After Loss To Pacers, Should Chicago Bulls Fans Be Concerned?
Saturday’s game was very similar to the other three games played in this series between the Indiana Pacers and the Chicago Bulls. Unable to blow out the No. 8 seed Pacers in any of the first three, the Bulls’ woes finally caught up to them in Saturday’s loss to Indiana, which closed the gap in the series to 3-1.
Even more disconcerting about the loss was the injury to Derrick Rose, who rolled his ankle and had to be examined in the locker room. He did return, but didn’t have the same, explosive capabilities he typically has on that ankle.
On Sunday, Rose was seen in a walking boot and had an MRI performed, but the results of the test were negative. The Chicago brass is hopeful their star point guard will be good to go in time for Tuesday’s Game 5, but even with the status of Rose up in the air, there are still quiet concerns about this Bulls squad.
The general reason for the concern is the fact that despite they carry the No. 1 overall seed in this year’s playoffs, the Bulls have been unable to put away the Pacers for good in any game this series. They’ve showed resilience in being able to come back in each of the three wins, and nearly a fourth, but should they really be needing to come back against a team like Indy?
The other big concern, even bigger than Rose’s injury, is the play of Carlos Boozer, who has been ugly so far, with Game 2 as his only decent performance in the first four games. He’s hit the boards hard, but has struggled from the field (6-15 on Saturday) and has been a turnover machine.
But the Bulls knew what they were getting in Boozer: a guy who will add a few to the ‘win’ column in the regular season, but isn’t the most polished postseason player. That has certainly been the case thus far into the playoffs.
However, Boozer’s struggles and the tight games against Indiana are no reason for the Bulls or their fans to be concerned.
Boozer seems to be pressing, as many Bulls did at home in the series’ first two games, and it shows on the court. He’s been turning the ball over at an extremely high rate and has been more of a liability than an asset, much different from that guy who performed so well for the Bulls down the stretch of the regular season.
But the fact that his battery mate down low, Joakim Noah, played so well on Saturday should end up benefiting Boozer. With both dominating the glass, combining for 27 boards on Saturday, Boozer can have a bit of the scoring load taken off of his shoulders if Noah continues to re-emerge and prove how healthy he is moving forward.
What most people have to realize about this Bulls team is that they’re not the type of team that is going to constantly blow teams out, especially in the playoffs. Sure, they had some runaway games during the regular season, but Tom Thibodeau and co. preach that defensive philosophy that has made the Bulls so successful this season. They’re going to be in some nailbiters, but this team has proven all season that until that clock reads 0:00, they’re going to be in the game, if not leading.
Even with Rose in a walking boot on Sunday, the concerns over his injury don’t seem to be too great. Many figure he’ll go on Tuesday, and if not, the Bulls should be able to feed off of the energy from the fans at the United Center to grind out a possible series win.
In short, there’s really no need for Bulls fans to hit the panic button, even if it wasn’t an easy, clean sweep of the Pacers. I have a hard time believing the Pacers wouldn’t be giving a squad like Boston or Miami the same type of trouble as an 8-seed. If Thibs and the Bulls make the necessary adjustments moving forward, and Rose gets back to full strength quickly, this team will be fine.
