Chicago Bulls: Game 3 Confirms Worries of Derrick Rose-Less Roster
If you hadn’t given up on the Chicago Bulls winning the NBA championship before, you had to have lost your rose-colored glasses after watching Game 3.
Without Derrick Rose, most had given up hope of a title run but still expected an extended stay in this rather one-sided first-round playoff series.
The Bulls offense ran stagnant for long stretches of Friday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers, but Chicago still showed their ability to clamp down on defense.
No one on the Bulls roster was able to knock down a shot consistently. C.J. Watson and John Lucas III failed to inspire any confidence as replacements for Rose, shooting a combined 4-16 on the night.
The free-agent pickup that was supposed to put the Bulls over the top, Richard Hamilton, has proven to be a flop in his first year with the team.
Hamilton relied almost completely on drawing fouls to make up for his maladjusted shot. Luol Deng is having the worst shooting year of his career, which can be partially blamed on the torn ligament in his wrist.
And while Carlos Boozer was the best player on the court for the Bulls on Friday, he absolutely vanished in the fourth quarter (watch the fourth quarter film back and you’ll catch a few air balls).
The third quarter saw Joakim Noah plant his full body weight as his ankle rolled on a fast-break, marking him ineffective for the rest of the game—he is now doubtful to return for Game 4.
Despite all of this, the Bulls were still ahead 67-54 early in the fourth quarter, but once the 76ers realized the hole in the Bulls defense, they came back to the tune of 10 fourth quarter points.
Philadelphia’s Spencer Hawes took control of the game in Noah’s absence and was one of the key factors in the Bulls’ late collapse.
In the first three games of this series, the Bulls lost last season’s reigning MVP and now have lost the leader of the team’s stingy defense.
What was witnessed in the fourth quarter of Game 3 was a team left feeling hollow after fighting their way to the top of the league’s standings for the second season in a row.
Without Rose and Noah, the Bulls are left as a ship with no rudder. A once promising season will likely draw to a depressing end in the first round with nothing but questions left for the future.
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NBA Playoffs 2012: Chicago Bulls Are Officially Doomed If Noah Is out for Awhile
As if the Chicago Bulls had enough to worry about with Derrick Rose out for the entire postseason.
Things got even worse in the Windy City.
To the delight of the Philadelphia fans in attendance for Game 3 of the Bulls-76ers series, Chicago center Joakim Noah‘s ankle turned in a way that not even I—breaking my ankle twice while playing basketball—have ever seen.
It’s rare to witness a cringe-like moment while watching a basketball game, but that was one of them. Say what you will about Noah and his attitude at times, but no one deserves to have that happen to them.
People always seem to criticize Noah for his occasional attempts at running the fast break at a near seven-feet tall, always saying that if something goes wrong, occurrences like tonight could happen.
Now, not only are the No. 1-seeded Bulls down 2-1 to an athletic, talented Philadelphia team, but they might have now officially lost two of their three best players for an extended period of time. Plus, it doesn’t help when the Sixers have their number after winning in Chicago in Game 2.
If this series comes down to a battle of attrition and the Bulls are only down to Brian Scalabrine—you can throw in a Scalabrine joke, if you wish—then, while it may not be fair, it may be the second year in a row that a No. 1 seed gets eliminated by a No. 8 seed in the first round.
The reason why Chicago still seemed like a favorite in the East without Rose was because they proved that they could win a good number of ball games without the reigning MVP in the daily rotation. But they never had the chance to play many games without the services of D-Rose and Noah in the starting five.
He may not be their best overall defender, but Noah makes life difficult for most opposing big men, and that thought came to fruition after looking at Spencer Hawes’ stat line: 21 points and nine rebounds.
Even though the Bulls kept the momentum going in the third after Noah went out, outscoring Philly 21-11, the Sixers took advantage without Noah in the lineup by getting to the free-throw line 13 times—not to mention Hawes’ 12-point fourth quarter.
Omer Asik is going to have a tough time stopping Hawes’ overall game from the outside and inside, which made Noah a formidable defender. Without him, the Philadelphia frontcourt might have a field day unless Asik becomes a big-time player for the rest of this series.
