The Chicago Bulls were neither deep enough nor talented enough to pose much of a threat to the Cleveland Cavaliers, but they competed. They worked defensively and made things as difficult as they could for LeBron and co., but facing an opponent with so many scoring options and such chemistry ultimately proved to be too much.
Expecting Chicago to be a significant obstacle would be somewhat misguided, given how many of their possessions end in bad shots and how heavily the Bulls are forced to lean on their starting five. Chicago got just 32 total minutes out of their reserves, and those three players totaled 10 points (on 4-of-11 shooting), six rebounds, and two assists. Oh, and their names are Brad Miller, Flip Murray, and Hakim Warrick. Not exactly a Sixth Man candidate among them, and no sure-fire contributions lest you count Flip’s tendency to take over the scoring load for stretches.
By comparison, Cleveland’s reserves score 28 points (11-of-22), grabbed 11 boards, and notched five assists in about 78 total minutes. To make matters worse, that’s without tapping Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Leon Powe, or Daniel Gibson for minutes. The Cavaliers are a veritable army, and their ability to play a number of different lineups with varied strengths is tough for almost any team to counter. Factor in LeBron James as a big part of most of those lineups, and you’ve got a team that looks like a no-brainer for the Conference Finals, at the very least.
I could tell you that Rose was impressive with 31 points on 27 shots but was a play or two away
from glory, that Antawn Jamison has been overlooked entirely in this
series, or that Joakim Noah’s aggressive style got the better of him —
but what’s the point? The outcome of this series isn’t exactly a
surprise, and neither was the outcome of Game 5.
The Cavs weren’t perfect in this game, and they weren’t perfect in the series; Shaq is still working himself back into a groove, LeBron is forcing some things, and their defense could stand to improve. This team, despite their status as a title contender, is not necessarily in tip-top shape for championship-level competition. That’s okay, though, because a second round date with the Boston Celtics should be just what the doctor ordered. There’s enough animosity on both sides that if the Cavs need a wake-up call, they’re sure to get it in the coming games.
The Bulls don’t need a wake-up call. They can snooze until the draft and until free agency, as they’ve made their case as an intriguing free agent destination. Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade should take note of every Derrick Rose floater, every Joakim Noah rebound, every shot that Luol Deng bothered.
Chicago may not be deep now, but they could very well be by next season’s opening tip. The developing talent there is undeniable, and while I can’t imagine a single NBA player declaring their desire to go play for Vinny Del Negro, the prestige of the team and the talent already in place (don’t forget about supplementary pieces like Kirk Hinrich and Taj Gibson, either) could be enough to draw some major upgrades.
