. Brewer is none of these things on offense. He can run the court, dunk, and knock down 12 footers. But on defense he is a monster, which is not one of Miller's best attributes. One player is a stud defender, one player is a stud on offense. So we'll call this a wash as well.
Deng v. LeBron James-This a huge difference. LeBron is the best player in the league and Deng is nowhere near on the same level. This gap is so huge that no matter how much better or worse the rest of the Bulls team is, they will never be favored in a series with the Heat. LeBron can do it all (except finish in the playoffs, so thank god for Wade) and Deng is a solid piece who is best suited as a team's fourth best player (which he is on the Bulls). Needless to say, HUGE advantage to LeBron.
Boozer v. Chris Bosh-Bosh is the bigger name, there is no doubt about that. But I will argue Boozer is actually the better player. Bosh averaged more points (24 ppg) last year than Boozer (19.5), but did it on more shots per game and on a lottery bound team. Boozer was his team's second option and rarely dominated the ball on the offensive end, while everything ran through Bosh in Toronto. This season I expect Bosh's scoring to drop down below Boozer's while I expect Boozer's to hold steady right around 19.5 a night. Defensively, neither player is that great. They both struggle to rotate quickly and both are poor on the perimeter. I give an edge to Boozer because he is physically stronger and is much more willing to get down and dirty with players in the paint. Boozer is also a better rebounder averaging over 11 a game last year and is better at grabbing rebounds in traffic. Lastly, both players are injury prone, Boozer more so, but a lot of what is going to happen next year for the Heat and the Bulls is going to be determined by health. Both of these teams have a chance at winning big throughout the season but the big guys need to stay healthy. So the main reason I give the edge to Boozer? He has played on winning teams his entire career, from Duke, to the Cavs (with LeBron) to the Jazz. He may have screwed over a blind guy (and yes, he did screw him over) but once the game starts he gives everything he can to get the W. Whether it's scoring, rebounding, or sacrificing his body Boozer's heart doesn't get questioned (his injuries are another issue). Bosh on the other hand wilts under pressure, has never played in the second round of the playoffs, and even sat out the last six games of the season last year to sabotage his team's playoff chances (supposedly). I don't think the gap is huge, but this season I think Boozer is the better player and will have the better year.
Noah v. Udonis Haslem-This is a huge edge to Noah. Haslem is a solid player, but he is undersized and is actually a power forward not a center. Noah is a better defender, a better rebounder, a better finisher, he's basically better than Haslem in every aspect of the game. Noah is a top 5 or 6 center, Haslem doesn't even crack the top 20.
Watson, Korver, Gibson, Asik v. Mario Chalmers, James Jones, Juwan Howard, Zydrunas Ilgauskas-Another edge to the Bulls. Ilgauskas is a great backup center, arguably the best in the league, but that is the only edge the Heat have. The Bulls are younger, more athletic, and healthier. Everyone on the Heat bench has issues, from Chalmers' ineffectiveness and pot usage, Jones' injury issues, Ilgauskas' age issues, and Howard having died about five years ago. This is a pretty big edge to the Bulls. I expect the Heat to play Bosh, Wade and LeBron big minutes this year.
Thibs v. Erik Spoelstra-I think Spoelstra is a solid coach. He held Michael Beasley accountable for his crappy defense all last season, and that is a big deal. He has Wade and LeBron singing his praises. That being said, if this team gets off to a mediocre start he could be fired after 20 games with Pat Riley taking over. If Riles takes over it's anyone's guess. Riley is tough and demands respect, but I doubt LeBron, Wade, and Bosh are looking to get yelled at very much. Thibs on the other hand has a brand new three year deal and is lauded as THE defensive guru of NBA coaches. So I'll call this a wash as well. Spoelstra is still new and Thibs is a rookie.
Almost everything points to the Bulls being the better team, unfortunately that one thing that is in favoring the Heat is really REALLY BIG THING! LeBron James makes this the best team in the East and arguably the best team in the league. Expect the Heat to win 60+ games, earn the top seed in the East, and most likely earn a trip to the Finals. I will say this, if the Bulls and Heat face each other in the playoffs I expect every game to be very close and I expect the series to go at least 6 games. But even as a Bulls homer, I can't pick against the Heat. LeBron, Wade and Bosh is just too impressive, really it's just LeBron is too impressive, because I believe the rest of the Heat team is actually inferior to the Bulls.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Bulls v. Magic
As I continue my Bulls' comparisons to the best teams in the league we come to the Orlando Magic. Now keep in mind my comparisons are based on an 82 game regular season. What I am doing is making my early predictions for where the Bulls will finish during the REGULAR season only. This is not about who will win in the playoffs, it is about who will have a better record at the end of April.
The Magic were the second best team in the East during the regular season and the second best team during the playoffs. You could say they are the king of being the runner up. That being said, this is a true team. They are better then the sum of their parts because everyone knows their role and plays within themselves. Barring injury I have little doubt they will have a better record then the Bulls and could push for 60 wins. My guess is the Magic end up around 56-58 wins which will be quite a few more than my Bulls. However, the Bulls do have some advantages and could make this a decent race for the two seed.
