Chicago Bulls: Schedule Breakdown and Predictions for Season's Final 6 Weeks
The final month-and-a-half of the regular season will be interesting for the Chicago Bulls.
Unless you've been living under a rock or just don't follow the NBA at all, you're aware that Derrick Rose
suffered another meniscus injury. Fortunately, the point guard is only expected to miss four to six weeks, according to ESPN's Jon Greenberg.
Chicago can win without the former MVP; it has proven that the past few years. There is still plenty of talent on the roster with the likes of Jimmy Butler, Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson. But the Bulls need Rose in order to win a title.
Can they still claim the Central Division, or will the Cleveland Cavaliers ruin their plans?
The Bulls currently own the Eastern Conference's second-best record at 37-22. While they likely won't catch the surprising Atlanta Hawks for the top spot, keeping the No. 2 seed is certainly possible.
What's a realistic prediction of how the Bulls will fare during the last six weeks of the season?
All stats are from Basketball-Reference.com and accurate as of Feb. 28.
March 8-14
1 of 7
Key Matchup: March 9 vs. Memphis Grizzlies.
We witnessed Pau and Marc Gasol square off against each other in the NBA All-Star Game. The brothers will be at it again when the Grizzlies make their only visit to the Windy City.
Chicago won the first meeting on Dec. 19, as Butler led the way with 31 points. Bulls rookie Nikola Mirotic added 27 and shot an unbelievable 6-of-6 from beyond the arc.
It will be tough, but Pau's team picks up the W in this one.
Other Games: March 8 at San Antonio Spurs, March 11 at Philadelphia 76ers and March 13 at Charlotte Hornets.
San Antonio was smoked by the Bulls 104-81 on Jan. 22. Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili combined for just 17 points. The defending champs will get their revenge, though, down in South Texas.
Look for Chicago to take care of both the Sixers and Hornets on the road.
Record: 3-1
March 15-21
2 of 7
Key Matchup: March 20 vs. Toronto Raptors.
Toronto isn't the perennial lottery club that it used to be. Powered by Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan and sixth man Louis Williams, this team is for real. The Raptors are tied with Chicago for the East's second-best record, and their 104.4 points per game ranks fifth in the league.
The Bulls are 2-0 against the Raptors this season with Rose averaging 24.5 points and shooting 51.5 percent. With D-Rose unavailable, Toronto avoids going 0-3.
Other Games: March 15 at Oklahoma City Thunder, March 18 vs. Indiana Pacers and March 21 at Detroit Pistons.
When Chicago faces the Thunder, we unfortunately won't get to see a Rose-Russell Westbrook duel. And reigning MVP Kevin Durant, who's out with an injury, might not be back in time for this contest.
With or without KD, OKC gets the home victory.
Even though Paul George hasn't logged a single minute, the Pacers have found a way to stay in the playoff race. They'll win this one, while the Pistons fail to get the job done.
Record: 2-2
March 22-28
3 of 7
Key Matchup: March 25 at Toronto Raptors.
Toronto was the previous slide's key matchup, and it will be the same thing this week.
Yes, the Bulls will face the Raptors twice in six days. This time, though, it will be north of the border. Chicago lost the previous matchup, and the team will come up short once again.
Other Games: March 3 vs. Charlotte Hornets and March 28 vs. New York Knicks.
The Bulls just faced the Hornets on Feb. 25. It was the team's first game since the Rose news was revealed. Charlotte didn't going easy on them, winning 98-86. Chicago will get the last laugh this time.
Then there's the good ol' Knickerbockers. Surely, first-year coach Derek Fisher didn't envision his club sporting the association's worst record. "Horrific" might be the best word to describe New York's campaign. Chicago avoids an embarrassing home loss here.
Record: 2-1
March 29-April 4
4 of 7
Key Matchup: April 1 at Milwaukee Bucks.
