2011 Chicago Bulls Playoff Thread (5/26 7:30pm CST - TNT)

[SpongeWorthy]

Dwight Howard is a loser

[wolf stansson]

This is completely moronic. Lebron is the best player in the NBA. It's not even close. At all. His championship(s)/ring(s) is coming; it's inevitable. I suspect the first will be this year, though I sure hope not.

Dwight Howard is close, depending on how you view defense, what metric you pick

 

I don't think Howard is remotely close to James. I think he's second, but if there was an NBA-wide draft, I'm certain James would be on the top of all 30 draft boards. Metrics are nice and all, and I'm no Luddite, but this isn't baseball.

Not remotely close? It's very, very close.

 

Based on what? Howard is a physical speciman, but James is a once-in-a-generation, transcendent talent. For his career, James is averaging 27.7 points per game, 7.0 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.8 blocks; Howard 18.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2.2 blocks, and 1.1 steals. Points aren't everything, but his was the first year that Howard, in his career, averaged more points than James did his rookie year as a 19-year-old fresh out of high school. For his career James is at 26.91 PER (second all-time behind Michael Jordan), while Howard is at 22.31 (26th all time, behind Amare Stoudemire, and just ahead of Pau Gasol). Since his rookie year, James worst PER is 24.5; Howard has topped that mark only twice. Howard had a career best 14.4 win shares this year, a mark James has eclipsed four straight years and five of the eight of his career (and one year was at 14.3). Not. Remotely. Close.

I'm not saying I disagree with you. I'm just saying I hear people on various podcasts and in various publications (Ryen Russillo, Steve Kerr, David Thorpe), including GM's, make the argument that they'd take Dwight Howard #1 based on nonsense like a two inch height difference and the fact that one plays center which is harder to find an adequate replacement to fill the position.

 

I'm unquestionably taking Bron #1 in an all-NBA redraft. I just think you're assuming there are way more people who like LeBron more to build a team around than there actually are.

[Banedon]

Regular season offense on isolation plays - Miami ranked #1 with .93 PPP (points per possession)

 

Regular season defense on isolation plays - Chicago ranked #1 with .74 PPP

 

Game 1 of ECF isolation plays - Miami had .64 PPP

 

 

Ouch.

 

http://thepaintedarea.blogspot.com/2011/05/bulls-vs-heat-isolation-games.html

 

 

 

Sorry to interrupt such riveting conversation.

[SouthSideRyan]

Are you being intentionally obtuse or do you really not see the difference between a guy (in Scottie's case, something of a project coming from a tiny school that had never, ever produced NBA talent) being drafted to your team where you are unquestionably the alpha dog and going to play with two other guys who were the clear cut #1 options on their own teams?

 

And I'm the one being obtuse??

[Banedon]

Dennis Rodman will return to the United Center on Wednesday when he presents the game ball before Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat.

 

"It will be awesome. He is going to love it," Kerr said Wednesday on "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000. "This means so much to him. So for him to come back in front of these fans who are obviously incredibly hyped, it's going to be emotional. It wouldn't surprise me if he shed a few tears tonight."

[Banedon]

LeBron James won't just be battling the Chicago Bulls' strong defense and raucous crowd for Wednesday night's Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals.

 

James said this morning after the Miami Heat's shootaround that he's been stuffed up the past three days with a head cold that has been draining him. He said he's been treating it as best he can with medication and extra rest.

 

"I'm taking everything you can get it from 7-Eleven," James said. "I've been sick since we got here."

[Sammy Sofa]

Hey, this miserable weather is finally doing some good.

[DivineBovine]

LeBron James won't just be battling the Chicago Bulls' strong defense and raucous crowd for Wednesday night's Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals.

 

James said this morning after the Miami Heat's shootaround that he's been stuffed up the past three days with a head cold that has been draining him. He said he's been treating it as best he can with medication and extra rest.

 

"I'm taking everything you can get it from 7-Eleven," James said. "I've been sick since we got here."

 

 

 

Oh man. What can I say? LOSER.

 

Yeah, of course I'll get on him for that.

[SpongeWorthy]

Are you being intentionally obtuse or do you really not see the difference between a guy (in Scottie's case, something of a project coming from a tiny school that had never, ever produced NBA talent) being drafted to your team where you are unquestionably the alpha dog and going to play with two other guys who were the clear cut #1 options on their own teams?

 

And I'm the one being obtuse??

 

I'm not following.

[Banedon]

Also heard a rumor that MJ might be at the game tonight, since he was in town for Oprah's thing last night at the UC.

[SouthSideRyan]

Also heard a rumor that MJ might be at the game tonight, since he was in town for Oprah's thing last night at the UC.

 

This will surely lead the Bulls to victory.

[SouthSideRyan]

Are you being intentionally obtuse or do you really not see the difference between a guy (in Scottie's case, something of a project coming from a tiny school that had never, ever produced NBA talent) being drafted to your team where you are unquestionably the alpha dog and going to play with two other guys who were the clear cut #1 options on their own teams?

 

And I'm the one being obtuse??

 

I'm not following.

 

Whether the player came across awesome teammates from leaving by free agency, or his GM actually being good doesn't make a difference. The whining about Lebron comes from the fact that he can't do it himself, and needs help, well so did everyone, even St. Michael.

 

You honestly think Jordan would have sat around wasting his career with Jamario Moon and Wally Szczerbiak if that's what Krause surrounded him with?