Rose v. Jameer Nelson-Nelson is a solid player and fills the role that is asked of him. Scorer and penetrator. I would just like to see him get everyone involved more. Nelson looks for his shot more often then he should. His focus should be in getting Howard the ball in a position where he can succeed and setting up his shooters (VC, Lewis, Redick etc...). It's not that Nelson does anything wrong, I just think with this team he should be averaging about 13 points a night and near 10 assists instead of the lowly 5.5 he does average. Some of this is Van Gundy's fault for letting Vince Carter play and some of it is Nelson's for looking for his shot to often. I think Rose is a giant step ahead of Nelson and this season Rose will again be an all-star while Nelson will continue to be the fourth best player on a championship level team, which is a pretty good gig.
Brewer v. JJ Redick-Vince Carter is going to be the starter at the beginning of the season, but he is fucking terrible and everyone knows it. So my guess is he'll be replaced by Redick after about 20 games. Redick is a better all around player than Brewer. He is an average defender, a great shooter, a good passer, and the Bulls tried to sign him before they signed Brewer. That should tell us something. I love Brewer in this matchup though, because he is longer and more athletic. Redick won't be able to run with Brewer and it will be very tough for Redick to get any open looks with Brewer shadowing him all over the court. Still, I give an edge to the Magic in this one. If Carter is the starter all season then throw this all out the window and give the edge to the Bulls and assume Stan Van Gundy has lost his mind.
Deng v. Mickael Pietrus-This is a wash. Deng is a slightly better all around player because he is more aggressive than Pietrus, but Pietrus is always healthy, unlike Deng. Deng is better at the mid range and post up games, while Pietrus is a much better three point shooter. Both are excellent defenders and Deng is a better rebounder. Bottom line, this is a wash. Both are solid players that every team in the league could use.
Boozer v. Rashard Lewis-Lewis may have the bigger contract and the beautiful three point shot, but Boozer does a lot more of the little things. Boozer rebounds, posts up, and isn't afraid to bang down low. These are three things that Lewis rarely does anymore, not since signing that huge contract. I love Lewis' game, but he rarely showcases all of his skills. He has turned into a stand still three point shooter who watches other guys create for him. And for a power forward his rebounding skills are pretty lame as he only averages about 5 a night. That's just not going to get it done. I give a decent edge to Boozer here, assuming he stays healthy (which means playing 70-75 games).
Noah v. Dwight Howard-Many call Noah the mini Howard, so I think Howard wins this hands down. Howard is the best center in the league and the most dominant big man in basketball. His offensive game is still unrefined, but that is a very small complaint. When he gets the ball deep in the paint he is unstoppable and is arguably the best defensive center since Hakeem Olajuwon. The only thing that gets in Howard's way is his propensity to commit really stupid fouls early in the game and for some reason he doesn't always get the star treatment that guys like Kobe and LeBron get. Anyway, this is a big win for Howard and a big advantage for the Magic.
Watson, Korver, Gibson, Asik v. Duhon, Carter, Q. Richardson, Gortat-This is a very good and deep bench, throw in Ryan Anderson and this team can go 10 deep. As much as I like the Bulls bench, the Magic are better. Duhon, Carter, and Gortat are fringe starters in the league and Q is a wily veteran who was a starter last year. For the Bulls, the only potential starter is Gibson and he is definitely better suited to the bench. This is one of the Magic's biggest strengths, they almost get better when they go to the bench because very few teams can match up with the Magic's depth.
Thibs v. Stan Van Gundy-Big Edge to Van Gundy. He's coached in the Finals, he's got the team believing in his system, and personally I think he is one of the top five coaches in the game. Thibs is new, and may be great, but he is not anywhere near this level yet.
Talent wise I think these two teams are very close and I could even argue the Bulls have a better starting five, but there are going to be some growing pains for the Bulls this season as they adjust to new teammates, a new coach, and a new system. The Magic are a classic example of a TEAM! I expect the Magic to challenge for the top seed in the East and finish no lower than second. The Bulls may make it interesting for a while but at the end of the day I see the Magic landing the two seed and playing the Bulls in the second round of the playoffs, which should be EPIC!
The Magic were the second best team in the East during the regular season and the second best team during the playoffs. You could say they are the king of being the runner up. That being said, this is a true team. They are better then the sum of their parts because everyone knows their role and plays within themselves. Barring injury I have little doubt they will have a better record then the Bulls and could push for 60 wins. My guess is the Magic end up around 56-58 wins which will be quite a few more than my Bulls. However, the Bulls do have some advantages and could make this a decent race for the two seed.
