Chicago Bulls Must Find Consistency To Maintain Control Of Division
By Chris Peterson
@thepackersguru
David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
It appeared as though the Chicago Bulls had turned a corner with recent wins over the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks — but on Sunday, the Miami Heat and their own poor shooting effort brought the Bulls back to Earth.
Part of the Bulls’ struggles had to do with the outstanding defensive effort from Heat center Hassan Whiteside, who had an incredible 12-block performance, but Chicago was also extremely sloppy and registered one of its worst shooting performances of the season in the 96-84 loss.
Chicago’s loss to Miami wasn’t just bad — it was really bad. This is not the first time this season the Bulls have lost at home to an inferior opponent, but it should be the last. Bad games are going to happen, but they are occurring too often for a team that many, myself included, believed to be an NBA title contender.
It’s clear that Chicago is desperately missing Mike Dunleavy Jr. and his perimeter shooting, but that is no excuse for a 37 percent shooting effort against a Miami team that came into the game with a 19-24 record. The fact is that the Bulls were dominated in every facet of the game by an inferior opponent. Miami outshot, outrebounded and out-defended Chicago. And when the game was on the line, it was Dwyane Wade, not Derrick Rose or Jimmy Butler, hitting big shots.
Sure, the loss to Miami is just one setback in a long 82-game season, but for whatever reason, Chicago is struggling to find consistency. If the Bulls don’t turn it around soon, they are going to find themselves looking up at the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Central division standings and on the road for the opening round of the 2015 playoffs.
Suns' Morris Brothers Suspects in Assault Case
It appears as though brothers Markieff and Marcus Morris of the Phoenix Suns do more than just play basketball together. Read More
Marcus Smart Snubbed from Rising Stars Challenge
The results are in for the selections of the 2015 Rising Stars Challenge and there it is a solid list of young players. However, there was one player in Boston who was overlooked. Read More
Metta World Peace's Idea for SB Halftime Show
In his official blog, Metta World Peace discusses what his Super Bowl halftime show would look like. Read More
Top 10 Most Surprising NBA Players in 2014-15
The NBA sees players turn into stars every season. Here are 10 that are on their way this season. Read More
Team Effort Helps Raptors Get Back On Track
Toronto Raptors get first convincing win since Dec. 28 by hitting a season high 17 three pointers. Read More
Atlanta Hawks Will Struggle In Postseason
The Atlanta Hawks have been one of the great surprises of this NBA season and have won 17 games in a row, but none of that will matter come April and the playoffs. Read More
Marcus Smart Should Be Celtics Starter
The Boston Celtics dropped the final game on their six-game road trip to the Timberwolves. Even with the loss, Marcus Smart had an impressive stretch of playmaking and made a case for a starting role. Read More
Kyrie Irving Torches Trail Blazers For 55 Points
Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving's career high is a jumping board for Cleveland to go on a serious run. Read More
Future Backups Help Sixers Beat Pistons
If all goes as planned, the trio of rookies who are seeing a lot of time as starters this season for the 76ers will be backups down the line and their effort now bodes well for the future. Read More
Ranking the Top 10 Favorites to Win NBA Title
While there isn’t one clear favorite to win the NBA title so far this season, several teams are capable of making a run and winning the championship. Read More
2014-15 Celtics Midseason Grades And Analysis
The Boston Celtics are exceeding expectations and are currently three games out of the playoffs. Here are their midseason grades. Read More
10 Most Disappointing NBA Players in 2014-15
Disappointment is born from excessive expectation. Who has failed to meet expectations thus far? Read here to find out. Read More