Brain over brawn; Strategy for Chicago Bulls to turn around the Eastern Conference Finals - Part 1
In NBA things change and they change very quickly. At the end of game-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Chicago Bulls were a sight to behold. The crowd in the United Center chanted “Over rated” as the hardworking Bulls brought
the superstars of the Miami Heat to their knees.
Just a week after the emphatic win, game-4 of the same series presented a totally different scenario. It is Chicago who are down on their knees. After giving their all in the last three games and still losing each time, the team
appears battered and bruised. The Bulls effort cannot be faulted. The team only knows one way to play and that is to play hard. They give their all and leave no stone unturned every time they go on the court. To still be at the wrong end of a 3 – 1 score line
has got to be demoralizing for the side.
However, as a defiant Derrick Rose rightly put it, "They are beatable," He was of course talking about the Miami Heat. Chicago still can beat the Heat. But if the Bulls are to do what only a handful of teams in the history of the
NBA have done, comeback to win a series after going 3 – 1 down, they don’t only need to play hard, they need to play smart.
Following is a list of things they need to do in order to beat the Miami Heat’s and advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1998.
Keep it in the half court and crash the offensive boards:
You cannot win a transition battle against Miami, not with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade around. Chicago have to cut down on that, keep the game in the half court and make the Heat’s stars work for every point. Chicago did a good
job of it in game-1 and the result was there for all to see.
Another key reason behind the Bulls win in game-1 was their domination on the boards, especially on the offensive end. The Bulls won that particular battle 19-to-6 and the second chance points broke Miami’s back. A replication
of that effort could go a long way to solving Chicago’s problems.
Get Rose one on one:
Derrick Rose is struggling. The MVP is still the leading scorer for his team and his point’s average is still impressive, but he is not himself in this series. Rose has suffered from a shooting slump throughout the playoffs and
now it is really starting to cost his team. Miami don’t make the task any easier for him either; he is almost the sole focus of their attention on defence.
Rose cannot go anywhere on the court to find space. He is hounded by double teams all game long. Miami also instinctively pack the lane once he gets anywhere near it.
Dwyane Wade outlined Miami’s strategy when he said they were focusing on Derrick Rose, “He is the head of the snake,” “We understand as he [goes], they go. If we can slow him a little bit then that is what we want to do.”
It is high time for the rest of the Chicago offense to step up their games. They need to help him out; Spread the play and get shooters in who can take advantage of his dribble penetrations or whenever Miami double teams him. Chicago
should also look to run isolation plays for Rose more and more, clear one side of the court and let him take on the other guy one on one. No one can live with Rose in those situations.
Give your best scorer better conditions for scoring!
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