Tall Midget wrote:
Rose didn't look much different in Game 2 than he did in Game 1. If anything, he seemed a little quicker today than he did on Monday. To me, that means the twisted ankle he sustained at the end of Game 1 had no effect on his play today.
In my view, a big part of his problem is that he is overcompensating for his teammates' offensive inadequacies and the evaporation of easy transition points by playing a little too aggressively and making poor decisions with the ball. In light of Boozer's ineffectiveness, the Bulls will continue to struggle offensively because transition points are scarce in the half court-oriented style of play that typically characterizes the playoffs. Without Boozer performing at a high level, Rose is the only Bulls player who can consistently generate his own offense in a low-tempo game. That renders the Bulls quite easy to defend. And to make matters worse, Rose's recent shooting struggles have allowed the Hawks to sag on him defensively, thereby mitigating the effectiveness of his superior driving ability. If Rose can find his shot in Atlanta, the Hawks won't win another game.
I saw differently, I guess, regarding the ankle. I would not, could not say that it had no effect. I saw him taking it easy on D - his teammates were crucial in assisting with this, and on offense, he avoided most lateral quick-twitch type movements. He drove, and got in fast, but it was mostly straight-forward and straight-line stuff, and, as a substitute for his usual side-springing, he instead leaned hard on body and arm/hand adjustments to weave around defenders. Even the announcers pointed it out. Did you see the time he fell down and turned over the ball at halfcourt? that was 100% due to favoring the ankle. He also settled for a LOT more jumpshots and dished slightly more than he would normally - he was about 75-80%. Schuster just called him 80% on Grobber show and said he thinks the ankle is bothering him and that you could tell that he didn't have the elevation - direct quote. I liked how he diagnosed and made the adjustment to his J, though (shooting it a bit harder). Nice brains on Brad!
I am so glad he didn't re-injure it, though.
I think getting Deng going like they did tonight will be critical if they hope to win this series and move on and thrive in the next round. He made a few nice shots off the dribble, and used some glass. You can tell he scrimmages with Pip a lot (as I believe was reported earlier in the season).
Deng, like he has many times this season, was able to be the No. 2 tonight, with Noah not far behind.
Fuck Boozer - he belongs on the bench. The Bulls play much better with Taj out there. The intensity is noticeably higher. Did anyone witness Boozer's disappearing act in teh lane on D numerous times? Why doe Tibbs put up with that shit? Boozer is a liability on O as well, as half the time he is taking low percentage shots and acting like a black hole when he gets the ball - he never kicks out, even in a sure-block situation.
Like the thread I started after hearing the Berns-Goff discussion, I think the problem is more scheme than lack of creative talent on O. I watched, paused and rewound many instances where any NBA player could have easily flashed to an open area, yet nobody made the move. It was the move and recognition of the space that would have put the ball right in the hole - Jack Haley could have dunked that pumpkin. Korver is the only guy I really see hustling to find open spots.
I agree with a lot of what you say about Rose's ankle, but I don't think this is a change from Monday's game. I will say that the reason Rose "settled" for a lot of jumpshots, though, is that Atlanta is frequently daring him to shoot by playing off the ball. You are right that Boozer, in his current state at least, is useless. I don't share your faith in Deng.
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