The Chicago Bulls had a 2-0 series over the Boston Celtics. Now, it’s 2-2. What’s going on with the Bulls and why does it appear their season’s ending soon?
After Game 2 in their series with the Boston Celtics, the Chicago Bulls appeared to be well on their way towards becoming the sixth team in league history to win a series as the No. 8 seed in the first round.
Then, an injury to a key starter, followed by poor performances from that starter’s backup, a 7-for-21 shooting performance from the franchise’s centerpiece, a lack of dominance on the glass and getting outcoached have the Bulls back in an even series with the East’s top seed with no solutions in sight.
What happened to the Bulls that jumped out to a 2-0 series lead? We’ll take a look a few different things that have swung in this series for the Bulls in the wrong direction, starting with the elephant in the room.
Let’s state the obvious: Losing Rajon Rondo hurt
Rajon Rondo‘s 2016-17 season with the Bulls is well-documented to this point. His performance was so poor to the point where he completely fell out of the rotation. He was suspended a game for an altercation with Bulls assistant coach Jim Boylen.
And then, out of nowhere seemingly, Rondo morphed into this superficial being known as Playoff Rajon Rondo and could not be stopped by the top seed in the East in Games 1 and 2. Rondo averaged 11.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 10.0 assists and 3.5 steals per game in the first two games and the Bulls had a net rating of +14.5, which is pretty good.
Then, the collision with Al Horford in third quarter of Game 2 changed everything for Rondo and the Bulls. Rondo was diagnosed with a small fracture in his right thumb and hasn’t played since Game 2. It’s no coincidence the Bulls haven’t won a game since, especially with how bad his backups have performed in his absence.
In the two games Rondo has missed, Jerian Grant and Michael Carter-Williams combined to score eight points, five rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block. That’s honestly it.
Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg resorted to play Isaiah Canaan for 34 minutes in Game 4 and he’s actually starting him in Game 5. That’s how bad the Bulls’ point guard situation has been.
(To be fair to Canaan, he actually did a solid job in Game 4, scoring 13 points with three assists and two steals and played some fair defense on Isaiah Thomas. Not bad for a guy that played more minutes this past Sunday than he did in all of the games after the All-Star break.)
Brad Stevens adjusted by going smaller
Did anybody run to Vegas and put money down on this: “Gerald Green, Boston Celtics savior and MVP of the first round?”
OK, that might be a little dramatic, but Green’s insertion into the starting lineup from Brad Stevens changed the series. With Green on the floor, Boston could spread the floor further with Thomas running the show, three shooters and a big in Al Horford that can score from the perimeter, too.
As good as Robin Lopez has been in this series, his impact was nonexistent in Game 3 because not only of the high pick-and-roll from the C’s pulling him from the basket, but the Celtics doing a better job collectively on the window. Lopez grabbed some big boards in that third quarter run the Bulls went on in Game 4, but Hoiberg left Lopez on the pine for the latter portion of the contest when his team probably could’ve used his production.
In the first two games, Boston put up these numbers.
| Celtics in first two games | Offensive rating | Defensive rating | 3-point makes and attempts | eFG% (Effective Field Goal Percentage) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | 110.0 | 114.3 | 14/38 (36.8%) | .512 |
| Game 2 | 105.6 | 120.9 | 10/33 (30.3%) | .524 |
Now, here’s those same numbers with Stevens inserting Green into the starting lineup.
| Celtics in Games 3 and 4 | Offensive Rating | Defensive Rating | 3-point makes and attempts | eFG% (Effective Field Goal Percentage) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 3 | 114.3 | 95.6 | 17/37 (45.9%) | .576 |
| Game 4 | 115.6 | 105.6 | 10/37 (27%) | .531 |
Obviously, the two noticeable things are the Bulls not being as effective offensively (in Rondo’s absence) and the hot shooting in Game 3 from Boston, but even with their poor shooting in Game 4, guess who hit four of Boston’s 10 makes from deep?
You got it, the guy that once blew out a cupcake sitting on the heel of the rim and won a dunk contest 10 years ago.
As for Hoiberg, he’s still searching for an answer at point guard and wondering why pundits are scratching their heads looking at him criticizing Isaiah Thomas for something every guard in the NBA gets away with each game.
Where’s the help for Butler/Lopez?
It’s no secret that Jimmy Butler and Robin Lopez have been the Bulls’ two best players in these first four games.
Butler has been the Bulls’ MVP all season long and things haven’t changed in the playoffs. He missed 14 of 21 shot attempts in Game 3 and looked completely out of it, but bounced back and carried the Bulls throughout the night in Game 4, shooting more free throws (23) than the Celtics attempts as a team (22) after not shooting a single free throw in Game 3.
Lopez completely wrecked the C’s in Games 1 and 2 on the glass, but with the Celtics going smaller, his impact has been diminished in the series by Stevens’ lineup adjustment.
Still, these two need help and haven’t gotten it in this series.
Let’s look at a couple other important Bulls in this series:
- Dwyane Wade: Shot 11-for-30 from the field in Games 3 and 4, shooting 41.4 percent in the series, made Shaqtin’ a Fool a couple different times for misses at the rim and is shooting 36.4 percent at the rim in 22 attempts. Plus, his defense is a trainwreck.
- Nikola Mirotic: Shot 7-for-18 from the field in Games 3 and 4, shooting 32.5 percent from the field, 26.9 percent from 3-point land for the series. Why should the Bulls pay him this summer again?
- We’ve already hit the revolving door at point guard, but who would’ve thought Rajon Rondo being out would be such a big deal four months ago?
Can the Bulls turn it around?
That’s the big question. Can the Bulls steal another one in Boston and fend off elimination at home in Game 6 to force another Game 7 against the Celtics in the first round?
The answer probably isn’t going to be something Bulls fans want to hear. Until the Bulls show something Stevens and his bunch haven’t seen yet, this series is probably over in the next two games.
But then again, it is the 2016-17 Chicago Bulls we’re talking about here. Would anybody be shocked if Paul Zipser, Bobby Portis (again) or even Isaiah Canaan had a huge game in Game 5 or 6?
Next: Bulls face summer dilemma with Rajon Rondo's contract
Remember, the only thing that’s for sure about the Bulls … is nothing’s for sure.