Rose v. Jameer Nelson-Nelson is a solid player and fills the role that is asked of him. Scorer and penetrator. I would just like to see him get everyone involved more. Nelson looks for his shot more often then he should. His focus should be in getting Howard the ball in a position where he can succeed and setting up his shooters (VC, Lewis, Redick etc...). It's not that Nelson does anything wrong, I just think with this team he should be averaging about 13 points a night and near 10 assists instead of the lowly 5.5 he does average. Some of this is Van Gundy's fault for letting Vince Carter play and some of it is Nelson's for looking for his shot to often. I think Rose is a giant step ahead of Nelson and this season Rose will again be an all-star while Nelson will continue to be the fourth best player on a championship level team, which is a pretty good gig.
Brewer v. JJ Redick-Vince Carter is going to be the starter at the beginning of the season, but he is fucking terrible and everyone knows it. So my guess is he'll be replaced by Redick after about 20 games. Redick is a better all around player than Brewer. He is an average defender, a great shooter, a good passer, and the Bulls tried to sign him before they signed Brewer. That should tell us something. I love Brewer in this matchup though, because he is longer and more athletic. Redick won't be able to run with Brewer and it will be very tough for Redick to get any open looks with Brewer shadowing him all over the court. Still, I give an edge to the Magic in this one. If Carter is the starter all season then throw this all out the window and give the edge to the Bulls and assume Stan Van Gundy has lost his mind.
Deng v. Mickael Pietrus-This is a wash. Deng is a slightly better all around player because he is more aggressive than Pietrus, but Pietrus is always healthy, unlike Deng. Deng is better at the mid range and post up games, while Pietrus is a much better three point shooter. Both are excellent defenders and Deng is a better rebounder. Bottom line, this is a wash. Both are solid players that every team in the league could use.
Boozer v. Rashard Lewis-Lewis may have the bigger contract and the beautiful three point shot, but Boozer does a lot more of the little things. Boozer rebounds, posts up, and isn't afraid to bang down low. These are three things that Lewis rarely does anymore, not since signing that huge contract. I love Lewis' game, but he rarely showcases all of his skills. He has turned into a stand still three point shooter who watches other guys create for him. And for a power forward his rebounding skills are pretty lame as he only averages about 5 a night. That's just not going to get it done. I give a decent edge to Boozer here, assuming he stays healthy (which means playing 70-75 games).
Noah v. Dwight Howard-Many call Noah the mini Howard, so I think Howard wins this hands down. Howard is the best center in the league and the most dominant big man in basketball. His offensive game is still unrefined, but that is a very small complaint. When he gets the ball deep in the paint he is unstoppable and is arguably the best defensive center since Hakeem Olajuwon. The only thing that gets in Howard's way is his propensity to commit really stupid fouls early in the game and for some reason he doesn't always get the star treatment that guys like Kobe and LeBron get. Anyway, this is a big win for Howard and a big advantage for the Magic.
Watson, Korver, Gibson, Asik v. Duhon, Carter, Q. Richardson, Gortat-This is a very good and deep bench, throw in Ryan Anderson and this team can go 10 deep. As much as I like the Bulls bench, the Magic are better. Duhon, Carter, and Gortat are fringe starters in the league and Q is a wily veteran who was a starter last year. For the Bulls, the only potential starter is Gibson and he is definitely better suited to the bench. This is one of the Magic's biggest strengths, they almost get better when they go to the bench because very few teams can match up with the Magic's depth.
Thibs v. Stan Van Gundy-Big Edge to Van Gundy. He's coached in the Finals, he's got the team believing in his system, and personally I think he is one of the top five coaches in the game. Thibs is new, and may be great, but he is not anywhere near this level yet.
Talent wise I think these two teams are very close and I could even argue the Bulls have a better starting five, but there are going to be some growing pains for the Bulls this season as they adjust to new teammates, a new coach, and a new system. The Magic are a classic example of a TEAM! I expect the Magic to challenge for the top seed in the East and finish no lower than second. The Bulls may make it interesting for a while but at the end of the day I see the Magic landing the two seed and playing the Bulls in the second round of the playoffs, which should be EPIC!
Friday, September 10, 2010
Carmelo Anthony a Bull?
The newest rumor is the Bulls are pursuing Carmelo Anthony from the Nuggets and have made a formal offer. The talk is also that the Bulls are considering sweeting the deal to include Joakim Noah. This might all be true, but the Bulls are NOT going to get Anthony. Any deal would have to involve Luol Deng and the Nuggets don't want him because of his contract. The Nuggets would also want Noah, and I promise you the Bulls ARE NOT trading him. You don't trade one of the top five or six centers in the league, period end of story. It just doesn't happen.
I'm torn on bringing Anthony to town. I'd love to see him in the Bulls uniform, but under no circumstances do I want the Bulls to lose Noah. Deng and Noah for Anthony is a step down. Without Noah the Bulls have no chance of getting past the Heat, Lakers, or Magic over the next 2-5 years. Now if they could get Anthony for Deng, Gibson, James Johnson, Omer Asik, and some first round picks I would do it in a second. I will give up bench depth for a star scorer every day of the week. But I think the team the Bulls have currently built is better suited to win moving forward then a team with Anthony in place of Deng AND Noah. Deng is solid, but Noah is about to be an all-star and a contender for defensive player of the year. You just don't give that up, especially when you have an offensive minded, but defensively challenged power forward in Carlos Boozer. Noah is the perfect compliment to Boozer and to Rose, who also lacks when it comes to defense.
