Tales from the front office

[daltontr]

MARCH 2021
Injuries, injuries, injuries...There is really not much else to say. It was bad enough losing Zach Lavine for the season with an ACL tear, but one after another, key players fell to the injury bug. Wendell Carter, then Derrick Favors, followed by Jaren Jackson and Rui Hachimura. Literally every starter, with the exception of Kyrie Irving "Knock on Wood" went down with an injury in the month of March. Consequently, our hopes of a 50 win season are very likely dashed with only six games remaining on the schedule.

3/10 Kyrie named the NBA player of the week.

REGULAR SEASON RECORD
42-32 (1st - Central 12-4)

Offensive Rating - 5th (111.1)
Defensive Rating - 14th (107.2)

Key Injuries

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1/26 - SG Zach Lavine (Torn ACL - Out until 11/22)
3/2  - C Wendell Carter (Broken Finger - Out until 4/14)
3/7  - C Derrick Favors (Strained Calf - Out until 3/20)
3/11 - PF Jaren Jackson (Mild Concussion - Out until 3/22)
3/19 - SF Rui Hachimura (Bruised Abdominal - Out until 4/9)

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 CONFERENCE STANDINGS
  EASTERN | WESTERN
PHI 58-18 | HOU 52-24
NYK 52-24 | LAL 52-25
BKN 46-30 | GSW 50-27
CHI 44-32 | NOP 48-28
DET 44-32 | UTA 46-30
ATL 41-34 | DAL 46-30
BOS 39-36 | LAC 45-31
MIA 30-46 | DEN 42-35
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IND 29-47 | SAS 40-36
MIL 29-47 | POR 39-37
CHA 29-48 | PHO 39-37
ORL 25-52 | MEM 34-42
WAS 24-52 | OKC 34-43
CLE 18-58 | SAC 30-45
TOR 14-63 | MIN 23-53

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[daltontr]

APRIL 2021
We won the Central Division with a 12-4 record, but a fourth place overall finish in the conference was disappointing. Our 47-35 record would only be good enough for eighth place in the Western Conference. As a matter of fact, the Eastern Conference is so weak, that the Milwaukee Bucks made the playoffs with a record of 34-48. That's right 14 games under .500%! That is ridiculous and the NBA should seriously reconsider having two conferences. It really was a difficult end to the regular season with all the injuries and with all the losses, it really feels like we're backing into post season. On the bright side, only Connaughton remains on the injury report and of course Lavine was lost for the year back in January.

FINAL REGULAR SEASON RECORD
47-35 (1st - Central 12-4)

Offensive Rating - 6th (111.1)
Defensive Rating - 15th (107.5)

Key Injuries

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1/26 - SG Zach Lavine (Torn ACL - Out until 11/22)
4/6 - SG Pat Connaughton (Mild Concussion - Out until 4/17

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        FINAL
 CONFERENCE STANDINGS
  EASTERN | WESTERN
PHI 63-19 | LAL 56-26
NYK 55-27 | HOU 54-28
BKN 48-34 | GSW 52-30
CHI 47-35 | NOP 52-30
DET 46-36 | UTA 49-33
BOS 45-38 | DAL 49-33
ATL 44-38 | LAC 48-34
MIL 34-48 | DEN 45-37
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CHA 33-49 | POR 44-38
IND 32-50 | PHO 43-39
MIA 32-50 | SAS 42-44
ORL 25-57 | MEM 38-44
WAS 25-57 | OKC 36-46
CLE 20-62 | SAC 34-48
TOR 16-66 | MIN 23-59

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[daltontr]

PLAYOFFS

ROUND 1/GAME 1
Pistons 98, Bulls 114 (United Center)

Kyrie Irving, who was awarded player of the game honors, scored 29 points in the Bulls 114-98 win over the Detroit Pistons. The game was close in the opening quarter, but the Bulls led 67-52 at the half and never looked back. Lou Williams added 18 points to the starting lineup, but it was the Bulls bench players that really responsible for the game one win. Wendall Carter, Coby White, and Luke Kornet contributed 48 of the Bull 114 points and the team shot 52.1% from the field and 27.6% from the three-point line. The Bulls also took advantage of their thirty trips to the charity stripe, going 30-32 from the free throw line. Blake Griffen was the only bright spot for the Pistons, scoring 31 points in defeat.

PLAYOFF TREE
EASTERN CONFERENCE

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(1) PHI-109 (1)
(8) MIL- 95 (0)

(4) CHI-114 (1)
(5) DET- 98 (0)

(3) BKN-108 (0)
(6) BOS-114 (1)

(7) NYK-107 (1)
(8) ATL- 89 (0)

WESTERN CONFERENCE

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(1) LAL-114 (1)
(8) DEN- 93 (0)

(4) NOP-103 (0)
(5) UTA-105 (1)

(3) GSW-103 (1)
(6) MAV- 84 (0)

(2) HOU-107 (0)
(7) LAC-108 (1)

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[daltontr]

PLAYOFFS

ROUND 1/GAME 2
Pistons 99, Bulls 106 (United Center)

Game two was nearly a carbon copy of game one, with the Bulls jumping out to an early lead and then coasting to the finish. Kyrie Irving led the way with 38 points, with Hachimura, Favors and Williams combining for 42 points in the victory. Although Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond both contributed double-doubles to the cause, it was an otherwise forgettable night for the rest of the Piston team. E'Twaun Moore, who scored 12 points, was the only other Piston to score in the double digits. The Bulls will now travel to Detroit for game three.


