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Odd Thoughts: The beating of the Bulls

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  • #1

    Odd Thoughts: The beating of the Bulls

    Simply stated this was the best win our team has had since a road win vs. the Warriors back on January 20. We’ve had other big wins since then but none where we really just took control of the game and beat a winning team with the way we did tonight.

    It’s not just that we won its how we won and who we beat.

    Let’s all tip our hats right now the Bulls organization. For the most part I hate every single front running jock sniffing Chicago Bulls fan. But I honestly have nothing but respect for the way they have handled their franchise this season that could have and really should have been at best a .500% season. But against all odds, with devastating injuries and a team altering trade they have managed to just soldier on and somehow have become a winning team. It’s really not a mystery to me, Tom Thibodeau is one hell of a coach and he gets the absolute best out of his players. For God’s sake Mike Dunleavy had more blocks than Roy Hibbert did this game, only Thibs could get that kind of production.

    I’m impressed with them and they are a very tough foe but I’m more than happy to take the victory and run.

    Why was I impressed in this game? Because this wasn’t a technicality win, it wasn’t a “whew we got lucky there” type of a win either.

    No this was a win because of what we did and how we imposed our will on the game. Chicago did not play a bad game, we caused Chicago to play a bad game and at the end of the day I knew we had arrived when I read in the Tribune that Taj Gibson accused our team of flopping.

    Okay I’ll be perfectly honest here, I don’t know if he meant anyone else or not but George Hill did run into a stationary Gibson’s butt and fell as though he were a crash test dummy at the end of the rails on a rocket train.

    I am opposed to flopping in general however to George Hill’s defense this came directly after he had drawn three straight fouls by being pushed in the back by Noah into Hinrich. This was the time that Frank got the “T” so I can forgive George for attempting to get back a foul call.

    On a side note I think it is official, Tony Brothers has passed Bennett Salvatore as the worst referee in the NBA. Just horrible inconsistent calls both ways all night long.

    Okay enough praise for the fallen foe, I’m sure they will be more than ready on Monday when we see them next.

    Roy’s increased effort and intensity will get him somewhat of a pass from me for his 3-10 shooting from the field. Going 6-6 from the foul line will get him a lot of leeway with me for other sins he might have committed. Including possibly the dumbest tip rebound that I have ever seen in my life. He was wide open with the ball coming right at him with no Bull to challenge him for the ball. Instead of using two hands to grab and secure the rebound he blindly one handed tips it directly to D.J. Augustine. Now maybe Roy was confused and thought that D.J. was still on the team, but it was enough to make me throw up a little in my mouth. However to be clear he was energized and active all game long and the one thing that Noah brings to the court that he generally wins in is energy and activity. He did not beat Roy in that tonight. Add in solid defense and screens that were so solidly set that Bulls players disappeared for seconds at a time.

    There were lots of hero’s in this game but the one player who stands above the others is none other the Luis Scola. If you will recall my Odd Thoughts from earlier in the day you will remember that I said that the simplest answer to start winning was for someone to hit some open perimeter shots. To say that Scola changed the game would be like saying that fire is hot, it’s that obvious.

    First quarter the Bulls packed the paint and thus had a lead going into the second. A trumpet sounds and ushered forth on a chariot carrying a golden spear a and shield Luis Scola descended from the heavens and proceeded to carve up the Bulls as though he were Apollo himself.

    The Bulls held true to form on defense after he hit his first shot. They had the rock hard determination of Mel Gibson in Braveheart after holding the line on defense after he hit his 2nd shot. Spartans defending the pass at Thermopylae did not hold more true to their defense than the Bulls and Thibs did after Scola hit his 3rd shot.

    He hit his 4th shot and it all went to hell for Chicago, they then spent the rest of the second quarter scrambling and out of position chasing ghosts of Scola everywhere. In the mean time the rest of the Pacers moved and passed and screened for each other. In other words the bench not only brought the team back into the game they took the lead and gave the starters something to work with at the half, not much of a lead mind you (in fact the starters came in and kind of threw away the cushion the bench gave them) but a lead nonetheless.

