Chicago and Indiana are better

[GONYK]

the idea that this roseless bulls team is elite is crazy. what they're doing is nothing new. they always played just as well in the regular season without rose because they out effort everybody. then the playoffs come and everybody plays with effort and a mediocre philly teams beats them easily.

Yea, I don't get it either

[omerome]

the idea that this roseless bulls team is elite is crazy. what they're doing is nothing new. they always played just as well in the regular season without rose because they out effort everybody. then the playoffs come and everybody plays with effort and a mediocre philly teams beats them easily.

It still boggles my mine that Thibs likes to play his starters almost 40 minutes a game.

[mrpoetryNmotion]

the idea that this roseless bulls team is elite is crazy. what they're doing is nothing new. they always played just as well in the regular season without rose because they out effort everybody. then the playoffs come and everybody plays with effort and a mediocre philly teams beats them easily.

Honestly, I've never considered the Bulls (with or without Rose) that formidable of a playoff team. Good regular season team, but I don't see them ever beating the Heat, nor did I see them beating a team like Boston if they had matched up with them again (simply because of their over-reliance on Rose and lack of additional starpower).

That said, the Knicks are questionable (don't play with effort on a consistent manner, play down to opponents, lack of mental fortitude, iso too much, etc.), and it wouldn't surprise me to see a Rose-less Bulls team beat the Knicks in a playoff series. I think the Knicks' mental/strategic issues make them easy to pick off in the playoffs if they don't recover from the way they've been playing as of late. As of this moment, I think a Rose-less Bulls would have a harder time beating the Pacers in a playoff series than the Knicks. But for teams like the Knicks, the regular season is full of peaks and valleys, so hopefully they make some real adjustments and play smarter, harder, and more consistently come playoff time.

[KnicksGod]

the idea that this roseless bulls team is elite is crazy. what they're doing is nothing new. they always played just as well in the regular season without rose because they out effort everybody. then the playoffs come and everybody plays with effort and a mediocre philly teams beats them easily.

Yea, I don't get it either

It's a very fair point. But Knicks wouldn't be able to put away Chicago easily even without Rose. I'd see it as a 6-game series at least, either way, and 7 games seems likely to me. Anyone's series I suppose. But the way they've handled us makes me think they have an edge.

But I think Rose will play. He won't be great but he'll play.

Still, the point about them over-performing in the regular season is on the mark IMO. That's why they don't even miss Rose that much. That team has a strong system that overrides individual talent. Kind of like the way Riley did with us. We'd go full tilt every game during the regular season and then slip come playoff time.

[Knicker23]

Pacers can be a tough team, but don't see them with enough offense to be a real threat. And they don't have the kind of D the Bulls have, at least against the Knicks, so I can't say I'm all that threatened by them.

Bulls defense however is on another level when it comes to Knicks.. they just have our number. And if things remain as is when Rose gets back, they'll be tough.

[Thugger HBC]

the idea that this roseless bulls team is elite is crazy. what they're doing is nothing new. they always played just as well in the regular season without rose because they out effort everybody. then the playoffs come and everybody plays with effort and a mediocre philly teams beats them easily.

Yea, I don't get it either

It's a very fair point. But Knicks wouldn't be able to put away Chicago easily even without Rose. I'd see it as a 6-game series at least, either way, and 7 games seems likely to me. Anyone's series I suppose. But the way they've handled us makes me think they have an edge.

But I think Rose will play. He won't be great but he'll play.

Still, the point about them over-performing in the regular season is on the mark IMO. That's why they don't even miss Rose that much. That team has a strong system that overrides individual talent. Kind of like the way Riley did with us. We'd go full tilt every game during the regular season and then slip come playoff time.

They wouldn't be a ble to just put them away because they are a good team, but i dont think they are better.

By the same logic we are better than Miami and the Spurs, but no one would seriously say that, other tan the Knicks team themselves.

It's all matchups, nothing more, nothing less.

[god shammgod]

i also think rose coming back might hurt them this year. he's gonna put up a bunch of shots and he's not gonna be ready. i don't think he's just gonna blend in and play a role and if he did how would he help them anyway. his strength is recklessly attacking the basket with speed. without that what is he great at ?

[moocow007]

They wouldn't be a ble to just put them away because they are a good team, but i dont think they are better.

By the same logic we are better than Miami and the Spurs, but no one would seriously say that, other tan the Knicks team themselves.

It's all matchups, nothing more, nothing less.

Yeah most of it is matchups. The reason why the Knicks were successful agaisnt the Heat was because they had a size advantage AND had a offensive superstar that the Heat had to expend energy on while also having guys to spread the floor. Carmelo Anthony, for whatever reason, is always a hard cover for Lebron James and he creates problems for the Heat. Against the Bulls, especially with the small ball lineup the Knicks get pummelled inside and the Bulls do IMO much better as a team defensively than the Heat to force the Knicks other players to beat them which TBH the Knicks are not suited to do. The Knicks, as one of the older teams in the NBA, in turn has extremely hard times with teams that can run the full 48 minutes like Houston (creamed pretty much in every game) even though Houston in and of itself is hardly a team likely to do much damage in the playoffs.

[KnicksGod]

i also think rose coming back might hurt them this year. he's gonna put up a bunch of shots and he's not gonna be ready. i don't think he's just gonna blend in and play a role and if he did how would he help them anyway. his strength is recklessly attacking the basket with speed. without that what is he great at ?

