Chicago Sports -- CURSED?!?

 The Chicago Bulls are knocked out of the playoffs as they lose Game 6 to the 76ers by a final of 79-78 on their home court. Just the 5th time in history that an 8 seed has beaten a 1 seed in the NBA playoffs.

What do you want to talk about?--- Who gets the blame...injuries...roster issues...next season???

What hoped to be a promising dream season, turned out to be brutal nightmare as the Chicago Bulls season officially ended in a hard fought game 6 a couple nights ago in Philadelphia. Many thought even with the injury to Rose, the Bulls would still be able to beat, truthfully speaking, a horrible 76ers team. The Bulls averaged 84.3 ppg during the series (96.3 during regular season), and the only time they scored over 100 points, was game 1- the only game Rose played in.

It's been a couple days now...you have had time to sleep, vent, cry, punch a wall, or write your rants about your thoughts-- are you over it by now? For many average Chicago Bulls fans, the sad heart-breaking reality will fade away as quickly as they think about the hopes of next season - my heart is not so fortunate. There are emotional fans, and then there are realistic fans, and then there is a fan who doesn't know which side to take.

I have had time to think about the lose- to take it in and see if I am truly disappointed or was it all inevitable. The season might have ended officially with a lose couple days back, but the dark truth is that it had already ended 2 weeks ago when Derrick Rose drove the lane with 1:30 left in Game 1. I don't want to sit down and analysis the last 25 seconds of Game 6- I've already done that too much. You can curse out CJ Watson and yell that even an elementary PG knows to hold the ball during last seconds of a game; you can pop a free-throw on the court and yell, "THAT'S ALL WE WANTED ASIK, JUST ONE!", and most of you probably even hope that Carlos Boozer trips over his work-out bag again, so that Taj Gibson can be our starting power-forward.Others are even mad that Luol Deng won't undergo surgery, and will play for Great Britain in the upcoming Olympics, and what exactly did Rip Hamilton do to solve the shooting guard problem.

As many of the beat-reporters and NBA analysts will tell you -and I agree- the Bulls were put together to win a championship THIS YEAR. Ending the last season with a lose to the Miami Heat, the Bulls had to address one main issue- a consistent secondary scorer to help spread the floor for Rose. When the Bulls signed Hamilton, he was our answer. A veteran, a shooter, a previous champion. The Bulls worked harder in practice that any other team this season. Coach Thibs was clear that the only goal that mattered was being the last team standing. Coach of the year, MVP, Best-record -- None of those mattered. But now, after a season where the injury bug felt more like a infestation, there are more questions than answers. The window for the Chicago Bulls hasn't closed but there are a lot off-season issues that Gar Forman and John Paxson need to address.

Photo Credit: Facebook - Eric Collins

Unlike other fans who will soon forget about this season and look upon the next, at this very moment, my mind can't stop thinking about how injuries have absolutely demolished the hopes of millions of Chicago sports fans. I am sorry to bring up these suppressed memories by many of you, but it just doesn't stop...

It all started with the NFC Conference championship vs. the GB Packers about a year and a half ago, when Jay Cutler hurt his knee- needless to say we lost and the Packers went on to win the Super-Bowl. This past season, during an incredible winning streak when the Bears were as good as any team in the league, Jay Cutler hurt his hand. Then came the injuries to Forte, Knox, and even Urlacher.

It's absolutely disgusting how parallel the Chicago Bulls and Bears seasons have matched up. In both teams-- the most important player had season ending injury (Rose and Cutler). Both in which the back-ups at their respective position could not fill their spots. The next game, the 2nd most valuable player to the team goes down (Noah and Forte). -- Lets stop there...

Enough...Lets move forward.

Yes, it was difficult to lose and have our season ended, but the future is bright. In both the Bears and the Bulls, the lose of their star players has helped expose some major issues within the team. If these are fixed than who knows where the next season will take us ---- assuming we have no devastating injuries. The questions are many and the answers are unknown, but both teams are still a powerful contender. The Bears have already addressed some D-Line and WR issues, and many are predicting at least a 10-win season. Once you get into the playoffs anything can happen (think Chicago Bulls- or in a positive light think Sixers if you're a Philly fan).

We will have to wait and see how the Chicago Bulls off-season goes...but I'm optimistic. I think that Rose will get back to MVP level after a good 10-month recovery period. I think that the Bulls will make the playoffs again, and I think that we will ALL get to see the Bulls-Heat match-up that has been hyped up for so long. AND I think that the Bulls will hold the Larry O'Brien Trophy very soon -- Just trying to be positive...

MESSAGE: To the all the people who think it is going to be a long season-- You're probably right considering that fact that Chicago Baseball isn't up to excitement levels of a Bulls or Bears game, but the Summer will be over sooner than you think. This summer is going to be packed with the Olympics and that means that all of the world will be enchanted by all its glory. Then again, it is the summertime and you will get to enjoy the nice weather and warm summer nights and before you know it-- the leaves will turn. It there had to be a LONG OFF-SEASON then summer would probably be the best off-season.

Have a great day!
DISCLAIMER: Sorry for the very-strangely-choppy writing. I am doing this at work so.. yeah. Low on stats more just babbling. My Apologies.

GAME 6

-FAILED-
GOAL FOR TONIGHT:
SEE RED AT-LEAST ONE MORE TIME!

