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An early look at the 2013 NBA Draft

Sam Smith — Wed, 22 May 2013 06:11:35 +0000

Are two No. 1 overall draft picks enough to make up for the loss of LeBron James? Probably not, but the Cleveland Cavaliers got their second Tuesday in the NBA Draft Lottery, and that raised the intriguing possibility that the way really is being cleared for James to return to Cleveland as a free agent after next season.

“By moving up from No. 3 to win the lottery drawing again (they got Kyrie Irving last time), the Cavs move into position to put together a strong young core with the talented Irving and big men who could make the case to attract James back to his home area where he still lives,” writes Smith.

The Miami Heat is the favorite to win their second consecutive title this season as they open the Eastern Conference finals Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers. But the way Dwyane Wade has struggled with debilitating knee problems, it is seeming more likely to many around the NBA that James could pursue his opt out to become a free agent in the summer of 2014. Perhaps he has a three-peat by then, and we know Michael Jordan took off after his first three-peat.

By moving up from No. 3 to win the lottery drawing again (they got Kyrie Irving last time), the Cavs move into position to put together a strong young core with the talented Irving and big men who could make the case to attract James back to his home area where he still lives.

The early consensus seems to be the Cavs select Kentucky’s athletic shot blocking big man Nerlens Noel, who is not due back from ACL surgery until December. But here’s one possible plan as Cavs owner Dan Gilbert has made it clear he expects not to return to the lottery: The Cavs trade their three other picks, Nos. 19, 31 and 33, to the Lakers for Pau Gasol, whom the Lakers need to move without taking back salary to save tens of millions of dollars of luxury tax charges. With Anderson Varejao returning to go with Gasol and Irving, Dion Waiters and Tristan Thompson the Cavs can make a run at the playoffs. Then they let go Gasol after one season as his contract expires with then enough cap room to sign both James and Chris Bosh to go with that young core.

Think that one is far out? There’s going to be plenty more scenarios coming in a draft in which the top picks, including No. 1, could very much be in play for trade with teams looking to move down, which is rare at the top of the draft, or pursue veterans. So this draft day is going to be as uncertain as any in recent years given the absence of certain top three picks, or even a locked down No. 1 selection.

Here’s a very early look at a draft that could likely undergo major changes before June 27.

Cleveland: Nerlens Noel. Not true he’s returning Christmas time because of his surname. Another king? If there’s a consensus No. 1, he’s it. And he is the first Noel.
Orlando: Trey Burke, Michigan. They’ve got an innovative, young management not worried about what others think. So this tough point guard who plays to big moments makes sense even though he isn’t tall.
Washington: Otto Porter, Georgetown. Big winner by moving up the most. They’ve got a history of moving top picks for instant results. They could use a versatile forward to go with their young backcourt and as David Falk is his agent maybe Falk stops making fun of John Wall.
Charlotte: Ben McLemore, Kansas. Michael can’t get a break, but maybe he gets the No. 1 pick on many draft boards. He’s got a bunch of guards, but they all still get in the movies for kids’ prices. And Michael likes two guards.
Phoenix: Victor Oladipo, Indiana. Maybe have two players worth keeping, a point guard and center. So he’s a guy you can begin building with, described by some as Tony Allen with a jump shot. Which would be pretty good to have.
New Orleans: Cody Zeller, Indiana. Probably could have the pick if you’d take Eric Gordon. They could use a center and perhaps the better Zeller, who would look good with Anthony Davis. Now if only Austin Rivers could make a shot.
Sacramento: Alex Len, Maryland. Get a center in there so they can trade DeMarcus Cousins to some sap of a team that thinks he’s still salvageable. Sacramento has done too much to save the team to be subjected to Cousins’ antics any longer.
Detroit: Anthony Bennett, UNLV. Value pick if he gets down that far as he’s considered a high level talent and not only because he also went to UNLV but likened to Larry Johnson.
Minnesota: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Georgia. They need some shooting to go with Ricky Rubio other than Kevin Love. This would seem high for him based on early reports, but these things change and you can’t get enough lottery guys you can nickname “the hyphen.”
Portland: Mason Plumlee, Duke. You never can have enough big guys, especially if you are in Portland. They like their perimeter at point and small forward and another big men gives them flexibility.
Philadelphia: Kelly Olynyk, Gonzaga. They’ll love the hair in Philadelphia. Who knows what they’ll do regarding Andrew Bynum, but can you make that mistake again? Their other best big guy is in Orlando.
Oklahoma City: C.J. McCollum, Lehigh. So this guy and Jeremy Lamb for James Harden? Ooops. Yes, Russell Westbrook will be back. But they could use anyone else who could figure out how to score.
Dallas: Michael Carter-Williams, Syracuse. If you do poorly, Jim Boeheim will call out your team for you if you have him. He’s a ball handling point guard, and they need more guys to throw the ball to Dirk with no free agents coming.
Utah: Dennis Schroeder, Germany. Like they say, if you really need a point guard look to Germany. Well, they really need a point. He’s a smallish guy, quick compared with Rajon Rondo and some of the Teagues.
Milwaukee: Tim Hardaway Jr., Michigan. They’ll need guards as Monta Ellis probably opts out and who knows with Brandon Jennings. Hardaway obviously comes from a strong pro background and is a close to ready player which they need.
Boston: Steven Adams, Pittsburgh. They badly need size and someone who actually can rebound. They remain big on brain typing in interviews, and we know they’re smart coming from New Zealand.
Atlanta: Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA. Once thought a top five pick, there’s been all sorts of questions including a failure to sing himself happy birthday. He’s a scorer and a risky pick, but if they can’t get Dwight Howard they’ll need some shabazz in the arena.
Atlanta: Glen Rice, Jr., Georgia Tech (until kicked out after a shooting incident). So, yes, they’d know about him. The great former NBA scorer’s son. He had huge games finishing up the D-league season and is a scoring talent. Perhaps worth a shot. Didn’t really mean that one.
Cleveland: Shane Larkin, Miami. They’ll probably trade the pick as they have four in the top 33. He’s small, but the son of baseball’s Barry Larkin and with some impressive times and measurements at the Chicago camp even though he’s a small point guard.
Bulls: Jamaal Franklin, San Diego State. They probably will go for a backup center or shooting guard in case they can’t keep Marco Belinelli. They’ll likely want close to ready players and defenders, which he can do. Has had some incidents and isn’t the perfect shooting guard, but this isn’t the perfect draft.

Some of the others who could finish out the first round include Tony Snell, Allen Crabbe, Jeff Withey, Nate Wolters, Archie Goodwin, Tony Mitchell, DeShaun Thomas, Rudy Gobert, Gorgui Dieng, Dario Saric. Sergey Karasev and Giannis Adetokunbo.

A last look at the Bulls of 2012-13 and their future

Sam Smith — Fri, 17 May 2013 05:13:01 +0000

Probably someone in this stats infested sports world measures it, though I haven’t seen it yet. But the Bulls probably just completed the best ever 45-win regular season with a second round playoff loss.

Of course, they knew they’d be missing for part, and it turned out all, their best player and a former league MVP, Derrick Rose. But then they had the regulars in their top nine rotation miss more than 100 games with injuries. And Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich, starters all season, then missed most of the playoffs with injury and illness. Still, the Bulls played the defending champion and favored Miami Heat tough, losing in the same five games they did when they were mostly healthy in the 2011 playoffs.

Though there were disappointing defeats all regular season, like to Charlotte, New Orleans, Phoenix, Cleveland and Sacramento, the thrills far outweighed the frustration.

There were so many brilliant moments of delight and joy, like breaking the Heat’s 27-game winning streak and then completing a season sweep of the Knicks and ending their 13-game winning streak. There were fabulous individual moments, like Marco Belinelli’s three game winning shots or Joakim Noah diving out of bounds to save a ball to set up one of those shots.

Noah and Deng were All-Stars, and Noah had brilliant games, like a rare triple double with blocks and a game of 30 points and 23 rebounds, recording historical markers. Jimmy Butler was discovered and immediately began battle with Deng for league ironman status that extended through the playoffs with five games of 48 minutes.

Nate Robinson, a last addition, became an energizer and favorite, bailing the Bulls out of numerous games with his exciting individual play. Deng beat Toronto with a game winner reminiscent of Michael Jordan in Utah in 1998 and the team overwhelmed Kobe and Howard in the United Center. Robinson beats the Nets with a floater and Nazr Mohammed saves it with a block. Carlos Boozer is fifth in the league and second in the East in double/doubles, the Bulls dominate the Heat in Miami and perhaps the most exciting play, Noah’s tip in against Denver, is waved off on a night Robinson had 35 points.

And then there was the triple overtime playoff win over the Nets with Robinson’s fourth quarter fireworks and the seventh game win in Brooklyn, the first ever for the franchise on the road. And then the opening victory in Miami and an end that wasn’t decided until the last seconds as the Bulls with half their top six out pushed Miami to the limit.

The prospects look bright, frankly, considering coach Tom Thibodeau signed a contract extension and Rose should return fully healthy next fall. Deng, Boozer, Butler, Taj Gibson, Hinrich, Noah, Rose and Marquis Teague all remain under contract. Richard Hamilton has a buyout. The Bulls will get the No. 20 pick in the 2013 draft.

Good health isn’t promised to anyone. But with Rose’s return, the maturation of Deng and Noah and how competitive the Bulls were against all the top teams in the Eastern Conference in the regular season and playoffs, it would seem likely without much, or any, change the team will be in position to compete for the conference championship next season.

There’s still a long way to go with the draft and free agency as well as Robinson, Belinelli and Mohammed are free agents. So let’s take a last look at the Bulls of 2012-13 and perhaps their futures:

Derrick Rose: The team’s undisputed star ended up missing all season with the recovery from his ACL surgery last May. There was criticism directed toward Rose that he should have tried to play. But Rose remains the future of the team. Without him and at full health or close, it seems unlikely the Bulls could be considered serious title contenders in any season. He plans to work out in Los Angeles in the offseason as well as probably some high altitude training for conditioning and is expected to be fully ready to open the next season.

Joakim Noah: He had one of his best all around seasons, averaging 11.9 points and 11.1 rebounds and made first team all-defense and the All-Star team. But his plantar fasciitis returned late in the season, costing him a dozen games. It seemed to miraculously disappear in the playoffs, but its potential return hangs over him and the team. His hard play reflected the Bulls’ defensive identity as he’s become one of the league’s top centers.

