The worst thing that you can do as a NBA player is give the opposing team something to put up on their bulletin board as an inspiration. When Evan Turner spoke out about rather playing the Bulls than the Miami Heat he shot his team in the foot. I would have told you as an avid Bulls fan there was a mediocre chance of the Bulls starting off flat in game 1 or two and Philadelphia stealing a game. Now, there is no chance of that happening. He is telling the truth because his team does play better against the Bulls, however he should have not even said it to begin with. There is a simple reason he did this and this was to state the obvious nothing more or less. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize having a young core that likes to run is a bad matchup with a team that likes to run even more. Miami has an advantage in bigs over Philadelphia, which may be the only team that applies to. I don’t see Elton Brand being able to stop Chris Bosh or being able to stop the offensive rebounding of Joel Anthony or Udonis Haslem. Evan Turner is right but he is also dead wrong.
The problem with a team like the 76ers is that they rely on Lou Williams too much. Their offense without him on the court is stagnant. This is similar to the Spurs last year without Ginobili. Their offense is based on drive and kick and high screen rolls. Elementary offensive sets in other words. It is predictable. The Bulls are going to force the bigs of Philly to make twenty foot jump shots all day. They just will not be able to do it. Mark my words one of the things that you are going to see in this series is Omer Asik in when Louis Williams is in the fourth quarter. He is going to contest every lay up every drive and make Williams pay for driving to the basket. The Bulls have an enforcer a guy who sets rough screens and doesn’t allow easy baskets. He is a seven foot young version of Charles Oakley. Another factor that we are going to see wear down the 76ers is the play of Kyle Korver/ Rip Hamilton. They both do the same things run off a couple of screens usually one high one low and shoot jump shots all day long. Evan Turner is a lanky guard but lacks the stamina to stay in front of these two for a seven game series. The Bulls are going to do the same thing that is done to them. They are going to move a scrappy player like a Ronnie Brewer to guard the point and guard Williams. The Bulls win this series in game five with the only win for Philly coming from a close game at home.
The other factor in the game is that Derrick Rose is going to have had three days off to rest and get back to top shape. He most likely is going to have that second gear to go to tomorrow and that is not good for Doug Collins. The phrase, “running with the Bulls” comes to mind, and let’s not forget that the Bulls bigs minus Asik can all pass the ball well and run the break. Philadelphia is not only going to have to shut down transition, but they are going to have to keep Derrick Rose out of the paint. Expect Philly to stress transition defense and do ok in it for the first game. The bench mob of the Bulls will prove to be too much. To the critics that say the bench doesn’t matter in the playoffs watch this year’s Bulls. Being able to be two to three deep in each position is vital. Doug Collins better get the clipboard out and start praying.
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