 

Quick Thoughts: Game 2 - 76ers Run Over the Bulls (Shouldn't that be the other way around)

"We got our asses kicked today" - Joakim Noah after the Bulls 109-92 to the 76ers at the United Center in Game 2.

          It's the playoffs, there are going to be tough games. With a coach like Doug Collins on the other side, he'll find ways and motivate his players to beat even the toughest opponent. After Game 1 Coach Collins pleaded his team to get defensive rebounds - WHY? Fast Breaks! Sixers are one of the best teams in transition and they showed it by out-rebounding the Bulls 38-32, which lead to 25 fast break points (11pts in the 3rd). This looked similar to the game earlier this year in Philly when Bulls got their ass handed to them. Chicago rarely get outworked - but they did - and with their lack of interior defense and inability to close out shots; a recipe for a tough loss. Sixers shot an astounding 59% from the field, and when a team is shooting that well... forget about it.
          Alright, so they lost...but the discussions aren't going to be how they lost, they'll be about the 'what ifs' concerning who they lost. Would it have been different if Derrick Rose was in the game? We'll never know for sure-- but I don't think so. Rose might have kept the game as close as it could have been, but to overcome the 3rd qtr in which the Bulls were outscored 36-14 would have been too much. Rose's greatest power is that he is a run stopper. When another team start a 4-0 or 6-0 run, Rose knows that it is his time to make a basket and stop the run - and that at least keeps the Bulls in the game for a while longer. The problem with the Rose-less Bulls is that no one (besides JL3 haha) is aggressive enough offensively to play that role. To me, the defense was more of a disappointment, but it gets hard to play defense when other players don't step up. Defense in basketball is as much a team game as it is a 1-on-1 match-up game.

          After the injury to Rose, EVERYONE on the team needed to step up. Instead, at their lowest point in the post-season, no one was able to find ways to stand-up (see what I did there...). Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng are the ones that need to step up the most in the absence of Rose. Both will need to play at an all-star level if the Bulls want any shot. They certainly didn't come though in game 2. In all the minutes that Boozer played in the 3rd (6 I think) he scored 0 points. Deng played all of the 3rd qtr scoring just 2 pts. Both Deng and Boozer didn't even make it into double digit scoring for the whole game (8 and 9 pts respectively). Instead it was Joakim Noah as the lone scorer who stepped up for the Bulls. I know its damn-right unbelievable. Noah was 10-11 and had 21pts and 8reb.
          No one saw that coming- you know why? Because Doug Collins is a good coach. Sixers from the get-go looked to shut down Deng, Boozer and Watson, and they let Noah do what he could. It was a great effort by him, but I'm sorry. Noah being your top scorer isn't going to win you a playoff series against the Bobcats. While the series now moves to Philly, there's a little bit of hope. The Bulls were one of the leagues best road teams. Good teams, championship teams, find ways to get back up. Play defense, get high percentage shots, and win! I still see the Bulls pulling out this series in 5/6 games. Thibs is too good of a coach and this team is still too talented.

Do you still BULLieve?

See you in the city of Brotherly Love on Friday. 

Scottie Pippen's open letter to Chicago Bulls and their Fans

It seems like the nation has ruled out the Bulls from any shot at the NBA title. Couple days after the injury to Derrick Rose, Kyle Korver sent out a message on Facebook to Bulls Fans. Today, a Hall of Famer and 6-time NBA Champ and current Bulls ambassador sent out an open letter to the Chicago Bulls and their fans. Here is the beginning of the letter you can read the full letter here.

LETTER FROM PIPPEN:
" With what happened to Derrick in Game 1, it would be easy to hang your heads right now. You could lose sight of the ultimate goal and give up before the rest of the games have even been played. But I know that’s not even a consideration for this group. And that’s exactly why you’ll make me, Derrick, the organization, and the city of Chicago so proud.

To a man, it’s time for each of you to take a look in the mirror. Decide who you really are and what you represent as a basketball player. Reflect on what you have brought to the table for your team all season long and why you’re a valuable member of the Bulls. Because all of you have contributed to this team’s incredible success. Ask yourself what you can do for the team moving forward. Whether it’s through your verbal leadership or diving on the floor after a loose ball, it’s going to be all about grinding it out moving forward. If there is one piece of advice I can offer you, it’s to put every last ounce of effort you have out there to make everyone proud—Derrick, the fans, and first and foremost, yourself.

Your team has come a long way in terms of what it has been able to achieve this season. And that was done collectively, as a group. It has never been about any one individual. Yes, Derrick was the reigning NBA MVP, but he epitomizes the team concept and you all followed his lead. So it’s been the effort of the group, as well as a tremendous job by the coaching staff, which has gotten us to this point. And it’s exactly why I feel good about this team right now. You’re a group that remains together. You’ve repeatedly lifted each other up when a teammate has fallen. Now, it comes down to continuing to give your best effort every time you step on to the basketball court. It’s easy to say you’re doing that, but are you really dedicating yourself to another two months of basketball? As a player, that’s what I always wanted out of my teammates. Just make sure you arrive on gameday focused and full of energy. If guys want to just show up and take on the 76ers or whoever, well, that might not be enough to get the job done. It takes locking in on the task at hand and honing in on what you need to do in order to be successful in the NBA postseason. "

You can read the full/rest of the letter here.

BULLieve!