Pippen Ain't Easy
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Upcoming Road trip could be Turning Point for Bulls

By Jacob Iden

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As the Chicago Bulls embark on a grueling six game road trip, the team is at a crossroad. They are already 8 and half games behind the first place Atlanta Hawks and they are losing ground on the Wizards and Raptors. Also the Cavaliers, winners of six in a row, are trailing the Bulls by only 3 and half games. With the All-Star game fast approaching and the midway point already behind them, it is time for the Bulls to start their ascension up the standings or they could be facing the possibility of not having home court advantage for their first round playoff matchup, something that was implausible coming into this season.

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Inconsistency has plagued the Bulls this season, as their performances have been sporadic and unconvincing. This is the worst defense the Bulls have played under Thibs and offensively they have been overrated. They are outside of the top 10 in scoring offense and defensive, hardly a hallmark of a championship contending team. Frankly the Bulls are a damn enigma right now and need to start improving fast, because the window to win a championship can be so small and the Bulls have a fantastic opportunity this year. Their road to capitalizing on this opportunity begins with this six game road trip.

What I want to see from the Bulls offensively, is to attack the basket relentlessly right at the start of games and jump on their opponents. Much has been made about the fact that Derrick Rose averages more three point attempts per game then free throws and that is definitely not good news for the Bulls. It’s obvious the Bulls are at their best when Rose is attacking at full throttle towards the basket. Not only does it open up shots for him and his teammates, it also gives their outstanding, front court offensive rebounders an advantage because their defenders are forced to rotate to try and defend Rose.

Against the Heat on Sunday the Bulls were so easy to defend, settling for mid range jump shots and playing right into the hands of their opponents. There has been a lot of buzz this season about the improvements in the Bulls’ offense, but I think their stellar play was more down to the outstanding  play of Jimmy Butler and Paul Gasol, rather than this team really transferring into a great offense. Right now this team is a good offense and have a ways to go, if they are to truly become great.

While their offense, although not a finished product, has shown flashes of brilliance, their defense is no where near the standard a Chicago Bulls team is supposed to be. To put it into perspective, the Bulls are giving up 99.2 points per game, while the much scrutinized Cavaliers are giving up 100.0 points per game. That doesn’t even take into account the frantic pace the Cavs prefer to play at. The injuries in the team have hurt a bit and new additions Mirotic, Gasol and Aaron Brooks are no defensive stalwarts but any team coached by Thibs should be a top 10 defense. Yet right now this defense looks nothing like a Thibodeau defense. Their pick and roll defense is getting carved apart, and their rotations aren’t very good. While there are some x and o’s issues with the Bulls, the main issue is effort. Derrick Rose called the team out for it and they reacted for two games, but reverted back to their old ways against Miami. Hopefully the Heat game was just a fluke and the Bulls are really ready to be one of the best defenses in the league again.

Time is on the Bulls side, but not for much longer as playoff seeding races are beginning to heat up and the Bulls cannot afford to slip much farther. This road trip is a big moment in the season and hopefully the Bulls can take advantage and find some consistency. It starts with effort and playing in attack mode. I am hoping and praying that this a turning point in the season for the Bulls and hopefully we will remember this upcoming stretch of games in June, when they bring that elusive championship back to Chicago.

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