Luol Deng: The Bulls second All-Star belies the case the Bulls need another star. They had two players selected as All-Stars by the coaches. Deng led the team in scoring and the league in average minutes played as the “glue,” according to Thibodeau. His bad reaction to a spinal tap procedure cost him the last seven playoff games. His name will come up most in trade rumors since he’s good, and he is going into the final season of his contract. If the Bulls plan to try free agency again in 2014, they couldn’t resign him at a high salary. But he’s only 28 and one of the league’s best defenders. With one year left on his deal, the Bulls likely could not get much given he might only be a rental for another team. Plus, with Rose’s return the Bulls have to be considered serious title contenders and Deng’s ability to guard stars like Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James is crucial to the Bulls’ defense, which doesn’t rely on double teaming. The assumption is he returns and this group gets one more chance with Rose.

Carlos Boozer: The oft maligned (by fans) power forward had his best season as a Bull with 44 double/doubles and led the team in scoring and rebounding (tied with Noah) in the playoffs. There’s always speculation about amnesty, which the Bulls don’t plan to do. It makes no sense as even if you were to amnesty Boozer the team still wouldn’t be under the salary cap to be in free agency. And Boozer was second to Deng in scoring, almost averaged a double/double with 9.8 rebounds per game and led the team in scoring a team high 25 times. There is no substitute for his offensive production and he was a reliable player starting 79 games, most on the team. He’ll return.

Kirk Hinrich: The popular former Baby Bull from the early 2000’s returned and played a vital all around role despite missing 22 games with injuries and the last eight in the playoffs. He was signed to be a one-year emergency starter for Rose and then able to play both with Rose and back up at point guard. The presumption is with fewer minutes as a third guard the injuries will be less frequent. Though he didn’t shoot well, Boozer’s best season was much attributed both to Boozer’s better conditioning and Hinrich’s playmaking. Plus, Hinrich’s perimeter defense was among the best in the league even if too often unrecognized in the voting for all-defense.

Taj Gibson: The backup power forward signed a four-year extension, but had an injury plagued season with MCL sprains. Gibson mostly played through them, averaging eight points and 5.3 rebounds in 22 minutes, but 6.5 points in the playoffs. His lack of developing into a scorer basically erases any thought the Bulls would part with Boozer. But his ability to guard smaller players is one of the keys to the Bulls defense and he’ll remain a high level defensive reserve.

Nate Robinson: Probably the surprise player of the season, maybe in the whole league. He was signed to an unguaranteed minimum contract which only was fully accepted in January. But he emerged as a vital shot maker without Rose. He was third on the team in scoring at 13.1 per game, second overall in scoring in the playoffs, a tenth of a point behind Boozer, and second in the Miami series. Though sometimes an erratic defender, he even emerged as a motivational force with his relentless scoring and fearless demeanor. He was one of the biggest offseason acquisitions. But his emerging profile will probably put him out of the Bulls price range, especially with the return of Rose. That would leave little time for Robinson with Hinrich moving to backup. Robinson will likely get a guaranteed offer and move on like John Lucas did last summer. He is not expected to be with the Bulls next season.

Marco Belinelli: Another big offseason acquisition, the veteran shooting guard led the team in game winners and no matter how much he played (27 starts in 73 games) and how he was shooting he always was ready for a big shot. He became one of the team’s better pick and roll players and a distributor when he’d play alongside Robinson. He was third on the team in threes attempted and second in the playoffs. Retaining him will be complicated. The Bulls are one of six teams in the NBA in the luxury tax, which under the new agreement has a multiplier as you go over the tax to add players. The problem is with the core players of Rose, Deng, Noah, Boozer, Butler, Hinrich and Gibson the Bulls are into the luxury tax already. Not only whatever they spend to add players above that adds to their tax, but prevents them from sign and trade deals and likely the ability to add players after next season if the Bulls still cannot succeed. Say they want to retain Belinelli, who would be good for an all around backcourt, though he’d likely be a reserve. Given his season, he’d likely get a multiple year offer somewhere. He liked Chicago and the Bulls and might want to stay. But matching a multiple year offer could prevent the Bulls even if they did amnesty Boozer in 2014 and not bring back Deng from going after a free agent. So would it be worth retaining a reserve for 2013-14 and then not being able to pursue a so called max free agent in 2014? Not that any might be available, anyway. It’s the big question for management. Obviously, Belinelli would help for next season. But do you mortgage the future for a reserve? It’s one of the tough decisions coming in the offseason. My guess is he gets an offer too big to match, though the question will remain open into July.

Jimmy Butler: The find of the season after the 30th pick in the 2011 draft rarely played last season. But with injuries to Deng during the season and then in the playoffs, Butler emerged as a strong all around player who should be a front runner for Most Improved next season. Though the notion was he played small forward, he shot well enough and defended well enough to be a shooting guard. He should be the starter next season. With Butler, Deng and Hinrich, the Bulls can put out the strongest perimeter defensive unit in the league. Then you add Noah and Gibson and you have five potential all-league defenders on the court at the same time. Butler certainly surprised me as I saw him as a top sixth man. He answers a long need for a shooting guard and leaves the Bulls primary needs as backups.

Richard Hamilton: He was worth the investment even if injuries limited his effectiveness both seasons. There was some controversy about Hamilton not playing in the playoffs given the injuries, and he did provide scoring. But Thibodeau prefers defensive players and that left out Hamilton much of the time. He handled himself with class and professionalism and deserves to remain in the league and should be able to help a veteran team if his health holds out. He was brought in to be the playoff shooting guard, but Butler’s emergence changed that dynamic. He has a buyout estimated at about $1 million, which is expected the Bulls will exercise if he isn’t included in some sort of deal at draft time. He is not expected to be with the team next season but has been a true pro who helped the younger players like Butler and especially Robinson. Hamilton’s presence was no small factor in eliminating some of the distraction with Robinson that left him without a team coming into this season.

Marquis Teague: It was rookie hazing for Teague, which with the Bulls generally means not playing. He rarely did, but he showed signs of productivity when he did play. He’s quick, an offensive point guard who can beat guys to the basket. He tried extra hard to listen to the coach and move the ball, so rarely was as aggressive as he could be. But he has to begin to play, which also limits the chances of a Robinson return. He should fit in well as a fourth guard for emergency situations. Likely, Rose will not play as many minutes and Hinrich has been injury prone. So there should be more time for him to fit in.

Nazr Mohammed: Perhaps he’ll most be remembered for throwing down LeBron James. But he came on strong late in the season and in the playoffs as a reliable veteran backup center in something of the Kurt Thomas mold. He is probably not a big minutes player, but he can fill a bench role like Brian Scalabrine did — though without the histrionics — as a strong teammate who can sit out multiple games and then come in and perform and also be a good teammate and veteran voice. Given he is a Chicago native and does considerable charity work in the community, he likely would want to stay and I can see him back as a 12th or 13th man on the bench and third string center. Perhaps the Bulls biggest offseason need is a regular, younger backup big man they may get through the draft or perhaps with a veteran.

Vladimir Radmanovic: He rarely played and never quite filled that role of a stretch forward. But he always was a good and positive teammate, engaged on the bench and supportive. He likely will not return and have a difficult time finding another NBA team.

Daequan Cook: He was a mid season pickup after starting the season with the Rockets. The Bulls took a look given his reputation as a shooter and having won a three-point shooting contest in 2009. But he didn’t shoot the ball particularly well for the Bulls and was one of 10 overall in the playoffs. A former first round draft pick, he likely won’t return and his NBA career could be in question.

Malcolm Thomas: A fan favorite from summer league, and there’s always one, he was signed late after playing overseas and in the D-league. He’s a poor man’s Taj Gibson, a smallish, hustling power forward. Given the Bulls should have several roster spots open again after losing part or much of the bench again, he could stick as a young, defensive reserve who is an active rebounder.

Bulls season ends with Game 5 loss in Miami

Sam Smith — Thu, 16 May 2013 08:54:39 +0000

The 2012-13 season probably had to finish like it did for the Bulls Wednesday in a series closing 94-91 loss to the Miami Heat, impressive in their resolve and refusal to yield against long odds while an if only and a coulda and shoulda away from yet another improbable victory.

The Bulls made Miami sweat again. They would make it no day at the beach for LeBron James and the defending NBA champions. But the Bulls would once again spend the summer receiving praise for only being almost good enough.

“I’m proud of my guys,” said Carlos Boozer, who had a big finish with 26 points and 14 rebounds, including nine offensive, three more than the entire Miami team, and a last one with 14.9 seconds left to give the Bulls one final shot at a tie that went awry.

“We’re a tough group,” said Boozer. “We faced adversity all season and had no excuses. We didn’t cry about nothing. We had guys hurt; we played through injury. There are warriors on this team. The three years we’ve been together we haven’t been healthy in a playoff run. If we are we could be scary.”

Perhaps that’s what this season was all about in the wake of the opening day of the playoffs just over a year ago when Derrick Rose suffered a catastrophic knee injury and would be lost well into the season. It turned out to be for the entire season, and both coach Tom Thibodeau and Joakim Noah said after Wednesday’s loss that Rose had done the right thing in sitting out.

“Definitely, it was hard,” Noah with three points and nine rebounds said about Rose’s absence. “As a player, you want him to come back.

“At the same time,” added Noah, “You understand the big picture. I’m really proud of him, actually, because I think he’s dealt with it great. All the pressure coming from a lot of people, the way he handled it was great. If I was his brother or a family member, from that perspective he did the right thing.”

Added Thibodeau: “He has to keep working. I think he’s in a good place mentally. We were going to make a mistake on the side of caution. So we feel good about where he is. He’s got the whole summer to build more confidence and that’s the important thing. As we said when he first had surgery, we were not going to rush him back. We held to that. I think it was the smart decision.”

So then what sort of season could it be? And then both Kirk Hinrich and Luol Deng would miss the entire conference semifinals against Miami with illness and complications from that and injury in what would be the first four-game losing streak for the team since the 2011 conference finals against these same Heat, another 4-1 playoff series defeat.

The Bulls won 45 games, went on the road to win a first round seventh game in the playoffs in Brooklyn, and then played the defending champions as tough as they always have, a win in Miami, a narrow loss in Chicago and another one in Game 5 despite falling behind by 18 points less than seven minutes into Wednesday’s game.

It was a time for a team to give up, and we’ve seen plenty of these seventh game blowout losses when things begin to go badly. But the character of this Bulls team was no lack of surrender no matter the circumstances, the predictions or expectations.

