Playoffs? Ya Kiddin me? Wizards vs. Bulls Game 1 Thread

[pineappleheadindc]

I want to say this on the first page. I anticipate this thread to be long, with a number of Bulls fans visiting.

Welcome Bulls fans. You should know that many of us here hold the Bulls (and the RealGM Bulls board) in high esteem. Hope you're able to hang around here and get great convos going with the guys here.

This will hopefully be a fun series.

Go Wizards!

Pine, I am friendly and financially solvent snd self sufficient. I am beyond kamiana. I know locals well and hangout on all the military locals. Next time you're on island don't be a stranger. We can meet at Starbucks, I'll buy....

Love your thread starter post.

Pine, I hope it's not a sluggish pace. Washington needs to bring speed and utilize superior quality depth.

Wittman IMO needs to let the dogs run and gun. Harrington from three and all kinds of crazy is what the Bulls won't be able to defend.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using RealGM Forums mobile app

Nice post, CCJ. I agree with you about pace. We need to accept a game with 15 turnovers in exchange for a few easy baskets and making it a quick game.

And you're on for the Starbucks.

[jivelikenice]

Chicago is going to try to get us to settle for long 2s and midrange jumpshots. We're goign to have to buy in on defense instead of worrying so much about the offense. If we play D as well and keep the game close, we can take control with a run that's triggered of D and a couple of threes. If we're so focused on offense that we let down defensively, we won't have a chance.

[DCZards]

In my post I mentioned long 2s, lack of foul shot attempts and late game execution as reasons why they aren't a smart team. RIF

And those players you listed score more points with better efficiency than Wall. They don't settle for long 2s nearly as often. Obviously players aren't going to turn it over too much when they shoot long 2s, the exact shots the defense wants them to take.

Yup, the Zards rank near the bottom of the league in terms of FTAs. But they're ahead of San Antonio. That Spurs team must have a lousy coach and a bunch of dummies, huh.

And the Zards rank 8th in the league in assists...ahead of that brillant Bulls team...imagine that.

[ptptpt]

This is where the speech & system comes in. If Witt implores Wall to push the tempo then we win. Fast game tempo and we win. The problem is I could see Witt giving Wall the talk about not doing too much and trying to win the game about himelf which will kill us. Again, you dont have to do that with him because he's pass 1st anyways. Even when he's scoring well, he will still hit the open man 1st. All that speech does is make Wall passive which will play right into the Bulls hands.

Agreed to all accounts there. A slow tempo is gonna play to Chicago's strength since they aren't a good offensive team. A slow game equals time for them to set up defensively. I also agree with what you say about Witt. Just talk strategy to him. I think by now Wall knows what is expected of himself from the coach. Playoffs now is mostly about strategy and execution. Wittman is gonna have to trust that the players know what is expected of them. He just has to make sure that he has good strategies that will work.

2nd is that he will stress to the team to move the ball but the way he does it again makes us passive. We will just be passing the ball around the permiter, no one moving toward the rim, and the Bulls will be pushing us backwards. We wont win like that, especially not wihtout Nene starting. If Witt says move the ball then thats fine but he should tell them to specifically do it like they have the past few games, "with mad tempo". Its not just about moving it. There are 2 ways to do it. Fast & furious like tonight and the last few games. The ball moves but the guys are active, fast tempo, and constant movement.

This should have been done eons ago. Wiz are finally starting to take advantage of backdoor cuts. I agree that there should be ball movement with a purpose. Also another good thing is that Chicago does not cause a lot of turnovers. We should fully take that to our advantage with ball movement.

Other then the tempo the main thing is just all defense & rebounding. You can say that about every team in any series but the fact is the Bulls dont have alot of offensive talent. They struggle to score bad. We can lock them down to the point that even if they are locking us down, we can still be in the game.

