NBA Playoffs: Defensive Series Versus Bucks Will Help the Chicago Bulls Against Cleveland

By Matthew Price | Apr 26, 2015

Apr 25, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Michael Carter-Williams (5) and Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) reaches for a loose ball in the third quarter in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Bulls are having an extremely physical series against the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. The Bucks, who were ranked second in defensive efficiency this season, have made up for their lack of overall talent by slowing down the Bulls with a combination of hustle, passion, and maybe even a bit of hatred. Watching this series has made several Bulls fans worried for when Chicago plays the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semi-finals, mainly because of the many turnovers and poor decision-making that has been showcased against Milwaukee.

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Has Chicago’s awful turnover rate and playmaking ability guaranteed them a loss in the next round, or is it actually a blessing in disguise?

During the first four games of the series, the Bulls have committed 18.5 turnovers per game, which was capitalized on Saturday when they had a whopping 28. Those 28 turnovers are what really lost the Bulls the game, considering they shot 48.5% from the field and 55.6% from three-point range.

Throughout the regular season, Chicago averaged just 13.2 turnovers a game, which was ninth in the league. On the other hand, the Bucks were ranked first in opponent turnovers, and they forced 16.6 per game. Although the differential between the two isn’t huge, Chicago is one of the better teams in the NBA, and as head coach Tom Thibodeau said, their goal should be at or below 13 turnovers each game.

Milwaukee, by causing so many turnovers and creating havoc each game, has forced Chicago to now become more alert when it comes to making passes and decisions. Derrick Rose, who had eight turnovers on Saturday, will probably be extremely focused on Monday when the Bulls host the Bucks for Game 5 in the United Center. Jimmy Butler and Pau Gasol also combined for nine turnovers in game 4, so they too will try to be more careful with the basketball.

By making everyone on the Bulls more alert and careful, Chicago will be more than ready to go when they face the Cavaliers next round, unless the Bucks become the first team in NBA history to come back from a 3-0 deficit. Cleveland’s team defense is much worse than the Bucks’, and they were ranked 22nd in turnovers forced per game during the season.

When Chicago doesn’t have too many turnovers, they play much better and win much more often. If the Bulls can manage to be aggressive without losing the ball too frequently, it would be extremely beneficial towards the goal of beating the Cavaliers. Turnovers, as shown on Saturday, can be the difference between a win and a loss, and Chicago will need to be playing at their best to defeat Cleveland in a best-of-seven series.

Milwaukee has forced Chicago to focus on turning the ball over less and working harder defensively, and it will help them very much when they face the Cavaliers in the next round. The real questions are: How much will it take? And just how much better will the Bulls need to be with their decision-making to defeat Cleveland?

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