Bulls should be the Eastern Conference favorites

[ursamajor]

It appears to me that Rose is playing cautiously like he still is concerned about the knee.

Really? Because I saw Rose turn on the jets multiple times throughout preseason and even the Knicks game-driving of of both knees. And not shying away from contact. Look at the offensive foul against him that Amare drew (it should have been whistled against Amare tho)

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[YFC]

I think the playoffs from the last a couple of seasons showed that no defense is impeccable. Superstars will always score. The bulls cannot rely too much on their defense. They have to score to win playoff games. It is good that the bulls have enough weapons this season to destroy teams offensively as well as defensively. Nobody cannot ignore how much Taj and Jo have improved since 2011. And we have Pau alongside them. The frontcourt should be trouble for most teams in the NBA.

 

[clonetrooper264]

It appears to me that Rose is playing cautiously like he still is concerned about the knee.

With the way he "barreled" into Amare, I'm not buying it. He took a hard fall and got up like nothing happened. Hardly seems cautious at all. Perhaps he's not recklessly driving to the basket all the time, but is it caution or is it being smarter?

 

[Ditka19861]

The thing that excites me is the mix of youth with the veterans... Dougie, Jimmy, Nikola... younger guys that hopefully will be/are blossoming under the tutelage of the older guys... Taj growing, Derrick hopefully healthy, Pau's experience and ability will mean less minutes for Noah so hopefully everyone can stay healthy. Expectations are high and this team is put together for right now.

 

[RamiTheBullsFan]

LeBron James is not going to play as badly as he did last night every night. It was actually one of the worst games of his career last night and he still nearly scored 20 points. Cavs are going to be there at the end challenging in the East. They have some questions (bench, defense, inexperienced head coach and a lot of inexperienced players) but LeBron James isn't one of them.

The Bulls are who they are. They will be a defensive force and their offense may get a lot better this year, but it has limitations.

The Cavs will improve. They will be a better team at the end of April than they are right now. They have a lot more room to improve than the Bulls do.

Sad fact is that if the Bulls aren't better than the Cavs right now, then there's a bad chance that they ever will be as long as LeBron is still playing.

 

[ursamajor]

They have a lot more room to improve than the Bulls do.

Not buying that. The Bulls are not playing anywhere near their potential yet.

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[pseudonym]

DA BULLS

 

[RamiTheBullsFan]

Not buying that. The Bulls are not playing anywhere near their potential yet.

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Mirotic will get better, but he's never going to be an all-star in all likelihood. The Bulls already have Taj, Pau, and Noah... they will probably be better off letting him ride the pine when it counts most. McDermott can be a very good player, but I don't see superstar in his future.

The Bulls at their best is the 2004 Pistons or so.

The Cavs' offense has the potential to be absolutely frightening. If Blatt ever has them playing disciplined team defense, they can be just too good to overcome... eventually.

 

[Diddy1122]

Mirotic will get better, but he's never going to be an all-star in all likelihood. The Bulls already have Taj, Pau, and Noah... they will probably be better off letting him ride the pine when it counts most. McDermott can be a very good player, but I don't see superstar in his future.

The Bulls at their best is the 2004 Pistons or so.

The Cavs' offense has the potential to be absolutely frightening. If Blatt ever has them playing disciplined team defense, they can be just too good to overcome... eventually.

The 2004 Pistons?? The Bulls have a former MVP, the reigning DPOY, multiple All-stars, the 2nd best 6th man in the league last year, the Spanish League MVP last year, and one of the best Collegiate scorers of all time on the team. This is nothing like the 2004 Pistons, who had not a single All-Star on their roster, let alone an MVP or any player even close to the talent level of D Rose. They were a ragtag group of passed upon players who banded together and caught a superiorly talented Lakers team in the midst of internal strife. If Karl Malone is healthy in that series, they may never have won a title.

On the other hand, the Bulls have the potential to be a dominant force in the NBA, offensively AND defensively. Defensively, it's evident they will likely be the best they have ever been during the Thibs era. Gasol is a major upgrade over Boozer on both ends of the floor and that goes without saying. Mirotic has all-star potential and I fully believe he can and will reach it. He's a smart, talented, hard working player who doesn't even know how good he is right now. Once he figures out the speed of the NBA game, he's going to open up a lot of eyes. McDermott's bball IQ is incredibly high for a rookie. His range is unlimited and his moves are crafty on his drives. He reminds me a lot of Wally Szczerbiak and that's a good thing. Not a superstar, which I don't see anyone predicting him to be, but more likely a fringe all-star is his ceiling.