Rebounding is one of the places I worry about. They are a good rebounding team. If we get dominated on the boards then its gonna definitely be a short series with us on the short end of the stick. We have a chance if we keep rebounding close but the Wizards also need to get turnovers. Turnovers is paramount for us because it leads to fast break points. Wiz as a team are pretty good at getting turnovers. If they can get a lot of turnovers and keep rebounds close then they have a good chance of winning.

PS- on a side note, if we win this series it will be the best thing ever because what better tuneup in the whole league is there for Indy then Chicago is? They are very similar. Win this and we are ready for Indy. The problem is I could see us playing slow and worried about moving the ball. They lock us down bad and send us home 0-2 before we insert Nene to help but it will be too late. You dont have to start Nene now but you have to play fast. Otherwise their halfcourt D will kill us.

All on Randy though. Randy is gonna have to trust that his players can execute his plan. You don't get to the playoffs without good team play. I don't know if Randy gives them enough credit for that. All I know is, Randy better be ready and if his plan doesn't work, then it should be back to the drawing board. No excuses for lackadaisical play.

If Witt coaches right then we win because all there best players will have a problem with us. Noah is great but Gortat matches up very well and could give him fits. Augustine has been killing everyone but how many backups does he play against as good as Dre? He will meet his match. Alot of people think Gibson is the 6th man of the year but he will also have fits with Nene. Thats there 3 best players and all 3 will be given hell in these matchups

Professor Andre 3000 probably has some tricks up his sleeve for Augustine though I suspect Augustine might win his matchup. I love Gortat but Noah is tall and long. Not a good combo for Gortat. Gortat will get his but will it come from inside or midrange? That is the question. And Nene better not disappoint and whine. The team needs his play.

[TGW]

...I think maybe starting Harrington or gooden might be the best move...they can help with floor spacing much better than Booker would....

Sheesh, what does Trevor Booker have to do to get some respect, I wonder? Last night he scored 20 points in the first half and was one of the main reasons we got a decisive jump early. And you want to start Harrington or Gooden?

You might want to take a look at Book's % on mid-range jumpers, btw. He makes that shot at a pretty high clip.

I actually defend Booker a lot on this board. Especially from those jokers who thought Vesely was a better option.

With that being said, Booker is not the best option if the Wizards want to spread the court. With Booker in there, the Bulls are going to pack the lane even more, and force the Wizards into deep shots. I mean, people blame Wittman because of the deep twos, but I think it has more to do with the personnel than anything else....Booker is not a spread 4. He's an energy guy that rebounds and runs the floor. I don't know how he'll fare against a team like the Bulls.

[mohammed10]

Just to troll a bit more...

[tontoz]

In my post I mentioned long 2s, lack of foul shot attempts and late game execution as reasons why they aren't a smart team. RIF

And those players you listed score more points with better efficiency than Wall. They don't settle for long 2s nearly as often. Obviously players aren't going to turn it over too much when they shoot long 2s, the exact shots the defense wants them to take.

Yup, the Zards rank near the bottom of the league in terms of FTAs. But they're ahead of San Antonio. That Spurs team must have a lousy coach and a bunch of dummies, huh.

And the Zards rank 8th in the league in assists...ahead of that brillant Bulls team...imagine that.

The Wizards have better shooters than the Bulls. If you don't make the shot there is no assist. One of the Bulls main scorers now is a guy they picked up off waivers midseason.

The Spurs are 2nd in the league in TS%. That means they are taking shots they can actually make. Scoring efficiency is the goal on offense, regardless of how you get there.

Not only do the Wizards lead the league in long 2s, they also shoot them poorly. When you consistently take shots you can't make, that isn't Spurs/smart basketball. Niether is poor clock management/shot selection late in games.

[Ruzious]

Of all the people to start the first playoff game thread.

TGW has predicted 34 wins in the predictions thread yet was in such a hurry to start the game thread that the original post had the wrong faces for the Bulls

And "Playoffs? Ya Kiddin me?" in the title ?

