NBA Playoffs 2011: Game 2 Report Card
With Game 2 all wrapped up and the series tied at one game a piece, it is time to analyze the performances of both teams' individual players.
Right off of the bat, we can tell that the Bulls underperformed in nearly every category, blowing a seven point lead in a ten point loss that saw major runs come to a screeching halt, like their 17-6 run in the fourth quarter that was negated by an 12-2 run made by the Heat to close out the game, with nine of those points coming from the mastery of LeBron James.
On the flip side, the Miami Heat had a terrific game, however much of their success can be attributed to their stingy defense, where they successfully shut down the MVP in Derrick Rose and held most of the other Bulls to below average nights.
So, without further ado, let us look at the player ratings for Game 2. I will be listing all relevant players (not just starters). I shall start with the Chicago Bulls and then proceed to the Miami Heat.
Keep in mind, the grades are based off of performances AND expectations before the game (or on any given night really).
Derrick Rose
1 of 13
Stats: 42 MIN, 7-23 FG, 21 PTS, 8 AST, 6 REB, 2 TO
Grade: C+
This might be a bit generous considering the kind of night Rose had. Sure, the eight assists and six rebounds are solid, along with the fact that he did not turn the ball over that much, but Rose took a number of bad shots, forcing them up as if he felt that he was the only chance the team had at coming back.
Sure, his teammates did not help him out much, but nor did he.
Because of Rose's poor shot selection, the Bulls had an edge in offensive rebounding, which unfortunately did not turn into productive points like in Game 1.
Keith Bogans
2 of 13
Stats: 16 MIN, 2-5 FG, 5 PTS, 0 AST, 2 REB, 0 TO
Grade: C
The on-again-off-again Bogans had yet another night were he did not contribute much to the offensive end. However, he did have a semi-solid night defending Wade.
Since he does not play much in the first place, there is not much to say here other than the Bulls probably need to find a more stable starting shooting guard. Should they have let Hinrich go? I'm getting ahead of myself.
Luol Deng
3 of 13
Stats: 46 MIN, 5-15 FG, 13 PTS, 2 AST, 5 REB, 4 TO
Grade: D+
Luol Deng was the biggest disappointment of the night. He let LeBron get the best of him (but then again, LeBron is a beast that is exceptionally hard to stop), he missed shots he normally makes, and to make matters worse, he played for 46 minutes. 46 minutes! Do we want this guy to be injured again? I know he's a workhorse, but give him a break Thibodeau.
"Glue-all", as they call him, has been one of the better players during this postseason, so it was hard to see him struggle mightily during Game 2. It was as if LeBron had his way with him all night, both offensively and defensively.
I expect Deng to bounce back, because if he does not, the Bulls will fall.
Carlos Boozer
4 of 13
Stats: 27 MIN, 3-10 FG, 7 PTS, 2 AST, 8 REB, 2 TO
Grade: D
Carlos Boozer needs to be put on the back of milk cartons again, because he went completely missing during Game 2.
What can I say? He blew the defensive rotations, conceded to Chris Bosh, didn't challenge many shots, and didn't make what he normally makes on the offensive end. If these games are the reason he is the highest paid Bull, I have nary a glimmer of hope for this team.
If the Bulls have hope in this series, then they need their bigs to step up, and it starts with the hulking 29 year old invisible man.
Joakim Noah
5 of 13
Stats: 32 MIN, 4-9 FG, 9 PTS, 1 AST, 8 REB, 1 TO
Grade: C
Joakim provided a spark for the Bulls again, but his tenacity on both ends of the floor was not enough to overcome an under-performing night.
All night he looked a bit tired as did the rest of the Bulls team, which is weird considering the extended break between Games 1 and 2. Nevertheless, he was energetic and tried to produce positive energy throughout the game, but simply could not match up to the new Udonis Haslem.
Joakim Noah has to be a fierce competitor on the boards once more for the Bulls to have a shot at winning the next game.
Bench
6 of 13
Stats: 78 MIN, 7-20 FG, 20 PTS, 2 AST, 12 REB, 1 TO
Grade: C
The Bulls "bench mob" could not pick up the slack of the starters. The defensive unit did well enough, and in the early going they played alright in Rose's stead, but ultimately did not do enough.
Taj Gibson had a good game as did Ronnie Brewer (he had the highest plus/minus rating of any Bulls player), and Omer Asik had a nasty block on Dwyane Wade that had both men bleeding quite profusely. None of this was good enough for the win however, and once more Kyle Korver struggled from the field.
