PG -Our mantra... next season!

[BullsInBuffalo]

Lol, derrick was certainly NOT faking an injury. For christ sake people...

No doubt he gets better next year. The more he plays the better he will become.

MDJ is definitley not one of the guys you can crap on this post season. Noah, niko, snell, brooks? Those guys sucked.

[TimRobbins]

If his best attribute is that he is letting them win on talent vs an overrated Bulls team that is a pretty lukewarm endorsement.

The whole offense is Lebron's impact plus a little bit of Kyrie. They threw out Blatt's offense in presesason.

JR Smith was friends with LeBron before the trade, LBJ is the guy that told him to shape up and play his role, I don't think he could give a flying you know what about Blatt.

If Blatt and JR were in NY together, JR would be the same crazy chucker he's always been. I don't think the CLE beat writers are lying when they said he had little respect in the locker room to start the year, and most of the players didn't trust this guy much that had never coached in the NBA. While Tyronn Lue is up advising him on clock and timeout management.

But just laying back and 'letting them play' would not work for the Bulls. This team is not as talented as was made out and needs all kinds of help getting most of these players in positions to do well, as well as finding rotation answers among a lot of bad choices.

There are no hard rotation choices on Cleveland, they are even more thin without Love. It's clear Miller and Marion suck anymore, James Jones is a one dimensional spot minute gunner and JR and Iman are your main wings. Most of the big shots they have hit have either been wide open off LeBron and swinging the ball, or them going 1v1 on their own and hitting tough contested stuff over our soft perimeter D.

Dunleavy and Kirk, and Snell cannot do that, Blatt would have to design some elite level offense to make those guys good and we can't judge him on that yet because they aren't running much offense at all, but NBA basics and relying on their superstars.

The Bulls could be over-rated, but I'm not going to discount what Blatt has done is this series. He's clearly out-coaching Thibs IMO. They had 5 players in double figures, so they d o have a little more than Lebron an Kyrie on offense.

It's easy to simply take away all the credit from anybody who coaches Lebron since that's the narrative in the media, but we've seen a better Lebron fail with more talent around him. I really don't pay attention to the Windhorst etc. stories. I just call what I see on the court.

He adjusted his offense after he realized what he planned wouldn't work. How is that bad? The basic offense is what works for that team.

If you want to give all the credit for JR, Shumpert, Thompson and Mosgov to Lebron, that's fine. In that case, Lebron should be COY. I don't buy it.

[WinCity]

Honestly tonight he looked like a guy who REALLY wants to win. I have seen more emotion from him on the sidelines and in interviews in the last two games than I have the last 4 years.

I think he knows he is done and I think he wants to keep his job.

Don't get me wrong, I place more blame on the players than I do Thibs. That said, if he can't beat Cleveland without Love and a one-footed Irving, to hell with him. Bring in someone new.

I mean honestly, what could it hurt?

I certainly won't cry when he's gone. I'm just disputing this notion that he doesn't care what happens. He cares a lot.

Honestly, from pretty early on it felt to me like Thibs had a chip on his shoulder. He waited 20 years to get his shot at the HC chair and he was going to do whatever it took to keep it. He isnt dumb, he knew riding these guys as hard as he did was going to wear them out, and we consistently saw our guys reach the playoffs injured and or dog tired due to heavy regular season minutes. To me Thibs obsession with wining every game, and his myopic view about players minutes was as much about keeping this job with CHI as it was with ensuring he could get another job. Coaches that win find work. Thibs will probably catch on with some team with a young roster that has something to prove, like ORL, but he isnt the kind of coach you turn over a veteran roster too.

[jacoby1us]

Freaking Dunleavy Jr was a beast, our inability to run plays through him on a consistent basis bewilders me. I would like to apologize to MDJ as he definitely proved me wrong this post season. He showed up every time he was given the opportunity to play.

[jacoby1us]

It is not hard to outcoach Thibs, Blatt is simply using his resources. His organization actually prepared him for a deep post season run with a lot of weapons in his possession. The Cavs could possibly have the deepest roster in the Eastern Conference.