This rivalry is going to be a really great one over the years, with each team going blow for blow. I'm glad it's back.

 

[The Hawk]

Really? Because I saw Rose turn on the jets multiple times throughout preseason and even the Knicks game-driving of of both knees. And not shying away from contact. Look at the offensive foul against him that Amare drew (it should have been whistled against Amare tho)

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I might be wrong. I hope that I am wrong. But I still have concerns about his knee. He looks fine straight ahead and backing straight back. It is laterally that Iworry about.

 

[RamiTheBullsFan]

The 2004 Pistons?? The Bulls have a former MVP, the reigning DPOY, multiple All-stars, the 2nd best 6th man in the league last year, the Spanish League MVP last year, and one of the best Collegiate scorers of all time on the team. This is nothing like the 2004 Pistons, who had not a single All-Star on their roster, let alone an MVP or any player even close to the talent level of D Rose. They were a ragtag group of passed upon players who banded together and caught a superiorly talented Lakers team in the midst of internal strife. If Karl Malone is healthy in that series, they may never have won a title.

That team was good. Yes, that team didn't have an MVP-caliber point guard, but Billups is possibly a HOF-er. That team had 4 all-stars on it, and a multiple-time DPOY. McDyess was a hell of a 6th man, too.

Yeah, the Bulls have the Spanish league MVP but it's not anywhere near the level of talent as the NBA. Dude's a rookie. Yeah, they have a great college player, but so was Adam Morrison, Sean May, Jimmer, and Tyler Hansbrough. Not saying he will be a bad player, but no guarantee he'll be a very, very good one. And dude's also a rookie.

I brought up the 2004 Pistons because I really don't see this team as a title favorite. They are more like the 1990's Atlanta Braves of the 2010's NBA; They'll be very good for a long time, and have a chance every year, but they won't exactly be dominant.

On the other hand, the Bulls have the potential to be a dominant force in the NBA, offensively AND defensively. Defensively, it's evident they will likely be the best they have ever been during the Thibs era. Gasol is a major upgrade over Boozer on both ends of the floor and that goes without saying. Mirotic has all-star potential and I fully believe he can and will reach it. He's a smart, talented, hard working player who doesn't even know how good he is right now. Once he figures out the speed of the NBA game, he's going to open up a lot of eyes. McDermott's bball IQ is incredibly high for a rookie. His range is unlimited and his moves are crafty on his drives. He reminds me a lot of Wally Szczerbiak and that's a good thing. Not a superstar, which I don't see anyone predicting him to be, but more likely a fringe all-star is his ceiling.

This rivalry is going to be a really great one over the years, with each team going blow for blow. I'm glad it's back.

I know you're optimistic, but a lot would need to go right for the Bulls if this team is ever going to win a title.

 

[JimJohnson]

The Cavs bench sucks, as does their D. I think we not only match up well with them, but over match them.

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:dontsay:

 

[Calabis]

Op.....oops

 

[JimJohnson]

Bulls had 45% FG and 41% on 3 pointers compared to the Cavs at 39 and 20% respectively. And the Bulls still lost.

 

[Probie2429]

Bulls has 45% FG and 41% on 3 pointers compared to the Cavs at 39 and 20% respectively. And the Bulls still lost.

Inability to rebound.

 

[Axl Rose]

i swear the final minutes and OT could take up the whole segment of shaq'n a fool that was some of the dumbest basketball ive seen

why did nobody boxout Thompson? you would think after the 4th or 5th offensive rebound somebody would check him but nobody ever did...with all the money tied up in the front court that is unacceptable

and oh Rose is hurt again

 

[JimJohnson]

Inability to rebound.

Only by 10, we also had more assists and blocks. I would say our TO's hurt us more than anything.

 

[Axl Rose]

Only by 10, we also had more assists and blocks. I would say our TO's hurt us more than anything.

did you watch the game? rebounding was a big issue

Tristan Thompson came away with 12....OFFENSIVE rebounds

 

[ursamajor]

Op.....oops

Op oops? Bulls starting 2 guard out, and Gasol missing easy shots (won't happen every game). D Rose played well, but is having his minutes limited early on.

So again

The Bulls should be the favorite in the Eastern Conference.

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[RamiTheBullsFan]

There should be no favorite in the East. Bulls and Cavs are a toss-up at this point.