NBA Playoff 2017: Three Observations And Three Overreactions
By Chris Wooden
Overreaction: The Bulls Are Back!
Coming into the playoffs, this was marked as one of the series to watch. The Bulls came into the playoffs on a modest run that allowed them to squeeze in as the eighth seed and the Celtics got secured the number one seed only after the Cavs stopped chasing it themselves and rested their stars in the season’s final week.
After a brilliant Sunday performance from Jimmy Butler (who else?) that included 15 of his 30 points in the decisive 4th quarter, many were touting this as a legitimate eighth seed upset bid reminiscent of the Baron Davis-led Warriors bouncing the top seeded Mavs a decade ago.
But these Bulls are not those Warriors, who were young and ready to run. There is a lot to like on any team led by Jimmy Butler, but the reality is that this team needed the game of Bobby Portis’ life as much as Butler’s usual dominance to win the game. It’s not realistic to expect another 19 point, 9 rebound effort from Portis off the bench. The Celtics bench under-performed all afternoon and should rebound to form by Game 2.
Of greater concern for the Bulls is that if this is the “Playoff Rondo” everyone expected to show up (as Rondo historically has in nationally televised games), then the 2017 version of Playoff Rondo looks an awful lot like 2017 Regular Season Rondo. That’s not to say he’s not savvy enough to make some plays each game, just more an indictment that his best years are long gone.
Combine Rondo’s slide with a Dwyane Wade who looked old and slow most of the game (and got embarrassed by the rim…and his wife), and this Bulls team really looks exactly like the mismatched, haphazardly assembled, up-and-down team they were all season long. Butler will still be Butler, but the rest of the Bulls roster remains question marks each game.
They might get hot one game, but they can’t sustain this over an entire series. It would be a shock if the Celtics haven’t wrapped this series up by the time Game 6 rolls around. Isaiah Thomas and Co. will bounce back quickly in Game 2.