For today’s post, I am joined by Jay Hall (@BullsZoneJason) of The Bulls Zone. They are also affiliated with the Bulls By The Horns website and have an excellent Chicago Bulls podcast that just reached 100 episodes. Will Miller (@BullsZoneWill) was unable to join us due to a mighty sickness, but you can catch up with Jay and Will by subscribing to their podcast.
Derrick Rose started getting to the free throw line in Game 3. How important do you think getting to the line will be for the Bulls in the rest of this series?
Jay: If Rose wasn’t putting up numbers I would say the level of importance would be much higher than it actually is. He may not be going to the line but scoring almost at will as it is. The only thing it’s causing is for Shumpert or Kyrie to avoid being in foul trouble.
Game 4 LeBron got to the line for just 4 attempts. Kyrie in Game 3 has 2 attempts. So it’s not just Rose.
In Game 3, Nikola Mirotic finally got a decent amount of time on the court and took advantage of it, but he kind of fell flat in Game 4. Do you think Thibs will give him more minutes the rest of the series, and if he does, what adjustments do you think are coming from the Cavaliers to compensate?
The only way Niko continues to get playing time is if Pau misses more time. He’s on a short leash with Thibs and failed to cut off the edge on a lot of screen and roll plays where he needed to stop the ball driving to the basket. That doesn’t set well with Thibs. Especially when you are flat offensively.
In every series, fans will react to calls from the referees and the depleted squads or injuries facing the team they support. Do you think that Kyrie Irving’s “sore foot” was justification for the Cavs loss, zero assists in Game 3?
It definitely was a reason for them not being able to win. Was it justification for the loss? I’m not going to go that far, but it definitely played a part. If he can’t get healthy and the Bulls eliminate Clev, the Kyrie injury will definitely be one of the main reasons the Cavs were unable to advance.
With Pau Gasol out for Game 4 and doubtful for Game 5, do you feel that gives the Cavs an advantage, creates no change, or helps the Bulls?
Pau had one good game this series. It was Game 1. Since he has been pushed around and manhandled down low while being a burden defensively. If he isn’t 100% healthy for Game 5 he will hurt Chicago. I like Gibson getting more time vs this Cavs team instead of Pau.
With the series now tied up at 2-2, do you like the Bulls chances to take the series?
Absolutely. Chicago has the advantage with less injuries and a more talented roster. Game 4 should have resulted in the Bulls going up 3-1. Unfortunately they fail to close out teams when they have them backed against the wall. Something they should fix game 5.
Before the series, did you think it was possible that the Cavaliers would be even thanks in large part to players like J.R. Smith, Tristan Thompson and Matthew Dellavedova?
With Kyrie and LeBron having to shoulder the offensive load with Love out, I felt JR Smith would step up more than he has offensively and Tristan Thompson’s play is of no surprise to me.
Given the many struggles of the Bulls and Cavaliers, do you think the winner of this series can advance to the Finals?
This is the ECF in many NBA fan’s eyes. I will agree with the general public, and it’s not just the Bulls and Cavs that have struggled. The Clippers are the only team in the playoffs right now that is in the drivers seat of their series. Washing and Atlanta right now have just as many question marks as the Bulls and Cavs. As long as the Cavs get healthy in the next round, assuming they move on. However, I think Chicago would have an easier time vs both teams.
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Big thank you to Jay for taking the time to answer some questions. Please go check out their website and podcast or give them a follow on Twitter @TheBullsZone. Also thanks to Will, though he couldn’t join us this time around. Game 5, the loser will be pushed the brink of elimination, I think I know what Jay and Will might say, We Ready.
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