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That was quite a pathetic showing by the Bulls last night, the effort didn't seem to be there for 3+ quarters.
Combine that with the Lakers seemingly getting every bounce and roll and it's going to be a long night.
But still, as untalented as the Lakers are, the Bulls should've come out firing on all 8 cylinders and buried the Lakers.
Looks like they are messing with rotations a bit. With Dunleavy still out they started Mirotic and Noah still isn't 100% from the looks of things.
Oh well, one game on the road and I'm not that shocked because the Bulls are erratic and still need to figure things out.
Make no doubt about it, if the playoffs started today I think Atlanta would make the finals in the east. However, the Bulls and Cleveland are getting better having had to work through a lot this season.
Another 20 games or so and we'll be able to have a better feel.
With 35ish games left in the season you could see Cleveland and Chicago winding up at the 2 and 3 seeds in which case Atlanta should make the ECF no offense to Washington or Toronto.
If either Chicago or Cleveland continue to bump along but reach their potential then Atlanta would have to face them in the 2nd round which could be a stout challenge.
That's realistically the big threat to Atlanta....having to play a Cleveland or Chicago team that is healthy and has started to play together effectively.
For example, The Bulls are 0-2 vs. Atlanta so far this season but in both meetings DPOY Noah was out and Horford went OFF on an undersized Taj gibson.
Still wayyyy too early to make any predictions and of course potential injuries.
It's quite possible that with injuries etc. that Atlanta could pretty easily stroll to the Finals like the Heat did last year....but I wouldn't like their chances against a GS or Spurs.
Right now and not just based on last night, I'm not convinced Chicago would beat the Wizards. The Bulls would probably be better off facing anyone else. I have seen enough to believe that it's just not a good matchup for the Bulls. Consequently, I don't think the Wizards would beat Toronto or Atlanta, they matchup poorly against smaller, quicker teams with athletic front lines. Cleveland is a wildcard. I have no idea how they actually will be playing. I think they are making the East interesting again because they could legitimately beat anyone with the way they are playing. It's really hard to predict, but I think Atlanta is going to need the right match up to advance. They would destroy Toronto in my opinion but I'm not sure how they would fare against the other teams. I like the way this is shaping up.
Chicago was pitiful last night. If I were a Bulls fan and had to watch the way Rose chooses to play, I think I'd be absolutely maddened. He was just an abomination in the late stages of that ballgame. I get it - some guys miss shots but he just plays stupid. I was frustrated and I'm not even a Bulls fan.
Anyway, on another note...
Dallas has now dropped 4 in a row and are 11-9 since making the Rajon Rondo trade.
Chicago was pitiful last night. If I were a Bulls fan and had to watch the way Rose chooses to play, I think I'd be absolutely maddened. He was just an abomination in the late stages of that ballgame. I get it - some guys miss shots but he just plays stupid. I was frustrated and I'm not even a Bulls fan.
Anyway, on another note...
Dallas has now dropped 4 in a row and are 11-9 since making the Rajon Rondo trade.
Right now and not just based on last night, I'm not convinced Chicago would beat the Wizards. The Bulls would probably be better off facing anyone else. I have seen enough to believe that it's just not a good matchup for the Bulls. Consequently, I don't think the Wizards would beat Toronto or Atlanta, they matchup poorly against smaller, quicker teams with athletic front lines. Cleveland is a wildcard. I have no idea how they actually will be playing. I think they are making the East interesting again because they could legitimately beat anyone with the way they are playing. It's really hard to predict, but I think Atlanta is going to need the right match up to advance. They would destroy Toronto in my opinion but I'm not sure how they would fare against the other teams. I like the way this is shaping up.
I'm not sure I've seen the Bulls field a full healthy line-up for any serious stretch this year so it's hard for me to get a feel for how they match-up. 4 of their top 6 guys have missed more than 10 games already this season.
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