“A lot of guys would’ve laid down, but we didn’t,” said Richard Hamilton.

It’s continued to gain this group respect and admiration, if not nearly enough ultimate accomplishment.

Though what was one to expect? You lose the league MVP. You are missing your big men anchors, Noah and Taj Gibson, for most of the last month. You spend much of the playoffs without your two best perimeter defenders and your best playmaker. You’re starting three players who opened the season as reserves.

And you’re this competitive?

“It’s always disappointing, hard to lose,” said Noah. “But I’m really proud of this team, really proud of the character of this team and how hard we fought this year. No question it’s hard right now. We just lost. It’s hard to sit here knowing the season is over. But there are a lot of positives.

“We’re a young team that has experienced a lot at a young age,” said Noah. “When you see what Jimmy Butler (another 48 minutes, his fifth in 12 playoff games, with 19 points Wednesday) has brought to the table… we’re going to come back healthy and we’re going to be able to compete with these guys for a long time. I think one day we’ll get our shot.”

Again, like too many times in these last three seasons it seemed like maybe they would, maybe they could. They almost did, but then something, something always goes wrong or doesn’t go in.

This time it was a pair of desperation threes by first Nate Robinson and then Jimmy Butler that amazingly enough after the Heat took a 93-86 lead with 3:02 left that could have tied the game in the dying seconds.

“Nate had a great look, I had an incredible one,” said Butler, who did a terrific turn again defending LeBron James and seems destined for the starting shooting guard position next season. “They did not go in. My teammates were saying good shot, take that any day. But I wish Nate made his and I wish I made mine.”

But too many seem to end this way for this group, though it would be difficult to expect anything otherwise. This group ought to double as coal miners the way they dig out of so many holes, whether serendipitous or of their own making.

“I wish we could have another game,” said Robinson, who had 21 points with four threes and six assists after his zero for 12 Game 5. “It (stinks), but that’s basketball. I love this team and I love these guys. This is the best team I’ve ever been on. We kept our composure and fought like hell to come back and made it a game. It’s disappointing to be so close and yet so far.”

It’s an all too frequent destination for these Bulls, as terrific as this season really was. One could dream of conference finals and titles. One realistically couldn’t expect any more than they accomplished, and would hardly have been surprised with a lot less.

But there were the Bulls staggered, the Heat with 10 straight points to open the game, ahead 18-2, then 22-4. Pass the lotion: It’s a day at the beach!

Not yet.

“I told the guys it only takes one bucket to get going,” said Robinson, who was shouting at teammates during that first quarter fright show. “Keep getting good shots. The shots will fall.”

And the littlest would lead them.

Not that anyone was giving up, anyway. This Bulls team may not be one of exceptional talent, except perhaps stubbornness in its refusal to accept the inevitable.

James had 10 first quarter points, mostly from the free throw line as he was pounding away at the Bulls interior, the Heat with nine free throws in the quarter to one for the Bulls. Udonis Haslem was making jump shots. Dwyane Wade, who was a game time decision with his balky knee, had thrown away his cane and walker and had four points (eventually 18 to support James’ 23).

But Boozer, who had struggled earlier in this series, was a stopper this time and went on to his sixth double/double of the playoffs to lead everyone. He bulled in for a score and then took an interior pass from Noah for another. Hey, they’re on the scoreboard as well!

The Bulls varied a bit from their traditional pick and roll offense with Robinson the Heat were so effectively trapping. The Bulls were making some plays through the big men, and after a slow start by Marco Belinelli, Thibodeau went to Hamilton again and the veteran produced another good effort with 15 points off the bench.

Hamilton had played just a few minutes in the playoffs before Monday, and Thibodeau was questioned afterward about going to him so late in the series while the Bulls suffered with scoring changes and had trouble passing inside, which Hamilton does well.

“He played well today,” Thibodeau agreed. “You’ve got to make decisions you feel are best for the team. And that’s what I did. It’s how the team functions as a whole. He did a good job today. Give him credit. He’s a pro. That’s what he’s paid to do. So that’s where it is.”

Added Boozer: “I’m really proud of Rip hanging in there in a tough season, almost being forgotten about and coming in and giving us a huge lift. He makes the game easier for us.”

Thibodeau isn’t a coach who ever singles out a player for criticism. So he’ll take the hit on this one. And not that Hamilton didn’t produce. He did, and he helped the team. And he remained a strong, supportive teammate throughout. But Thibodeau had kept him out primarily for defensive reasons. While Hamilton still can play and help teams, his defense against the best isn’t as strong. And Thibodeau is a coach who falls on the defensive side of a decision.

In the fourth quarter when the Heat broke from an 84-83 lead with 5:51 left after a running Norris Cole lefty dunk, it was Wade working against Hamilton who struck for the next three Heat field goals to give the Heat that late seven point lead the Bulls almost extinguished. Though as Thibodeau says when there is a breakdown, it’s a team responsibility.

Still, early in the game after that rough start which was even more brutal to open with a pair of air balls and a Belinelli turnover, Thibodeau didn’t hesitate in going to Hamilton despite the infrequent appearances previously.

“They came out and they hit us hard and you knew you were going to have to withstand the early surge,” said Thibodeau. “But I knew that we would fight back, that we wouldn’t go away. So you battle back, try to get it inside 10. Once we got it inside 10, we just kept going. We had a lot of guys step up, started playing some defense and started moving the ball and then worked our way back into it.”

Robinson made a three and Boozer gathered in a Hamilton miss for a score that suddenly got the Bulls within seven before Miami finished the quarter only ahead 30-21.

Not a very good beginning, but not an ending.

“We hung in there against a good team that jumped on us and fought back,” said Boozer, who addressed the media postgame with his two sons sitting with him and wearing No. 5 Bulls jerseys. “Slowly but surely we got a couple of more stops and a couple of more baskets. Slowly but surely we got better offense and better defense and got a lead.

“We played each possession,” said Boozer. “But more we said we’d play for one eachother, grind it out together, didn’t quit. We grinded it out, had our chances. Just fell a little bit short.”

Not to take anything away from the Bulls’ resilience, but this Miami team tends to take games for granted at times. It’s going to get them beat sometime because it’s not exactly a great cast. James, of course, is transcendent. And when they get to it, their pressure on defense is strong, like down the stretch against the Bulls Wednesday. But they loft around a lot of lazy passes and you can take advantage of Shane Battier fronting in the post, which the Bulls had trouble doing without Hinrich.

Still, when Butler hit a three with 4:58 left in the first half, the Bulls were leading 38-36 in a dizzying comeback. ESPN produced some immediate statistic about no team in a decade trailing by 18 getting ahead by six so fast as the Bulls did in leading 53-47 at halftime.

I think that was on Wednesday’s below a certain latitude, but I’ve asked the analytics experts to vet that.

It was almost hard to believe.

“I thought we did a great job of keeping our poise even when a couple of things didn’t go our way,” said Hamilton.

Robinson with 14 in the half was fouled on a three, making two; Boozer with 19 in the half fought his way up for yet another offensive rebound as that small Miami lineup can be attacked as Chris Bosh went back to observing the basket from near the three point circle. He made a few, but was little factor compared to the previous two games.

The Bulls also had spread the court better without so many Robinson pick and rolls. Butler handled the ball on top a few times, and the Bulls were trying to take more shots in transition before Miami set, which always has been an uncertainty in their offense.

Wade bricked a one on one move, and Mario Chalmers tossed a layup attempt over the backboard. You know, they could actually win this thing as Nate Robinson closed the first half with one of those And-1 tournament dribbling moves and a three for the six-point lead.

“We have a tremendous amount of heart,” said Butler. “We give every single day and night everything. It’s crazy. We play together as a group. That’s what you want in a basketball team. I’m not tired. I wish we’d won, though I guess I have plenty of time to rest now.”

The comeback for the Bulls was perhaps summed up in an early third quarter possession leading 61-54 after James opened the half pulling up for a three. This was another of those games he was mostly roaming around looking for passes. He looked to change that in the second half, but sometimes even the kings can’t mass their armies. James tried to throw himself at the basket down the stretch, which usually yields a parade to the free throw line. But the Bulls were waiting this time and he’d be without a field goal in the fourth quarter.

In that early third quarter possession, meanwhile, Butler began with a miss and the Bulls dove at the basket like it was a swimming pool on a hot afternoon. Noah rebounded, and then Belinelli and Butler and Boozer and Boozer again and even Robinson as Noah would finish with a pass from Robinson for a layup and 63-54 Bulls lead with 7:23 left in the third quarter. Late in the third, they even lead 75-64.

Timeout, timeout! What the heck was going on here?

The Bulls didn’t practice Tuesday after the disappointing home loss that put them behind 3-1. They flew early to Miami and Thibodeau convened a team meeting. He isn’t a big coach with the Gipper speeches. But he told the team about beating Miami, how often they’d done it and how well they’d done it. It wasn’t a perfect team. It had it flaws.

“You have to have a lot of things go your way,” related Thibodeau. “Have the mindset to go play against them.”

After that introductory few minutes the Bulls did play, in the end outrebounding Miami 40-32 and 15-6 on the offensive boards, a 34-30 edge in the paint, holding Miami to six fast break points and back to making shots, 44 percent this time. The Heat would get 33 free throws, 15 by James, though this time it was just a play or two coming up short for the Bulls.

“I think we’ll all think about what we could have done to win this game,” said Butler. “We’ll all think we could have done a little better in every aspect, every part of the game. That’s what hurts. Then we’ll settle down and start to think how far we came throughout the whole year.”

Though it was oh so close to not happening at least for a few days.

Hamilton connected for a three as he lost Wade under a screen, and then Hamilton and Robinson closed the third quarter breaking down the Miami defense and getting fouled. The Bulls would go into the final 12 minutes leading 77-69.

If nerves were visible, you could see them in the sun tanned, bleached blonde crowd.

But Miami struck back to open the fourth with a Battier three, Chris Andersen converting a fast break lob dunk and then Cole’s running dunk for Miami to finally regain the lead at 82-81 for the first time since midway through the second quarter.

Hamilton got it back beating the 24 second clock against tough defense as his veteran grit showed. But then Wade got free for a pair of scores.

“I knew the fourth quarter was going to be tough so I wanted to retape my knee,” said Wade, who tool a break after the third. “I knew I was going to come back in to a grind.”

James then drove and picked up a pair of free throws and Wade snuck in for a followup slam dunk with 3:02 remaining to lead 93-86. Over, eh?