Would have been more appropriate if the thread was started by someone that actually predicted over .500 and playoffs than someone who constantly beat up on the team all year.

And he stepped on Pines game thread streak after the Boston win.

Of all the people to criticize someone for poor predictions and posting errors. You and Millie...

Yeah, my predictions are so terrible that I came in 2nd in the draft predictions this off season. Nailed Noel dropping. VO rising. Beal rising and us picking him way before went up to top 3. And likely going to have two of the three top ROTY right. Also said EG wouldn't get fire early. And said they would extend Randy and EG for two years.

That reminds me of the time you posted about what a good game Olapido had because he scored in double figures and had a few rebounds and assists - intentionally leaving out the fact that he had around 9 turnovers - and when I pointed it out, you whined about it being irrelevant. When you're blowing your horn there, you're leaving out all your turnovers. But to you, that's likely the way it's supposed to be.

[Dat2U]

Versus the Bulls this year Wall has been the Wizards best player in all 3 games. He's been 21-38 on 2pt FGs and 23-46 on FGs overall (.500). He's averaged 20.6 ppg, 8.0 asts, 4 rebs & 4 TOs. His avg Game Score has been 17.3 (very good, but short of greatness).

Funny thing is Beal has also shot .500 against the Bulls this year (19-38 FGs) and over .500 on 2pts.

Ariza has struggled against the Bulls going 8-24 on FGs (.333) in 3 games including 2 stinkers.

[Dat2U]

Joakim Noah has averaged 12.6 ppg, 13.3 rebs & 3 asts a game against us.

D.J. Augustin has destroyed us in two games averaging 20.5 in only 25 minutes!

[tontoz]

I expect the Bulls to focus heavily on running guys off the 3 point line. They want to force the Wizards to beat them inside the arc. Ariza is ineffective if he can't shoot spot up 3s.

[jeffsays]

Just to troll a bit more...

troll? I think you meant predicting the future...

[DCZards]

The Wizards have better shooters than the Bulls. If you don't make the shot there is no assist. One of the Bulls main scorers now is a guy they picked up off waivers midseason.

The Spurs are 2nd in the league in TS%. That means they are taking shots they can actually make. Scoring efficiency is the goal on offense, regardless of how you get there.

Not only do the Wizards lead the league in long 2s, they also shoot them poorly. When you consistently take shots you can't make, that isn't Spurs/smart basketball. Niether is poor clock management/shot selection late in games.

Tontoz, I'm going to get off this merry-go-round with you. My point is a simple one---there are other things besides FTAs and long twos that go into determining whether a team/player is smart, such as assists and steals.

Maybe I'll have Professor A. Miller give you a call to 'splain it to you.

btw, the Zards don't lead the league in long twos---Charlotte does.

[Upper Decker]

I expect the Bulls to focus heavily on running guys off the 3 point line. They want to force the Wizards to beat them inside the arc. Ariza is ineffective if he can't shoot spot up 3s.

From what I understand, and correct me if I'm wrong, but the Bulls achilles heel in terms of defense is the three.

I haven't visited this forum in a while, but figured I'd check in since the playoffs are about to start. My one serious concern with this team is during the playoffs star's generally carry their team for long stretches, if not the entire game. Playoffs are much different than regular season. Rotations shrink, each possession becomes more valuable, each play has elaborate designs to get star players in position to succeed, things get chippier. I don't see who is going to carry this team for extended stretches when the opposition takes seemingly everything away. Who is the "I got this guys" player on the team?

I've watched a few games recently and it's not Wall. In half court sets he'll swing it and then hide in the corner. If Wall’s not on fast breaks (which doesn’t happen in the playoffs) he’s not really in attack mode. This is the second most frustrating element of this season. Wall was supposed to make a jump from good to elite, and I think he’s plateaued as a very good second banana. Where is the March-April Wall of 2013? That was an elite player, he was in constant attack mode, now he’s coasting. Very frustrating.