Korver's shooting inaccuracy is one of the main reasons why the Bulls' offense cannot get it going. If he continues with his paltry offensive showing, the Heat might start to lay off of him a bit and focus on players that might be playing well on any particular night.
However, the Bulls as a whole shot poorly from the field, so everyone is accountable for missed shots. There is no reason the Bulls should lose by 10 when they shoot a total of 14 more shots than the opponent.
Overall Bulls Grade: C-
Mike Bibby
7 of 13
Stats: 35 MIN, 1-6 FG, 5 PTS, 4 AST, 2 PTS, 0 TO
Grade: C+
He didn't do much by any stretch of the imagination, but by simply staying out of the way of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, he did his job well.
He had a poor shooting night, but since his primary goal has nothing to do with having an exemplary percentage, Bibby fulfilled his role of the night: to dribble the ball.
And hey, he didn't have any turnovers, so that's a plus, right?
Dwyane Wade
8 of 13
Stats: 40 MIN, 8-16 FG, 24 PTS, 2 AST, 9 REB, 1 TO
Grade: A
On a night where LeBron was asserting dominance, Wade was "quietly" getting 24 points on 50 percent shooting. Best part? The fact that he almost had a double-double.
Wade did not score towards the end of the game like he normally does for the Heat, but this does not mean that he did not fulfill his role. He scored when necessary by attacking the basket, and showed off his spryness when he created an acrobatic lay-up versus Carlos Boozer.
Wade would have been the best man on the floor if LeBron had not simply been much better.
LeBron James
9 of 13
Stats: 46 MIN, 12-21 FG, 29 PTS, 5 AST, 10 REB, 5 TO
Grade: A+
The best player in the world re-emerged during Game 2.
He made a mockery of the Bulls' vaunted defense with his 12-for-21 shooting, and took over the game near the end in the midst of a 17-6 run made by the Bulls.
The stats speak for themselves. He was the best player on the court during Game 2, and there is a reason I did not say arguably.
Chris Bosh
10 of 13
Stats: 42 MIN, 4-8 FG, 10 PTS, 2 AST, 8 REB, 2 TO
Grade: B-
Chris Bosh, the man who everyone has questioned throughout the course of the year, had a solid night despite his statistics.
He was charged on defense, only shot when necessary, and created space because of his improved interior presence. And did I see him dunk on Boozer once? Maybe I'm a game late.
Don't let his lack of points fool you, especially when taking into consideration his minutes played. He fit into the offense and gave LeBron and Dwyane the nights they needed. He did not look lost like Boozer did nor did he look confused by the Bulls' switching.
Udonis Haslem
11 of 13
Stats: 23 MIN, 5-10 FG, 13 PTS, 2 AST, 5 REB, 1 TO
Grade: A
I am putting him here because he played much better than his counterpart, Joel Anthony.
Udonis Haslem was the talk of the night, and for good reason. He played extremely well for someone who missed a majority of the season with an injury, looking energetic while doing so.
He had fastbreak points, a shooting touch, and grabbed offensive rebounds. As a big man on a team with three superstars, what more could you ask for? Well, I'm sure a lot, but this doesn't take away from his performance.
If you ever watch game tape, just look at the impact he had on the game. His resurgence might be a key reason in the Heat's victory.
Bench
12 of 13
Stats: 54 MIN, 2-7 FG, 4 PTS, 3 AST, 11 REB, 6 TO
Grade: D
I added Joel Anthony's numbers into this, so their output was much worse than the actual. Factoring in Udonis Haslem, they were much better.
However, without Haslem, look at what they were able to not do. They couldn't score, they couldn't shoot, could only rebound a little (somehow Mike Miller had seven) and turned the ball over way too much. All in all, they were pathetic.
Th Heat won by 10, but how many games can the Big Three each play 40 minutes? The lack of depth is really surprising, and might come back to haunt them by series' end.
Overall Heat Grade: A-
Final Thoughts
13 of 13
The Chicago Bulls played like they team were last year, with Derrick Rose showing detractors why he should not be the current MVP. No one played very well except for Taj Gibson and Ronnie Brewer, but they are not the game changers Luol Deng or Rose are, so it amounted to little.
The Miami Heat showed the world why they are the best team in the playoffs. Despite the heavy minutes logged by the Big Three, they dismantled the team with the best record in the NBA and dominated after giving up a 17-6 run. They responded to all adversity, promptly silencing critics with their thorough showing. And they didn't even play their best possible game.
Defense is the key word for this series. Two immovable objects are going at it for the chance to have a chance at a title opportunity (there's something weird about that sentence), and he who falters first laughs none. Game 3 will be critical, and it is hard to tell who has the clear advantage.