So to recap, this is fun to talk about, but it's not happening. And me personally I'm ok with it.
I'm torn on bringing Anthony to town. I'd love to see him in the Bulls uniform, but under no circumstances do I want the Bulls to lose Noah. Deng and Noah for Anthony is a step down. Without Noah the Bulls have no chance of getting past the Heat, Lakers, or Magic over the next 2-5 years. Now if they could get Anthony for Deng, Gibson, James Johnson, Omer Asik, and some first round picks I would do it in a second. I will give up bench depth for a star scorer every day of the week. But I think the team the Bulls have currently built is better suited to win moving forward then a team with Anthony in place of Deng AND Noah. Deng is solid, but Noah is about to be an all-star and a contender for defensive player of the year. You just don't give that up, especially when you have an offensive minded, but defensively challenged power forward in Carlos Boozer. Noah is the perfect compliment to Boozer and to Rose, who also lacks when it comes to defense.
So to recap, this is fun to talk about, but it's not happening. And me personally I'm ok with it.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Bulls v. Celtics
Last season the Celtics were only the fourth seed in the East, but went on to upset both the Cavs and Magic to make it to the Finals were they lost in seven games to the Lakers. This is a veteran team (meaning they are really old) who this offseason lost Rasheed Wallace and Tony Allen and added a couple of lousy pieces in the non-related O'Neal brothers, Jermaine and Shaquille. I expect this team to take a minor step back, if not a major step back during the regular season. With so many players over the age of 30 (five rotation players) and four of them being starters (at least until Kendrick Perkins comes back in Feb.) the Celtics aren't going to tear up the regular season. Their goal, like last year, is to be healthy and ready to play once the playoffs start. So over the course of an 82 game season I think the Bulls will definitely have a better record, but once the playoffs start all bets are off with the Celtics.
Rose v. Rajon Rondo-A lot of sportswriters and websites (yahoo, ESPN) have Rondo as the better point guard. I think that's a joke. This year Rondo is going to have to do a lot more than stand at the top of the key and make an easy chest pass to the wing for an open three. This year Rondo is going to have to score in the half court and is going to be forced to shoot more jumpers as defenses continue to adjust to his game. Rondo isn't just a below average jump shooter, he's one of the worst jump shooting PG's in the league. Rondo also gets all this press for being a great defender, which isn't 100% true. He IS a great help defender, but he is a terrible on the ball defender. And with Rose, Rondo won't be able to help much which will neutralize some of his defensive prowess. The problem for the Bulls is if Rose can't stay in front of Rondo defensively, HE will go wherever he wants and get wide open shots for Pierce and Allen, and dunks for the O'Neal's and KG. This matchup is all about who you ask. Ask a Bulls fan and it's Rose, ask a Celtics fan and it's Rondo. So I'll call it a wash. Rondo is clearly better defensively, even though he does have some flows, and Rose is clearly better offensively. I will say this, when these two teams play, this matchup will be a lot of fun to watch.
Brewer v. Ray Allen-Until Ray Allen retires or gets seriously injured he will be the best pure shooter in the league. I love what Brewer brings to the table, but even at age 35 Ray is still the better player and can single-handedly carry a team on certain nights. The only advantage the Bulls have is age, Ray is old, Brewer is young. So if Brewer can get out and run and pester the crap out of Allen then who knows, but I still won't bet against him.
Deng v. Paul Pierce-There isn't much to talk about here. If Pierce is getting bailed out by the refs for putting his head down and barreling into the lane out of control and getting two free throws for doing nothing more than throwing his arms up in the air, then the Celtics will dominate this matchup. If refs aren't bailing out Pierce, then Deng is every bit his equal. He's younger, faster, stronger, longer, a better defender, a better rebounder, and just as good a mid range shooter. Pierce is a better three point shooter and can create his own shot, but unfortunately with the Celtics it always comes down to the refs. So I have to go with a slight edge to Pierce.
Boozer v. Kevin Garnett-I think KG is done. He looked terrible all season last year, he can't jump, his post moves are in slow motion and his defensive rotation is slow. I give a big edge to Boozer and I will be SHOCKED if KG has anything left in the tank this season. I hate to bet against him because he is such a passionate competitor but after all the injuries he has sustained after the last few years I just don't see him getting back to 2008 form.
Noah v. Jermaine O'Neal-That's right, Jermaine O'Neal is going to start for the Boston Celtics until AT LEAST February when Kendrick Perkins comes back from injury. And who knows how good Perkins will be after major knee surgery this off season. My guess, not very good. So this is a Ginormous edge to the Bulls. The Celtics don't have anyone on their roster that can keep up with Noah, he is too fast and strong for Jermaine and way to agile for Shaq and just plain to big for KG. This matchup is the reason the Bulls should beat the Celtics this year IF they meet in the playoffs.
