Schuster: Thibodeau And Bulls Need To Make Adjustments
By David Schuster--
CHICAGO (WSCR) NBA playoffs are like chess games. First, one team makes a move and then the other counters. Well Tom Thibodeau...it's your move. Larry Drew changed up things with a couple of new tactics on Sunday. First off, he started Jason Collins at center giving him a bigger starting five and then he finally got around to double teaming Derrick Rose in the front court. The latter resulting in Rose having a much tougher time getting to the basket and when he did get there, he ran into a wall of defenders.
This is nothing that Rose and the Bulls haven't seen numerous times this season, but it simply was a new wrinkle that the Bulls will have to counter. Look for Rose to pass more to the open man in the front court. Taking 32 shots, as he did the other night, is not normally the formula for success, but Rose had little choice. No one else seemed to be stepping up and when you have little or no scoring at the two guard position it just makes it harder on Rose. Keith Bogans, Ronnie Brewer and Kyle Korver went a combined 2-of-12 for five points. Add in Luol Deng at 5-of- 14 shooting and you get the idea that Rose (at times) has little choice. Looking into the future, the Bulls know that they have to get Rose more scoring help, but that's not helping him now.
Speaking of Rose, Bogans, Deng and Brewer, they all got votes for the All-NBA Defensive Team. But it was Joakim Noah who got the most votes in the balloting as he made the Second Team. A poll of the local beat reporters did not find Noah to be so high on their lists. Hustle for sure, but not an overall great defender.
The film session before Monday's practice was much longer then normal. Thibodeau must have played Sunday's loss backwards and forwards for the players, and it's likely there wasn't any popcorn offered.