    Make no mistake Scola was nothing short of brilliant and honestly it is games like this we made the trade for him. Now this was a little higher production than we can expect on a nightly basis but surely this was exactly what we need from him.

    I can’t say it any simpler than this, when he hits that elbow jumper we are a totally different team.

    It forces teams to make a decision and when they do they either have to choose to leave the paint area or allow him an open jumper. When he hits at a high % it opens up everything else for us.

    Note to Satan wherever you are. Floor spacing is a good thing, you were never wrong about that. Myopically demanding that the only way to space the floor was to have your four shoot three’s was always wrong. As tonight’s game proved, a solid mid range game can open up the lane just as easily as a three.

    Also I want to throw out some accolades for Evan Turner during this time frame as well. I thought his control of the offense with that second unit was terrific, he didn’t shoot very well and his free throws made me long for Jeff Foster at the line but I thought he was a real presence controlling the tempo, making solid crisp passes and hit some timely shots. Now of course later in the 4th he made a couple of boneheaded plays that had the team not been up so much would have taken away from his second quarter performance, but the game was in hand by that time.

    I’m not going to lie or avoid it, I thought they would lose this game and honestly thought they would get pummeled. I thought the turn around for the season was going to start Wednesday but much to my surprise we took control of this game and while it was only one game and one solid win, it was a hell of a win. Is it an anomaly will we falter tomorrow and again on Monday? Only time will tell but I know for a fact that we can only be judged by the games we play and if we are judging this game then excellence is really the only possible verdict.

    Before I go on let me put this out there. Frank Vogel is not just a cheerleader. He made adjustments, he altered his rotations, and he played the hot hand.

    I say that because I know that there were people out there starting to doubt. Understandable and everyone is fair game for criticism, but again my money is still on Frank.

    Let’s do some grades.

    Paul George: A

    How ironic is it that he almost missed his triple double by not scoring 10 points? He had to get a free throw late to get it but he did get it so all hail King George. I listened to Montieth on the way home and he stated that Frank had talked with Paul yesterday and gone over film with him showing him how he was forcing bad shots and used Paul Pierce and Danny Granger as an example of how players gave up shots for the betterment of the team. Paul apparently took it to heart as he made an effort to impact the game every other way. He still can’t hit a shot but 13 is a lot better than 19 when you are not hitting.

    David West: B+

    Smart game by West, nothing spectacular but solid all around and he along with the other big men made a real effort to set solid screens to open up the passing lanes all night long.

    Roy Hibbert: A-

    I already spoke at length about him above but the truth be told he really truly did match Noah in intensity. In fact he kind of neutralized him most of the night and that is no small feat considering I’ve heard pundits saying that while nobody would give it to him he should at least be in the conversation about MVP. So kudos to you Roy, now back that up the rest of the year.

    Lance Stephenson: A-

    Maligned, berated, belittled and doubted by many this week. He calmly decided to become Attila the Hun during the 3rd quarter just laying waste to the Bulls. He scored 13 points while attacking the basket and even tried to provide health care service for Mike Dunleavy by going over to check on him after a fast break. For some reason the referee’s did not understand Lance’s good Samaritan intentions and issued him a technical foul. What is this world coming to when you can’t help out your fellow man?

    George Hill: C

    Um, outplayed by D.J. Augustine? Not a great shooting night, while he didn’t do anything particularly bad he was just kind of there at times as well. Now to be fair he was screwed on three straight plays by the refs but he did get somewhat some revenge by ahem bumping into Gibson.

    Luis Scola: A++

    God

    Evan Turner: A-

    Had to take away a half a point for blowing a 3 on1 fast break but other than that he was very good the rest of the night. Defense and him are only casual acquaintances so I kind of have to overlook some of that but as long as he is not a detriment I just bite my tongue and move on. Tonight he was fine on defense.

    Ian Mahinmi: C-

    D.J. Augustine missed two free throws; Ian Mahinmi hit 4 free throws that Larry Bird himself could not have done better. It was that kind of a night. Meh, he’s played pretty well lately but I can’t say that this was one of his better games. He got caught on the wrong side of the rim twice on the defensive end and got burned but he wasn’t horrible either.