Korver, Watson, Asik, Gibson v. Nate Robinson, Shaquille O'Neal, Glen Davis, Marquis Daniels-I actually hate the Celtics bench. Shaq is completely done, D.U.N. DONE!!! Nate Robinson is a little firecracker that I like every other game when he goes off, but that other game he usually disrupts the flow of the offense, takes stupid shots, and turns the ball over (he still thinks he's playing for Isiah Thomas in New York). Marquis Daniels can't be counted on to stay healthy and is at best an average player, and he's no longer young, he turns thirty during the season. lastly it's Glen Davis. Sadly I like Davis. He plays hard and gets the most out of his talent. You know every night you will get everything Davis has, in fact, Davis is the only Celtic bench guy that might be able to crack the Bulls rotation(although he'd probably have to play center to do it). Needless to say I think the Bulls bench is better across the board.
Thibs v. Rivers-I am very interested to see how Rivers does this year without his top assistant. Rivers gave Thibs credit every step of the way and I'm not sure they will be able to sustain the type of intense defense they've had the best few years without him. I still give the edge to Rivers, after all, he's won a championship and made it to last year's Finals and Thibs is yet to coach a game. I'm just saying I can't wait to see this match up.
I believe the Bulls will have a better record than the Celtics (possibly four or five more wins), i think the Celtics will most likely be in that 4-5-6 range come playoff time, most likely falling into the four seed. I don't see them getting to 50 wins, 47 seems like the most they can hope for with Shaq playing significant minutes, Jermaine O'Neal starting, and Perkins maybe being a shell of his former self. That being said, if they are healthy during the playoffs anything can happen, but during the regular season I just can't see the Bulls finishing below them in the standings.
Rose v. Rajon Rondo-A lot of sportswriters and websites (yahoo, ESPN) have Rondo as the better point guard. I think that's a joke. This year Rondo is going to have to do a lot more than stand at the top of the key and make an easy chest pass to the wing for an open three. This year Rondo is going to have to score in the half court and is going to be forced to shoot more jumpers as defenses continue to adjust to his game. Rondo isn't just a below average jump shooter, he's one of the worst jump shooting PG's in the league. Rondo also gets all this press for being a great defender, which isn't 100% true. He IS a great help defender, but he is a terrible on the ball defender. And with Rose, Rondo won't be able to help much which will neutralize some of his defensive prowess. The problem for the Bulls is if Rose can't stay in front of Rondo defensively, HE will go wherever he wants and get wide open shots for Pierce and Allen, and dunks for the O'Neal's and KG. This matchup is all about who you ask. Ask a Bulls fan and it's Rose, ask a Celtics fan and it's Rondo. So I'll call it a wash. Rondo is clearly better defensively, even though he does have some flows, and Rose is clearly better offensively. I will say this, when these two teams play, this matchup will be a lot of fun to watch.
Brewer v. Ray Allen-Until Ray Allen retires or gets seriously injured he will be the best pure shooter in the league. I love what Brewer brings to the table, but even at age 35 Ray is still the better player and can single-handedly carry a team on certain nights. The only advantage the Bulls have is age, Ray is old, Brewer is young. So if Brewer can get out and run and pester the crap out of Allen then who knows, but I still won't bet against him.
Deng v. Paul Pierce-There isn't much to talk about here. If Pierce is getting bailed out by the refs for putting his head down and barreling into the lane out of control and getting two free throws for doing nothing more than throwing his arms up in the air, then the Celtics will dominate this matchup. If refs aren't bailing out Pierce, then Deng is every bit his equal. He's younger, faster, stronger, longer, a better defender, a better rebounder, and just as good a mid range shooter. Pierce is a better three point shooter and can create his own shot, but unfortunately with the Celtics it always comes down to the refs. So I have to go with a slight edge to Pierce.
Boozer v. Kevin Garnett-I think KG is done. He looked terrible all season last year, he can't jump, his post moves are in slow motion and his defensive rotation is slow. I give a big edge to Boozer and I will be SHOCKED if KG has anything left in the tank this season. I hate to bet against him because he is such a passionate competitor but after all the injuries he has sustained after the last few years I just don't see him getting back to 2008 form.
Noah v. Jermaine O'Neal-That's right, Jermaine O'Neal is going to start for the Boston Celtics until AT LEAST February when Kendrick Perkins comes back from injury. And who knows how good Perkins will be after major knee surgery this off season. My guess, not very good. So this is a Ginormous edge to the Bulls. The Celtics don't have anyone on their roster that can keep up with Noah, he is too fast and strong for Jermaine and way to agile for Shaq and just plain to big for KG. This matchup is the reason the Bulls should beat the Celtics this year IF they meet in the playoffs.