It ain’t over until we say it’s over, right Blutarsky.

The Heat players like to dance, and they began dancing around as if it were over. Wrong team to do that against. James got blocked trying a little fancy on a drive, and then Boozer followed a Robinson miss to get back within five as Robinson took yet another brutal fall off the ball and staggered off, though he’d be right back in. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra called a quick timeout.

He must feel sometimes like he’s herding a kindergarten class the way he often has to remind Heat players to finish things off, whether early in games or late. He has become a very serious coach. Still, the Heat is good enough to get away with the occasional indifference, which also is how good James is. “Best on earth,” agreed Hamilton.

James came out of a timeout driving and was fouled. Robinson answered that with a pull up three and—bam!—it was 94-91 Miami with 1:43 left.

The Bulls would have their chances. Familiar story.

Bosh lost the ball trying to take advantage of Butler on a switch. But Boozer missed from 12 feet. Battier missed a three. But Wade made a good save knocking it off Boozer. Replay validated the call, giving the Heat a valuable possession with 45 seconds left. Miami ran down the clock as James prepared to drive, but Noah stopped him at the rim. No call. James even had been cited for three personal fouls in the game after going almost three games without being called for a foul.

He’s good, very good. Not that good.

“It was very challenging to be up like we were and then to be down like we were, and mentally we had to not get too high or too low the whole game,” said James, who also had eight assists and seven rebounds in leading the Heat in every major category. “We tried to just weather the storm when they started to play really well. Emotionally the game took a lot out of us. I’m not sure about all my close out games. But it was one of the toughest ones we had and probably one of the toughest in my career. It was a tough series. Tonight we gave everything we had. I have no energy left.”

They don’t like playing these Bulls guys. Though you’d have to assume the Bulls like playing them even less.

And then the Bulls bollixed up that last possession.

They couldn’t get anything quickly going to the rim, so Robinson searched out a three and got a good look that bounced off.

“I thought that was our best chance and oftentimes it’s the scramble,” said Thibodeau as the Bulls did get a pair of open threes with Miami unable to set its defense. “You want to see the quick swing, so you live with it.”

Boozer was there again for the save on the long miss.

“When you play the Chicago Bulls you wouldn’t expect any finish to be any different, anything less than that,” said Spoelstra.

The Heat defended the three point line well as the Bulls drove and kicked and finally shook Butler loose for another attempt, a pretty good look again at a potentially tying three. But he missed and that was it, a season done in hardly surprising fashion the way it went with so many obstacles, accomplishments and near misses.

The players got together immediately afterward at center court for one last huddle as confetti reigned down around them and Heat players celebrated. Ray Allen, Cole and Battier came to the Bulls bench to shake hands. Noah met them, as well as Juwan Howard, and they embraced. The Miami stars remained on court to do their TV interviews. Thibodeau greeted Spoelstra.

Miami was moving on to the conference finals; the Bulls were going home early again.

“I’d love to come back to Chicago,” said Robinson. “I really would. Knowing the guys here, I know there probably is limited space for me. We’ll see how it goes. I’ll talk to my agent and figure out what is the best for me. God has blessed me this far. I love this team and love these guys and if I stay here it would be wonderful.

“It’s been a great season,” added Robinson, who thanked Chicago fans for accepting him so warmly in his Twitter account. “Our team was a bunch of brothers. We loved eachother and played for eachother. This was the best team I’ve been on. It just shows how tough we are and how much grit and fight we have. A bunch of warriors who love the game of basketball and love to compete at the highest level. We competed against the best team and have them a hell of a run.”

One of those guys here Robinson was referring to was Rose, expected back at full health next season.

“Derrick is a game changer all by himself,” noted Boozer. “He can take a game over any time he wants to, makes plays for everyone, makes it easier for everybody. Just his presence alone will add a lot (back) to our team.”

Hamilton said he hasn’t talked to the Bulls yet about the future. He has a $1 million buyout the team has to exercise in late June.

“Who knows what direction they are going in,” said Hamilton, who played the entire fourth quarter after playing little the first eight playoff games. “It’s up to them. I got another year here. Who knows? At first, with me not playing, I was like, ‘Oh yeah, the writing’s on the wall.’ Especially when you’re not playing for the reason why they brought you here (playoffs). But it is what it is. I love the game and I love the opportunities to compete at a high level in the playoffs. When we’re healthy, it’s crazy to think of what we can be. It’s insane. I wanted the opportunity to play with Derrick in the backcourt. That was purpose of taking a buyout in Detroit, to try and win another championship. It (was) a great opportunity. For me to be hurt last year, and then for Derrick to be hurt, it’s something that you wish that you had. I’d like to see what we could do healthy. But I’ve enjoyed every bit of it, enjoyed the guys, Joakim, Derrick. But to not get that opportunity to see (everyone) fully healthy. It’s one of them crazy things you think about all the time.”

Added Nazr Mohammed in his Tweet: “I have so much respect for my teammates and their grit. Did not know what to expect when I got here, but it was well worth it.”

It perhaps was a reasonable summary for the season as well.

“Some guys got the opportunity to grow, Jimmy certainly,” noted Thibodeau. “Jo the first half of the year I thought was terrific until some health issues. Obviously concerned with (Deng’s health). That was a big hit him going out in this series. We’ve got a lot of work to do. We’re chasing people. The Heat are defending champions. We’re chasing them until someone can knock them off. There’s room for growth. We’ve got to improve.

“If everyone comes back healthy I think we have the possibility of being very good,” said Thibodeau. “Obviously we’re disappointed in losing the series. But I was never disappointed in our team. I thought our team fought hard all year long. There was no quit in them. We have quality depth. Hopefully, we’ll add to the team. It’s important to add the right type of guys. But we’re optimistic looking forward to the challenge ahead. But we can’t hope. We’ve got to make it happen.”

Rose working out to the conclusion

Sam Smith — Wed, 15 May 2013 22:48:26 +0000

If Game 5 were to be the last game of the Bulls season—and it remained only possible early Wednesday evening—then Derrick Rose would be missing the entire 2012-13 NBA season.

Rose was out before the game in Miami doing his regular shooting drills and workouts, drenched in sweat as he circled the court shooting at all angles and with both hands.

But then it was a change into his suit to watch his teammates for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Heat.

But Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said before Game 5, it’s nothing that has surprised the team and a decision with which the everyone is comfortable and always remained one of the possibilities.

“You didn’t know and we didn’t know. He didn’t know. He heeded Jerry’s (managing partner Reinsdorf) advice from the beginning. It was too important a decision to rush,” said Thibodeau, echoing comments he’d made before about the Rose conundrum.

“Until he’s completely comfortable we don’t want him out there,” said Thibodeau. “We knew this was a possibility. That’s fine. You deal with it as best you can. We want him to continue to work as he has been working and we want him completely healthy.”

Thibodeau also said the team understood from the beginning it could be a season without Rose and operated accordingly.

“We knew going into the season what we were going to be challenged with,” said Thibodeau. “You are never going to replace a guy like Derrick individually. We understood that. For us, the challenge was everyone functioning well as a team and knowing what your job is and going out and doing your job. Unfortunately, we took more hits along the way.”

Bulls ready to take another shot at doubters

Sam Smith — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:58:07 +0000

After more than 100 games back to preseason and more injuries and misfortune than worth recounting and just the appropriate bravado to face the defending champions Wednesday trailing 3-1 in the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Bulls after all this time basically have come to symbolize Nate Robinson.

“My whole life people told me I wouldn’t be able to make it to the NBA. Look at me now,” said Robinson with his usual mixture of defiance and dare. “God has blessed each and every one of us individually and together as a team and I know we have what it takes. We’re going to give it our all; we’re not going to give up. We’re going got keep fighting. We’re warriors and we’re going to continue to do that.”

Robinson’s words tumbled out as he and teammates Wednesday prepared for what could be their last practice of the season, the morning shootaround at the AmericanAirlines Arena in downtown Miami across where the cruise ships depart.

It seemed a somewhat appropriate setting as most of the national media has departed to other series. The view is this one is over, especially after the Heat’s dominant Game 4 88-65 victory at the United Center during which Bulls players looked worn. That hopeful Bulls ship had sailed, as it were, the story went.

But this Bulls team, if hardly a betting favorite as much as a fan favorite, strikes this pose of temerity almost out of habit.

Luol Deng remained back in Chicago fighting the after effects of his virus and spinal tap procedure. Kirk Hinrich was with the team but likely not playing. Similarly with Derrick Rose. But Dwyane Wade, dealing with his own knee issues, was considered a game time decision after aggravating his condition in Game 4. The Heat rested Wade the last series when ahead 3-0, but they also know this isn’t the Bucks.

“This as we all know is a team that is very dangerous if given second life,” said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. “We can expect their last breath effort from them and that usually has been the deciding factor in all these games (between the two teams). We have experience, but that does not guarantee anything.”

Added Chris Bosh, who has been a major element without Wade’s contribution: “We have to get off to a good start to put some doubt in their minds. We do not want to go back to Chicago.”

Yes, you do want to knock out these guys because they basically don’t know when they are beaten.

The whole season seemed like that once Derrick Rose was injured last spring and then amidst the uncertainty of his return. Then the revolving door of injuries and misfortune struck as it was almost like taking a number at the deli counter for who was going to be called next to come in.

“We have bounced back from a lot of adversity,” said Carlos Boozer, who has averaged 12.3 points on 38 percent shooting against Miami. “We’ve been the underdog all season with the injuries we’ve had and the players we’ve had out and we’ve always responded. And we’ll respond tonight.

“It would be nice to have our whole squad healthy in the playoffs to see what kind of damage we could do,” Boozer added. “But we’re not in that situation this time either. So we’re just dealing with it.”

It’s been the famed and favored bromide for Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau all season, from next man up to enough to do the job. Despite the doubts and snickers, it’s worked more than it hasn’t.

And now there may be just one.

The players seemed like they always have been Wednesday morning, ready for another day and another game. Which has served this group well. They celebrate the good times, though not too much, and they endure the bad times.

So Robinson sat there, his shoulder probably aching but refusing to acknowledge that, his chest not wrapped but having taken as much as most can handle, his confidence hardly betrayed by an historic zero for 12 shooting night in Game 4 and his resolve firm.