We tend to forget that the Sixers were a formidable team at the beginning of this season, and were one of the best teams in the East at one point during the year. Their athleticism on both sides of the ball made them very prolific and dangerous to most teams.
Without their two most athletic players, Chicago just can’t match up as well as they’d like.
This series is far from over, without question. If the Bulls win Game 4 and send this series back to Chicago tied 2-2, then the proverbial bullet will have been dodged. But how much longer can the Bulls hold up if they keep losing players?
The two biggest bricks are already down. It’d be only a matter of time before the whole house collapses.
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Philadelphia 76ers: Why Philly Is in the Driver’s Seat Against Chicago Bulls
Ladies and gentlemen, we have ourselves a series.
In Game 2 of their first-round matchup against the Chicago Bulls, the Philadelphia 76ers didn’t just cruise to a 109-92 victory, but they firmly embraced the challenge of upsetting the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
On Tuesday, the duo of Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner teased us with glimpses of their potential. Andre Iguodala tormented Bulls forward Luol Deng into a 3-for-12 shooting performance. Even the Sixers’ second unit—affectionately referred to as the “Night Shift”—got in on the action, chipping in 39 points and 16 rebounds.
Unless you happen to be a Bulls fan, it was a beautiful thing to behold.
And if you do happen to be a Bulls fan, a bit of concern about your team’s short-term prospects should have crept into your head by the time the final buzzer sounded. Nearly everyone who watched Game 2 likely came to the exact same conclusion: There’s no reason why the Sixers can’t do it again.
And again. And again.
Of course, there are always the doubters, naysayers and non-believers. A fair amount of historical evidence is on their side, however, as Chicago is 18-10 with Derrick Rose out of the lineup this year.
It should also be noted that Philadelphia’s Game 2 win was due in large part to the team’s scorching hot shooting effort (59 percent from the floor) combined with a 25-to-8 disparity in fast-break points.
But why can’t Holiday and Turner combine for 40-plus points again against C.J. Watson and Rip Hamilton? Even at this stage in their careers, the Sixers backcourt of the future is more talented than the starting tandem for the Bulls. Furthermore, Philadelphia’s advantage only increases in crunch time since Kyle Korver is Chicago’s de facto shooting guard in the fourth quarter.
What exactly is preventing Iguodala from harassing Deng on every Bulls possession? Including the playoffs, Deng has played against the Sixers four times this season. Only once—Game 1 of this series—has he scored more than eight points.
Chicago’s youth would typically be to its advantage, especially after a compressed regular season such as the one we all just endured. Yet Philadelphia only has one rotation player—Elton Brand—who is over the age of 28.
Game 2 victory aside, this same 76ers team defeated the Bulls—who had a healthy Rose at the time—98-82 back on February 1. The contest was such a rout that Rose didn’t even play the final 12 minutes.
Even with the reigning MVP at point guard in Game 1 of the current seven-game set, Chicago didn’t put Philadelphia away until the final minutes of the fourth quarter.
With the next two games at home—in a building full of supporters who are just a win or two away from becoming believers—Philadelphia could put its foot on the gas pedal and all but close this series out.
The checkered flag is still quite a few laps away, but the 76ers are clearly in the driver’s seat just as the race is starting to get interesting.
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NBA Playoffs 2012: The 5 Biggest Obstacles to the Chicago Bulls Winning a Title
The Chicago Bulls were primed to run through the NBA playoffs and possibly, the NBA Finals. Fate had different plans however, and the Bulls are now forced to make their run without their superstar, Derrick Rose.
With their first round series with the Philadelphia 76ers tied up at one, the Bulls will have an extremely hard road the rest of the playoffs.
Here, is an analysis of a few of the obstacles.
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Philadelphia 76ers vs. Chicago Bulls: Live Analysis, Highlights and Reaction
Follow live as Bulls battle the 76ers without Derrick Rose.
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Philadelphia 76ers vs. Chicago Bulls: Live Blog, Play-by-Play Analysis, Reaction
The Chicago Bulls are ready to take on the challenge of getting to the next round of the playoffs without Derrick Rose, starting tonight in a Game 2 matchup with the Sixers. Chicago showed they have the talent to win without Rose during the regular season, but can they get it done in the postseason? Follow below to find out.
