The Bulls, 5 Games In...

Naptastic

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It think its also important to look at who the bulls have played. These are bottom of the league teams tat the bulls can just keep pace with, then just turn it on and get a win. I feel like that explains the first half/second half differences.
 

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It think its also important to look at who the bulls have played. These are bottom of the league teams tat the bulls can just keep pace with, then just turn it on and get a win. I feel like that explains the first half/second half differences.
True...the only good team they've played is Cleveland. I guess Minnesota put up a good fight, but yeah, these teams are teams that I would expect the Bulls to blow out.
 

Scoot26

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True...the only good team they've played is Cleveland. I guess Minnesota put up a good fight, but yeah, these teams are teams that I would expect the Bulls to blow out.
Next Thursday they play Toronto...first good team since Cleveland.
 

ursamajor

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Why is Cleveland the de facto favorite? Sure, they look good on paper, but so do a lot of teams. You said yourself in the same paragraph (inexperience, nobody plays D but LeBron) exactly why they don't deserve to be favorites until they prove something.

Because Cleveland is the reigning Eastern Conference Champions.

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payton 34ever

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Because in all likelihood they will not pull a Dwight Howard Lakers and implode. If their offensive guys are clicking, they're virtually unstoppable. I don't trust the Bulls to win many shootouts against Cleveland.

Name one team in recent memory who won it all while only firing on all cylinders on the offensive side. You MUST have defense and the ability to win each possession when it comes to the postseason; you don't just win postseason games by sheer offensive volume.
 

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Name one team in recent memory who won it all while only firing on all cylinders on the offensive side. You MUST have defense and the ability to win each possession when it comes to the postseason; you don't just win postseason games by sheer offensive volume.
I didn't say they'd win it all that way. I just said they could beat us that way.
 

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payton 34ever

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Because Cleveland is the reigning Eastern Conference Champions.

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Let's just give them the trophy now, right?

I mean, after all, the team with the best off-season always wins the title going away, right? Ask the recent Philadelphia Eagles how that "Dream Team" worked out.
 

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Let's just give them the trophy now, right?

I mean, after all, the team with the best off-season always wins the title going away, right? Ask the recent Philadelphia Eagles how that "Dream Team" worked out.
The Miami Heat had the best offseason in 2010. They went to the Finals.

Cleveland has a ton of time to right ship and they probably will. They're 1-3 and hilariously the one team they've beaten is the Chicago Bulls.
 

payton 34ever

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LOL - one team nearly a decade ago that finished in the middle defensively and had Shaq, Wade, and Gary Payton.

So you're saying, then, that Cleveland will finish in the middle of the defensive efficiency rankings this year? That certainly doesn't look to be the case so far. Offense ain't looking great either, now that we're examining this more closely - Bron and Kyrie are already fighting over the ball.
 

payton 34ever

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The Miami Heat had the best offseason in 2010. They went to the Finals.

...and lost

Other teams have plenty of time to gel, too. Or perhaps you think that only Cleveland will improve and learn to play together more efficiently.

Point is, this "crown their ass" mentality was old in August, and it's old now. Championships aren't won on paper. I wouldn't be surprised if it takes Cleveland a lot longer to figure things out than veteran stars who meshed well together in Miami.
 

payton 34ever

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I didn't say they'd win it all that way. I just said they could beat us that way.

...and we could beat them by smothering them defensively with our length inside, Butler on LeBron, and Thib's scheming.

What was the point again?

Anyone could beat anybody if they're completely on their game...doesn't mean it's going to happen.
 

ursamajor

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The Miami Heat had the best offseason in 2010. They went to the Finals.

Cleveland has a ton of time to right ship and they probably will. They're 1-3 and hilariously the one team they've beaten is the Chicago Bulls.

How many winning, or at least .500 or better seasons has Love led the T-Wolves to? I'll make it easy for you-zero.

How many winning seasons, or at the very least .500 or better seasons has Kyrie lead the Cavs to? I will make it easy for you-zero.

Both Bosh and Wade had post season (and in Wade's case-championship) experience, and lead their teams to winning records.

The Heat were ran by one of the greatest BBall minds of all time in Riley, and had an atmosphere of winning.

The Cavs? Horrible ownership. Horrible locker room. Undisciplined, lazy, and an impotent H.C.

The only thing comparable between them is LeBron James. I guess LeBron being the only true pro is enough right? I mean that explains why he won it all every year he has been in the league.

LeBron made a HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE blunder by leaving the Heat, to play with the 2 all flash-no substance posers in Cleveland.

