Derrick Rose has had to work hard for his points against Pacers rookie Paul George. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
"If you’re like me, you’re a bit surprised about how much trouble the Pacers have given Chicago so far in their first-round series — especially in the way Indiana hung tough in Game 2 on Monday even though one of its top weapons, point guard Darren Collison, missed the entire second half with a sprained ankle."
One emerging narrative after two narrow Chicago victories suggests that the Pacers may have found something of a blueprint to thwart the Bulls. There might be something to at least pick at here.
In Game 1, Indiana scored efficiently against the Bulls’ league-best defense but couldn’t stop Chicago’s middling offense. In Game 2, Indiana reversed things; the Pacers held Chicago to 98 points per 100 possessions, a rate that would have led the league this season, but they could not solve the Bulls’ defense.
The Pacers are clearly doing some things right. That shouldn’t be a total surprise, given the way their personnel matches up against the Bulls. A better team with similar personnel might be able to put together a couple of complete performances and really threaten the Bulls, right?
First, let’s take a look at what Indiana brings to this matchup:
• A long shooting guard who can check Derrick Rose.
That would be the 6-foot-8 Paul George, who did good work hounding Rose into 11-of-25 shooting and six turnovers Monday. It seems strange to congratulate George when Rose went off for 36 points, but Chicago had to work hard to get Rose those points. George’s length took away much of Rose’s bread-and-butter action, including traditional pick-and-rolls with big screeners and those sets that see the Chicago point guard curl up from the baseline, take a screen or two and get the ball on the move at the top of the key. George went under all of those screens, forced Rose to take jumpers and used his long arms to disrupt passing lanes while they were available.
Rose had to score in other ways — by cutting backdoor after an offensive rebound, curling harder than usual on those baseline plays (so that he got the ball inside the foul line in one case), pushing the tempo and running slow late-game pick-and-rolls with Luol Deng to force a Pacers switch.
This is the Bulls’ punishment for starting Keith Bogans (and strangely playing him nearly the entire third quarter in Game 2). Bogans is not an offensive threat, a textbook “hider” on whom the Pacers can stash their point guards. This is why Kyle Korver can be a key factor for the Bulls; other teams can hide their point guards on Korver, but they run the risk of his getting clean looks over shorter defenders.
• Another defender who can check Luol Deng.
If you’re going to use one long wing defender on Rose, you must have another one for Deng, who is an important cog in Chicago’s offense. (Watch how many of Chicago’s offensive rebounds come when Deng curls around a Joakim Noah screen and gets the ball inside, forcing Noah’s guy to abandon Chicago’s glass-eating center.) The Pacers have Danny Granger and Mike Dunleavy to fill this role. Neither is a great defender, but they are quick and long and can at least mirror Deng’s typical cuts and curls.
• A pick-and-pop threat at power forward.
That’s Tyler Hansbrough, who reminded everyone Monday that a mid-range jumper is a fickle thing (he shot 0-for-5 from 10 feet and out in Game 2 after hitting 8-of-11 from that distance in Game 1). But anyone who has watched Chicago at all knows Carlos Boozer is vulnerable to this kind of player.
• A center who demands Noah’s attention.
This is perhaps the least essential element because Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau might want Noah to stay near the rim regardless of matchups. Noah is an elite rebounder, a solid shot-blocker and a skilled helper in small spaces. But he could probably do a better job than Boozer shutting down that pick-and-pop action … if only he didn’t have Roy Hibbert to defend. Hibbert isn’t a great scorer, but Noah’s height (he’s listed as two inches taller than Boozer) makes him a better matchup for the big fella.
So: Assuming Chicago advances past Indiana, do any of its future opponents have this combination of players?
Orlando: The Magic, a possible second-round opponent for the Bulls, have the must-defend center in Dwight Howard, but they come up short on the other elements. None of their core wing players are equipped to guard Rose, and their pick-and-roll game centers on Howard as the screener. Brandon Bass and Ryan Anderson are capable pick-and-pop threats, but they typically get their looks in other ways.
Atlanta: This is mildly intriguing, but perhaps less so now that the Hawks, another potential second-round opponent for Chicago, have a capable defender (the 6-4 Kirk Hinrich) at point guard. Joe Johnson and perhaps even Marvin Williams could at least imitate George’s strategy on Rose while the other could stick with Deng. I’m skeptical that either could be a George-style solution for heavy minutes, though. The Hawks could also opt for a Dwight Howard strategy defending Rose one on one which would mean he gets his typical 30-40 pts but without the assists and double teams.
The Hawks have one the league’s best pick-and-pop threats in Al Horford. But if Atlanta goes with its small starting lineup (as it did in its 2 losses against Chicago this season), Noah could guard Horford, leaving Boozer with the less threatening Josh Smith. The lone win came from playing Pachulia and Collins nearly 36 minutes combined at center.
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http://nba-point-forward.si.com/2011/04 ... lve-bulls/
*added some parts including the D12 strategy. The writer of this was writing from a Bulls fan perspective.