Korver, Watson, Asik, Gibson v. Nate Robinson, Shaquille O'Neal, Glen Davis, Marquis Daniels-I actually hate the Celtics bench. Shaq is completely done, D.U.N. DONE!!! Nate Robinson is a little firecracker that I like every other game when he goes off, but that other game he usually disrupts the flow of the offense, takes stupid shots, and turns the ball over (he still thinks he's playing for Isiah Thomas in New York). Marquis Daniels can't be counted on to stay healthy and is at best an average player, and he's no longer young, he turns thirty during the season. lastly it's Glen Davis. Sadly I like Davis. He plays hard and gets the most out of his talent. You know every night you will get everything Davis has, in fact, Davis is the only Celtic bench guy that might be able to crack the Bulls rotation(although he'd probably have to play center to do it). Needless to say I think the Bulls bench is better across the board.
Thibs v. Rivers-I am very interested to see how Rivers does this year without his top assistant. Rivers gave Thibs credit every step of the way and I'm not sure they will be able to sustain the type of intense defense they've had the best few years without him. I still give the edge to Rivers, after all, he's won a championship and made it to last year's Finals and Thibs is yet to coach a game. I'm just saying I can't wait to see this match up.
I believe the Bulls will have a better record than the Celtics (possibly four or five more wins), i think the Celtics will most likely be in that 4-5-6 range come playoff time, most likely falling into the four seed. I don't see them getting to 50 wins, 47 seems like the most they can hope for with Shaq playing significant minutes, Jermaine O'Neal starting, and Perkins maybe being a shell of his former self. That being said, if they are healthy during the playoffs anything can happen, but during the regular season I just can't see the Bulls finishing below them in the standings.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Bulls v. Hawks
Last season the Atlanta Hawks were the third seed in the Eastern Conference so this seems like the logical place for me to start my team comparisons. I am predicting the Bulls as a third or fourth seed so here we go.
Mike Bibby or Jeff Teague v. Rose-This is a huge advantage for the Bulls. Neither Teague nor Bibby can guard Rose and at this point in Bibby's career you really don't even have to guard him. Teague looks promising moving forward, but this year this matchup isn't even close.
Joe Johnson v. Brewer-Needless to say Johnson is a better player, but the gap isn't as big as people think. Brewer is a lockdown defender who is big enough and strong enough to contain Johnson. Brewer is constantly running the floor and will put a lot of pressure on Johnson to get back defensively. Johnson also requires a lot minutes to get his stats, which also plays right into the Bulls with their deep bench. Yes Johnson wins this battle, but my point is the gap isn't nearly as big as the gap between Rose and Bibby or Teague.
Marvin Williams v. Deng-I give the edge to Deng. Williams is a solid player who is good on the break and has a decent mid range game, but Deng is a much better rebounder and defender. Offensively I think these two players are similar, neither can create their own shot, both are good jump shooters and both can finish at the basket. So this comes down to defense and rebounding and Deng wins both of those.
Josh Smith v. Boozer-I know Smith is a great shot blocker and dunker, but Boozer is a much better all around player. Smith is a time bomb waiting to happen. He kept it together until the playoffs when he started jacking threes all over the place. Boozer is a consistent rebounder, jump shooter, finisher, and plays within himself. Josh Smith is non of these things.
Al Horford v. Noah-I admit Horford is a better player, but he is not a better center. Horford has been playing out of position since day one and Noah is one of the top 5 or 6 centers in the league. I will call this a wash purely because of position. If Horford was matched up against Boozer he'd lose that battle for sure and if Noah was matched up against any other center on the Hawks he would crush him. So a wash it is.
Bench-This is pretty much a toss up, a lot of it will depend on how Jamal Crawford is playing on any particular day. If Crawford is playing well this unit is tough, if he's jacking up shots left and right then I will take the Bulls every time. The Hawks reserves rely on Crawford way to much and if he is off this unit will be terrible, whereas the Bulls should be consistently solid every night. The Hawks also don't have nearly the depth of the Bulls, as most nights the Bulls will go nine deep, but they have the ability to go 11 deep if needed. The Hawks really only go 8 deep and that depends on how rookie Jordan Crawford plays.
Larry Drew v. Thibs-Both are rookie coaches, but I'll take Thibs and his resume over Drew.
So what does all this tell us, on paper the Bulls are better than the Hawks and I expect them to finish several games ahead of them in the standings. I think the Hawks will be the team in the East to drop out of the top four with the Bulls moving in.
Mike Bibby or Jeff Teague v. Rose-This is a huge advantage for the Bulls. Neither Teague nor Bibby can guard Rose and at this point in Bibby's career you really don't even have to guard him. Teague looks promising moving forward, but this year this matchup isn't even close.
Joe Johnson v. Brewer-Needless to say Johnson is a better player, but the gap isn't as big as people think. Brewer is a lockdown defender who is big enough and strong enough to contain Johnson. Brewer is constantly running the floor and will put a lot of pressure on Johnson to get back defensively. Johnson also requires a lot minutes to get his stats, which also plays right into the Bulls with their deep bench. Yes Johnson wins this battle, but my point is the gap isn't nearly as big as the gap between Rose and Bibby or Teague.
Marvin Williams v. Deng-I give the edge to Deng. Williams is a solid player who is good on the break and has a decent mid range game, but Deng is a much better rebounder and defender. Offensively I think these two players are similar, neither can create their own shot, both are good jump shooters and both can finish at the basket. So this comes down to defense and rebounding and Deng wins both of those.
