Subject: awful
An email thread from earlier today...the part of Jim is being played by my cousin, Jim.
MJ: You can probably tell by the subject, but this email is about The Bulls. Have you ever seen a more wretched display of basketball? They look like a High School team against NBA Champions. It's not even close. Only Ben Wallace looked like he belonged on the court. What the hell?
Jim: Wallace and maybe Tyrus Thomas.
I don't know that it's necessarily the Bulls are that bad, or the Pistons are that good. It's tough to beat a team when they shoot 50% plus on both FG's & 3PT FG's.
The Bulls clearly look rattled though, and I don't know that they have the confidence at this point to come back and even win a game, home court or no home court. I would expect or hope that they'll get at least one in Chicago though. I don't know that the Pistons can maintain this high level of focus and play this well on the road, where the Bulls have been tough.
I think some lineup changes are in order. I'd start Thomas over P.J. Brown who is worthless in this series. I'd also start Sefolosha or at least give him more significant minutes. Put Hinrich on Billups and let Sefolosha guard Hamilton. Gordon has been completely ineffective and can't defend against any of their guards. Bring him off the bench like before and let him find his spots. He's too small for this series.
The most disappointing thing though has been the play of Deng. He looked like a budding star vs. Miami, and he looks like a scared rookie in this series. Nocioni's play has also been atrociously bad, although I'll give him a little leeway since he's been injured.
MJ: Thomas only did good in garbage time. In game one and in the first half last night, he was wild and out of control. I actually stopped watching last night about half-way through the third quarter. I periodically checked the score to see if they made any miraculous comeback, but of course that never happened. Watching "Heroes" seemed like a much better way to spend my evening.
They seriously looked like the post-MJ Krause Bulls that won about 12-15 games per year. They looked like the "Jamal Crawford" years, when he would score 30 and they'd lose by 5, or he'd score 5 and they'd lose by 30.
Yeah, Deng disappoints the most, though. He was supposed to be mister consistent. Like you said, he's been flailing around like a rookie. And Gordon just looks like a midget out there.
Jim: They looked bad, very bad. But, remember this is the playoffs and they are playing perhaps the best team in the NBA right now. The old Bulls couldn't even win 20 games, let alone make it to the semifinals of the playoffs. Even if they get swept, the season was an improvement over last year as they finally won a playoff series.
At any rate, the series is a long way from over. They could come back and tie it up 2-2 and it's a series again. I still think Thomas & Sefolosha should get more minutes, if anything just for energy and switching things up. They are better matchups than Brown & Gordon.
MJ: I don't think it's over, but it's obviously not looking good. I've seen teams come back from one blowout and win a series, but I can't think of a team coming back from two blowouts and do anything other than get swept or lose in 5.
And I don't think the Pistons are the best team in the NBA right now. Best in the East, without a doubt, but I think both San Antonio and Phoenix are better.
Jim: The Pistons are playing better than anyone right now. As you said, back to back blowouts in the playoffs just don't happen. Remember the Pistons completely destroyed the Shaq & Kobe led Lakers three years ago, and they look just as good now, if not better. I'd have a hard time seeing them losing to anyone right now.
That being said, let's see what happens in game 3 when the Bulls get back home.
On another note, have you ever heard anything more annoying (or stupid for that matter) than the Pistons PA announcer. What the hell is up with that shit? What happened to the day when a PA announcer was there to call the game, with some freaking dignity? Not to try and be part of the entertainment themselves? How dumb.
MJ: The Heat guy was atrocious, too. I think that's just the way 80% of the NBA is.
As for the Pistons, five days ago I would have said the Bulls were playing as well as anyone in the playoffs. I just think the Pistons are a terrible matchup for the Bulls. But what I really want to know is, how did the Bulls win 3 out of 4 against these guys in the regular season?
Jim: Good question. In a way, I think the Pistons are somewhat like the Bulls. They don't have a star (although their "good" players are far better than ours), so they have to rely on pinpoint execution and all-out effort to win games. I simply think they were unmotivated in the regular season. And, I know in at least a few of those games they were missing people while the Bulls were always healthy.
MJ: I just checked the game log. Back in January, the Bulls won by 17 but Billups didn't play and it was before Webber was acquired. Deng and Nocioni dominated this one.
In February, the Pistons won at home by 2 with their full lineup. Gordon, Deng and P.J. Brown had solid games for the Bulls.
In March, the Bulls won by 2 at home with Webber missing in action. Gordon was again the man.
Finally, in April, the Bulls won by 18 at the Palace without Ben Wallace and against a full roster of Pistons.
So I really don't get it. I think it boils down to the Pistons are going to stop hitting over 50% of their threes sooner or later, and the Bulls are going to start hitting more than 20% of theirs. It's gotta even out sooner or later, right? A rebound wouldn't hurt either.