NBA Playoffs 2011: 5 Adjustments the Chicago Bulls Need to Make Against Hawks
After a disappointing opener by the Chicago Bulls against the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA Playoffs, it's clear that they need to make some changes to compete against the Hawks in Game 2. Most of these things are not major changes, they're just little nuances that could be done better both by the players and Coach Tom Thibodeau.
The most important thing to remember is that the Bulls need to get back to what worked for them during the season. They jumped out to the best record in the league, so there's no need to do anything different. If the Bulls don't show up, they don't show up, but they should never lose a series because they tried to make changes to the best team in the league.
I have confidence that the Bulls will pull through. Watch Game 2 tonight at 8 ET/7 CT on TNT, and follow the game on the Game 2 Live Blog here on Bleacher Report.
Play Ronnie Brewer More
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Ronnie Brewer, as it stands, is the best individual perimeter defender on the team. He has been struggling with a thumb injury, and Coach Thibodeau seems reluctant to put him back into the rotation on a consistent basis. However, the combination of Keith Bogans and Luol Deng was just not enough to keep Joe Johnson under control in Game 1.
We know that Ronnie Brewer is not a great offensive option, and he's even less so with the sprained thumb. However, the Bulls need to play Brewer more so that they do not need to focus the defense more on Johnson. If they put too much attention on Johnson, the rest of the Hawks offense is poised to explode.
Run Plays for Carlos Boozer Early
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The biggest problem that the Bulls have had in the playoffs is that Carlos Boozer has not played well enough to take defensive pressure away from Derrick Rose. As things stand right now, it's the Rose show versus the whole Hawks defense, sans maybe Luol Deng.
Carlos Boozer is a very streaky post player. If he can get some shots to go early, it'll make things easier for him later in the game, and it's important to have Carlos Boozer going late in the game to make things easier on Rose.
The ideal scenario would likely be for Boozer to be the primary option early and conserve Derrick Rose's energy for later in the game when it matters most. If Boozer doesn't get going, the Bulls won't contend, and this is the best way to get Boozer going.
Move the Ball Around
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After averaging over 22 assists per game during the season, the Bulls have dropped to under 20 per game during the playoffs. The biggest detractor from this has been Derrick Rose, whose assists numbers have dropped from almost eight during the season to under seven for the playoffs, despite the ball being in his hands more during the playoffs. The discrepancy is shown with a four percent drop in field goal percentage from the regular season to the playoffs.
Now I'm not saying that I want to take the ball out of Rose's hands, especially late, but we can't expect Rose to do things by himself. The best way to get people going is to split up the shot attempts. Rose averaged about 19 per game during the regular season, but is shooting three more times per game while shooting worse. The team as a whole is also shooting worse because they can never get in a rhythm.
The best way to do things would be for Rose to create and dish more off the dribble, especially early in the game. That way he still has the energy at the end of the game but his team also has their shots going just in case.
Get Big
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After destroying the Indiana Pacers on the boards in Round 1 and having the best rebounding margin in the league during the regular season, the Bulls struggled to even keep pace with the Hawks, a poor rebounding team, during Game 1, finishing down by one in rebounds. The Hawks are not a team that rebounds well, ranking 22nd in the league in regular season rebounding numbers.
Of course there weren't many rebounds to go around because of the hot shooting of the Hawks during Game 1, but losing the rebounding battle by one just isn't going to cut it if the Bulls plan on winning this series. The Bulls big man trifecta coming off the bench needs to combine for more than four rebounds in their limited minutes.
Play the Bench Rotation More
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In Game 1, three of the Bulls' five starters played 39 minutes or more, the only exceptions being Keith Bogans and the injured Carlos Boozer. In the second quarter, the Bulls bench came out for a while and brought the Bulls right back into the game. Playoff teams usually shorten their rotations, but this isn't that kind of team. The Bulls need to get back to what worked during the regular season, and that was not playing Derrick Rose 40 minutes per game.
Specifically, Kyle Korver needs to play more minutes next to Derrick Rose. Korver was the only player on the court with a positive +/- on the Bulls with a +17. The next highest player was Joakim Noah with a 0. The Bulls, especially Derrick Rose, are just that much more dangerous when Kyle Korver is out there spacing the floor.