“When you have that belief and faith among each other you never know what we can do,” Robinson said. “Anything is possible. It’s a new day. Everybody goes through a situation like that in their life (referring to his Monday shooting). Ups and downs. It’s just God testing me. That’s all, and I’ll pass the test tonight. I continue to play hard no matter even if I go 0-12 tonight.

“Everybody is counting us out, including you all,” said the 5-something Robinson, who finds adversaries whether they are there or not. “So for us it’s going to be that much sweeter coming in getting a win tonight. Proving all you guys wrong.”

These Bulls, like Robinson, have lived and prospered on doubt and dismissal. They get to smirk in the face of a tornado another time. You never quite sense with them it will be the last.

Bulls prepare for potential elimination game in Miami

Sam Smith — Wed, 15 May 2013 02:07:56 +0000

Don’t believe me. NBA history says this Bulls season is about to end. Eight times in NBA history a team trailing 3-1 in the playoffs, as the Bulls are to the Miami Heat with Game 5 in Miami Wednesday, has come back to win a seven game series.

That’s in the 194 times teams have trailed 3-1, making it a four percent chance.

No, it gets worse.

Only twice among the eight times has the team that came back done so on the road, which the Bulls would have to do in winning two of the next three. So that would make it about a one percent chance. I know. As long as there’s a breath.

Those two teams that came back to win without home court advantage, by the way, went on to win the NBA title, the 1968 Boston Celtics an the 1995 Houston Rockets.

Which means no team in NBA history has ever come back on the road from trailing 3-1 and then failed to win the NBA title.

So it’s not great odds facing a fractured Bulls team coming into Miami after three consecutive losses in which they’ve been outscored by an average of more than 20 per game.

“We’ve got to play with that dog mentality now,” said Taj Gibson after the Game 4 loss. “I look forward to playing on the road. It’s us against the world. That’s the way you have to feel, us against the whole state of Florida. We’ve got to go in there and get a win. We’ve done it. Teams have done it in history (coming back from 3-1).”

It would hardly be befitting this particular Bulls team or consistent with the way they have conducted themselves all season to head into this game with any sort of attitude of surrender. The Heat will get a complete effort.

The way these things generally go, though, is the underdog team comes out with some desperation and pushes that as long as they can. If they cannot get far ahead, the home team generally takes control. Though Miami has its own issues now. There’s talk the Heat will sit the ailing Dwyane Wade as they did late in the sweep over the Bucks with Wade’s knee an obvious problem. Of course, as Wade hardly contributed anything the first four games, it’s not like they would be losing much.

It’s not a good sign for Miami moving forward as they sat Wade to get that week’s rest before the second round and it seemed not to do much good. Mike Miller started for Wade then, but he has played little against the Bulls. Miami could go with Ray Allen or even a small backcourt with Norris Cole given Nate Robinson starts for the Bulls.

Neither Kirk Hinrich nor Luol Deng is expected to play and Deng wasn’t even certain about traveling given the severity of his infection and subsequent procedure. Derrick Rose also remains out for the Bulls in what could be their final game of the 2012-13 season.

“We’re still alive; we’re still fighting,” said Joakim Noah.

Which has gotten the Bulls this far.

But this also is against the team most expect to repeat as NBA champions and is playing well, virtually even in rebounding in this series with the Bulls, shooting substantially better, sharing the ball more frequently and protecting the rim more effectively with almost three times as many blocked shots.

“Hey, they’re the defending champs,” noticed Richard Hamilton, who came into the series in Game 4 and gave the Bulls a boost with his passing and shooting. “They’re on a roll. They play well together; they have a good system. You just can’t play hard. Playing hard is good, but you’ve got to execute and make shots, play defense, get loose balls. Playing hard you can stay in games, but you don’t always win games. We’ve got to figure out how to execute on offense and score.”

One method the Bulls may pursue would be getting away from the pick and rolls some with Nate Robinson and going with more direct postups or play through someone like Joakim Noah, as they’ve done from time to time in the series, to avoid Miami’s traps and pressure on the pick and roll. Though Miami’s defense is no aberration and has had plenty to do with the Bulls’ offensive inefficiencies.

Because the Bulls likely have never done it worse than in this series. Their 65 points and 25.7 percent shooting Monday were franchise lows and turned an inspiring and entertaining team into a boring, unwatchable event, at least for one day.

Jimmy Butler leads the team in scoring at 14.8 against the Heat. The Bulls are shooting 37.6 percent in the series, believed to be the poorest shooting series in team history. Only Malcolm Thomas is shooting better than 45 percent, and he only played at the end of Monday’s blowout loss. At least there got to be a Malcolm Thomas mention before the end of the season.

But until it’s over it’s not over, unless it is over, or when it’s over they’ll let us know, or something like that.

Actually, the Bulls have a guy who knows something about all this since Hamilton played for one of the eight teams that came back from a 3-1 deficit to win a playoff series.

That was the 2003 Pistons, who fell behind Orlando 3-1 as Tracy McGrady made his famous proclamation he guessed he finally was in the second round. Ooops. Hamilton averaged 22.7 points and shot 52 percent over the next three games as the Pistons won all three and went to the conference finals.

“The playoffs are rough,” said Hamilton. “When you’ve got to battle the same team over and over in a seven games series and defend and play both ends it’s tough, hard work. It’s not like the regular season games. You get fatigued; you get tired fast. Plays you did early in the series are not there for you anymore.

“You’ve got to take it one quarter at a time,” said Hamilton about approaching a 1-3 deficit. “You can’t try to hit a home run. You can’t go in and say we’ve got to win three games. You’ve got to say you’ll take the first quarter and the next and then you’ll be all right. You talk three games and you put too much pressure on yourself.”

So win a quarter and win a quarter. Maybe Wade doesn’t play, and Chris Bosh isn’t making all those long jump shots. Sure, James is terrific and everything pretty much runs through him. But Miami’s third leading scorer is Norris Cole. Shane Battier? Chris Anderson? Udonis Haslem. This isn’t the ’86 Celtics.

In the Finals in 1993 and 1998, the odds seemed impossible for the team trailing 3-1. They were on the road to play the team with the league’s best player and who also was the defending champions. The Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz both won those seemingly impossible road games against the champion Bulls. At least you know with this current Bulls team you are going to get a full effort. And once you do, who knows what can happen a quarter at a time.

Miami takes 3-1 lead with one sided 88-65 win

Sam Smith — Tue, 14 May 2013 07:39:24 +0000

Why us? Why now? Why again? You heard it in their voices, if not always the words Monday when the Bulls lost 88-65 to the Miami Heat in probably the team’s worst ever playoff performance.

If the sentiment was determined afterward about going to Miami Wednesday to bring back to Chicago the series, now 3-1 in favor of the Heat, it also seemed tinged with resignation.

This plucky little engine of a basketball team had climbed and climbed and climbed that NBA mountain to the point it was becoming an inspiration as much as playing force, that the way the Bulls players were overcoming so many obstacles was transcending the game and teaching life lessons.

But eventually the realities of competition and talent overtake resolve. And no matter how badly you want something and how hard you try, you generally have to be better and have the troops as much as the motivation.

And the Bulls once again, like in 2011 when Omer Asik went down early in the conference finals, in 2012 when Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah went down in the first round and this season with Rose, Kirk Hinrich and Luol Deng out, face their own Waterloo.

“It’s been happening for the last four years,” sighed Taj Gibson. “We always have a good shot. But there’s always this bug that hits us late. It’s frustrating. We always had a good shot. We still have a great shot. But we always seem to end up having guys injured.

“We’re always undermanned and have to put forth a lot of energy to make up for bodies we don’t have,” Gibson went on, shaking his head. “Tonight we just didn’t have the energy. No excuses. We just did not have it.”

It never was much of a contest as the Bulls missed 11 of their first 12 shots, were trailing 11-2 less than five minutes into the game and the 21-15 deficit at the end of the first quarter would be the closest the Bulls would be for the rest of the game.

“Shots did not fall for us early,” agreed Joakim Noah, who had six points and nine rebounds on the day he was named a first team all-defensive player in the coaches’ voting. “We got a little discouraged and we can’t let that happen. We did not play very well. We did not execute very well. We can’t put our heads down. We know we can compete with this team. We just did not make shots.

“When you’re playing against the champs you’ve got to play a perfect game to have a chance to beat them,” added Noah. “It’s disappointing. But there is still basketball left. It’s not the end. It’s (now) do or die. We’ve got to go to Miami and get a win and go to Game 6.”

What else can anyone say, and that’s pretty much what all the Bulls players said. Carlos Boozer, who led the Bulls with 14 points and 12 rebounds, pointed to the Nets rallying from 3-1 down after the devastating triple overtime loss to get to a Game 7. Nate Robinson, who was zero for 12 shooting and scoreless, said he might go 12 for 12 next time.

But the spirit wasn’t in their voices this time. Sure, it was after a brutal, debilitating home playoff loss. So you’d hardly expect an immediate cavalry charge. But after the Game 1 win in Miami, the Bulls have been outscored by an average of 23.3 points per game and have lost each game by double digits.

The Bulls 65 points in Game 4 was an alltime franchise playoff low as was their nine third quarter points when Miami went ahead by 19. The Bulls’ shot a playoff low 25.7 percent and two of 17 on threes. It also was the lowest playoff shooting percentage for any team in the last nine years. The 65 points allowed was Miami’s second best ever defensive playoff performance.

Nobody among the Bulls quit, and no one is seeking sympathy. But without Rose, Deng and Hinrich and playing a basically healthy defending champions, though Dwyane Wade appeared to reinjure a knee, the good times tend to hit a wall. And it’s not like anyone much cares.

“They’re in a tough situation,” said LeBron James, who led Miami with 27 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. “They’ve had some injuries and illnesses and whatever’s going on. They don’t have their full roster. But that’s not for us to worry about. They beat a very good Brooklyn team without their full roster.”

Not that good really, but James has to play along as well.

To use a bad boxing cliché, it was like the Bulls were out on their feet. They weren’t counted out yet and the crowd still was cheering, and, hey, there have been surprise late knockouts. But rarely.

Robinson was hunched over the scorers’ table apparently to rest several times when teammates were shooting free throws. Jimmy Butler went for a bench seat, even after halftime when teammates were shooting. Bulls players were bent over to catch their breath. As much as they desired, they couldn’t catch the guys running way out in front.

Not that they didn’t try, which you knew the Bulls would. They outrebounded Miami 46-36. One of the game keys always has been if they can win the rebounding battle by double digits they’d win the game. Too bad this time so many of the rebounds — 19 offensive — were chasing their own misses. But you saw signs immediately of the fatigue, and not only in so many missed shots.

