Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Chicago Bulls: Postgame Grades and Analysis
Behind 36 points from LeBron James, the Cleveland Cavaliers (1-1) defeated the Chicago Bulls 114-108 in an overtime thriller Friday night after Derrick Rose departed in the third quarter with a left ankle sprain.
According to the Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson, Rose doesn't believe the injury is too serious:
Although the Bulls (1-1) mounted a late charge in regulation behind eight straight points from Kirk Hinrich, Chicago was unable to protect a five-point lead with 47 seconds remaining.
In 25 minutes, Rose scored 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting while Hinrich equaled that total on 7-of-11 shooting (3-of-5 from three).
| LeBron James | A | Derrick Rose | B+ |
| Kevin Love | C | Joakim Noah | B |
| Kyrie Irving | B+ | Pau Gasol | B+ |
| Dion Waiters | D | Taj Gibson | C- |
| Rest of Team | B+ | Rest of Team | A |
Cleveland Cavaliers
LeBron James: A
After LeBron scored 17 points in his season debut on Thursday, it took him all of 16 minutes to equal that total against the Bulls.
While a relatively passive effort defined his underwhelming showing against the New York Knicks, LeBron established himself as Cleveland's go-to scorer early and often, generating 19 first-half points on a gaudy 17 shots thanks to a a few spot-up jumpers and plenty of drives.
Considering Mike Dunleavy and Tony Snell were no match for his speed or strength, LeBron picked his spots and calmly dropped a game-high 36 points on 14-of-30 shooting while tallying eight rebounds, four assists and four steals in 42 minutes.
Kevin Love: C
The double-double totals look good on paper, but the tape tells an entirely different story.
Sixteen points and 16 rebounds comprised a sub-optimal night for Kevin Love, one that was characterized by an inability to create on the interior. Six of his first seven shots were off the mark and the one make came from beyond the arc.
After stretching the floor effectively on Thursday, Love faltered to the tune of 5-of-17 shooting from the field and 1-of-6 shooting from three.
Kyrie Irving: B+
Kyrie Irving was quiet throughout the opening frame, but he thrived when matched up against Chicago's second unit. With Aaron Brooks and Tony Snell left to try and contain Irving, Cleveland's point guard seized the opportunity, scoring nine of Cleveland's first 12 points in the second quarter.
However, foul trouble early in the second half relegated Irving to the role of spectator for significant chunks of the third quarter. In the 34 minutes he was available, Irving flashed some of the off-the-dribble excellence we've become accustomed to. He went on to finish with 23 points (10-of-10 from the free-throw line) and three assists and was at his best attacking the rim with a head of steam.
Dion Waiters: D
On a pedestrian 3-of-10 shooting, Dion Waiters finished with nine points. He was the only Cavaliers starter who didn't finish in double figures.
One reason why: Instead of stationing himself in the weak side corners or above the break, Waiters was left to chuck away from mid-range. In fact, seven of Waiters' first nine attempts came outside of 12 feet.
He'll be better served operating as an efficient scoring complement in catch-and-shoot situations moving forward.
Rest of Team: B+
You can't discuss Cleveland's ancillary contributors without touching on the superlative efforts of Tristan Thompson. A force on the glass, Thompson bullied his way past Chicago's vaunted frontcourt, snatching 13 rebounds in 36 minutes, including 12 on the offensive glass. He added 16 points (7-of-13 shooting) and two assists in a performance worthy of a generous contract extension.
Outside of Thompson, though, Cleveland's bench had very little to contribute in the way of statistical output.
Mike Miller (zero points) and Shawn Marion (four points) were quiet throughout, while Matthew Dellavedova made his most significant impact as a distributor (four assists) and on-ball defender (plus-15 in 30 minutes).
Starting center Anderson Varejao was relatively quiet, managing 10 points and six rebounds in 28 minutes.
Chicago Bulls
Derrick Rose: B+
The level of comfort Derrick Rose displayed Friday evening was revelatory for a Bulls team that struggled mightily to score off the dribble last season. Whether he was blowing by defenders on his way to the cup or stopping and popping in the mold of Russell Westbrook, Rose displayed the utmost confidence in his abilities as a primary scorer.
That is, until the second half started.
After racking up 18 points over the game's first 24 minutes, Rose was held in check throughout the third and fourth quarters before disappearing to the locker room with under five minutes remaining.
But regardless of the outcome, it was an encouraging showing for Rose, who recorded a team-high 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting (2-of-6 from three), four assists, four rebounds and just two turnovers in 25 minutes.
Joakim Noah: B
While he may not have functioned as a secondary or even tertiary scorer, Joakim Noah played within the flow of the offense, scoring eight points on 3-of-7 shooting off a variety of cuts below the free-throw line. Noah was also Chicago's most competent rebounder on a night when the Bulls were slaughtered on the glass, hauling in 13 boards while blocking three shots prior to fouling out in the extra session.
A season after operating as Chicago's offensive fulcrum, Noah's duties as a ball-handler, distributor and scorer will understandably be diminished as Rose regains his status as the team's centerpiece.
Pau Gasol: B+
Offensively, Pau Gasol looked comfortable, scoring 15 points (6-of-18 shooting), including eight in the first half. Not only that, but Gasol's interior passing (three assists) was a sight to behold as he continued to develop nice chemistry with Noah and Taj Gibson.
However, Gasol was shredded on the glass continually by Thompson in the first half on a night when the Bulls were out-rebounded, 52-42. While he did wind up compiling nine rebounds, Thompson and Varejao consistently established better position on the blocks when jostling for boards.
The Spaniard also displayed flashes of brilliance as a shot-blocker and finished the night with a game-high six swats.
Taj Gibson: C-
Taj Gibson appeared to suffer a nasty left ankle sprain at the start of the fourth quarter, but as we've grown accustomed to seeing, the team's sixth man displayed some serious grit down the stretch after writhing in pain on the United Center floor.
Overall, final tallies of 10 points and three rebounds left a bit to be desired, especially after Gibson scorched the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on opening night.
Perhaps more noteworthy was Gibson's team-worst plus/minus rating of minus-18.
Rest of Team: A
In 40 minutes, Mike Dunleavy tallied 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting (4-of-7 from three) and a team-high eight assists.
Hinrich, who drew another start in place of the injured Butler, tied a team-high with 20 points on a tidy 7-of-11 shooting, including two clutch threes with under two minutes remaining. With Rose assuming the majority of the ball-handling duties, Hinrich played a more unconventional role as a spot-up shooter.
Elsewhere, Snell was steady, compiling 10 points in 23 minutes off the bench while Brooks continued his strong play, finishing with 11 points and two assists.
Rookies Doug McDermott and Nikola Mirotic were both held scoreless.
Coming Up Next
Cleveland is off until Tuesday when it will square off against the Portland Trail Blazers at 10 p.m. ET while the Bulls will cap off the second night of a back-to-back against the Minnesota Timberwolves Saturday night at 8 p.m. ET.
