As one can clearly see from the date stamp on my last blog entry, it has been a while since I've taken pen to paper (or rather finger to keyboard) and though I am not one for excuses, I must say that the Bulls' ten game losing streak really had me down.
It started with the February 27th loss to the Indiana Pacers, and continued through March 20th, with losses to the Atlanta Hawks, Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks, Utah Jazz, Orlando Magic, Miami Heat, Memphis Grizzlies again, Dallas Mavericks again, and lastly the Cleveland Cavaliers, finally beating the Philadelphia 76ers. Besides the Boston Celtics not having a chance to gloat about being a part of a Bulls' epic beatdown, that list is ugly, and got a lot of Chicagoans and Bulls fans alike, worried about the future.
Not too long ago, before their almost month long losing streak began, the Bulls sat comfortably in line for the Playoffs, bouncing between the fifth and sixth seed. And considering the fact that the East has teams such as the Cavaliers, the Magic, and yes, even the team I hate most, the Celtics, that is pretty darn good. However, as March flew by, so did the Bulls' dreams of a killer Playoff run, as they are currently fighting with the Toronto Raptors for the eighth spot on the list. Is it impossible? No. But a few more losses and they are out for good.
The Bulls beat the Philadelphia 76ers on March 20th, and then moved along to crush the Houston Rockets on March 22nd, a game I happened to be at. While at the United Center that night, watching my team run up and down the floor, a few things became clear to me. In order to make the Playoffs Derrick Rose must be healthy, and the players must only focus on the future, two statements that may seem painfully obvious, but are detrimental to succeeding.
Though Rose may currently be my favorite Bulls player, it would be a mistake to say he is the only talented one on the team. In fact, short of Jannero Pargo, who seems to be stuck in a rut, unable to improve offensively or defensively, I have no complains about anybody. Both rookies, Taj Gibson and James Johnson, have been key in terms of defense, our new addition Flip Murray has helped us push the ball and score points, with Acie Law also doing a solid job of that when given the chance, and Hakim Warrick doing a little bit of everything, indeed acting as a mix between John Salmons and Tyrus Thomas, as many said he would before the trade. Kirk Hinrich, though a bit of a hot head lately, leading to a one game suspension, is comfortable as ever behind the three point line and taking up the role of a leader, and who can forget about Brad Miller, who brings high energy to the table night after night, never giving up even when winning is no longer an option. Obviously the Bulls are stacked with talent, old and new, and saying otherwise would be ignorance at its finest. However, with all of that acknowledged, Derrick Rose is the glue which holds the team together. He is the one with the plays, the one with the crazy athletic legs, and the one which brings the team confidence. Injuries are accidents, of course, but if Rose isn't healthy for the rest of the season, the Bulls can kiss the championships goodbye. Especially when paired with the health factors of Joakim Noah and Luol Deng, who are also both key contributors to the Bulls having a good game.
Along side physically healthy players, a team needs mentally healthy ones too, something that I feel the Bulls have struggled with lately. A ten game losing streak would be hard on anyone, that goes without saying, but what the Bulls need to do now is focus on the two games they have won since then, and work on not losing their flow. With the majority of the players being young, the Bulls' energy level and positive mindset is easily deflated, causing a snowball effect of loses. They need to remember that all that matters now is the future, not the past, and stay on task. You win some, you lose some. It happens to everyone.
Though the Raptors are generally a decent team, and one I like to watch, March has been rough on them too. They have lost 7 out of their last 10 games, to teams ranging from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Golden State Warriors to the Portland Trailblazers, and they too have had confidence problems. Chris Bosh has been struggling with an ankle problem, as well as Hedo Turkoglu, which with mixed with the rest of the team (DeMar DeRozan, Jose Calderon, etc.) playing fairly inconsistently, is bad news all around.
The Raptors are currently ahead at 35-34, while the Bulls are 33-37, but with both teams being fairly shakey, one never knows. The Bulls can do this, but the question of whether or not they will, still remains.
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