The Heat had a 19-7 edge in fast break points, but 15-0 in the first half when they led 44-33. ESPN stats recorded Miami with 29 transition points, tied for their playoff best in the last three years. Miami was in a sprint and the Bulls looked like they were finishing a triathlon. The Heat is shooting more than 50 percent combined the last three games with Chris Bosh adding another strong shooting game and 14 points.

“I knew from the first quarter how tough it would be giving them so much confidence,” said Gibson. “Bosh hitting long range jump shots. It showed throughout the game. One thing you cannot do is get in a big hole early. It’s the one thing an away team wants, to come in and hit you in the mouth and get a big lead. We let that happen.”

Really, in some respects the Bulls, if not exposing Miami, showed their vulnerabilities. Wade for the second playoffs in a row has knee problems. These aren’t getting better in subsequent years. He had six points and has been no factor in the playoffs. Bosh was seven of 10 shooting as the Bulls had to use Noah against him with the less mobile Boozer playing Udonis Haslem. Thus, Noah got caught helping inside and Bosh had open shots, which he made after Game 1.

But otherwise, the Heat is a standstill shooting team for the most part dependent on James’ penetration to collapse the defense and open the court. It works because James is so good and requires so much attention. When he is engaged, which he has been basically other than the first game, he’s the greatest force in the game.

There was none of the cheap or physical stuff in Game 4 as the Bulls got quickly behind and didn’t seem to have it in them this time in what may have been the last game this season in the United Center.

“Each game is different,” said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. “This one was real different from the last one.”

This one was nothing like basically any of the games between the teams the last three years, which suggested where the Bulls are. You apply the whip to that thoroughbred too much and eventually it just can’t run anymore. The heart still can be there, but not the legs.

Which doesn’t mean the Bulls won’t show up in Miami with a game plan and a belief, and this team has surprised everyone in Chicago and around the NBA too many times not to be taken seriously. They certainly have gotten Miami’s attention.

“Ideally this is how we want to start (games),” added Spoelstra. “However, we’ve done that before against this team and they came back. We have to go in with a mindset to approach this (next) game with desperation and urgency. This team is far too dangerous as we have seen.”

We’ll see at least one more time.

It never was there from the start for the Bulls, though Miami had a lot to do with that. Their defense led by James is aggressive in overplaying; they denied the entry passes to the post, keeping the Bulls on the outside. And, frankly, it just proved too difficult for Robinson against Miami’s traps and blitzes against the pick and roll. That’s the staple of their defense, which requires quickly passing out and reversing the ball to the other side. All good defenses prosper when you don’t move the ball.

Miami has something to do with that as well as their players are good denying the passes. Plus, Robinson really isn’t a true point guard. You cannot blame him.

He’s been vital to the Bulls anemic offense and saved the first round with his Game 4 thrills. But he dribbles the ball constantly into the traps, thus unable to find Boozer and running into turnovers and slowing movement. Without Hinrich, the Bulls go at times to Belinelli to make plays. But he and Robinson got off cold, a combined two of 12 in the first quarter as Boozer had fewer shots than either. The best plans often got awry when you don’t have the right people in the right positions, though you often are asking them on this Bulls team to be something they are not.

“He is a tough guy to trap,” said Spoelstra of Robinson. “He is like a whirling toy out there. We finally had some timely traps on him and were able to force some turnovers.”

Richard Hamilton finally played in the series with Belinelli in foul trouble and did well with 11 points and a team best four assists in about 22 minutes. Though Thibodeau never much said why Hamilton was sitting, it seemed basically for defensive reasons as Thibodeau hews toward a defensive lineup as much as possible in the playoffs. So Hamilton has basically been the good teammate and tried to just provide veteran experience and knowledge.

“I told him that in Game 1 against Brooklyn but Brooklyn didn’t do it,” Hamilton said of the trapping he predicted in speaking with Robinson. “You’ve got to expect them to trap you. When you’re a scorer and you’re going against great defensive teams, they’re going to do everything possible to take you out of the game. So now you’ve got to figure out different counters and read their defense and find different openings. That’s the playoffs. They do an excellent job of scouting everybody and that’s what makes great players, the playoffs, because they don’t let you go to your plays.”

Hamilton admitted he was disappointed about falling out of the rotation, though he said he just tried to lend what support he could.

“They’re probably happy I’m not playing,” Hamilton laughed when he was asked about not getting a chance to go against old rivals like Wade and Ray Allen. “It’s difficult to have to sit on the sideline. The thing is you stay ready.

“One of the biggest things for me was I was brought here for this,” Hamilton said about the playoffs and being surprised after all that has transpired of suddenly being called in. “My goal is to win championships and try to help my teammates. It was fun for me to be out there on floor again. A lot of stuff in life you don’t understand.
I try to stay positive, not rock the boat, let them know what they need to me to I’ll do. I can’t be bitter. This league always has been great to me. Sometimes you just can’t control things.”

That being the Bulls with the Heat as well.

James was attacking the basket early, which is a bad sign. As well as Butler has played him, there’s no stopping an energized James, who several times just buried himself deep in the post and scored easily. Sometimes you wonder why he doesn’t take positions like that all the time. But he is unlike a lot of the scoring stars of the game as not so much taking plays off but looking to involve teammates even when his scoring chances are simpler.

Other than James and Bosh, no one got much going for the Heat. Not even the unstoppable Norris Cole, whom the Bulls held to one of two threes after he’d made eight straight. And the one he did make was a 27 footer to end the third quarter to put Miami ahead 61-42. Not that the Bulls were showing much sign of life with that nine point third quarter on 15 percent shooting.

“For me, if I make half the shots we’re in the game,” said the irrepressible Robinson with a zero for six quarter in the third. “That’s how I think about it. I just think you have games like that where you can’t make a shot but you have to keep fighting, keep playing just like the team as a whole. They did a good job defending, of course. But I had a lot of open shots that I usually make and a lot of floaters that I usually make that I missed, but you can’t make every shot. You just have to know when it’s not your night and it wasn’t my night tonight. I just have to try to bounce back.

“When you’re trying to shoot shots you make every day, every game and they don’t fall, it takes a toll,” said Robinson, who also finally may have taken too many hits.

His shoulder was banged up and a problem. After Game 3, he as wearing a bandage on his chest from being fallen on, which seemed a Miami tactic. It was why Noah rushed over in Game 3 and got a technical for pushing Chris Andersen. Miami players were picking themselves up off fallen Bulls with an extra push, though there was none of that in Game 4. And Robinson still had that swollen lip from his goal line collision with James.

“You have to believe and keep your confidence up and we’ll be alright,” said Robinson with a bit of that Peter Pan emerging. “It will be a test for us. We have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Everyone said we wouldn’t win a game. We got one. We believe we can win the series.”

How’s that Peter Pan thing go about lacking a belief? You don’t want a team falling down dead. So you continue to believe. But it becomes more and more difficult the fewer kids you seem to have around every year to help you defeat the crocs and Hook.

Bulls expect series’ physical nature to continue

Adam Fluck — Sun, 12 May 2013 20:21:37 +0000

Joakim Noah is among those who expect the physical nature of Chicago’s Eastern Conference Semifinals series against the Miami Heat to continue when the teams meet for Game 4 at the United Center on Monday night.

But he takes it a step further, saying it’s essential for the Bulls, who trail 2-1, to succeed.

“It’s our only chance,” Noah said following practice on Sunday at the Berto Center.

“I think it’s very normal,” Noah added. “You look at playoff basketball, it’s always physical. You look at every series, it’s physical. It’s just when you have somebody like LeBron James coming at you full speed, yeah, there’s a lot of contact. It’s just part of the game.”

Bulls forward Jimmy Butler, who has taken the lead on slowing down the NBA MVP this series while playing the full 48 minutes in two of the first three contests, agreed that the physical tone of the series isn’t about to head in a different direction.

“I feel like that’s what it’s been from the very beginning and I don’t expect it to change,” said Butler. “We’re coming in and we want to be the aggressor.”

It’s a style that the Bulls not only need to embrace, but it’s one in which they say they’re comfortable adopting as their own.

“Definitely,” said Butler. “We’re a hard-nosed, tough guy team. That’s what we label ourselves as; that’s what we pride ourselves on. We’re going to come out swinging; we’ll come out fighting.”

Remarked Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau of the physical play, “Playoff basketball. That’s normal.”

Meanwhile, Thibodeau reported no significant improvement on the injury front, calling Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich day-to-day. Hinrich appears to be the closer of the two, though he was limited to some shooting and time on the stationary bike on Sunday.

Noah said the Bulls miss their leadership a great deal, but as a team, players remain focused on the task at hand.

“We hope they come back as soon as possible; come back right, come back healthy,” said Noah of Deng and Hinrich. “Obviously, everyone knows what those guys bring to the table. It’s definitely a plus. It is what it is. You can’t feel sorry for yourself. As a player you can only control what you can control and that’s bring maximum energy and do what you got to do to help win the game.”

Thibodeau stressed once again he believes the Bulls have more than enough. If Chicago is able to slow down Miami offensively in Game 4 that could very well be the case.

“I think they shot the ball very well,” Noah said of Miami in Game 3, which saw the teams tied at 77 heading into the fourth quarter before the Heat pulled away. “I think we did some things very well in the last game. There’s things we could definitely correct – the way we close out quarters. They got to the free throw line a lot. So I think we have to do a better job of being smart at the end of the quarters.”

With an extra day off between games, the Bulls had some additional time to watch tape and work towards making adjustments. Butler identified one specific area he hopes Chicago can correct.

“Don’t give up any layups,” Butler said of improving defensively against the Heat. “I feel like when they get into the paint, we’ve got to make them earn it from the free throw line. If we do foul, we’ve got to make sure it’s not an ‘and one.’ I feel like they’ve been getting into the paint entirely too easy.

“You learn from your wins and you learn from your losses,” continued Butler. “We’ll be ready come (Monday).”

Audio—Tom Thibodeau meets the media following practice at the Berto Center (05.12.2013):

Audio—Bulls center Joakim Noah looks ahead to Game 4 (05.12.2013):

Audio—Chicago’s Jimmy Butler on preparing for Game 4 (05.12.2013):

Bulls fall behind Heat 2-1 in conference semifinal

Sam Smith — Sat, 11 May 2013 09:00:39 +0000

The narrative from the Bulls’ side in Friday’s 104-94 Miami Heat victory that gave them a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal is going to be a star driven inequity that is making winning more difficult for the Bulls.