[Greatness]

I know you guys are really down on Thibs coaching this series. Just wondering, what exactly is he doing that's hurting the team?

[Rerisen]

The Bulls could be over-rated, but I'm not going to discount what Blatt has done is this series. He's clearly out-coaching Thibs IMO. They had 5 players in double figures, so they d o have a little more than Lebron an Kyrie on offense.

It's easy to simply take away all the credit from anybody who coaches Lebron since that's the narrative in the media, but we've seen a better Lebron fail with more talent around him. I really don't pay attention to the Windhorst etc. stories. I just call what I see on the court.

He adjusted his offense after he realized what he planned wouldn't work. How is that bad? The basic offense is what works for that team.

If you want to give all the credit for JR, Shumpert, Thompson and Mosgov to Lebron, that's fine. In that case, Lebron should be COY. I don't buy it.

If Blatt is winning its more by default of Thibs not figuring out adjustments himself than Blatt making them.

I think Thibs is a slave to his gameplan and percentages.

But you cannot take everything away from Cleveland. Early in the series we took away LeBron and Kryie both being efficient. The plan was to make questionable shooters like Shumpert make shots, or even put those guys in iso situations, but they have just amazingly performed great. Who could predict Shumperts shooting, or that him, and Jr are going to bury the majority of their off the dribble pull ups, most of the time those are low percentage shots. And even JR, who can make them, will go through a dumb shot spell where he misses a bunch. This series he hasn't.

In Game 4 we shot horrible on uncontested shots, Mike and Niko mostly, and that was the difference in the game.

[Rerisen]

I know you guys are really down on Thibs coaching this series. Just wondering, what exactly is he doing that's hurting the team?

Not playing E'twaun Moore and Tony Snell enough apparently.

During the dynasty years I don't ever recall the biggest issue on the team being Jud Bucheler vs Randy Brown minutes.

But that's what we resorted to for excuses for our top 6 or 7.

[WinCity]

If his best attribute is that he is letting them win on talent vs an overrated Bulls team that is a pretty lukewarm endorsement.

The whole offense is Lebron's impact plus a little bit of Kyrie. They threw out Blatt's offense in presesason.

JR Smith was friends with LeBron before the trade, LBJ is the guy that told him to shape up and play his role, I don't think he could give a flying you know what about Blatt.

If Blatt and JR were in NY together, JR would be the same crazy chucker he's always been. I don't think the CLE beat writers are lying when they said he had little respect in the locker room to start the year, and most of the players didn't trust this guy much that had never coached in the NBA. While Tyronn Lue is up advising him on clock and timeout management.

But just laying back and 'letting them play' would not work for the Bulls. This team is not as talented as was made out and needs all kinds of help getting most of these players in positions to do well, as well as finding rotation answers among a lot of bad choices.

There are no hard rotation choices on Cleveland, they are even more thin without Love. It's clear Miller and Marion suck anymore, James Jones is a one dimensional spot minute gunner and JR and Iman are your main wings. Most of the big shots they have hit have either been wide open off LeBron and swinging the ball, or them going 1v1 on their own and hitting tough contested stuff over our soft perimeter D.

Dunleavy and Kirk, and Snell cannot do that, Blatt would have to design some elite level offense to make those guys good and we can't judge him on that yet because they aren't running much offense at all, but NBA basics and relying on their superstars.

The Bulls could be over-rated, but I'm not going to discount what Blatt has done is this series. He's clearly out-coaching Thibs IMO. They had 5 players in double figures, so they d o have a little more than Lebron an Kyrie on offense.

It's easy to simply take away all the credit from anybody who coaches Lebron since that's the narrative in the media, but we've seen a better Lebron fail with more talent around him. I really don't pay attention to the Windhorst etc. stories. I just call what I see on the court.

He adjusted his offense after he realized what he planned wouldn't work. How is that bad? The basic offense is what works for that team.

If you want to give all the credit for JR, Shumpert, Thompson and Mosgov to Lebron, that's fine. In that case, Lebron should be COY. I don't buy it.