Josh Smith v. Boozer-I know Smith is a great shot blocker and dunker, but Boozer is a much better all around player. Smith is a time bomb waiting to happen. He kept it together until the playoffs when he started jacking threes all over the place. Boozer is a consistent rebounder, jump shooter, finisher, and plays within himself. Josh Smith is non of these things.
Al Horford v. Noah-I admit Horford is a better player, but he is not a better center. Horford has been playing out of position since day one and Noah is one of the top 5 or 6 centers in the league. I will call this a wash purely because of position. If Horford was matched up against Boozer he'd lose that battle for sure and if Noah was matched up against any other center on the Hawks he would crush him. So a wash it is.
Bench-This is pretty much a toss up, a lot of it will depend on how Jamal Crawford is playing on any particular day. If Crawford is playing well this unit is tough, if he's jacking up shots left and right then I will take the Bulls every time. The Hawks reserves rely on Crawford way to much and if he is off this unit will be terrible, whereas the Bulls should be consistently solid every night. The Hawks also don't have nearly the depth of the Bulls, as most nights the Bulls will go nine deep, but they have the ability to go 11 deep if needed. The Hawks really only go 8 deep and that depends on how rookie Jordan Crawford plays.
Larry Drew v. Thibs-Both are rookie coaches, but I'll take Thibs and his resume over Drew.
So what does all this tell us, on paper the Bulls are better than the Hawks and I expect them to finish several games ahead of them in the standings. I think the Hawks will be the team in the East to drop out of the top four with the Bulls moving in.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Back to Blogging
Over the last several months I have been toying with the idea of moving back to Chicago, living with my mom, and following the Chicago Bulls around the country. My plan was to write a blog and a book about my experience. Everything was in place, until our buyer backed out of buying our house, so now my wife and I are back to square one and stuck in St. Augustine, Florida. So I am back to blogging about my Bulls and the rest of the NBA on this site. Oh well, I'm only out 15 hundred bucks for a Bulls season ticket.
Anyway, here is my breakdown of the Bulls offseason...It was GREAT! Yes they missed out on LeCoward, Wade, and Bosh, but they did fulfill everyone of their needs. They added arguably the best PF in free agency (when healthy) in Carlos Boozer. He can score in the post, play the pick and roll game with Rose, and is a ridiculously good rebounder. His only downside (besides health) is his average defense, but playing alongside Noah should help a lot with that. Noah will be able to guard the team's best and biggest post player and he is also excellent at covering up for mistakes his teammates make, like Ben Gordon and Taj Gibson. Speaking of Taj, bringing in Boozer sends him to the bench where he instantly becomes one of the best big men bench guys in the league and is now free from my wrath of him not being good enough to be a starter on almost every other team in the league. Boozer is a perfect for the Bulls and with Taj backing him up even if he misses 10-15 games the Bulls won't miss a beat. Ok, they'll miss half a beat, but still the important thing is for Boozer to be healthy come playoff time.
The Bulls also brought in Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer. Korver is the stud 3-point shooter the Bulls desperately needed and Brewer is the stud defensive perimeter player they needed. These two will probably split time throughout the year based upon the opponent and what the team needs are on any particular night. I expect Brewer to start because defense wins championships, plus he is excellent in the open court filling the lanes and that is going to be the Bulls offensive plan, run, run, and run some more. Both of these additions are huge and I believe both players were a better fit for the Bulls than any other options on the market. The Bulls did make a run at JJ Redick before signing Brewer, but I believe they would have signed Brewer no matter what. He just fits too perfectly. The Bulls also brought in Keith Bogans as insurance should anyone get hurt. He is a veteran who will except his roll, no matter how big or small, and be ready to play whenever he is called upon. He's a perfect 11th man.
The Bulls then made a move and brought in PG CJ Watson. Watson played for Golden State last year, so his defense is non existent, but I'm pretty sure that will change on day one of training camp. Watson is athletic, a good shooter, and can run a team when Rose is on the bench. Since the Bulls traded away Kirk Hinrich they had to get a Backup PG somewhere and Watson is a much better option then I thought they would end up with. I loved this pickup and I can't believe they got him from GS for virtually nothing (a second round pick).
The Bulls also signed former second round draft pick Omer Asik from Turkey. He looks like a shot blocking, rebounding, lane filling dunking machine in the FIBA World Championships, but time will tell if this was a good signing or just a waste of money. I have no idea, because my viewing sample size is almost nothing. The Bulls were smart this offseason though, signing veteran Kurt Thomas as well. This means Asik can learn the Bulls system and learn the NBA game without having to be thrust right into action if he isn't ready. Thomas is also an enforcer who has a nice streak of crazy in him that the Bulls need. Any time a hard foul needs to be committed I will guarantee it is Thomas that does it.