“I see how things are going,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau offered cryptically after Miami broke from a 77-77 game after three quarters to pull away in the last four minutes. “I watch very closely; I watch very closely. What I’m seeing is… we’ll adjust accordingly. When you play this team you have to have a lot of mental, physical, and emotional toughness. Things are not going to go your way. What it is. We’re not going to get calls. That’s the reality. We’ve still got to find a way to get it done. And we will.”

That, obviously, has to come Monday in the United Center. Or the Bulls go back to Miami trailing 3-1 and hardly in position to continue this series.

But to even the series again for the Bulls it has to be more than a change in the tenor or manner of official judgment.

The Heat shot 50 percent from the field after 60 percent in Game 2. As commendably unyielding as the Bulls’ effort has been, the Bulls defense has not been very good.

Plus, the Bulls got beat up on the boards for the second consecutive game, and by Chris Bosh of all people. Miami outrebounded the Bulls Friday 39-37 with Bosh getting 20 points and 19 rebounds.

“If CB (Bosh) rebounds like that we’re a dangerous team,” said LeBron James, who had 12 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, including a strong, driving three-point play that clinched the win with 1:23 left. “For him to have 19 rebounds and for Norris (Cole with 18 points) to come off the bench and defend like he did and contribute offensively with a big time drive in the fourth and a big time three as well, those two guys are the reason we won the game.”

James is right. The Bulls, with primarily Jimmy Butler, held James in check as well as you can as he also had eight rebounds and seven assists, but wasn’t much of a force most of the game. And Dwyane Wade was almost invisible, finishing with 10 points, out of position constantly on defense, throwing the ball away numerous times. You do that you have your best shot against Miami.

But the Bulls couldn’t keep the normally passive Bosh off the boards, and were routinely losing Cole, who is eight of eight on threes in the series and averaging 14.3 points, second most to James.

“He kind of got hot late,” said Taj Gibson of Cole. “He made some big shots. When you’re playing with three future hall of famers, guys are going to get open looks. It’s really tough. That team has a lot of guys playing with a lot of confidence.”

The Heat bench outscored the Bulls’ 36-8, though several Bulls reserves are starting with Derrick Rose, Kirk Hinrich and Luol Deng out, and early in the second quarter Nazr Mohammed ejected for a run-in with James.

That will be much discussed as well, James reacting to Mohammed trying to run him down on a fast break and even being called for a technical foul. But then the soft spoken and generally mild mannered Mohammed got up and pushed James, who fell over backward as if shot.

James’ technical was negated with the Bulls leading 31-28 as a double technical was called and Mohammed was thrown out.

“From my angle, I just saw a guy basically flop,” said Thibodeau, who engaged in an impressive stare down contest with referee Joey Crawford after the game ended. “I’m going to leave it at that. I don’t think it warranted an ejection. I understand flagrant foul. Understand that. Ejection no.”

Mohammed said he regretted his action because his shorthanded teammates needed him and he hated that his son was watching and he sent such a poor message. Still, he suggested it was pretty shocking someone of James’ size and strength could collapse in a heap like that. After all, don’t you have enough pride as the strongest guy in the NBA not to fall down like you were Vlade Divac?

“I didn’t think it warranted an ejection,” said Mohammed. “I did believe it warranted a tech. Just give a foul. He started a break, he pushes you, throws you down and sometimes instinct takes over. I look at some plays that happened in this series already. Guys jumping on Nate’s face, guy takes down Marco out of bounds, guy takes out Nate the first play of the game (Wednesday). There’s been a lot of plays not get ejections. A push shouldn’t get an ejection.

“I’m on my way out this league,” said Mohammed when asked whether it would have happened if it weren’t James. “It’s his league.”

Perhaps Mohammed overacted. And perhaps Joakim Noah did as well late in the first quarter when Chris Andersen, who has seemed to be the only player in the series truly seeking out cheap shots, fouled Nate Robinson on a drive and fell hard on him. Nate does get tackled a lot, though he later would block a James shot and dunk with James getting out of the way so apparently not to be a Nate Robinson poster. Now that would be a cool one to have.

“It’s an emotional game,” said Noah, who had 15 points and 11 rebounds and a sharp expletive to himself as he sat in his locker stall after the game. “Just lost the battle; we did not lose the war. A lot of basketball left.”

Noah ran over to the fallen Robinson and pushed off Andersen, who kicked up at Noah, though only Noah was assessed a technical foul. It was a pretty minor part of the game, though Robinson was wearing a bandage around his mid section after the game.

Robinson was mumbling afterward about James and “all those All Stars,” though not with praise the way it sounded. And he added later: “You see LeBron in a lot of commercials. He does a lot of good acting.”

No handshakes and hugs in this series, and at least that’s good for the NBA.

Still, the game really was decided because the Bulls’ defense let them down. They saw Miami score on nine of the last 10 possessions of the game after the Bulls were within 85-83 with 4:14 remaining.

“I don’t know that we were worn down; it’s the playoffs,” said Carlos Boozer, who led the Bulls with 31 points, though just four rebounds in playing about 29 minutes. “I don’t think fatigue is a factor. We have to close out quarters better. We did a decent job, but we were giving away free throws.”

It especially hurt that the Bulls got into the penalty with more that seven minutes left in the fourth quarter with Miami leading 81-71.

“We’ve got guys who are fighters,” said Gibson, who took several defensive stints for Boozer but added just six points. “We are undermanned right now. Emotions are going to fly. But we’ve just got to keep playing. Let the refs do their job and focus on the next play. Don’t try to do what I did in Game 2. Shut your mouth. Ask a question, but keep pushing.

“We had a good shot to win and did not,” said Gibson. “So we just have to bounce back. There were a lot of cheap shots out there. It’s rough when you lose another man. We’ve got a lot of guys injured. We’ve just got to keep playing. This is how they felt in Miami (for Game 2). They needed one. Now we do.”

The Bulls get two days off, though it seems unlikely either Hinrich or Deng will be recovered enough to play. But it won’t matter if you can’t stop Cole when you know he’s been hot, when Bosh beats you off the boards and when you control James and Wade as well as anyone has and you still lose at home. That’s as much about the Bulls’ fundamentals of helping, getting back on defense, playing aggressively over screens, contesting threes, letting them feel you, as Thibodeau likes to say.

The Bulls have played Miami hard, but not effectively. It’s been entertaining and impressive to watch, and perhaps you cannot blame the Bulls mostly playing six guys, with three starters who were reserves basically all season. But if they shoot better than 50 percent the last two games and are plus-15 on the boards the last two games, there’s no officials who are going to change that. Only the Bulls can. And if they no longer have enough, well then, there’s not much left to the season.

“We felt like we did a lot of good things,” said Gibson. “At the same time we did a lot of bad things. So it’s up to us to get a win.”

The Bulls’ first priority after the blowout loss in Miami Wednesday was to change up some and find offense, particularly locating Boozer, who was averaging seven points. It wasn’t all Boozer’s fault as the strength of the Miami defense is their blitz on the pick and roll with a big man coming out to double the guard. Robinson has been holding onto the ball too long, thus taking Boozer out of the plays. Similarly with Marco Belinelli. So the Bulls ran more straight post ups to spread out Miami’s defense. They also pushed the ball more to try to get Boozer deep and ran some offense through Noah.

The result was a strong start from Boozer, who ended with 10 first quarter points in a 25-25 tie after one, the Bulls shooting 52.6 percent. But Miami was at 61.1 percent, and this with Wade basically playing comatose, as indifferently as anyone has ever seen him, suggesting his knee is bad.

But the quarter ended in anger with Noah’s technical foul that further revved a crowd booing James from the start and creating an enthusiastic playoff atmosphere.

Then early in the second came James’ imbroglio with Mohammed in which James clearly did pull Mohammed down before Mohammed’s ill-advised reaction. Still, had James not crumbled like an actor in a bad Western, Mohammed likely would have been around to finish the game.

“I saw him hawking me down for a long time and I saw him coming with one of those club fouls, which is unnecessary,” said James. “I just tried to protect myself and stand my ground. It definitely surprised me. I’m too cool. My mind is in another place right now. I’m here to play basketball; that’s all. I haven’t been in a situation like that before. But if I get kicked out and Nazr gets kicked out at the same time, they win. It’s that simple.”

The United Center was rocking pretty good by now, and when Belinelli, who was four of nine on threes, hit one to give the Bulls a 34-28 lead and then Noah made a driving three point play for a seven-point lead the United Center was flying, though it would be the Bulls biggest lead of the game.

Boozer and Noah would combine again for a score as the Bulls continued to stay away from their pick and rolls, for the most part, and Boozer isolated and drove across the lane for a jumper to make it 48-43 Bulls late in the quarter. But the Heat closed strong as they’ve been doing at the end of quarters as Butler who with two early fouls was taking some time on Shane Battier to avoid more. Butler again played 48 minutes. That enabled James to get to the basket and a 52-50 Miami lead at halftime.

“We knew that being at home the Bulls were going to be a little more aggressive,” said Bosh. “Probably a little bit more passionate, and a little bit more intense. Those were storms we were going to have the weather. We did a good job of focusing on basketball. We’ve been talking about this for the whole series. Playing a team like this, they really thrive off of second chance opportunities. Working hard for the rebounds is going to be extremely important. I think every person took in upon themselves to do a better job. You can’t win a championship being pretty and shiny. You have to get dirty. You are going to have to play physical. You have to dive on the floor. You have to do things that are extremely tough. People forget that just two years ago we were a half court, grind-it-out team. Because we have moved to a more free flowing offense and are more spread a little bit, that doesn’t mean we are just a running team. When it comes down to it, we are going to have to get stops. “

The game began to grind down after halftime with the lead going back and forth. While backup Cole was making shots, point guard starter Mario Chalmers was loose and unpredictable with the ball as he committed three third quarter turnovers dribbling too much into help. After one, Bosh began yelling at him on the court as Noah stood by applauding.

It’s not about not liking someone, Noah says. Sure.

The Bulls defense on James continues to be effective as it appears to be a double team, though isn’t. The Bulls stunt over, and Miami has played into their trap by sitting on the ball a lot at that point and getting only into late movement. The ESPN audio caught Spoelstra in several timeouts pleading for ball movement. James was playing more like the Cleveland James by staying on the left side and shooting fadeaway jumpers. It was the only way to guard him then as you played him hard to his right hand. He’s gone away from that this season, but the Bulls have done a good job keeping him toward one side of the court.