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Chicago Bulls: Why the Bulls Must Pray for the Heat to Get Upset
Even before Derrick Rose was injured and out for the rest of the season, the Bulls needed to pray to the basketball gods for the Heat to get upset in the first round. Currently, the Heat are in a series with the New York Knicks and the chances are not looking good. With Shumpert going down with an ACL tear, the Knicks have a slim chance of beating Miami.
During the regular season the Knicks played the Heat three times and lost all three games by at least eight points without ever scoring more than 89 points. If it’s a short series then the Heat will get to rest before going on to play either the Pacers or the Magic. If they play the Pacers, it will probably be a short series because the Heat swept Indiana 3-0 during the regular season.
The Magic is a different story ad they tied the season series at 2-2. That, however, was a Magic team that had a healthy Dwight Howard, which is no longer the case. So, this means that with two short series, the Heat will be fairly rested before meeting the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals, if Chicago can make it there without Rose.
This will be key because the Bulls will probably have to go through a few six and seven-game series, which means they’ll be coming in on their last legs, looking for a series win. It will also be tough without the current MVP champion on the court.
The road will be much easier for the Bulls if the Heat are knocked out early in the playoffs.
The Bulls are 4-1 against the Pacers this season. In games where Derrick Rose played, they were 1-1, which means they got three wins without their young leader. Against the New York Knicks, the Bulls were 3-1 with Rose playing in two of their wins. Against the Orlando Magic, the Bulls went 2-1 and had a 1-1 mark when Rose played.
So, it’s highly believable that if the Heat get knocked out in the first round, the Bulls can come out on top without even having to play a seven-game Eastern Conference Finals.
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Why Chicago Bulls Can Still Win the Title Without Derrick Rose
Derrick Rose is out for the remainder of the season, but the Bulls, as a whole, are still alive.
While Rose’s absence does hinder Chicago’s pursuit of an NBA title this year, it far from kills it.
After a regular season laden with turmoil and uncertainty, the Bulls finished tied for the league’s best record, proving that their as formidable opponent as any.
With or without Rose.
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Derrick Rose Injury: Chicago Bulls Will Still Go Far in NBA Playoffs Sans Rose
Derrick Rose might be out with a torn ACL in his left knee, but the Chicago Bulls will still make noise during these NBA playoffs.
The Bulls are one of the most complete teams in the NBA and have been successful without the NBA’s reigning MVP, so expect them to get past the Philadelphia 76ers and even past the Boston Celtics/Atlanta Hawks despite Rose’s ACL injury.
These Bulls are fighters, going 18-9 when Rose was out with his various injuries this season. They have beaten playoff-caliber teams like the 76ers, Hawks, the New York Knicks, the Miami Heat and even the Celtics twice without Rose.
Bulls’ sharpshooter Kyle Korver said this best in a postgame interview to the Chicago Tribune‘s K.C. Johnson about Rose’s injury.
“We have to pick ourselves up,” Korver said. “We’ve played a lot of games this year without him. Maybe that was getting us ready for this.”
Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau also has confidence in his Bulls despite Rose’s devastating injury.
“He has had a lot of injuries this year,” Thibodeau told Johnson. “It has been unfortunate. But we do have more than enough to win with. Whatever the circumstances are, we’ll deal with it.”
Thibodeau is right. The Bulls have a great basketball team with substantial depth and talent as they have achieved the best regular-season record for two consecutive years. This year, especially, was impressive because of key players like Richard Hamilton, Luol Deng and C.J. Watson also missing significant time.
The Bulls still have one of the NBA’s best starting lineups with Watson, Hamilton, Deng, Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah. All starters have playoff experience, and Hamilton has accomplished a fantastic postseason track record (20.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists in 121 games).
Watson has proven to be a very capable starter in Rose’s place, averaging 10.9 points and 4.6 assists in 25 starts. Watson also works very well with Boozer on the pick-and-roll, getting Boozer into good offensive rhythms.
Backup point guards John Lucas III and Mike James have been effective for the Bulls this year and will continue producing.
