Seeds Set, Bulls Seventh

The Bulls just didn’t have that playoff fire last night in their 109-98 loss to the Toronto Raptors at the United Center.  Chicago was unable to lock up the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs after the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in a thriller.  All the Bulls needed was a win against the Raps or a loss from the Sixers, neither of which occurred.  Cleveland sat LeBron James, but the Sixers still needed an overtime period to take down the Cavaliers.  That just shows how hot the Cavs are right now.

Last night’s series of events might have been a blessing in disguise.  As the seventh seed, the Bulls will face the Boston Celtics instead of the Orlando Magic.  Normally, this probably wouldn’t be a good thing, but the Celtics recently announced that forward Kevin Garnett could miss the entire playoffs.  It’s obvious that, even if he plays, Garnett will be nowhere near 100 percent for the first round.  This makes the Celtics much more vulnerable to a first-round upset.  The Bulls are going to have to play well at home and try to steal one in Boston to win this series and the team needs to come out with more intensity than they did last night.

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Sixth Seed?

This blogger must apologize.  In the excitement that came with the Bulls’ win over the Pistons the other night, I failed to notice the Philadelphia 76ers’ five-game losing streak.  Thanks to that streak and the Bulls’ own five-game winning streak, Chicago can do better than the seventh seed in the conference.  The Sixers made it six consecutive losses last night, and now the Bulls sit in the sixth slot in the Eastern Conference, one game ahead of the Sixers.  This means that with a win tonight against the Toronto Raptors, or with a Philadelphia loss, the Bulls would clinch the sixth seed.

The Sixers face off with the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight in Cleveland.  Normally, since the Cavs have the number one seed locked up, one would think that LeBron James would be resting tonight.  But, the Cavs are shooting for history.  If they beat the Sixers, they’ll become the first team to win 40 games on their home floor in one season.  If James does play, the Bulls probably have the sixth seed wrapped up.  Either way, the Bulls control their own destiny and simply need a win tonight.  The Raptors have been playing better as of late, so the Bulls need to come out treating this like a playoff game.

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Lucky Number Seven

The Bulls locked up the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs with a win in Detroit last night.  Derrick Rose scored a team-high 24 points to go along with his eight assists and five rebounds.  Rose has been extremely consistent in his rookie season and has avoided hitting the proverbial rookie wall.  One could argue that he’s this team’s most valuable player already and should be for many years to come.  This was probably the second-biggest game of the season for the Bulls.  The team has looked good in pressure-packed games down the stretch this season, beating playoff-caliber teams when they needed to.

Last night’s win was huge.  The Bulls will now avoid playing the red hot Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs.  While the Celtics are quite the challenge, this is as good a time as any to upset the defending champs.  Kevin Garnett is hobbled and the team didn’t exactly close the season on a high note, especially considering the blowout at the hands of the Cavs on Sunday.  The Bulls can finish the regular season with a winning record by taking care of business at home against the Toronto Raptors tomorrow night.

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Bulls Playoff-Bound

The Bulls are officially in the playoffs!  Chicago clinched a playoff berth on Saturday with a win over Charlotte at the United Center.  Ben Gordon caught fire in the contest, hitting seven threes on his way to a game-high 39 points.  Derrick Rose chipped in 22 and John Salmons added 19.  The win brought the Bulls to the .500 mark and the team has a chance to finish the season with a winning record, something that looked out of reach earlier in the season.  Give a lot of credit to general manager John Paxson for hanging tough amidst constant scrutiny and making the deadline deal for Salmons and Brad Miller.  It changed this team significantly.

The Bulls currently sit in the seventh slot in the Eastern Conference, one game ahead of the Detroit Pistons.  The two teams will square off tonight at the Palace at Auburn Hills.  With a win in Detroit, the Bulls will clinch the seventh seed in the conference and thus avoid playing the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs.  While the Boston Celtics are no picnic, the Cavaliers seem like a much more daunting opponent, especially considering the way they perform at home.

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One More Win to Clinch a Playoff Berth

The Bulls again find themselves alone in the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference after a win against the Philadelphia 76ers last night.  Five Bulls players scored in double figures in the contest, Ben Gordon and Tyrus Thomas both dropping 24.  Thomas seemed focused on attacking on the offensive end, getting to the line an impressive 14 times.  Thomas hit all 14 of his free throws and showed the type of aggressiveness that he needs to bring on a nightly basis.  If Thomas can get to the line consistently, he’ll provide some of the frontline scoring that could take this team to the next level.

Chicago, at 39-40, sits just one game under the .500 mark with three games to go.  The Bulls will face off with the Charlotte Bobcats tomorrow night, and with a win they’ll clinch a playoff spot.  Even if the Bulls are unable to best the Bobcats, any Chicago win or any Charlotte loss will ensure the Bulls’ participation in the postseason.  Aside from Charlotte, Chicago’s two remaining opponents are Detroit and Toronto, two teams with a record below .500.  Detroit has to face one team with a winning record before their season it out.