The Bulls are going to rip out the Wizards heart, beat them up, and dare someone to have the mental fortitude to rise up and will the Wizards to a victory. Wall has some dog in him, but when he gets smacked around, typically I see him tuck in his tail and hide rather than rise up. This happens against Irving, Lowry, and Thomas. Nene will sulk most likely sulk and become a non-factor, Gortat will be up against the DPOTY, so by game 3 the team will run that awkward Beal / Gortat ball screen long-2 jump shot play all game (singular most frustrating aspect of this season is Beal's long-2 fetish). I’ll eat crow if the Wizards win, but I see game one being a 77-69 game and Washington never recovers to make it much of a series. I so badly want the Wizards to win because whoever comes out of this series is beating Indiana, this I'm certain of.

[Upper Decker]

The one caveat to Wall not playing in attack mode and just coasting is that Rondo had a tendency to do this during the regular season. However, when he was in a nationally televised game he'd flat out ball. Is it possible that being on National television juices Wall up and he’s in attack mode 24/7? Remains to be seen. All I know is Wall is so physically superior to Hinrich and Augustine that he should dominate, flat out dominate in this series. If he doesn’t it’s squarely on his shoulders and he should get roasted for it. This series should absolutely be the “John Wall has arrived party.”

[montestewart]

Of all the people to criticize someone for poor predictions and posting errors. You and Millie...

Yeah, my predictions are so terrible that I came in 2nd in the draft predictions this off season. Nailed Noel dropping. VO rising. Beal rising and us picking him way before went up to top 3. And likely going to have two of the three top ROTY right. Also said EG wouldn't get fire early. And said they would extend Randy and EG for two years.

That reminds me of the time you posted about what a good game Olapido had because he scored in double figures and had a few rebounds and assists - intentionally leaving out the fact that he had around 9 turnovers - and when I pointed it out, you whined about it being irrelevant. When you're blowing your horn there, you're leaving out all your turnovers. But to you, that's likely the way it's supposed to be.

Guys! Guys! Does it really matter who predicted 34 wins or who was 2nd in draft predictions? Are we not all fans of the same team? Is there not a much more important matter at hand here?
I predicted 44 wins. This is my time!

[mohammed10]

http://espn.go.com/chicago/nba/story/_/ ... cago-bulls

Hmmm...after this article, Washington is a lock

[Dark Faze]

PG's shouldn't ever be first options, so calling Wall a great second bananna isn't a knock against him.

[tontoz]

The Wizards have better shooters than the Bulls. If you don't make the shot there is no assist. One of the Bulls main scorers now is a guy they picked up off waivers midseason.

The Spurs are 2nd in the league in TS%. That means they are taking shots they can actually make. Scoring efficiency is the goal on offense, regardless of how you get there.

Not only do the Wizards lead the league in long 2s, they also shoot them poorly. When you consistently take shots you can't make, that isn't Spurs/smart basketball. Niether is poor clock management/shot selection late in games.

Tontoz, I'm going to get off this merry-go-round with you. My point is a simple one---there are other things besides FTAs and long twos that go into determining whether a team/player is smart, such as assists and steals.

Maybe I'll have Professor A. Miller give you a call to 'splain it to you.

btw, the Zards don't lead the league in long twos---Charlotte does.

That is news to me. Last i heard from Nivek we were in the lead. But being ahead the Cats isn't exactly something to crow about.

Consistently taking shots that you shoot poorly is dumb basketball. There is no getting around that.

And if Ariza didn't have a lot of length and athleticism he wouldn't be getting so many steals. Ditto Wall.

FYI the Bulls are tied with the Wizards in assist ratio.

http://espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/teamst ... ssistRatio

[Upper Decker]

PG's shouldn't ever be first options, so calling Wall a great second bananna isn't a knock against him.

Great, so in terms of this series Washington doesn't have a chance, because there is no one resembling a go to guy on this team, so by default Wall has to be that guy, but he's not.