The Bulls starters’ are very talented and capable of leading the Bulls to victory. They still are way more talented than the 76ers and are deeper than the Hawks and Celtics.
If the Bulls make the Eastern Conference Finals, they will be closer to their goal and will give the Heat a run for their money. And if the Bulls beat the Heat, why can’t Chicago win the NBA Finals?
There’s a reason why these games are played, and the Bulls still have an opportunity for championship glory.
The Bulls will definitely not quit these playoffs and will play their hearts out.
Bulls fans, cheer on your team as Chicago will go far and might grind out a surprising NBA title.
Bob Bajek is an NBA/Chicago Bulls featured columnist. He is also a freelance reporter and can be followed on Patch.com and Twitter.
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Derrick Rose Injury: How Long Will Chicago Bulls Last in NBA Playoffs?
The Chicago Bulls‘ playoff hopes were dashed away on Saturday afternoon when Derrick Rose tore his ACL and was deemed out for the rest of the season.
Without Rose, the Bulls don’t have a shot to win the NBA title or even get past the Miami Heat. Last season in the Eastern Conference finals, the Miami Heat dominated the Bulls in five games, and that was with Rose.
Just imagine how badly the Heat will steamroll past the Bulls now that they’re without Rose.
Actually, it’ll be difficult to imagine those two teams playing against each other because quite honestly, the Bulls may hit a major roadblock in the second round if they play the Boston Celtics.
The Bulls will get past the Sixers. Their defense is simply too strong, and Philadelphia does not have any firepower as a No. 8 seed.
However, after the first round, the Bulls playoff season could abruptly come to an end.
The Boston Celtics are a stingy defensive team that has a plethora of experience. Like the Bulls, they make their living on the defensive side of the ball. The two teams are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in terms of points allowed per game. The Bulls allowed 88.2 points per game while the Celtics allowed 89.3.
What separated the two teams throughout the regular season was the Bulls’ offense led by Derrick Rose. During the season, the Bulls averaged 96.4 points per game while the Celtics average 91.9, which was the fifth lowest total in the league.
But let’s look into some deeper stats in order to measure Derrick Rose’s value to the Bulls team, especially on offense. We all know that he averages 21.8 points and 7.9 assists per game.
But check out the following table:
| Value of Derrick Rose | W% vs. Playoff Teams | Bulls PPG |
| With Derrick Rose | 0.727 | 98.1 |
| W/O Derrick Rose | 0.636 | 93.9 |
As the chart exemplifies, the Bulls have been more successful against playoff teams with Rose in the lineup, winning 16 out of 22 games.
They’re also a better offensive team, averaging close to five points more per game with their elite point guard.
Rose has also been instrumental in most games where the Bulls hit 100 points. The Bulls were 22-0 when they scored 100 points or more this season. Fifteen of those 22 games were with Rose in the lineup. This just shows that with Rose in the lineup, the Bulls have a better chance to hit the century mark and in turn, win games.
There’s a reason why Rose was the Most Valuable Player last season.
One may argue that the team has some stalwart pieces up front like Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer and Taj Gibson and they weren’t exactly terrible without Rose in the lineup. They learned how to play without him and acclimated to that situation early on in the season so they should be fine.
However, this is the playoffs. They’re not playing cupcake teams anymore. Their offense is going to take a major hit, and if they’re going up against a team like Boston, who is known for shutting down teams defensively, they may have a difficult time reaching 90 points.
Boston may be old, but they have experienced and battle-tested players. They’re also playing better as of late, finishing the season on a 9-3 run. Guys like Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen will do their best to exploit the shorthanded Bulls.
Finally, Rajon Rondo will have field days against C.J. Watson. All of a sudden, the point guard matchup will be a severe mismatch in favor of Boston.
Assuming that the Bulls somehow get past the Celtics, they’ll have their hands full with the Miami Heat, who have way too much star power for the Bulls to handle, even with Rose.
Unfortunately for Chicago, they’re going to have to wait another year to bring back a title to the Windy City. Perhaps, they rushed Rose too often in the condensed schedule. Whatever the reason, the Bulls do need another star on their team.
Rose can’t do it alone, even if he’s healthy.
And in situations where he does get injured, the Bulls chances become absolutely hopeless.
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