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Bulls-Sixers Tonight

The Bulls have a chance to make a statement tonight, as they host the Philadelphia 76ers.  The Bulls have been playing very well as of late, but so have the Sixers.  Philadelphia has already locked up a playoff spot, but they’re still battling with Miami for the fifth seed in the conference.  The Bulls could draw some attention by taking down this red hot Sixers team, and they’ve got a chance to do so because they’re playing at home.  It’s been well documented on this blog that the Bulls play like a different team at the United Center.

The Bulls have the benefit of not having to deal with forward Thaddeus Young, who is out for the remainder of the regular season.  Young was really coming on before going down with an injury recently, and I’m not sure the Bulls would have had a defensive answer for a player of his skills and athleticism.  The Bulls will still have to deal with Andre Iguodala, among other players.  If they can force him to take jumpers, they should be in good shape.  Derrick Rose already has a history of abusing Philadelphia point guard Andre Miller, so look for the Sixers vet to give it his all tonight.

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Bulls Alone in Seventh

The Bulls now sit alone in the seventh slot in the Eastern Conference after a 110-103 win over the New York Knicks last night, sitting a half game ahead of the Detroit Pistons.  The Bulls made a comeback in the fourth quarter to seal the game, led by Kirk Hinrich and his 25 points.  Hinrich was one of five Bulls players to score at least 17 points in the contest, showing the Bulls’ effort to be a well-rounded one.  John Salmons chipped in 19 points to go along with six rebounds, six assists and five steals.  Again, Salmons had another great game for Chicago.  ESPN.com’s Chad Ford recently said that the Salmons has proven to be the biggest deadline acquisition this season.

The Bulls look to be peaking at the right time, and they might even be able to kick things up a notch for the postseason.  It looks as though Luol Deng may miss the remainder of the season, but the team has played great without him.  It’s unfortunate that the Bulls are doing this without their highest paid player, only because there’s no guarantee that they’re a better team with Deng in the lineup.  Regardless, the Bulls are surging into the playoffs and it should be interesting to see how much noise they can make once they get there.

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Bulls Buzz

While Chicago Bulls fans have been noticing the team’s strong play for the last month or so, some people are just realizing how solid this team really is.  It seems as though people outside of the Windy City are beginning to recognize the hot streak that the Bulls are on and starting to peg them as a team that could give a top seed trouble come playoff time.  If the Bulls end up as the eighth seed in the conference, they’ll be forced to take on LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.  While this blogger doesn’t see the Bulls taking more than a game against the Cavs, they could do some significant damage as the seventh seed.

The Bulls are currently tied for the seventh seed in the East with the Detroit Pistons.  If the Bulls can land the seventh seed, they’ll draw either the Orlando Magic or Boston Celtics.  Now, I’m not saying that they’ll beat either of these teams, but I could see Chicago giving Boston a similar run that the Atlanta Hawks did in the first round last season.  The Bulls are much better at the United Center than they are on the road, so taking all three at home against the Celtics or Magic wouldn’t be out of the question.

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Tied For Seventh Seed

The Bulls currently sit in a tie with the Detroit Pistons for the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference and hold a three game lead on the Charlotte Bobcats, who are currently slotted ninth in the conference.  With five of their final six games to be played at the United Center, Chicago looks all but a lock to extend their season into the playoffs.  The Bulls were able to take down the New Jersey Nets by a score of 103-94 on Saturday.  Ben Gordon scored 12 of his 18 points in the final quarter of play to help the Bulls to victory in the contest.  Gordon was the high man for the Bulls with 18 points as six players on the team scored in double figures.

The Bulls have been playing a nice brand of team basketball, where multiple players contribute solid efforts night in and night out.  John Salmons and Brad Miller have both been very good since coming over from Sacramento in a deadline deal in February.  Salmons, in particular, has been exceptional since coming to town.  He’s shown the ability to take over games and carry the team on his back, something that every team needs for stretches in the postseason.  He, Ben Gordon and Derrick Rose are going to be the team’s most important players heading into the playoffs.

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Study Session

ESPN.com’s David Thorpe has an interesting piece on which veteran player each high-profile rookie should study in order to better themselves.  Thorpe chose Chauncey Billups as the player that Bulls rookie Derrick Rose should follow.  “A dynamic and unselfish talent, Rose must become more of a thinker on the floor,” Thorpe writes.  “Right now, he often just reacts to what he’s confronted with.”  While this is a fair assessment, I think this is something that every rookie point guard, perhaps with the exception of Magic and Chris Paul, experiences.

“Billups, on the other hand, is like a computer, rapidly figuring out the odds of each decision he faces and the consequences of each action,” Thorpe continues.  “As opposed to college guys who pass only to open players, guys such as Billups find ways to get their better players open, then get them the ball.”  This blogger would argue that Billups is not the best guy for Rose to study, as Rose is already just as good of a passer and play facilitator as the current Denver Nuggets point guard.  I would have Rose study film of Jason Kidd in his prime, as Rose seems destined for similar success to Kidd, perhaps with more athleticism and a bit less passing ability.

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