Apr 13, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Pau Gasol (16) high fives forward Nikola Mirotic (44) after scoring during the fourth quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Chicago Bulls won 113-86. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
4. Pau Needs To Raise The Bar
In a perfect world Pau would do this every game…
But let’s be honest, those plays are few and far between for Señor Pau and will no doubt be scarcer even more so in the playoffs. Now don’t get me wrong, I love me some Pau, Pau, Pau (I challenge you to find a Bulls fan that doesn’t?), but at times our favourite Spaniard has a tendency to take it easy on some possessions. He often leaves the corralling of the boards to his fellow bigs and fails to box out at times thus allowing opponents to slip past him. I get it; he’s a 34-year-old European seven-footer in his fourteenth year in the league, and so his penchant for doing so is most likely born out of habit, self-preservation and conservation of energy. However, it’s not October, and coasting can’t be tolerated; his foot needs to stay firmly planted on the pedal, and it’s imperative that Pau switches his game into high gear.
Climbing Tal's Hill
After all, he was brought in by the Bulls brass for a sole purpose – to help this team win a title. And the timeline is not next year or the year after, but the time is NOW! His championship pedigree and leadership in the locker room has been a welcome addition but will only go so far, and his actions need to speak louder than words at this junction. Players like Noah and Gibson feed off energy, Mirotic also. Gasol’s teammates need a fired up Pau leading the charge, blocking shots, hitting the boards and (when he can) dunking with authority as exhibited in the Vine above, not the diminished Pau that we often saw complaining to the officials in the Milwaukee series prior to the Game 6 blow out to end all blow outs.
5. Control The Glass
As my colleague Paul Steeno touched on in his pre-playoff analysis of this match up, the Bulls failed to win the battle of the offensive boards in three of their contests with the Cavs this season. It is no coincidence the Bulls lost all three of those games. Mozgov and Tristan Thompson were the Cavs leading offensive windex men in the Boston series, and limiting their activity will require a concerted effort from whoever of the Chicago front line Thibs decides to throw at them. The Bulls are presently the playoff leaders in rebounding (50 per game), and if they can continue to put forth the effort on the glass in Game 1, they will control the game and limit the Cavs ability to get out on the break where James and Irving thrive.
And we all know how that movie usually ends.
So there you have it, agree or disagree with my keys? Let me hear your thoughts on the matter and offer up your five keys to the game in the comments section below.
Next: Chicago Bulls Know How Shorthanded Cleveland Cavaliers Feel
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