NBA Playoffs (bulls also)

[SpongeWorthy]

The NBA playoffs are good and fun. Post about it here.

[Derwood]

MEH

[David]

Bulls up in the second quarter despite not being able to buy a single bucket from 3 so far

[Sammy Sofa]

[SpongeWorthy]

niko is ass

[bcl412]

Objectively I like more about the Celtics than the Bulls but because of fan allegiances I have to root for the Bulls. A first round upset would be a fun thing

[SpongeWorthy]

fred coached a real good game and butler was the man in the 2nd half

 

i legit think we win this series

[bcl412]

fred coached a real good game and butler was the man in the 2nd half

 

i legit think we win this series

Probably have the best player. They have some experienced players and the Celtics don't have a typical superstar. It feels like a long series at the least.

[David]

fred coached a real good game and butler was the man in the 2nd half

 

i legit think we win this series

 

same

 

given the state of the east, just about nothing short of them beating cleveland would shock me, to be honest.

[raw]

Some interesting calls late in the game that kept the Bulls from going away with that game. But this was the 1st round matchup I wanted once I figured the Bulls would get in. Celtics are good, but not unbeatable. No chance against the Cavs. Hell, I don't think they could beat Atlanta or Washington either, but since they're in, the Bulls might as well do something with it.

[Banedon]

The NBA playoffs are good and fun. Post about it here.

 

Counterpoint: The first round is a waste of time and should be eliminated.

[David]

Not sure if anyone caught this, but on the pre and post game, Barkley kept telling Kenny Smith to take the night off and go to "Bulldogs." He did it so much that I wound up Googling what the hell Bulldogs was. It's a gay bar in Atlanta.

[David]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/markstrot/status/853787047919833089[/tweet]

[Ryne Ween]

The NBA playoffs are good and fun. Post about it here.

 

Counterpoint: The first round is a waste of time and should be eliminated.

 

Don't think that's a valid counterpoint. 3 road underdogs won. Wouldn't be surprised if 2 underdogs win the series. At least 4 of the games were good games.

[Banedon]

The NBA playoffs are good and fun. Post about it here.

 

Counterpoint: The first round is a waste of time and should be eliminated.

 

Don't think that's a valid counterpoint. 3 road underdogs won. Wouldn't be surprised if 2 underdogs win the series. At least 4 of the games were good games.

 

Who cares? Only 1 time ever has a team 5th seeded or lower won the NBA Championship...the 1995 Rockets. The 8th seed in each conference had a .500 record. The Bulls finished 4th in their own division! Stop putting those teams in the playoffs.

 

3 division winners and a wildcard in each conference is more than enough.

[Andy]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/markstrot/status/853787047919833089[/tweet]

First thing I thought of watching Butler shut Thomas down was when the Heat pulled the reverse with LeBron on Rose. If the Bulls win this series, Butler's crunch-time D is going to be why it happens.

[Andy]

It's sort of funny how, as shoddily as this Bulls team was assembled, it works out kinda perfect against Boston because they're a smaller team and the Bulls can kind of dominate physically on defense (with Butler on Thomas when needed) and rebounding.

[WrigleyField 22]

It's sort of funny how, as shoddily as this Bulls team was assembled, it works out kinda perfect against Boston because they're a smaller team and the Bulls can kind of dominate physically on defense (with Butler on Thomas when needed) and rebounding.

For as many flaws as this team was built with, that was kind of always their path, with Portis last night playing the stretch 4 role envisioned from Mirotic.

[Ryne Ween]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/markstrot/status/853787047919833089[/tweet]

First thing I thought of watching Butler shut Thomas down was when the Heat pulled the reverse with LeBron on Rose. If the Bulls win this series, Butler's crunch-time D is going to be why it happens.

 

Yea. The Bulls chances in this series are based on rondo, grant and mcw minimizing the damage from IT and then hoping Butler can defend him in crunch time.

 

I'm not expecting Portis to play like that again but I'm also not expecting Niko to be that terrible.

 

Where did Bradley go in the second half. He was creating problems for the bulls then he disappeared.

[David]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/markstrot/status/853787047919833089[/tweet]

First thing I thought of watching Butler shut Thomas down was when the Heat pulled the reverse with LeBron on Rose. If the Bulls win this series, Butler's crunch-time D is going to be why it happens.

 

[tweet]

[/tweet]

[Sammy Sofa]

Bulls aren't going to get horsefeathers done. They're a bunch of monsters beating up on poor IT like that, too.

[Flames24Rulz]

I don't think it's going to matter as far as a championship this year goes, but Boston's going to be regretting that they didn't trade for Jimmy or PG during this playoff run. With one of those guys next to IT, I think they would've been able to give Cleveland all they can handle.

 

Bobby Portis looked just like Tyrus in G1 of that series back in 2009. Hopefully Niko's leash is much shorter the rest of the series if Bobby's going to play like that.

[Cubswin11]

I don't think it's going to matter as far as a championship this year goes, but Boston's going to be regretting that they didn't trade for Jimmy or PG during this playoff run. With one of those guys next to IT, I think they would've been able to give Cleveland all they can handle.

Completely agree, they missed out on not getting one of those guys because with either they could push Cleveland. If the asking price was too high for them I get it, but still don't get why they didn't make a move on the margins still. The East is relatively open and the Cave have flaws, if they could've got any combination of Robin Lopez, Nurkic, Gallinari or Wilson Chandler for lower asking prices than PG/Jimmy I think those guys would have given them enough to challenge the Cavs. But as it sits now the Celtics are certainly too flawed to pass the Cavs and I think there's a better chance than not they don't even get out of round 1.

 

I have a suspicion one of the reasons (maybe main reason) they didn't trade for PG/Jimmy is because they want to keep this years Brooklyn's pick (the Bulls/Pacers were likely adamant it was included in any deal) because they don't want IT long term as their point guard. They realize they likely aren't winning anything with him along with they don't want to pay him when he hits FA (which I think is within the next 2 years) so they want to take one of Fultz or Ball as his replacement this draft and then find a star another way (using other picks as it becomes more clear what those can become or thru FA).

[Brian707]

 

Counterpoint: The first round is a waste of time and should be eliminated.

 

Don't think that's a valid counterpoint. 3 road underdogs won. Wouldn't be surprised if 2 underdogs win the series. At least 4 of the games were good games.

 

Who cares? Only 1 time ever has a team 5th seeded or lower won the NBA Championship...the 1995 Rockets. The 8th seed in each conference had a .500 record. The Bulls finished 4th in their own division! Stop putting those teams in the playoffs.

 

3 division winners and a wildcard in each conference is more than enough.

 

 

Yup, historically the NBA is the most predictable of the 4 major sports. There might be a couple upsets this year, but they should have just started the Finals yesterday with Cleveland vs Golden St.

[bukie]

Washington has just as good a chance as Cleveland at this point, unless Cleveland finds a gear they haven't demonstrated to this point this season.