GT 82: @ Bobcats / Wed 6:00pm / 4-16-14 -- CSN Chi

[taco_daddy]

vs.

GAME 82: The Grand Finale
@ Bobcats - Wednesday 6:00pm - 4/16/14
CSN-Chicago (Local TV) / ESPN 1000 AM (Radio)

Now that we've come to the grand finale, a tear sheds my eye. There are a few questions that remain to be answered. On Wednesday night, the last day of the 2013-14 NBA regular season, some of those questions will be answered.

Will we be the 3rd or 4th seed? Will we face Brooklyn or Washington in the first round? Will Thibs rest his starting lineup in the last game of the season? What will Noah's final assist avg/total be for the season? Will DJ spazz out and score 30pts. for his newborn son? Will we ever see Jimmer in the lineup again? Just what does Thibs keep in the tape room when no one is around to see?

Message to MJ: As Chicago fans, we can never thank you enough for all you've done to help the Chicago franchise win six championships. Not only have you helped us raise six banners, but you've given us some of the best basketball in NBA history. For that, we're forever grateful. However, we intend to put a beating on your current franchise so bad that they change their names from the Bobcats to the Hornets. You're about to get STUNG!




#4. CHICAGO BULLS (48 - 33)
Probable Starters:
PG: Kirk Hinrich
SG: Jimmy Butler
C: Joakim Noah
PF: Carlos Boozer
SF: Mike Dunleavy, Jr.
Chicago Road Record: 21 - 19
Season Series vs. Charlotte Record: 3 - 0



vs.



#4. CHARLOTTE BOBCATS (42 - 39)
Probable Starters:
PG: Kemba Walker
SG: Gerald Henderson
C: Al Jefferson
PF: Josh McRoberts
SF: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
Charlotte Home Record: 24 - 16
Season Series vs. Chicago Record: 0 - 3



Preview courtesy of Yahoo!Sports: https://sports.yahoo.com/news/bulls-bob ... --nba.html
Charlotte Board Game Thread: viewtopic.php?f=53&t=1315736

Jimmer says:
http://www.nba.com/bulls/video/2014/04/ ... ov-3236718

Good Luck Charm:


Chicago, let's go out with a bang!!!! WOO HOO!!!

[HomoSapien]

Is DJ expected to play or is he on paternity leave?

[taco_daddy]

Is DJ expected to play or is he on paternity leave?

Good question. I'm assuming he will be back. We won't know for sure until later today or probably Wednesday.

[jc23]

this should be a good game, both teams still have something to play for.

[Keller61]

Hypothetically, it might be worth tanking this game for the 19th pick. If we win, we could be picking as low as 21st, depending on coin flips with the Raptors and Dallas/Memphis. I want the 4th seed anyway.

[Indomitable]

Is DJ expected to play or is he on paternity leave?

He carried the babe well

[cubbiefan009]

Damn, Charlotte isn't too bad at home at all. Props to Clifford on a job well done. They can be scary in a couple years.

[SpinninHouse]

We will touch down in Charlotte like a Hurricane - obliterating everything in our path. Fans will be left in tears unconsolable, devastated and shaken to the core, as their franchise gets thoroughly destroyed and humiliated by the Greek Gods of the NBA - the Chicago Bulls.

When the devastation is over, we will triumphantly charter our plane and head back to Chicago victors once again. Good night Charlotte, your time is up.

Bulls 151, Bobcats 53.

Butler 44 points, 44 minutes
Noah 19 points, 14 assists, 18 boards, 8 blocks, 3 steals

[kdapiton]

Hypothetically, it might be worth tanking this game for the 19th pick. If we win, we could be picking as low as 21st, depending on coin flips with the Raptors and Dallas/Memphis. I want the 4th seed anyway.

Wouldn't beating CHA help us with their draft pick anyway?

[CousinOfDeath]

Damn, Charlotte isn't too bad at home at all. Props to Clifford on a job well done. They can be scary in a couple years.

What's gonna happen in a couple years that will make them scary?

I hope DJ takes his time with his newborn child so we get one more game of Jimmer

[Gregnice33]

Hypothetically, it might be worth tanking this game for the 19th pick. If we win, we could be picking as low as 21st, depending on coin flips with the Raptors and Dallas/Memphis. I want the 4th seed anyway.

I'm with this guy, rest all of the starters an let the chips fall where they may.

2 to 3 draft picks higher and avoiding Miami until the ECF is worth a loss.

[dice]

Hypothetically, it might be worth tanking this game for the 19th pick. If we win, we could be picking as low as 21st, depending on coin flips with the Raptors and Dallas/Memphis. I want the 4th seed anyway.

I'm with this guy, rest all of the starters an let the chips fall where they may.

2 to 3 draft picks higher and avoiding Miami until the ECF is worth a loss.

on balance i agree we should rest players (maybe not all starters, given how thin our roster is) and hope washington wins in boston so we retain the 16 pick from charlotte

[ralphisBullsFan]

isn't this game meaningless for the bulls as far as seeding?

correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the bulls last game against the bobcats completely meaningless?.. because if the raptors lose against the knicks, their division opponent, that would tie our division record with theirs at 11-5 and we'd have the better conference record and therefore the tie breaker?...so even if the bulls lose to a non division team the bobcats it won't matter because IF the raptors lose we end up with the same record and the tie breaker...and of course if the raptors beat the knicks it doesn't matter if we beat the bobcats because they'd have the better division record 12-4 and hold the tie breaker as they do now....am I right in assuming this?