“I didn’t shoot the ball like I’ve been shooting all year,” James said. “My teammates look for me to make plays no matter if I’m shooting the ball well or not. There were a couple of times in the fourth quarter I settled for a couple of jumpers late in the clock.”

The Bulls were making plays of their own as Butler, who had 17 points along with Robinson, dunked the ball two handed over a retreating James after one of Chalmers’ turnovers. There also was the play later in the game when Robinson dunked and James backed off.

James played just over 44 minutes and wasn’t called for a foul, though he did have that technical. What’s misstated about James is that he’s a great defender. Just when he cares to be. He doesn’t get called for a lot of fouls not because he is LeBron James, but because he backs off contact so much. He rarely guards his man straight up, preferring to play the lanes for steals. Late in games, he’ll take someone hard, which he can because he is so big and strong and quick. And he’ll run down and make those blocks from behind. But he isn’t regularly a fundamental defender, even if he certainly deserves to be the league MVP. And he would show why late in the fourth quarter.

The Bulls went ahead 68-64 with 2:41 left in the third after Robinson and Belinelli combined to block James on a drive, the crowd sensing a much longer series even though Miami tied it at 70 after three.

Just one quarter of Bulls defense.

“Nothing is going to be easy in this series,” said Spoelstra. “Tonight we didn’t play particularly well and a lot of that was due to Chicago. There was a lot of ebb and flow to the game until we got it going in the fourth quarter.”

Bosh hit a deep corner three and James began going harder to the basket, the Bulls racking up those early fourth quarter fouls which would hurt badly. Butler provided a strong three-point play going at James and Robinson a driving bank shot. But it was Miami pulling away.

“That whole fourth quarter was a blur,” said Gibson. “We were scoring, they were scoring and we can’t do that.”

After the Bulls were within 85-83 at that four minute mark, Noah was called for a foul on a close offensive rebounding play that led to a pair of Bosh free throws, James hit a big fading three for a 93-86 lead with 2:35 left, Robinson lost Cole again as Miami made it 96-88 with a three with 1:48 left and then James put his head down and barreled in for a three-point play that put it too far away for a few frantic late Bulls possessions to change.

The Heat scored 34 fourth quarter points on 52.9 percent shooting on the road. Pretty hard to stop that. Perhaps Thibodeau could have given Richard Hamilton a few minutes with the limited roster. But the Bulls couldn’t get defense down the stretch and Hamilton mostly has been watching because of concerns about defense. Marquis Teague started the fourth quarter with Robinson, an indication of the lack of depth. Though Teague played well enough.

The Heat attempted 15 fourth quarter free throws, though the Bulls were one of nine on threes in the quarter. There just wasn’t enough there there this time, to paraphrase Gertrude Stein, and who doesn’t. The Bulls are back there Monday and we’ll see what they have.

Deng-less Bulls preparing for Game 3

Sam Smith — Fri, 10 May 2013 04:55:33 +0000

If the Bulls have a slogan for this season, it might be, “Don’t mind me, I’m just over here bleeding.”

The Bulls trudged back to Chicago for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Friday against the Miami Heat in the United Center as perhaps the least euphoric team to have taken away home court advantage.

That maybe was less than the 115-768 blowout loss in Miami Wednesday, though that did get their attention, as well as a half dozen technical fouls and Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson ejected. But as the Bulls prepared for Friday’s game, the reality of their quest remained vivid as Luol Deng eased out to meet reporters for the first time since his meningitis scare, spinal tap and hospitalization. And it hardly seemed he was ready to play as it appeared he still was working on walking.

“On Thursday, Deng said he still feels weak and has headaches, which worsen when he moves,” reports Sam Smith. “Which is what made his little shooting drill Thursday problematic. Deng’s got an entire game of physical play going on right inside his head.”

“I’m ok,” Deng said with an exaggerated cough as reporters gently queries about his health. “I’ll be ok. I tried to shoot a little bit and I struggled. I couldn’t do it well. We’ll see. It’s really my first day out of the house and out of the hospital. I want to play, but I don’t know what I can do. I haven’t done anything. It really sucks.”

Though I am proud of the Chicago media as no one then asked Deng how he was going to play LeBron.

You know, he’d give his right arm to be ambidextrous.

It hardly sounded like Deng or Kirk Hinrich, the latter who has been getting more tests on his injured leg, would play Friday and it wouldn’t seem Monday in Game 4. Derrick Rose? He doesn’t appear to be coming through that door, either.

It’s why when you hear coaches all regular season talk about the playoff going to the team that is going to be healthiest we all need to start playing attention.

It’s not like injuries at crucial times are new. There are many famous instances, and rarely do they end well.

One of the more prominent was in the 1989 Finals when the Lakers were on the way to the first ever perfect playoffs—Three, Fo, Fo, Fo—and Magic Johnson and Byron Scott got hurt to open the Finals. The Pistons went onto sweep in the Finals.

This isn’t unprecedented in Bulls playoff history, and not like they were the favorites then. But in 1972 when the Lakers went to the title after their 33-game winning streak—eerie stuff, eh?—the Bulls lost Tom Boerwinkle to a knee injury and then Chet Walker had a hamstring injury and Bob Love a swollen ankle and the Lakers swept the conference semifinals from the 57-win Bulls.

Jerry Sloan’s torn plantar in the 1974 playoffs knocked out the Bulls, and there were many similar disappointments that changed series, like Yao Ming and Kevin Garnett going out in 2009, Dirk Nowitzki in 2003 when the Spurs then overtook the Mavs, Reggie Lewis in 1993, Billy Cunningham in 1968 costing the 76ers a chance to repeat, Tim Duncan in 2000 sending the defending champion Spurs out in the first round and even though it wasn’t in the playoffs, Bill Walton after a 50-10 start for the defending champion Trailblazers in 1978 sending them out after their first round bye.

The Bulls, of course, have been without Rose all season. They were overrun by the flu in the Brooklyn series with Nate Robinson famously vomiting in timeouts, though no apparent offense to coach Tom Thibodeau’s play calling. And then there was Hinrich’s calf injury, which hasn’t much responded to treatment, and Deng’s scare which required a painful spinal tap—I know, not the band—and followup procedure and hospitalization.

Deng went into some detail about what he’s been going through at Bulls practice Thursday and it sounded gruesome.

Deng described numerous symptoms of meningitis to team doctors when the flu wave was overtaking the team. So they went to the hospital for the spinal tap—and Deng did agree it could have been much worse, like meningitis—and then things began to go downhill.

Deng had severe headaches, which do occur. But there also was constant diarrhea, vomiting, struggling to walk, weakness.

Heck, it sounded like a stroke.

“It was scary,” Deng admitted. “Scary for me, scary for everyone that was around me. I’ve never seen anything like that. I never knew of a spinal tap before that. I didn’t know the reaction or the side effects.”

I’m guessing that wasn’t typical.

“I couldn’t control my body, really,” Deng said. “I lost a lot of weight (15 pounds). I’m still trying to get back to being right. I still don’t feel right. I played though a lot of injuries (this season). I went through a torn (wrist) ligament; I had a fractured thumb earlier this season and played with it. I did not think something besides injury would keep me out. And that’s what makes it so hard. I don’t know what else to do.”

Deng said he still feels weak and has headaches, which worsen when he moves. Which is what made his little shooting drill Thursday problematic. Deng’s got an entire game of physical play going on right inside his head.

So much for Bulls and Heat.

Everyone obviously will be on guard Friday after the mayhem of Game 2. Though Miami blew out well ahead after halftime, it seemed clear after the first two games it’s LeBron James who gives everyone on their roster strength. When James was passive for Game 1, they tightened. When he challenged the Bulls interior in Game 2 with a dozen in the first quarter and 19 by halftime, everyone else relaxed—ok, he’s got it—and the shots became easier.

At least the Bulls showed James he’ll have to play in this series and not be the Cleveland LeBron but the LeBron of the end of last season’s playoffs and this season when he took charge of games when it mattered most.

There’s an old saying that character is what you are and reputation is what you think you are. The playoffs are generally going to be about the best player and whether he can set that tone of play. James did Wednesday. Will he once again in Game 3.

Because of Miami’s wide margin of victory in Game 2, the statistics for the series are skewed. But nobody for Miami truly has stood out. Dwyane Wade has been good, though he doesn’t make you look twice anymore. Chris Bosh too often fades from engagement. Shane Battier is three of 10 and Ray Allen was most dynamic after the outcome was decided.

Perhaps Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau will give Richard Hamilton a look given the Bulls need for scoring. The Heat has been knocking around Nate Robinson, who feels that less than most people. The Bulls will go hard to Carlos Boozer in Game 3 as they badly need his scoring. He’s only averaging seven points, but the offense has gone away from him too much with Miami’s pressuring of the guards. The Bulls could go to more interior big man to big man passing to counter that, which is a strength.

Obviously, all eyes will be on Noah after his ejection and defiant promise to be ready at home. Miami badly outrebounded the Bulls in Game 2, which has been a rarity in the 18 games between them since the start of the 2010-11 season (9-9).

Though Jimmy Butler has done as well as you can do against James, the Bulls certainly miss Deng. He, of course, misses them and the series and it is pretty clear to anyone who doubted it that it’s been a serious time for Deng and his family.

And while going through all that, Deng admits he was stung by some criticism, especially on the TNT broadcasts, that he only had flu and was sitting out. Deng explained that in several Tweets from his account and elaborated Thursday.

“I just felt like everyone kept saying I was missing the game because of the flu. I’ve been here for nine years (and) I’ve played games with the flu,” said Deng. “I’ve (played) without coming to the media (to say), ‘I’ve had the flu.’ I don’t think the flu would make me miss a game. I might not play well, I might not play the minutes I play, but even if I had the flu, I would sit on the bench. It kind of bothered me a little bit that that’s what was being said when I had a totally different thing. It wasn’t just the flu. I just wanted people to know that I wasn’t missing the game because of the flu. I had a lot of people wishing me well, which I appreciate, but the bottom line was I just wanted people to know that I wasn’t at home, on my couch, just relaxing, watching the game. That wasn’t the case at all.”

Actually, Deng sounded like he was reading medical dictionaries as he went on talking about his blood patch followup treatment and the problems with his white blood cell count.

That’s when you know getting back in transition is not nearly as important as just getting back on your feet.

The Bulls hope to do as much in Game 3.