Official playoffs thread. Bulls clinch. -MERGING

[ForLoveofGame]

Yeah we need a healthy Noah and Gibson to patrol the paint and cut off any drives and penetration to the basket. We also need Noah to lock up Lopez and slow him down.

A healthy Bulls team can beat anybody, but that's the concern we aren't really healthy right now.

[GoBlue72391]

I see 43-49 wins and finishing anywhere from 4th-6th in the East. It all depends on how healthy we stay throughout the course of the season. If we avoid any major and/or lingering injuries, I can see us playing above .500 until Derrick's return. We may struggle to score at times, but as long as we play defense and rebound like we have under Thibs we'll have the opportunity to win on any given night.

When Derrick does return we'll have to see how long it takes for him to adjust and how long it takes the team to adjust to him. Hopefully he'll get his legs under him by the playoffs and the team will have meshed by the playoffs. One silver lining in Derrick's injury is that he has the potential to be healthy and have fresh legs heading into the playoffs, depending on when he returns. The past two years he's seemed a little run down by the time the playoffs rolled around. If he's healthy, fresh, and up to speed on his injury and the NBA game by the playoffs, I think that works in our favor.

I think we can still win the championship this season. It will take a lot of luck and all the cards going in our favor, but I really think a fresh, healthy Rose in the playoffs can be a blessing in disguise. At the very least, I don't agree with those who think this will be a "wasted" or "lost" season for the Bulls.

Now for my actual predictions: 46 wins, 5th in the Eastern Conference, lose in the ECF.

Rose: 21 pts, 3 rbds, 7 assts, 43% (plays 28 games, rounds into form by the playoffs)

Hamilton: 13 pts, 2 rbds, 3 assts, 45% (plays 70 games)

Deng: 18 pts, 7 rbds, 3 assts, 47% (all-star, 1st-team all defense)

Boozer: 17 pts, 9 rbds, 1 stls, 51%

Noah: 11 pts, 11 rbds, 2 blks, 53% (2nd-team all defense)

Gibson: 9 pts, 7 rbds, 1.5 blks, 49%

Hinrich: 9 pts, 3 rbds, 7 assts, 44%

Mohammed: 6 pts, 5 rbds, 1 blk, 51%

Bellinelli: 8 pts, 2 rbds, 2 assts, 41%

Butler: 5 pts, 3 rbds, 1 stls, 45%

Robinson: 10 pts, 2 rbds, 4 assts, 43%

Radmanovic: 6 pts, 3 rbds 45% (not in the rotation)

Teague: 3 pts, 1 rbds, 1 assts, 37% (barely plays at all)

http://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=1206170&start=15

[th4d]

Hey does anyone know how many players are allowed to play in each playoff roster? And do you think the question if Rose should get a spot will force Rose to make a decision on coming back in the playoffs or not?

[pylb]

Hey does anyone know how many players are allowed to play in each playoff roster? And do you think the question if Rose should get a spot will force Rose to make a decision on coming back in the playoffs or not?

http://www.nba.com/analysis/00421026.html#2

Each team that qualifies for the NBA Playoffs must submit a list of its players eligible to compete in playoff games on the day following the end of the regular season.

Because there is no Injured List for the NBA Playoffs, each playoff team must designate the 12 players eligible for the playoffs from all of its regular season lists (Active, Injured and Suspended).

A player who is on the Injured, Active or Suspended List at the end of the regular season, but who is not designated for playoff eligibility, need not be waived. He remains on the appropriate regular season list through the NBA Playoffs.

Teams must have at least nine eligible players dressed and able to play in a playoff game. Teams failing to comply are subject to fines.

[Evil_Headband]

^ That link is from 2001. I assume it's 13 players now, right?

[MKG35]

What's up with Noah's ankle? Every time you need him when it matters he seems to be out. Same thing last year. Kinda sucks.

[pylb]

What's up with Noah's ankle? Every time you need him when it matters he seems to be out. Same thing last year. Kinda sucks.

His ankle ? Nothing.

He has Plantar Fasciitis. This is a condition for which the only known cure is months of rest.

[Trm3]

What's up with Noah's ankle? Every time you need him when it matters he seems to be out. Same thing last year. Kinda sucks.

His ankle ? Nothing.

He has Plantar Fasciitis. This is a condition for which the only known cure is months of rest.

Or u tear it like Marques Colston in week 3 of the football season and all the pain goes away. Being a Saints fan..Colston was dealing with Plantar Fasciitis, after he tore it in week 3 he said after it happened that it felt so much better, relieved a lot of pain.

By that account, just tear it already Noah!

[chifan1798]

What's up with Noah's ankle? Every time you need him when it matters he seems to be out. Same thing last year. Kinda sucks.

His ankle ? Nothing.

He has Plantar Fasciitis. This is a condition for which the only known cure is months of rest.

Or u tear it like Marques Colston in week 3 of the football season and all the pain goes away. Being a Saints fan..Colston was dealing with Plantar Fasciitis, after he tore it in week 3 he said after it happened that it felt so much better, relieved a lot of pain.

By that account, just tear it already Noah!

Didn't Pau Gasol tear his, and missed 6-8 weeks this season?

[pylb]

I'm no medical expert, so it's not like I know a lot about PF.

But couldn't the "feeling better" part be due to the rest he gave his foot while recovering from the tear ?

[johnnyvann840]

Didn't Pau Gasol tear his, and missed 6-8 weeks this season?

It's interesting that Pau was bothered by his all year and even part of last year... he tore it, was out for 6 weeks and has now been tearing it up for the last month playing some of his best ball of the last couple seasons. Seems to be pain free now.

Maybe it would be a good thing if Noah just tore his completely, based on Colston and Pau's results.. It if meant him being pain free and feeling that much better in the long run. You would think they should just have a surgical procedure that could tear it intentionally.. if it meant sitting out for 6 weeks and then feeling great and not having to deal with it. If there is one, Noah and Taj should both just have it done after the season ends and come back next year with no PF problems.

[otwok]

Didn't Pau Gasol tear his, and missed 6-8 weeks this season?

It's interesting that Pau was bothered by his all year and even part of last year... he tore it, was out for 6 weeks and has now been tearing it up for the last month playing some of his best ball of the last couple seasons. Seems to be pain free now.

Maybe it would be a good thing if Noah just tore his completely, based on Colston and Pau's results.. It if meant him being pain free and feeling that much better in the long run. You would think they should just have a surgical procedure that could tear it intentionally.. if it meant sitting out for 6 weeks and then feeling great and not having to deal with it. If there is one, Noah and Taj should both just have it done after the season ends and come back next year with no PF problems.

Yea the best case scenerio for Noah is for him to tear his plantar or have it operated it in the offseason. The problem is that he has the issue in both feet which sucks.

[Former Roy]

Yea the best case scenerio for Noah is for him to tear his plantar or have it operated it in the offseason. The problem is that he has the issue in both feet which sucks.

Bulls may have to consider moving him..

[otwok]

Yea the best case scenerio for Noah is for him to tear his plantar or have it operated it in the offseason. The problem is that he has the issue in both feet which sucks.

Bulls may have to consider moving him..

Not really, recovery time is about 8 weeks. he can have the issue fixed on both feet and have it done by next seasons all star game. It's really not that bad.

[Rerisen]

This thread had fine intentions, but is kind of a hodge-podge of Bulls & other team talk, prior to the playoffs being decided. So in the interest of housekeeping, we are now going to separate the Bulls series and other NBA series into these two threads below. Please take playoff talk there.

Bulls vs Nets Series Thread

Rest of the NBA Playoff Talk