The mid-range jumper is pretty automatic for him when they really need it but I don't see it being there this season on a consistent basis. And he can't expect to explode by people this season. That really won't be there. He won't be at an All-Star level this season.

And if he can't blow by people, the mid-range will suffer.

[KnicksGod]

They wouldn't be a ble to just put them away because they are a good team, but i dont think they are better.

By the same logic we are better than Miami and the Spurs, but no one would seriously say that, other tan the Knicks team themselves.

It's all matchups, nothing more, nothing less.

To me that's kind of a yes and no answer. We beat the Heat handily but the way we beat them won't fly come playoff time.

I agree that the Bulls won't be as tough for us to beat come playoff time but the things they did well to beat us three times (actually only two were blowouts) will still make it a big grind for us in the playoffs.

Deng's long arms and their suffocating D over all will make life hard on Melo. Noah's energy is tough for Chandler. Those things are sustainable to a large extent. But even with Rose, I don't think the series will be lopsided. It'll be close and hard fought, and I agree that the Bulls' edges are not as pronounced come playoff time.

Like most things, it will come down to JR and Novak contributing and tightening up the D.

[seren]

I do believe in the individual matchups. We got owned by Chicago three times straight. That says something.

[Thugger HBC]

I do believe in the individual matchups. We got owned by Chicago three times straight. That says something.

Do we own Miami? What does that say?

[seren]

I do believe in the individual matchups. We got owned by Chicago three times straight. That says something.

Do we own Miami? What does that say?

It says a lot. Did I say something in the contrary? I don't think so.

[omerome]

I do believe in the individual matchups. We got owned by Chicago three times straight. That says something.

Do we own Miami? What does that say?

Let's hope we and the Spurs make the NBA Finals. Melo would have miserable offensive games but we would win!

[KnicksGod]

I do believe in the individual matchups. We got owned by Chicago three times straight. That says something.

Well in game one, we didn't have Melo and had a lead at half I think, and a tight game going into the fourth. That's not getting owned. In the second one, we were manhandled for 3.5 quarters but made a kind of a phony run to make the score close. That one was an owning, as was the third one. But really only 2 of 3 were getting owned.

[CoolKids]

we are better then indiana

[Thugger HBC]

They wouldn't be a ble to just put them away because they are a good team, but i dont think they are better.

By the same logic we are better than Miami and the Spurs, but no one would seriously say that, other tan the Knicks team themselves.

It's all matchups, nothing more, nothing less.

To me that's kind of a yes and no answer. We beat the Heat handily but the way we beat them won't fly come playoff time.

I agree that the Bulls won't be as tough for us to beat come playoff time but the things they did well to beat us three times (actually only two were blowouts) will still make it a big grind for us in the playoffs.

Deng's long arms and their suffocating D over all will make life hard on Melo. Noah's energy is tough for Chandler. Those things are sustainable to a large extent. But even with Rose, I don't think the series will be lopsided. It'll be close and hard fought, and I agree that the Bulls' edges are not as pronounced come playoff time.

Like most things, it will come down to JR and Novak contributing and tightening up the D.

We beat the Heat by making shots and keeping our turnovers low, that recipe works in any matchup against Miami.

As far as the other teams, it isn't too much separating any of the others, those games would be close as they should be.

[KnicksGod]

... Knicks were down 2 at half and same at the end of the third, lost the game by 8 and it wasn't that close in the final couple minutes. Didn't have Melo, hung tough and Felton shot them out of it in the fourth (after a good game till that point). That was a close game in the first one in Chicago. They embarrassed the Knicks at MSG twice.

[Thugger HBC]

I do believe in the individual matchups. We got owned by Chicago three times straight. That says something.

Do we own Miami? What does that say?

It says a lot. Did I say something in the contrary? I don't think so.

Just a question....do we own Miami as well?

[KnicksGod]

They wouldn't be a ble to just put them away because they are a good team, but i dont think they are better.

By the same logic we are better than Miami and the Spurs, but no one would seriously say that, other tan the Knicks team themselves.

It's all matchups, nothing more, nothing less.

To me that's kind of a yes and no answer. We beat the Heat handily but the way we beat them won't fly come playoff time.

I agree that the Bulls won't be as tough for us to beat come playoff time but the things they did well to beat us three times (actually only two were blowouts) will still make it a big grind for us in the playoffs.

Deng's long arms and their suffocating D over all will make life hard on Melo. Noah's energy is tough for Chandler. Those things are sustainable to a large extent. But even with Rose, I don't think the series will be lopsided. It'll be close and hard fought, and I agree that the Bulls' edges are not as pronounced come playoff time.

Like most things, it will come down to JR and Novak contributing and tightening up the D.

We beat the Heat by making shots and keeping our turnovers low, that recipe works in any matchup against Miami.

As far as the other teams, it isn't too much separating any of the others, those games would be close as they should be.

I don't think Felton is going to go off against the Heat in the playoffs. I don't think Novak will get his shot off regularly. I just don't see us winning that way. I think we would need Amar'e to be a force and one or both of JR and Novak to get a decently efficient/timely 20+ points total. We'd need Tyson to get into Bosh's head. We'd need Wade to kind of fall off noticeably.