PLAYOFF TREE
EASTERN CONFERENCE

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(1) PHI-108 (2)
(8) MIL- 99 (0)

(4) CHI-106 (2)
(5) DET- 99 (0)

(3) BKN-122 (0)
(6) BOS-133 (2)

(7) NYK-127 (2)
(8) ATL-117 (0)

WESTERN CONFERENCE

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(1) LAL-108 (1)
(8) DEN-124 (1)

(4) NOP-103 (0)
(5) UTA-113 (2)

(3) GSW-118 (2)
(6) MAV-102 (0)

(2) HOU-118 (0)
(7) LAC-121 (2)

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[daltontr]

PLAYOFFS

ROUND 1/GAME 3
Pistons 106, Bulls 119 (Little Caesars Arena)

Player of the game, Kyrie Irving, scored 32 points and all five Bulls starters were in double figures as Chicago jumped out to a commanding three games to none lead over the Detroit Pistons. The Bulls led 73-61 at the half and stretched the lead to 98-78 at the end of the third. The forth quarter was nothing more than a formality and only Andre Drummond stood out for the Pistons, scoring 26 points in defeat. The Bulls are now poised to advance to the second round and the team has play quite will, despite the absence of Zach Lavine's 18 ppg. I'm not sure just how far this team can go, but this is a good sign for the future.

PLAYOFF TREE
EASTERN CONFERENCE

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(1) PHI-110 (3)
(8) MIL- 95 (0)

(4) CHI-119 (3)
(5) DET-106 (0)

(3) BKN-112 (1)
(6) BOS-106 (2)

(7) NYK-107 (3)
(8) ATL- 97 (0)

WESTERN CONFERENCE

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(1) LAL-111 (2)
(8) DEN-101 (1)

(4) NOP-112 (0)
(5) UTA-122 (3)

(3) GSW- 85 (2)
(6) MAV-110 (1)

(2) HOU- 96 (0)
(7) LAC-114 (3)

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[daltontr]

PLAYOFFS

ROUND 1/GAME 4
Pistons 91, Bulls 81 (Little Caesars Arena)

The Pistons stave off elimination in an ugly 91-81 victory over the Bulls. Neither team shot better than 34% and for the first time in the series, the Pistons held a halftime lead, 38-35. Andre Drummond was rightly named player of the game, scoring 27 points and pulling down a whopping 29 rebounds. Not a post season record, but it is certainly approaching Chamberlain, Russell territory. Of the 29 rebounds, 18 were offensive rebounds and that is a playoff record, breaking the old record of 15, which was previously held by Moses Malone. In 1977, Malone grabbed 15 offensive rebounds for the Houston Rockets vs the Washington Bullets and that game went to overtime, which makes Drummond's accomplishment even more impressive.

PLAYOFF TREE
EASTERN CONFERENCE

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(1) PHI-103 (4)
(8) MIL- 93 (0)

(4) CHI- 81 (3)
(5) DET- 91 (1)

(3) BKN-111 (1)
(6) BOS-127 (3)

(7) NYK-107 (4)
(8) ATL- 99 (0)

WESTERN CONFERENCE

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(1) LAL- 76 (2)
(8) DEN-100 (2)

(4) NOP-101 (0)
(5) UTA-108 (4)

(3) GSW-106 (2)
(6) MAV-126 (2)

(2) HOU-118 (1)
(7) LAC-112 (3)

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[daltontr]

PLAYOFFS

ROUND 1/GAME 5
Pistons 77, Bulls 91 (United Center)

Jaren Jackson's 22 points and 10 rebounds was more than enough for the Bulls to secure victory and close out the Pistons in five games. Next up for the Bulls are the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers have been the best team all season and made easy work of the Bucks, despite having lost star point guard Ben Simmons for the year with a broken wrist. Simmons was lost back in April, in a 103-90 victory over the Bulls. The 76ers have dominated the Bulls this season, winning all four of their regular season match-ups. However, the loss of Simmons is significant and many wonder whether or not his absence leaves them open to an upset. Obviously, without Lavine, the Bulls have their own injury problems, but Simmons is a much bigger loss. Simmons averaged nearly a triple double during the regular season, with 19.9 ppg, 8.8 apg and 8.5 rpg. It also doesn't help that Philadelphia isn't exactly stacked with talent at the position. The closest thing the Sixers have to a real point guard is Walter Lemon. No, Lemon isn't exactly a household name, but the only other options are Nate Wolters and Shake Milton. Yes, his name is actually Shake. The Sixers may still be the favorites, but I'm predicting the Bulls in six.

