Chicago Bulls: Why Early Struggles Against the Pacers Mean Nothing

The Bulls haven’t played their best, thus far, against an inferior team.

Wake me up when something new happens.

In Chicago Bulls land, it appears that the sky has fallen. The Bulls needed the late game heroics of Derrick Rose to avoid the upset in both games of their opening round series against the regular season warrior Indiana Pacers (37-45).

Many have wondered what’s wrong with the Bulls, as they’ve been playing with poor execution and little effort.

Some have even gone as far as to say that the abilities of Tyler Hansbrough—I’m sorry to insult the word ability by associating it with Hansbrough—have somehow exposed the Bulls for the one man talent show they really are.

Silly people.

The bottom line is that anyone who has sat down and watched just a couple of 2010-11 Chicago Bulls basketball games could tell you that this is a team with the penchant to play down to its competition.

You see, what makes the Bulls so great also has the tendency to make them appear flat out awful.

What the Bulls have that no one else in the league has is Derrick Martell Rose. No matter the score, situation, or opponent, the Bulls believe they can win.

And while that’s led to an abundance in confidence—which has allowed them to defy the odds and finish with the NBA’s top record—it also has led to an annoying formula of success which they have employed against the depths of the NBA.

Open the game flat, coasting through the middle while keeping it relatively close, and then finishing the game on a run from their super star closer.   

Sound familiar?

Whether it was a home opening 21 point comeback win over the Detroit Pistons, or a stretch run flat performance against the New Jersey Nets, the Bulls have proven time and time again that they simply do not have the talent to coast through games and blow out their opponents.

The Bulls aren’t the Miami Heat, who, at times, can roll out of their South Beach hammocks and overwhelm teams with talent.

While the Bulls have a great player in Derrick Rose, they don’t have the offensive ability to overcome a lack of effort. So when the Bulls decide to play without energy, they find themselves in the tightly contested games we’ve seen in this series.

The good news for Bulls fans has been that the Bulls have had a knack for turning up the intensity in marquee match ups. Just ask Miami, San Antonio, and Boston.

So while it hasn’t been pretty, don’t confuse the Bulls' “struggles” with anything of subsistence.