Chicago Bulls Have Talent, Lack Horns

With the NBA playoffs beginning to peak over the horizon, the Chicago Bulls will find themselves a surprise invite to basketball’s hallowed garden.

But are they deserving postseason patrons, or a mere playoff formality?

On the basis of their 110-103 victory over the Knicks, don’t expect a lengthy stay in basketball’s holy land.

No Bull

Derrick Rose is a supremely talented point guard who will someday be mentioned with the best in the league.

Because the Knicks switched most screens, Rose was aware in taking advantage of the resulting mismatch, abusing David Lee with right to left jump crossovers, and an unstoppable first step.

Because of his freakish athleticism and his strong hands, Rose was able to execute a number of difficult layups in traffic, whether by drawing contact and finishing, pumping in mid-air, or using the other side of the backboard in traffic to convert.

Rose also has terrific court vision and sees teammates opening within the offense. His passes are on point and allow his teammates to immediately take a shot or make a move right when catching the ball.

And he’s tough enough on defense to step in and draw charges, as he did when David Lee barreled into him at full speed midway through the third quarter.

He’s a good point guard already, and will be a great point guard sooner rather than later.

After an auspicious beginning, Ben Gordon (6-15 FG, 2-5 3FG, 5 REB, 2 AST, 1 TO, 17 PTS) hit a lion’s share of his jumpers, and only forced a pair of shots.

Kirk Hinrich (9-16 FG, 3-6 3FG, 4-4 FT, 3 REB, 2 AST, 3 STL, 2 TO, 25 PTS) is a valuable player. Equally concerned about his shot as he is setting up his teammates, Hinrich is a combo guard miscast as a point guard. He has tight crossovers in either direction, though he prefers to go left-to-right, is an excellent shooter off the bounce and can catch-and-shoot too.

Both Hinrich and Gordon made excellent passes after curling around weak-side screens, forcing the opposing big to show, before dropping dimes to Tyrus Thomas cutting to the basket or popping out for jumpers.

If John Salmons’ athleticism was sapped by a recent groin injury compromising his defensive quickness and explosion, he was still tough enough to get to the rim; smart enough to jump passing lanes (5 STL), find open teammates (6 AST, 1 TO), and fill lanes on the break, and talented enough to come up with 19 hard-earned points.

As long as he doesn’t have to make physical contact with an opposing player, Thomas can block shots and rebound with anybody. It was Thomas’ ability to block Quentin Richardson’s shot—after selling out on a fake a split second previous—that sealed the victory for Chicago.

Brad Miller’s size and Joakim Noah’s quick hops did a number on the offensive glass. As a team, the Bulls snared 18 offensive boards.

Miller also made terrific passes from the high post and on the move.

The Bulls get a lot of firepower out of their three-guard lineup with three out of Rose, Gordon, Salmons, and Hinrich on the court.

Chicago’s transition offense was excellent, with athletic finishers, three-point shooters, and smart decision makers making the plays.

The Bulls also wreaked havoc on passing lanes, especially (and amazingly) on set plays. Credit goes out to whichever Bulls assistant coach is assigned to scouting the Knicks, for eliminating Mike D’Antoni’s best-laid plans before they could hatch.

All Bull

Despite his talents, Rose is still a rookie and made a number of rookie mistakes. Twice he picked up his dribble before a play developed. While no harm came of those mistakes, defenses are able to overplay passing lanes and get in Rose’s kitchen because he can’t beat a defense off the dribble if he’s picked it up.

Also, Rose’s jumper needs a lot of work. He was only 3-10 from the perimeter and isn’t on balance on his shot.

Whether via a switch or not, the Bulls were mercilessly posted by Richardson and Al Harrington. Gordon, Rose, and especially Hinrich were often brutalized down low with no help defense able to save them.

Miller (1-10 FG) may be the third most unathletic player in the league (behind Jerome James and Eddy Curry of course). Some of his attempts (running hooks) were understandable misses, but most, including an eight foot airball against Quentin Richardson in the post, were downright embarrassing.

Between Miller, Thomas, and Noah (who’s lone post attempt was blocked by Wilson Chandler), the Bulls generated virtually no post offense.

After Hinirch and Miller, the Bulls don’t have much depth on the bench with Luol Deng out.

The Bulls go under every screen in an attempt to limit penetration. The Knicks capitalized by shooting 13-23 from behind the arc.

Noah was unable to defend Harrington off the dribble and Miller was too slow to offer adequate help. Harrington exploded in the third quarter for eight straight made baskets.

Gordon’s hands were at his sides on virtually all attempts in his area.

So what to make of the Bulls playoff chances?

Against a sloppy passing club, the Bulls have the instincts to generate turnovers, and the talent to finish on the break. Cleveland and Boston are terrific passing teams, but the Bulls may be able to take Orlando.

Cleveland, and especially Orlando, will dissect the Bulls’ gameplan of going under every screen, though going under screens involving Rajon Rondo gives the strategy some life against Boston. And you figure they’ll adjust for Ray Allen’s shooting capabilities.

The Bulls’ inability to defend the post will also be a huge concern against Orlando with Dwight Howard, and Boston with Paul Pierce matched against a smaller player.

The Bulls can conceivably get hot enough from the perimeter while capitalizing on an opponent’s sloppiness to steal one win. But their defense has to many holes, and their offense isn’t efficient enough for them to be more than a nuisance against Cleveland, Boston, or Orlando.

The problem is still the same for Chicago. Their guards are fine, but they simply don’t have any back to the basket presence in the middle. Still, give them credit for making the most out of what they do have. And with Rose, they certainly possess a sweet-smelling future. But right now, the quick, athletic Bulls don’t have any horns.

This article also appeared at OTRBasketball.com.