    Chris Copeland: A

    Yea as always we grade on the curb of expectations when we go deep into our bench and this game was probably Copeland’s best of the year for us, at the very least it the best I can remember without going to look. Luis Scola opened up the floor with his shots and by the time he had the Bulls scrambling Cope started hitting a couple of shots and this was almost terminal for the Bulls. He played solid defense as well. This was an inspired choice by Frank.

    Donald Sloan: B

    He was responsible for stopping a 2 on 1 fast break tonight by absolutely perfect body position and taking away a dribbling lane. Butler (I think) clanked off what should have been an easy shot and we were off to the races the other way. Good effort from Sloan but I’ll be glad to get Watson back.

    Okay enough of this, victories like these are not to be celebrated in hushed tones and pastel colors. Hell no this is the type of game where you need to let out the primal screams



    and celebrate with the dancing of fruit



    Oh and also since my return, we are 1-0



    Let's let the Beastie Boys take us out tonight




    Basketball isn't played with computers, spreadsheets, and simulations. ChicagoJ 4/21/13
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: Odd Thoughts: The beating of the Bulls

    It was refreshing to see an offense that was worse than our offense.
    You Got The Tony!!!!!!

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: Odd Thoughts: The beating of the Bulls

      There are two things we all need more of around here, odd thoughts and wins like that.

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: Odd Thoughts: The beating of the Bulls

        Roy, does that tipping a lot lately and it's becoming an annoying habit. Few times he's all alone as you said and he keeps doing that. I wonder why. More importantly, I hope he cuts it out.
        Never forget

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: Odd Thoughts: The beating of the Bulls

          Play Cope more! Thought he earned some 2nd half minutes. Maybe matchup wasn't there for him to defend at 3 as in first half, but his shooting really adds another dimension. Of course his and Scola's shooting in that 2nd quarter spurt really had the Bulls up **** creek.
          I'd rather die standing up than live on my knees.

          -Emiliano Zapata

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: Odd Thoughts: The beating of the Bulls

            Very good win. We haven't played that well against a good team in a while. Our offense is at its best when our defense gets stops and allows us to get out in transition.

            Hopefully the slump is finally over.

            This game was a great example of why I would much rather face Chicago than Brooklyn in the playoffs. The Bulls would have to start shooting way over their heads to beat us in 4 of 7. Let Miami deal with the Nets.

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: Odd Thoughts: The beating of the Bulls

              Chris Copeland: A

              Yea as always we grade on the curb of expectations when we go deep into our bench and this game was probably Copeland’s best of the year for us, at the very least it the best I can remember without going to look. Luis Scola opened up the floor with his shots and by the time he had the Bulls scrambling Cope started hitting a couple of shots and this was almost terminal for the Bulls. He played solid defense as well. This was an inspired choice by Frank.
              ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++



              I wish Frank would become inspired more with Copeland. I feel like he is really missing something to help the offense. And offense is so hard
              to come by as the playoffs proceed.
              {o,o}
              |)__)
              -"-"-

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: Odd Thoughts: The beating of the Bulls

                I know you haven't done a ton of odd thoughts this season, but it feels like Hill plays at a C level just about every game.

                Comment

                • #9
                  Re: Odd Thoughts: The beating of the Bulls

                  Great post as usual for the odd thoughts Peck.I really hope Vogel can use this game as a platform to getting the team to play like this from here out. We had a lot of games similar to this early in the season but none that I can think of where we moved the ball this well and got everyone involved on the offense. The team looked pumped up like they did early in the season as well. We have too much talent to have one player shoot 20 shots or 2 players put up 35 shots. I hope I've seen the last of the Lance and Paul show. This is the team that can win it all when they play like this.
                  Why do teams tank? Ask a Spurs fan.

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Re: Odd Thoughts: The beating of the Bulls

                    Great Odd Thoughts. We wanted this one bad. When we ramp up the effort and do the things we're supposed to do, we're still a bad a** team. Thankfully the problems with this team have never been about ability or talent.

                    It was beautiful to see Scola shoot like that. I better go out and finish my Christmas shopping later because I think we've gone back in a time machine to December judging by the way that cat was playing. Last night was why the Scola trade was one of the most giddy days in the history of this forum. He's one of the best bench players in the league when that shot is falling, and I thought his D was scrappy too.