On Feb. 23, Chicago beat Milwaukee 87-71 despite a 1-of-13 shooting night from Rose. The team got a whopping 41 points off the bench, led by Tony Snell's 20 and Mirotic's 16.
Coach Jason Kidd has done an excellent job, as his Bucks are 32-27 and are in sixth place in the East. That's not bad at all for a team that had the league's worst record a season ago.
Milwaukee is 0-3 against the Bulls this season. Make it 0-4 after this meeting.
Other Game: April 3 vs. Detroit Pistons.
When Brandon Jennings went down with a season-ending Achilles injury, the Pistons could've pressed the "tank" button. However, they never gave up and are still in the playoff hunt.
They picked up Reggie Jackson, who was stuck behind Westbrook in Oklahoma City, and re-acquired Tayshaun Prince at the deadline. With those two pieces added to the likes of Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond, Detroit very well could reach the postseason.
Look for the Pistons to sneak a road win down in Chi-Town.
Record: 1-1
April 5-11
5 of 7
Key Matchup: April 5 at Cleveland Cavaliers.
Not long ago, the Cavaliers were 19-20, not looking at all like a title contender. They've obviously figured it out now, winning 18 of their last 21 games. Even if Rose isn't back yet, this Chicago-Cleveland contest will still be a Central Division showdown. LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and the rest of the crew comes out on top.
Other Games: April 8 at Orlando Magic, April 9 at Miami Heat and April 11 vs. Philadelphia 76ers.
After the Cavs loss, the Bulls head to Florida, playing the Magic and Heat on back-to-back nights. While they'll ease past Orlando, Miami is a different story. Chicago native Dwyane Wade and former Bull Luol Deng will lead the way, as the Bulls go down.
The 76ers could eventually become an elite team—since they possess a smorgasbord of draft picks—but in the meantime, they're not much of a threat to anybody.
Record: 2-2
April 12-18
6 of 7
Key Matchup: April 15 vs. Atlanta Hawks.
Atlanta comes to town for the regular-season finale.
Before the season began, if someone told you the Hawks would own the league's second-best record, would you believe it? You're a liar if you answered yes to that question.
Mike Budenholzer truly deserves Coach of the Year honors. Nobody saw this team—which doesn't include any superstars—to have a year like this. The Hawks do have four All-Stars, though, in Paul Milsap, Al Horford, Jeff Teague and former Bull Kyle Korver.
Look for the Bulls to end the year on a positive note, sending the Hawks home with the L.
Other Game: April 13 at Brooklyn Nets.
Despite a not-so-elite record (24-33), the Nets are eighth in the East right now. We'll see if they can beat out teams like the Pacers and Pistons for the final playoff spot.
Chicago will win this contest. Hopefully Rose is back by then, as the team plays its last road game of the regular season.
Record: 2-0
Recap
7 of 7
Final Record: 12-7
12-7 is a down-to-earth prediction. The Bulls are a worse team without Rose, but they''ll be fine.
Butler has stepped up big time, emerging as the club's leading scorer. Plus, Gasol is having an unbelievable year.
Aaron Brooks has moved into the starting lineup to replace Rose at the point. It remains to be seen how he'll perform for the rest of the year. Starting the past two games, he's averaging nine points and four assists while shooting just 22.2 percent from the field.
Chicago will miss Rose's playmaking. Yet, SB Nation's Jesus Gomez believes the Noah-Gasol passing duo could fill the void:
"While the Bulls' shooting should improve with Brooks and Snell getting more minutes, neither of them nor Hinrich are the playmaker Rose is. Even if he wasn't always efficient while doing it, Rose carried a heavy burden as shot creator that the players who will get his minutes just can't match. Fortunately for Chicago, they have a good plan B: in his absence the team could run its offense through their bigs. Last season, Joakim Noah excelled as a passer, averaging 5.4 assists and the team has added another elite passing big man in Pau Gasol.
"
Again, this should be an interesting month-and-a-half.
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