PLAYOFF TREE
EASTERN CONFERENCE

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(1) PHI---- (4)
(8) MIL---- (0)

(4) CHI- 91 (4)
(5) DET- 77 (1)

(3) BKN- 87 (1)
(6) BOS-107 (4)

(7) NYK---- (4)
(8) ATL---- (0)

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Code: Select all

(1) LAL-109 (3)
(8) DEN- 95 (2)

(4) NOP---- (0)
(5) UTA---- (4)

(3) GSW-129 (2)
(6) MAV-134 (3)

(2) HOU-131 (2)
(7) LAC-119 (3)


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[daltontr]

PLAYOFFS (Completing the 1st Round)

PLAYOFF TREE
EASTERN CONFERENCE

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(1) PHI---- (4)
(8) MIL---- (0)

(4) CHI---- (4)
(5) DET---- (1)

(3) BKN---- (1)
(6) BOS---- (4)

(7) NYK---- (4)
(8) ATL---- (0)

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Code: Select all

(1) LAL-119 (4)
(8) DEN-111 (2)

(4) NOP---- (0)
(5) UTA---- (4)

(3) GSW-110 (3) | (3) GSW-118 (4)
(6) MAV-103 (3) | (6) MAV-102 (3)

(2) HOU- 94 (2)
(7) LAC- 99 (4)

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[daltontr]

PLAYOFFS (2 Round)

ROUND 2/GAME 1
76ers 109, Bulls 117 (Well Fargo Center)

The Sixers jumped out to an early ten point lead in the first quarter and led 63-53 at the half. The Bulls then closed the gap to six points at the end of the third quarter and then quite surprisingly dominated the final period, outscoring Philadelphia 32-18. Kyrie Irving led all scorers with 33 points and was named player of the game. What made this game so interesting was the 76ers ability to completely dominate the boards and the Bulls inability to rebound at all.

Don't get me wrong, the Bulls did manage to pull down forty total rebounds, but only three were offensive boards...for the entire game...yes...three. Derrick Favors had two and Wendall Carter the other. That's it...just three offensive boards for an entire game. It doesn't seem possible for any team, at any level, to win a basketball game with only three offensive boards, but it must be possible, because it just happened. It sounds even more insane when you say it out loud. Go ahead, try it for yourself. "The Bulls defeated the 76ers 117-109 with only three offensive boards." Sounds like your talking about aliens landing on the South Lawn.

About six years ago the Brooklyn Nets set a record for rebounding ineptitude, grabbing a record low seventeen rebounds and only three of those were offensive boards as well. The Nets lost that game 120-95 by the way, so to suggest that three offensive rebounds would be enough to win a game, much less a game in the playoffs against a team that won 63 regular season games is just bonkers.

PLAYOFF TREE
EASTERN CONFERENCE

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     GAME 1     |    GAME 2   |    GAME 3   |    GAME 4   |    GAME 5   |    GAME 6   |    GAME 7   |
(1) PHI-109 (0) |
(4) CHI-117 (1) |

(6) BOS-120 (1) |
(2) NYK- 99 (0) |

WESTERN CONFERENCE

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     GAME 1     |    GAME 2   |    GAME 3   |    GAME 4   |    GAME 5   |    GAME 6   |    GAME 7   |
(1) LAL-121 (1) |
(5) UTA-102 (0) |

(3) GSW-114 (1) |
(7) LAC-101 (0) |

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[daltontr]

PLAYOFFS (2 Round)

ROUND 2/GAME 2
76ers 135, Bulls 129 OT (Wells Fargo Center)

Joel Embiid scored 34 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in an overtime thriller over the Chicago Bulls. In a close game that saw 23 lead changes and 14 ties, the Sixers and Bulls slugged it out for forty-eight minutes, only to end regulation all tied at 121. Kyrie Irving, who scored 39 points in defeat, was unable to knock down two late three pointers and the Bulls were outscore 14-8 in the extra period. The Bulls coaching staff was irate following the game, complaining about what they considered one sided officiating. They had a point. The 76ers shot 46 free throws, as compared to the Bulls 20. To make matters worse, Bulls Jaren Jackson, Rui Hachimura and Derrick Favors were all fouled out in the game and head coach Randy Wittman later received a $25,000 fine for verbally abusing the refs and not leaving the court in a timely manner, after being tossed from the game midway through the overtime period.

PLAYOFF TREE
EASTERN CONFERENCE

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     GAME 1     |    GAME 2   |    GAME 3   |    GAME 4   |    GAME 5   |    GAME 6   |    GAME 7   |
(1) PHI-109 (0) | PHI-135 (1) |
(4) CHI-117 (1) | CHI-129 (1) |

(6) BOS-120 (1) | BOS- 94 (1) |
(2) NYK- 99 (0) | NYK-124 (1) |

WESTERN CONFERENCE

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     GAME 1     |    GAME 2   |    GAME 3   |    GAME 4   |    GAME 5   |    GAME 6   |    GAME 7   |
(1) LAL-121 (1) | LAL-120 (2) |
(5) UTA-102 (0) | UTA-110 (0) | 

(3) GSW-114 (1) | GSW-121 (2) |
(7) LAC-101 (0) | LAC-110 (0) |

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