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payton 34ever

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Irving doesn't have an assist in the last six quarters of play, by the way. If our point guard did that, we'd hang him by his toes outside the United Center.
 

payton 34ever

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LeBron made a HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE blunder by leaving the Heat, to play with the 2 all flash-no substance posers in Cleveland.

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That's really what this all boils down to. Rotten organization - you can't just toss guys in there and give them a trophy. Could they be great? Sure, but I'll believe it when I see it all mesh together, and not until then. That city is CURSED.

If he were still in Miami, we'd be talking about the Bulls having no shot. With him in Cleveland? I think we're the favorites.
 

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...and lost

Other teams have plenty of time to gel, too. Or perhaps you think that only Cleveland will improve and learn to play together more efficiently.

Point is, this "crown their ass" mentality was old in August, and it's old now. Championships aren't won on paper. I wouldn't be surprised if it takes Cleveland a lot longer to figure things out than veteran stars who meshed well together in Miami.
Here's my thing though. Everyone and their mother said in 2010 that Bron, Bosh, and Wade would not be able to mesh and they'd be an epic failure. There was just too much star power there. When they started to struggle early in 2010 everyone celebrated and acted like this thread is right now. The Miami Heat are never going to be a thing. The Bulls then sweeping the Miami Heat in the regular season added to it. Miami went on a roll and people ignored it. They ended up with the #2 seed with the Bulls far surpassing expectations and getting the #1 seed. Everyone here on CCS at the time said they were Finals bound no doubt.

Most people said Boston would easily take the Heat out in the 2nd round. Miami won 4-1. People blamed Rondo's injury for Boston losing. Fine. Boston lost the following year in 7 games after having a 3-2 lead against Miami as well. So much for that. And the Bulls ended up blowing out Miami in Game 1. Everyone here said SWEEP SWEEP! The Bulls lost the next 4 and Miami went to the Finals where LeBron went back to deferring to his teammates and being immature by making fun of Dirk and they lost 4-2. Then they won the next two years.

Is Cleveland a different animal? Yes. Do they have any franchise success in their past? No. They implode constantly. But you can't deny that LeBron is the best player in the NBA right now and he has tormented Chicago for years.

Suffice to say, we all want LeBron to lose. I'm at a point where I'll believe it when I see it. Kinda like the Bears beating Aaron Rodgers.
 

ursamajor

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All I'll say is, I want you guys to be absolutely correct
http://m.nydailynews.com/sports/bas...happy-traded-mess-cleveland-article-1.1598983

Veteran Luol Deng not happy about being traded into mess that is Cleveland Cavaliers


It’s been a true culture shock for since he’s been a Cleveland Cavalier over the past 26 days. Not in a good way, either.Luol Deng

Deng has seen how a team mired in losing since LeBron James left town wrongly caters to its young star players, even as they continue to undermine head coach Mike Brown at almost every turn. In Chicago, where Deng broke in and played nine-plus seasons, there is a winning culture where players are expected to act like professionals and understand that they will suffer the consequences if they step out of line.

As Deng recently told one close friend, “the stuff going on in practice would never be tolerated by the coaching staff or the front office back in Chicago. It’s a mess."

Deng was brought in to help clean it up when he arrived in a deal for Andrew Bynum on Jan. 7. But since then, he’s seen players get thrown out of practice, take off their uniform tops at halftime and threaten not to play, mouth off to Brown and generally act like spoiled brats. Entering Saturday’s game at Houston, the Cavs had lost seven of their last 11 games since the Deng trade.

There is no accountability, as Dion Waiters found out when he was kicked out of practice last week but still got his usual minutes against the Knicks. Brown isn’t getting much help from GM Chris Grant, who is expected to be fired at season’s end because of the losing and problems in the locker room.

The Cavs were supposed to challenge for a playoff spot, but not to worry. All the losing isn’t keeping them from having a good time. During their trip to New York, several players enjoyed themselves immensely the night before the game against the Knicks, partying into the wee hours with J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert and 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick, and other NFL players. Their late-night/early morning carousing played a factor when they didn’t even try in their blow-out loss to the Knicks.

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Axl Rose

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The Heat were ran by one of the greatest BBall minds of all time in Riley, and had an atmosphere of winning.

The Cavs? Horrible ownership. Horrible locker room. Undisciplined, lazy, and an impotent H.C.

i agree with you

i would love to play for the Heat and Riley...they run a pretty good organization

Cleveland is a mess and that was a big reason i didn't think Bron would go back
 

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