In a hole lot of trouble
Pistons expose Bulls -- again -- for what they are: A soft team that desperately needs scorers
May 11, 2007
BY
JAY MARIOTTI Sun-Times Columnist
You almost longed for the dismal days of Tim Floyd and Dalibor Bagaric, or Jerry Krause sending Benny the Bull and the Luvabulls to the airport in a daffy attempt to recruit Tim Duncan and Tracy McGrady. That's how embarrassing it was to watch the Bulls choke on a 19-point lead and collapse like, well, the Cubs. Not much was at stake in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, only the credibility of John Paxson's master plan and community trust in the Bulls' future. But all they did was expose themselves as a brittle, sloppy, skittish team of erratic jumpshooters who weren't ready for prime time, turning wild cheers to boos in a soft, spineless, 81-74 loss to the Detroit Pistons. The Bulls at least could have made the series interesting by knocking out the Pistons, who didn't show up for the first half and had no apparent interest in working Thursday night.
Instead, the talk today will concern whether Paxson's nucleus is a hocus-pocus tease -- good enough to reach the second round but stuck in some no-man's land between real contention and mediocrity. Let the discussions resume about Kevin Garnett and Pau Gasol, about whether Ben Gordon should be sacrificed because he doesn't play the defense required by Scott Skiles. Because when you've waited nine years for a playoff-series victory after experiencing six championships in the '90s, the last thing anyone needs is three or four more years of tweener ball.
''When you lose at home, they put you in the bowels of the arena for a press conference,'' Skiles said. ''We played better and harder, but in the third quarter, we let up for four or five minutes and let them back in. Much like the last two games, we couldn't find the bottom of the basket.''
''This loss hurts a lot more than the other two,'' Luol Deng said. ''It's hard losing a game like that. It really hurts.''
Zone brings on chill
How symbolic was the pregame tardiness of Ben Wallace, whose $60 million will look foolhardy if the Bulls are swept by his former team? While traffic is no excuse in Chicago unless you're Michael Jordan, the fact remains Wallace was hired to set a competitive tone against his former teammates. Alarmingly, he preferred to text-message them last weekend in pathetic attempts to have dinner, requests that were denied by Pistons players who'd rather drink title champagne than break bread with the enemy. ''Somebody said the traffic was really bad. In Chicago, it usually is,'' said Skiles, offering a wry commentary on a brewing problem.
But then, the Bulls have much bigger issues than Big Ben's bad clock. All Flip Saunders had to do on the Detroit sideline was yell ''zone'' to his players in the second half. Instantly, the Bulls froze. What happened to Gordon, who shot 4-for-16, went scoreless in the fourth quarter and has played an abominable series that thrusts doubt about his future? Is it realistic to keep using Kirk Hinrich in a critical offensive role when he's so unreliable as a big-game shooter? Only Deng has been consistent as a scorer. In the end, it was the experience, moxie and pride of the Pistons that put the Bulls in their place, with any remaining loyalists reminded of harsh reality.
No team has overcome an 0-3 hole to win an NBA playoff series.
Ever.
''From my seat, what has become a trend in three games -- when they want to do something out there, they do it. When they want to penetrate, they penetrate. When they want to shoot threes, they shoot threes,'' Skiles said. ''Once it got tight, they turned it up, and we weren't able to go with them.''
Asked about the Detroit zone, he smirked as only he can smirk. He is being outcoached by Saunders -- where was Chris (DNP) Duhon, by the way? -- but he can't face the music. ''Is their zone getting all sorts of public recognition? Is that what's going on? I think it's kind of funny. I don't mean to show disrespect, but we're missing open shots,'' said Skiles, in comments that will fire up the Pistons. ''They're good enough to feed off of that.''
For the record, the Bulls scored 30 points in the second half, two fewer than they scored in the second half of Game 1. They desperately need scorers, and if Paxson has the nerve, he'll see Garnett, Gasol, Jermaine O'Neal, Vince Carter and others available this summer. I enjoy youth movements as much as anyone, but they have to show continued progress. This series, so far, is a major setback after the stunningly easy sweep of the Miami Heat. Either that or the Pistons are bound for an NBA title, though I can't see it when San Antonio and Phoenix are playing the league finals as we speak.
I keep thinking back to Wednesday, to a post-practice scene involving Skiles. His forehead tightened like a rack of washboard abs. His frown challenged the cojones and competitive integrity of his players. His facetious tone could have cut through Steve Dahl, Dan McNeil, Mayor Daley or any of the town's smart-alecky blowhards. He was in vintage attack mode, firing a survivalist rally cry to his desperate team.
''Man up,'' he said.
Mission unaccomplished.
Don't expect more patience
It was vital in the big picture that the Bulls at least showed a pulse in this series. Collapsing only will lead to offseason public debates about a nucleus that is young and talented but not projected as championship material. As it is, Paxson still hears questions about why he didn't trade for Gasol, the low-post scoring force so sorely needed. The quick answer -- he didn't want to relinquish Deng -- makes sense, but that doesn't mean Gordon will escape another round of trade talk. When a dynasty fades away, and you make fans wait and wait, no one has patience to wait longer. The ultimate difference-maker, Garnett, should be available soon. The Lakers want him dearly, but the Bulls can put together a more attractive offer. Would you give up Gordon, P.J. Brown and a lottery pick that Paxson prays turns into a high one?
For now, they wait for a hollow Sunday, Mother's Day after the mother of all Bulls collapses. ''It's the biggest game of everybody's life,'' Gordon said.
Sorry, but that game was Thursday night.
In a hole lot of trouble
Pistons expose Bulls -- again -- for what they are: A soft team that desperately needs scorers
Originally Posted by Mich & Tele
Posting Permissions
View Profile
View Forum Posts
Private Message
View Blog Entries
View Articles
Reply With Quote
Visit Homepage
Bookmarks