[taco_daddy]

isn't this game meaningless for the bulls as far as seeding?

correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the bulls last game against the bobcats completely meaningless?.. because if the raptors lose against the knicks, their division opponent, that would tie our division record with theirs at 11-5 and we'd have the better conference record and therefore the tie breaker?...so even if the bulls lose to a non division team the bobcats it won't matter because IF the raptors lose we end up with the same record and the tie breaker...and of course if the raptors beat the knicks it doesn't matter if we beat the bobcats because they'd have the better division record 12-4 and hold the tie breaker as they do now....am I right in assuming this?

Yes and no. If Toronto loses against NYK and we win against Charlotte we get the #3 slot. So this game still has seeding implications. If Toronto beats NYK, then it is meaningless whether we win or lose this game.

[ralphisBullsFan]

isn't this game meaningless for the bulls as far as seeding?

correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the bulls last game against the bobcats completely meaningless?.. because if the raptors lose against the knicks, their division opponent, that would tie our division record with theirs at 11-5 and we'd have the better conference record and therefore the tie breaker?...so even if the bulls lose to a non division team the bobcats it won't matter because IF the raptors lose we end up with the same record and the tie breaker...and of course if the raptors beat the knicks it doesn't matter if we beat the bobcats because they'd have the better division record 12-4 and hold the tie breaker as they do now....am I right in assuming this?

Yes and no. If Toronto loses against NYK and we win against Charlotte we get the #3 slot. So this game still has seeding implications. If Toronto beats NYK, then it is meaningless whether we win or lose this game.

sorry i'm still not getting it...if the bulls and the raptors BOTH lose..we'd have the same records 48 -34 right?

the knicks are a division opponent for the raptors so if the knicks win the raptors division record would be 11-5 same as our division record...right?

that would mean the tie breaker would come down to conference records and we have a better conference record..Bulls 36-16 raptors 32-19..right?

[ralphisBullsFan]

oh my bad didn't know that if they won the division straight out it was the ultimate tie breaker.

[taco_daddy]

oh my bad didn't know that if they won the division straight out it was the ultimate tie breaker.

That might be correct. I don't know what the tiebreaker is, I just know Toronto holds it. So if we end up with the exact same record, Toronto gets the #3 seed. If we get a better record, then we hold the #3 seed.

[Keller61]

Hypothetically, it might be worth tanking this game for the 19th pick. If we win, we could be picking as low as 21st, depending on coin flips with the Raptors and Dallas/Memphis. I want the 4th seed anyway.

Wouldn't beating CHA help us with their draft pick anyway?

Only if the Wizards lose their last game. If that were to happen, then winning this game would get us the 16th pick from Charlotte, but our pick could then be 19th, 20th, or 21st (equal odds). Losing would guarantee us the 19th pick, and the Charlotte pick would be 50/50 for 16th/17th.

[bad knees]

Unfortunately, it is in the Bulls' best interests to lose tomorrow night. For a lot of reasons (assuming the Nets lose to the Knicks tonight).

The Bulls/Bobs start at 7 EDT. The Nets/Cavs, Raps/Knicks and Wiz/Celtics all start at 8 EDT. So we go first, and everybody will be watching and taking their incentives from what we do.

If the Bulls lose, we are guaranteed the 4th seed.

If the Bobs beat us, then the Wiz must beat the Celtics, or else the Wiz fall to the 7th seed and get the Heat in the first round. So if we lose, the Wiz will be incentivized strongly to win.

If the Bulls lose and get the 4th seed, then the Nets will be incentivized to lose because if they lose and the Wiz win, then the Nets will get the 6th seed, and the Wiz will get the 5th seed. This is good for the Nets because: (1) they avoid us in the first round; (2) they get the Heat in the second round, whom they have swept this season.

So if we lose, there is a very good chance that we will play the Wiz in the first round and the Pacers in the second round. Our dream scenario.

If the Bulls lose, then the Raps game is irrelevant. But if we win, then the Raps could take the 4th seed and all the goodies that go with it by losing.

In addition to all the seeding reasons for the Bulls to lose, we also will benefit in the draft if we lose because we are currently tied with a couple of Western Conference teams, and a loss would help there too. We gain nothing re the Bobs pick if they lose to us, so everything is in favor of us losing to the Bobs.

So, the Bulls really need to lose tomorrow night. Knowing Thibs, however, the Bulls will win, which will likely put them in third place, playing Brooklyn and then the Heat in the playoffs. And with a worse draft pick. This is the double-edged sword that is having Thibs as our coach.

[bearadonisdna]

. Wouldnt be surprised if thibs has been holding some stuff back for the playoffs because i think i saw some offensive sets that the bulls dont normally run in game. Conceivable?

It was like a for a brief moment they ran their A stuff but only for a moment and then went back to their regular season B grade stuff and closed out the game.