OK. Wednesday night, UC, the Bulls hosted the Celtics. We would get a look at our preferred opponent in the first round of the playoffs. We will show everybody that we CAN beat a top team in the conference; we have beat Boston before… we can beat them again. We will send a message on this evening. Well, the Bulls certainly sent a message, just not the one I thought it would be. The Celtics trounced the Bulls… so much for that…
I know it’s been 5 years and all, but as any team enters the playoffs, you’re always looking ahead at the potential matchup, in basketball, and any sport really. Maybe there’s a team you really don’t match up well with. Maybe there’s a team that is playing their best right now, that you’d rather avoid initially. Maybe you’re so damn good that you don’t care who the hell you play. Well, I’ve been thinking about this for a while. I know 2 teams I definitely do NOT want to face are the Bucks and the 76ers. I know we’re not the only team, but damn, Giannis and Embiid… they own us. That would be a bad, bad matchup in my opinion. So, considering the options, and where the Bulls have fallen in the seeding, the Celtics would be the lesser of 3 evils if you may. Sure, they have their stud in Tatum, and they are very good defensively, but… if there’s going to be one, regardless of what happened on this night at the UC, I’d rather it be them.
Once upon a time this season, I thought the Bulls, when healthy, could hang with anybody in the East. Does the absence of Lonzo Ball make that much of a difference? We KNOW we will be without him. Everybody else is around, although there is the whole gimpy knee of Lavine; sounds like a Fantasy Basketball team name. It is what it is at this point, just like our regular season record against the top teams in the East. Key words: regular season. I certainly don’t think the Bulls are so good that they can flip a switch, turn it on, and smoke these teams. I certainly hope there IS another level that the Bulls can take their game to; they’ll have to if they want to have any success in this year’s postseason.
Until then, we play out the string here, and see where the chips fall as far as the matchups in the East. With everyone still so close, multiple possibilities still exist. I guess stay healthy #1. If guys need rest, then rest them now. If guys are recovering from little ailments, then sit them out. I don’t know… normally not a fan of that… full steam ahead type of guy, don’t lose any momentum/mojo. But, with the “mojo” that the Bulls are rolling with right now, I wouldn’t mind losing it. Playing your worst at this time of the season certainly doesn’t feel like a winning strategy for the postseason, but… stranger things have happened. Biggest fact is that we ARE in. And like I always say, get in, and anything can happen. Looking forward to seeing that “anything”… Go Bulls!!!
Leave a Reply