                    I agree with anyone who thinks that Lance has been our most consistent player all season. Loved that J he hit in Dungleavy's face. Lance is shooting 49.7% from the field this season. That is damn good for a guard who shoots the ball a lot. I agree with those who think that he should cut down on the three, but I want Lance to continue to shoot the ball a lot. He is good at it. After another summer of hard work, I think that the sky is the limit for Ready.

                    That Hibbs rebound slap was indeed awful, but at least he rebounded well outside of that. PG's shot selection was better and the triple double was obviously great, but my God his shooting percentage can just be awful.

                    Cope looked good in his short time on the court. Hit that three and was scrappy on defense.

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Re: Odd Thoughts: The beating of the Bulls

                      The second half is the most focused I have seen this team since it was playing well months ago. They were aggressive, moving the ball and were not playing selfishly. If they can play that way going forward, we will be tough to beat. If they revert back, we are finished. It really is that simple.

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Re: Odd Thoughts: The beating of the Bulls

                        I almost forgot about that Paul-Evan-(Lance?) fast break. Woof. Not this team's strong suit!

                        Again, I missed the first 2.5 quarters, so it sounds like I just caught Turner at the wrong time. I did see the beautiful dish to Scola, but when I was watching, he looked pretty terrible overall in terms of missing easy shots (some point blank) and turning the ball over.

                        I think with Mahinmi, we have to concede he just doesn't have the same recognition skills at Hibbert. Denari kept referring to him as being a step late/slow, and I agree with that. It's not physical; I bet he's actually faster than Hibbert overall. But he tends to get sucked away from the paint sometimes, and is so focused on what's in front of him that he can ignore his peripheral vision sometimes and miss that cutter/roller. That said, I really think Mahinmi is playing some terrific ball off the bench lately, and would actually argue he's a better fit for what this team is looking to do sometimes than Bynum may be (depending on where your scoring focal points are, of course).

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Re: Odd Thoughts: The beating of the Bulls

                          What I took away from the game was proof of some of my theories.

                          First, a 10 man rotation is what we need. I know the popular theory is to shorten your rotation for the playoffs. I respectfully disagree, especially with this team. In the playoffs, we will want our starters to play more minutes, but we should keep the 10 man rotation.

                          Evan and Lance should not be on the floor at the same time, unless it is an emergency. That means Lance's minutes should get cut back to 30-32 per game. Evan would play 16-18.

                          While Watson is out, Sloan should be the back-up PG. That's what we signed him for. The 3rd string PG should be able to step in and play 12-15 mpg for a short stretch of time. I think Sloan can give us at least 12 mpg so Hill can rest as he did last night.

                          Finally, this disproved one of my theories, but it is a pleasant disproval. Copeland CAN play the SF adequately. I think he can play 12-13 mpg to give George a rest. If Cope struggles, we still have Butler and Solo to try and pick up minutes. We need to stick with a 10 man rotation.

                          Our guys did a great job last night. Now lets keep it going for the next 3 months.

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            Re: Odd Thoughts: The beating of the Bulls

                            Frank made a great adjustment last night. Let's hope that he sticks to it. Cope played well and earned the minutes that he got.
                            Originally posted by IrishPacer
                            Empty vessels make the most noise.

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                            • #15
                              Re: Odd Thoughts: The beating of the Bulls

                              The crowd looked overwhelmingly pro-Pacer on TV. Sure there was some evil red scattered around, but to me it didn't look as bad as it used to when they rolled in. To those who were there in person, is this a correct assessment?

                              I'm hoping that the days of Bulls fans completely taking over our arena are over. I'll never forget the horror of attending Game 3 in 2011. We lost by 4 points to fall down 0-3, and obviously the series was over at that point (though we thankfully avoided the sweep). Their scumbag fans were all over the place. Thankfully, I don't think it would be as bad if we played them against this year. Pacer fans have really stepped up to the plate in recent years. In 2011, the Pacers were still a complete afterthought to most people in Indy.
                              Last edited by Sollozzo; 03-22-2014, 11:13 AM.

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