Lastly, the Bulls hired the hottest coaching prospect on the planet, Tom Thibodeau. He's coached in the NBA for almost two decades as an assistant. Every coach he's ever been with speaks about his work ethic and his knowledge of the game. His former players love him (including Kobe Bryant), and he's consider a defensive genius. Brilliant. This was the first signing the Bulls made this offseason and it got everything in motion. Thibodeau will get this team to play above it's head instead of what Vinny did (which I won't talk about ever again).
Needless to say I'm excited about everything the Bulls did. Once they missed out on the so called Big Three they did everything they should have, they filled every hole, and best of all they didn't have to give up any of their own talent to do it. So here is the lineup as of 9/1/10
PG-Rose, Watson
SG-Brewer, Korver, Bogans
SF-Deng, Korver, James Johnson
PF-Boozer, Gibson
C-Noah, Asik, Thomas
That's pretty damn good! And in the coming weeks I will break down their chances against the elite in the League: Miami, LA, Orlando, Boston, Dallas and anyone else that has a shot at making the Finals. This team is significantly better than last year's squad and barring a major injury to Rose or Noah should jump up to fifty wins and a top four seed. Hell, just adding Thibs is good for at least 5 wins!
Anyway, here is my breakdown of the Bulls offseason...It was GREAT! Yes they missed out on LeCoward, Wade, and Bosh, but they did fulfill everyone of their needs. They added arguably the best PF in free agency (when healthy) in Carlos Boozer. He can score in the post, play the pick and roll game with Rose, and is a ridiculously good rebounder. His only downside (besides health) is his average defense, but playing alongside Noah should help a lot with that. Noah will be able to guard the team's best and biggest post player and he is also excellent at covering up for mistakes his teammates make, like Ben Gordon and Taj Gibson. Speaking of Taj, bringing in Boozer sends him to the bench where he instantly becomes one of the best big men bench guys in the league and is now free from my wrath of him not being good enough to be a starter on almost every other team in the league. Boozer is a perfect for the Bulls and with Taj backing him up even if he misses 10-15 games the Bulls won't miss a beat. Ok, they'll miss half a beat, but still the important thing is for Boozer to be healthy come playoff time.
The Bulls also brought in Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer. Korver is the stud 3-point shooter the Bulls desperately needed and Brewer is the stud defensive perimeter player they needed. These two will probably split time throughout the year based upon the opponent and what the team needs are on any particular night. I expect Brewer to start because defense wins championships, plus he is excellent in the open court filling the lanes and that is going to be the Bulls offensive plan, run, run, and run some more. Both of these additions are huge and I believe both players were a better fit for the Bulls than any other options on the market. The Bulls did make a run at JJ Redick before signing Brewer, but I believe they would have signed Brewer no matter what. He just fits too perfectly. The Bulls also brought in Keith Bogans as insurance should anyone get hurt. He is a veteran who will except his roll, no matter how big or small, and be ready to play whenever he is called upon. He's a perfect 11th man.
The Bulls then made a move and brought in PG CJ Watson. Watson played for Golden State last year, so his defense is non existent, but I'm pretty sure that will change on day one of training camp. Watson is athletic, a good shooter, and can run a team when Rose is on the bench. Since the Bulls traded away Kirk Hinrich they had to get a Backup PG somewhere and Watson is a much better option then I thought they would end up with. I loved this pickup and I can't believe they got him from GS for virtually nothing (a second round pick).
The Bulls also signed former second round draft pick Omer Asik from Turkey. He looks like a shot blocking, rebounding, lane filling dunking machine in the FIBA World Championships, but time will tell if this was a good signing or just a waste of money. I have no idea, because my viewing sample size is almost nothing. The Bulls were smart this offseason though, signing veteran Kurt Thomas as well. This means Asik can learn the Bulls system and learn the NBA game without having to be thrust right into action if he isn't ready. Thomas is also an enforcer who has a nice streak of crazy in him that the Bulls need. Any time a hard foul needs to be committed I will guarantee it is Thomas that does it.
Lastly, the Bulls hired the hottest coaching prospect on the planet, Tom Thibodeau. He's coached in the NBA for almost two decades as an assistant. Every coach he's ever been with speaks about his work ethic and his knowledge of the game. His former players love him (including Kobe Bryant), and he's consider a defensive genius. Brilliant. This was the first signing the Bulls made this offseason and it got everything in motion. Thibodeau will get this team to play above it's head instead of what Vinny did (which I won't talk about ever again).
Needless to say I'm excited about everything the Bulls did. Once they missed out on the so called Big Three they did everything they should have, they filled every hole, and best of all they didn't have to give up any of their own talent to do it. So here is the lineup as of 9/1/10
PG-Rose, Watson
SG-Brewer, Korver, Bogans
SF-Deng, Korver, James Johnson
PF-Boozer, Gibson
C-Noah, Asik, Thomas
That's pretty damn good! And in the coming weeks I will break down their chances against the elite in the League: Miami, LA, Orlando, Boston, Dallas and anyone else that has a shot at making the Finals. This team is significantly better than last year's squad and barring a major injury to Rose or Noah should jump up to fifty wins and a top four seed. Hell, just adding Thibs is good for at least 5 wins!
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