The Chicago Bulls had a memorable game against the Miami Heat on Thursday, winning by 10 (96-86) in overtime. The Bulls also had a good game on Tuesday when they got revenge on the Knicks and won by 12 (98-86). What’s their secret? I’d say good defense and their not-so-secret weapon: the Bench Mob.
Without MVP Derrick Rose playing in the Knicks game due to an ankle injury, the rest of the Bulls stepped up their game (as they’ve been doing consistently since Rose has been out) against the Knicks and persevered. Rip Hamiliton (20 points), Luol Deng (19 points) and Kyle Korver (14 points) added greatly on offense, but I personally think the win was due to great defensive contributions from the bench mob like Omer Asik, Taj Gibson and Korver, who had seven rebounds and three steals. Less turnovers were made by the Bulls in this game (12 total and 0 in the fourth quarter) versus the Sunday game against the Knicks (21 total). Long story short: great defense and fewer turnovers were what made the Bulls victorious against the Knicks last Tuesday in my opinion.
Now let’s talk about the Bulls-Heat game—the amazing, awesome, crazy, overtime game. The only bad thing about this game was that Rose came back after his ankle injury with a career low-scoring game of two points (one for 13 shooting). He definitely didn’t help in this game, but he also hasn’t played in 13 games either (he missed 12 straight games because of his groin injury and one against the Knicks on Tuesday because of his ankle). Yes, he is rusty, but I believe he will get back to playing at MVP level soon.
So on to the good things. The Bulls played both great offense and defense against the Heat. Carlos Boozer had a double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds and Deng had 16 points and five rebounds. Who else played well that night? Can you say Bench Mob? It’s no secret the Bulls’ bench players are talented, but they managed to outscore the Heat’s reserves 47-7. The bench clearly made a difference in this game. Korver led with 17 points (five for six from the three-point line) and two assists, Watson with 16 points and nine assists—not to mention a three-pointer in the fourth quarter that forced the game into overtime, and Taj Gibson with 11 points and five rebounds. Ronnie Brewer and Asik played great on the defensive end, especially Asik with his eight rebounds and two blocks (one block against Dwayne Wade, I might add).
And let’s not forget one of the most important members of the Chicago Bulls team: Coach Thibodeau. Without Thibs, each player of the Bulls would not necessarily be at the skill level they are today. His defensive coaching abilities and instructions to improve are what make the Chicago Bulls THE Chicago Bulls. Hats off to Thibs!
Now the big question I keep hearing and reading everywhere is: Are the Chicago Bulls better off without Rose? Let me just say for the record, I can’t believe people are actually asking this question. Rose is the heart and soul of the team. Obviously the Bulls have been playing well without him – no one is denying that. It’s also clear that each player is very skilled, has an assigned role on the team and can pick up the slack when the MVP is out, but to say the Bulls don’t need Rose is just ridiculous. People are very quick to see the flaws in his recent playing rather than remember all the times he has come through for his team. Watson commented on this question on “The Waddle and Silvy Show” yesterday saying, “That’s crazy. He is our best player, he’s our MVP. We can’t get to where we want to get without him.”
We may have beaten big teams like the Knicks and the Heat without Rose, but we have also lost games against teams like the Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers without Rose. Rose is an essential part to the Chicago Bulls. Like Watson said, the Bulls wouldn’t be where they are without him.
People say that the team is better without Rose because everyone else plays better when Rose is out. Role players play their role better, but they also step up when they need to because no one is there to bail them out. However, with that being said, the Bulls have no shot of even making the Finals without Rose. Rose at 100% while everyone else is at 90% is a much better team than the Bulls when everyone else is at 100% and Rose is at 0. Sadly, Rose is the only consistent offensive weapon (it took him almost 4 years and a 2 week layoff to end up with only 2 points in a game), even if looks like other people are stepping up. I for one haven't forgotten how Boozer and Korver disappeared last year in the playoffs and how Deng failed to fill the number 2 option last year. Hopefully, come playoff time, no one will remember why they didn't want Rose on the floor.
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