He has made some adjustments but lets not overlook his big errors.

-Starting Miller in game 1 likely cost them that game
-The timeout
-Calling a last second play with James as inbounder instead of shooter

Also, he has the benefit of having the best player on the floor, 2 young healthy capable bigs who know their roles and fill them well and a nice collection of shooters. He is running a very simple offense focused on high usage of James. Good call in this case but hardly "genius".

I dont think he is a good coach, and wouldn't take him to replace Thibs (who I want gone).

[DanTown8587]

All the props for Cavs FO!!!

Mozgov, Smith, Shumpert, Perkins out of nothing....

***
Meanwhile, we didn't even try!

Mozgov is a bum, Smith a chucker, and Iman can't shoot. That is what was said in the Around the NBA thread.

Oh, and mid-season trades never work.

The Cavs traded minutes going from Dion Waiters, Brendan Haywood, and Mike Miller to Mozgov, Smith, and Shumpert; that clearly works. Mozgov has history in a Blatt system; JR was asked to just chuck when ready; Shumpert is shooting .500 on primarily jumpers in five games.

Let's look at literally every other mid season trade

- Rajon Rondo imploded in Dallas to the point he was asked not to show up
- Jeff Green has a PER of 8.2 in the playoffs
- Aaron Afflalo had a PER of 8.2 in Portland then followed by 2-12 in 60 minutes in the playoffs

Yes, mid-season trades rarely work, especially if you're trading away rotation players. You keep championing trades that either were massive overpays or not possible. YAY!

[WestsideResider]

I know you guys are really down on Thibs coaching this series. Just wondering, what exactly is he doing that's hurting the team?

Continuing to give Aaron Brooks meaningful minutes.

[BullsInBuffalo]

I know you guys are really down on Thibs coaching this series. Just wondering, what exactly is he doing that's hurting the team?

For me (who has Ben a thibs supporter from day 1) I just feel like the ceiling has been hit. He has a ton of talent on this roster. Cleveland is very beey banged up. Still can't get it done.

I'm not saying Hoiberg or anyone else would for sure be better, but we need new faces and energy if we can't win these next two.

[DanTown8587]

I know you guys are really down on Thibs coaching this series. Just wondering, what exactly is he doing that's hurting the team?

- Sticking with Noah too long
- Sticking with too many poor offensive rotations
- Refusing to remove guys (Brooks) who cannot help you this series
- Inability to correctly set up an offense
- No ability to game plan and make Kyrie defend when hobbled

[Rerisen]

All the props for Cavs FO!!!

Mozgov, Smith, Shumpert, Perkins out of nothing....

***
Meanwhile, we didn't even try!

Mozgov is a bum, Smith a chucker, and Iman can't shoot. That is what was said in the Around the NBA thread.

Oh, and mid-season trades never work.

The Cavs traded minutes going from Dion Waiters, Brendan Haywood, and Mike Miller to Mozgov, Smith, and Shumpert; that clearly works. Mozgov has history in a Blatt system; JR was asked to just chuck when ready; Shumpert is shooting .500 on primarily jumpers in five games.

Let's look at literally every other mid season trade

- Rajon Rondo imploded in Dallas to the point he was asked not to show up
- Jeff Green has a PER of 8.2 in the playoffs
- Aaron Afflalo had a PER of 8.2 in Portland then followed by 2-12 in 60 minutes in the playoffs

Yes, mid-season trades rarely work, especially if you're trading away rotation players. You keep championing trades that either were massive overpays or not possible. YAY!

So we agree they can work, and one's going to decide this series.

If mid-season trades don't work, then they don't work any more than depending on rookies in the playoffs don't work.

And that's really where what hurt our depth, so that we even needed to contemplate a mid-season trade.

[TimRobbins]

If Blatt is winning its more by default of Thibs not figuring out adjustments himself than Blatt making them.

I think Thibs is a slave to his gameplan and percentages.