Edited May 18, 2011 by SouthSideRyan

[DivineBovine]

Also heard a rumor that MJ might be at the game tonight, since he was in town for Oprah's thing last night at the UC.

 

This will surely lead the Bulls to victory.

 

 

I love it when MJ openly roots for the Bulls. Since he's an owner of another team, it might not happen tonight. But it would still be sweet to see.

[Banedon]

Also heard a rumor that MJ might be at the game tonight, since he was in town for Oprah's thing last night at the UC.

 

This will surely lead the Bulls to victory.

 

Jim Ross: Wait, what's that? IT'S MJ'S MUSIC!

[Banedon]

Also heard a rumor that MJ might be at the game tonight, since he was in town for Oprah's thing last night at the UC.

 

This will surely lead the Bulls to victory.

 

 

I love it when MJ openly roots for the Bulls. Since he's an owner of another team, it might not happen tonight. But it would still be sweet to see.

 

It was a message board rumor, so don't put much stock in that one.

[UMFan83]

Also heard a rumor that MJ might be at the game tonight, since he was in town for Oprah's thing last night at the UC.

 

This will surely lead the Bulls to victory.

 

 

I love it when MJ openly roots for the Bulls. Since he's an owner of another team, it might not happen tonight. But it would still be sweet to see.

 

Do you think anyone would be mad if MJ openly rooted for a team he won 6 titles with if they werent playing the team he currently owns? I doubt it.

[mul21]

ANY other small forward? No.

 

While yes, I could see the Bulls winning some or even all of the first 3-peat without Pippen, but there's no [expletive] way they get the second 3-peat with just any other small forward instead of Pippen.

I was too young to watch the first 3 peat. And perhaps I'm underrating defensive impact, but I think you could argue it being the other way considering the latter Bulls had Toni Kukoc as their #3 option on offense and the #2 option for a huge portion of the final championship season. They wouldn't have been as dominant, for sure, but thats still a championship worthy team.

 

You're greatly underestimating the defensive presence he provided. Jordan was a great defender, but Pippen could guard most anyone on the floor effectively other than centers (and a few really beefy PFs). He shut down Magic in the 1991 Finals for the most part just about singlehandedly.

 

And there's no way any other SF leads that 1994 team to a near Finals appearance if not for that awful phantom foul call.

[SouthSideRyan]

Also heard a rumor that MJ might be at the game tonight, since he was in town for Oprah's thing last night at the UC.

 

This will surely lead the Bulls to victory.

 

 

I love it when MJ openly roots for the Bulls. Since he's an owner of another team, it might not happen tonight. But it would still be sweet to see.

 

I'd think a true killer would lead the team he owns to victory rather than joining up with the owner of another team.

[WrigleyField 22]

This thread is proof that this lay-off betweeen games was too long.

[Banedon]

This thread is proof that this lay-off betweeen games was too long.

 

And we have a longer wait between games 2 and 3. *sigh*

[SpongeWorthy]

Are you being intentionally obtuse or do you really not see the difference between a guy (in Scottie's case, something of a project coming from a tiny school that had never, ever produced NBA talent) being drafted to your team where you are unquestionably the alpha dog and going to play with two other guys who were the clear cut #1 options on their own teams?

 

And I'm the one being obtuse??

 

I'm not following.

 

Whether the player came across awesome teammates from leaving by free agency, or his GM actually being good doesn't make a difference. The whining about Lebron comes from the fact that he can't do it himself, and needs help, well so did everyone, even St. Michael.

 

You honestly think Jordan would have sat around wasting his career with Jamario Moon and Wally Szczerbiak if that's what Krause surrounded him with?

 

Wasting your career with Jamario Moon and Wally World is one thing and going to team up with your natural rival is something else. Would Jordan have stuck around in Chicago if he continued to play with the Brad Sellers' of the world? Maybe not. But he wasn't going to call up Isiah and Magic to team up either.

 

And that's not something that is specific to Jordan either. There's just a level of fraternization between all the stars these days that didn't exist even 10 years ago. They play AAU ball together, text/tweet all offseason, etc. It's all buddy buddy now.

[UMFan83]

This thread is proof that this lay-off betweeen games was too long.

 

And we have a longer wait between games 2 and 3. *sigh*

 

Yay for 2 games in 8 days.

[DivineBovine]

Also heard a rumor that MJ might be at the game tonight, since he was in town for Oprah's thing last night at the UC.

 

This will surely lead the Bulls to victory.

 

 

I love it when MJ openly roots for the Bulls. Since he's an owner of another team, it might not happen tonight. But it would still be sweet to see.

 

Do you think anyone would be mad if MJ openly rooted for a team he won 6 titles with if they werent playing the team he currently owns? I doubt it.

 

Probably not, but some might find it a little unprofessional. MJ is good at keeping a certain public persona so I don't think he'd do it. But I remember he openly rooted for the Ben Gordon Bulls a few years ago, and he would probably love to see the Bulls beat the Heat.

[SpongeWorthy]

Say Lebron quietly (relative to the spectacle of The Decision) signed with the Clippers. He'd have a couple of legit young studs to play alongside with, they'd wreck [expletive], and he'd only be loathed in Cleveland for the most part.

 

It was The Decision and the fact that he executed a clearly premeditated plan to team up with established stars that created all the vitriol.

[Guest]

BBB, you severely underrate Scottie Pippen.