But you cannot take everything away from Cleveland. Early in the series we took away LeBron and Kryie both being efficient. The plan was to make questionable shooters like Shumpert make shots, or even put those guys in iso situations, but they have just amazingly performed great. Who could predict Shumperts shooting, or that him, and Jr are going to bury the majority of their off the dribble pull ups, most of the time those are low percentage shots. And even JR, who can make them, will go through a dumb shot spell where he misses a bunch. This series he hasn't.

In Game 4 we shot horrible on uncontested shots, Mike and Niko mostly, and that was the difference in the game.

so you agree Blatt has out-coached Thibs?

Look, I think we can defnitely agree that Blatt's role players are playing the best basketball of their respective careers. I'm talking about guys like Smith, Shumpert, Thompson, Mosgov and even that scrub Delevadova. There's no argument here, right?

The question is who gets the credit for this? I say Blatt has to get some credit, and if I understand you correctly, you're saying it's a combination of Lebron and luck, right?

[unknownnewbie]

So has everybody just given up on this series? Because I haven't seen anything that suggests the Bulls can't win Games 6 & 7. Cleveland led by 17 pts in the 4th qtr tonight, yet Chicago still had several chances in the final minute to win the game. The Bulls should have won Game 4. The Bulls DID win Games 1 & 3. The only game that Chicago didn't have a chance in was Game 2.

So why exactly should we suddenly think that the Bulls can't win the next 2 games? Especially if Gasol can play. Sure, it's more likely that the Cavs will win this series, but they haven't played nearly well enough to guarantee anything.

[kingkirk]

The Cavs traded minutes going from Dion Waiters, Brendan Haywood, and Mike Miller to Mozgov, Smith, and Shumpert; that clearly works. Mozgov has history in a Blatt system; JR was asked to just chuck when ready; Shumpert is shooting .500 on primarily jumpers in five games.

Let's look at literally every other mid season trade

- Rajon Rondo imploded in Dallas to the point he was asked not to show up
- Jeff Green has a PER of 8.2 in the playoffs
- Aaron Afflalo had a PER of 8.2 in Portland then followed by 2-12 in 60 minutes in the playoffs

Yes, mid-season trades rarely work, especially if you're trading away rotation players. You keep championing trades that either were massive overpays or not possible. YAY!

Someone show me a trade that was available to the Bulls that allowed us to move a bad contract and a cancer along with a 1st round pick in order to receive 3 rotational guys.

The Cavs got a home run trade because Phil Jackson is a clown of a GM.

Anyone using that trade as example A of why making in season trades works, it's madness. As you noted, it's far more likely that it doesn't work. Integrating pieces into rotations, offensive & defensive schemes with little to no practices, it rarely ends well, especially when bringing in average players. Not sure why people assume a rigid coach like Thibodeau could have made it work, anyway.

[Tenchi Ryu]

Shout out to the bulls fam in the crowd when Taj got ejected. Someone threw something at Taj and Taj walked up to the stands but dude was like don't worry bro, don't get in trouble. Then he put a middle finger up at whoever threw the bottle lol.

[DanTown8587]

[
So we agree they can work, and one's going to decide this series.

If mid-season trades don't work, then they don't work any more than depending on rookies in the playoffs don't work.

And that's really where what hurt our depth, so that we even needed to contemplate a mid-season trade.

If you had a trade where you upgraded the roster then it works. Afflalo/Martin for Dunleavy wasn't that. Dunleavy has given you 14/16/19 points in three of the games this series; could you reasonably expect Martin to out perform that? Sure he's had two bad games but the likelyhood is so would Martin if asked to play a backup role/third-fourth option on this team.

I just don't get the "see, told ya" of the roster construction of this team. It's YEAR ONE of a team built through cap space; those teams have obvious holes. Add to it, Noah has massively declined and Derrick eats cap space that he's unworthy of.

People wanted to go after Melo and this is the cost of that type of rebuild and when you give out contracts to guys like Hinrich, it really hurts.

[ImSlower]

Oh man, the Wizards might come out of the east this year? Sigh. I want a fast forward button.