Tales from the front office

[daltontr]

2027-2028 SEASON - PLAYOFFS - SECOND ROUND (GAME 6)

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           EASTERN CONFERENCE                                   
        Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W                                           
ORL(2)| 31 | 32 | 42 | 26 | -- | 131 (4) |                                         
PHI(3)| 29 | 41 | 17 | 29 | -- | 116 (2) |

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[daltontr]

2027-2028 SEASON - PLAYOFFS - EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS (PREVIEW)

For the third year in a row, the Chicago Bulls and the Orlando Magic will meet in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Bulls won the two previous series and are poised to break the hearts of the Orlando Faithful yet again. However, hope is eternal and this Magic team is no push over. Coach Brett Brown has this team playing old school defense and although their offense is not as potent as it once was, Matt Hankins (5 Stars) is arguably the best point guard in the league and Joaquin Villarreal (4.5 Stars) is an elite small forward. Amir Jenkins (3 Stars) is a very good small forward, but has been thrust into the role of shooting guard due to the teams lack of depth and a lack of depth is the Magic's Achilles heel in my opinion. David Hayes (3 Stars) is another small forward being forced to play power forward and center Myles Turner (3.0 Stars) rounds out the starting lineup. As I previously stated, the Magic's bench is not very deep and only SG Buddy Hield (2.5 Stars) and PF Jabari Parker (2.5 Stars) see any significant minutes coming off the bench. The Bulls will certainly be favored in this series, but these two teams have some history and that makes this series all the more interesting.

TEAM INSIGHTS

ORLANDO MAGIC (OVERALL: 52-30 | HOME: 30-11 | AWAY: 22-19)
OFF Rating: 104.3 (#16)
DEF Rating: 101.3 (#2)
NET Rating: 3.0 (#5)
PPG: 107.4 (#9)
PAPG: 104.5 (#12)
FG%: .446 (#20)
3P%: .316 (#18)
FT%: .803 (#7)
APG: 24.8 (#3)
RBP: 42.8 (#27)

NBA Top 50 Players: PG Matt Hankins, SF Joaquin Villarreal
($167,469,821 Payroll - 25th Highest / $-14,469,821 CAP Space)

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CHICAGO BULLS (OVERALL: 76-6 | HOME: 41-0 | AWAY: 35-6)
OFF Rating: 112.6 (#1)
DEF Rating: 100.7 (#1)
NET Rating: 11.9 (#1)
PPG: 117.7 (#1)
PAPG: 103.6 (#11)
FG%: .489 (#1)
3P%: .342 (#5)
FT%: .724 (#27)
APG: 25.0 (#2)
RBP: 48.5 (#1)

NBA Top 50 Players: PF Giannis Antetokounmpo, SF Jayson Tatum, C Justin McCuthison, PG D'Angelo Russell
($173,351,825 Payroll - 21st Highest / $-20,351,825 CAP Space)

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[daltontr]

2027-2028 SEASON - PLAYOFFS - EASTER CONFERENCE FINALS (GAME 1)

Matt Hankins led all scorers with 42 points, but it was Giannis Antetokounmpo who received the Player of the Game honors. Giannis scored 29 rebounds, with 8 assists and 10 rebounds. D'Angelo Russell contributed an additional 21 points and Gregory Hawkins and Ryan Jefferson combined for 34 points coming off the bench. It was good to see Jefferson back on the floor after suffering a broken wrist back in March. Orlando's defense was effective, but their lack of size and inability to rebound was their downfall. The Magic were out rebounded 59-31 and out scored the in the paint 46-38. If the Magic can't find a way to contain Giannis, this is going to be a very short series.

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           EASTERN CONFERENCE                        WESTERN CONFERENCE
        Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W            Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W
ORL(2)| 29 | 28 | 33 | 20 | -- | 110 (0) | MEM(5)| 25 | 23 | 21 | 40 | -- | 109 (0)
CHI(1)| 39 | 28 | 24 | 30 | -- | 121 (1) | SAS(3)| 41 | 27 | 25 | 25 | -- | 118 (1)

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[daltontr]

2027-2028 SEASON - PLAYOFFS - EASTER CONFERENCE FINALS (GAME 2)

After struggling in game one, Orlando made some defensive adjustments and held Giannis to a mere 11 points, but D'Angelo Russell picked up the slack with 46 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds and was named Player of the Game. Ryan Jefferson had another outstanding game coming off the bench, scoring 17 points with 6 rebounds. The Magic once again struggled to score in the paint and only managed to score 3 second chance points. Regardless, Orlando kept the game close and had every opportunity to win the game, but came up just a bit short in the end. So, despite being down two games to none, the Magic will head home knowing that they are equipped to defeat the Bulls. I don't think there is any question that the Magic are good enough, but are they good enough to win four of the next five? It is possible, but game three is almost a must win as Chicago is undefeated at home and taking four straight from this Bulls team is nearly impossible.

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           EASTERN CONFERENCE                        WESTERN CONFERENCE
        Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W            Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W
ORL(2)| 26 | 25 | 30 | 32 | -- | 113 (0) | MEM(5)| 14 | 22 | 30 | 16 | -- |  82 (0)
CHI(1)| 28 | 23 | 30 | 38 | -- | 119 (2) | SAS(3)| 32 | 23 | 34 | 24 | -- | 113 (2)

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[daltontr]

2027-2028 SEASON - PLAYOFFS - EASTER CONFERENCE FINALS (GAME 3)

The Bulls dug themselves into a 34-17 hole to start the game and were down by as much as 21 points. Unfortunately Chicago could never find their way back from such a big deficit. The bottom line is that you just can't get down big to a team that is as good defensively as the Magic are. You also don't want to give them hope and if the Magic were somewhat confident after the game two loss, their confidence was certainly buoyed by the victory. Matt Hankins scored 41 points, had 9 assists, with 6 rebounds and was named Player of the Game. Game four isn't a must win for the Bulls, but if Orlando can take game four, it will be the first time that the Bulls would have lost back-to-back games all season. That is not the kind of bulletin board material you want to be handing your opponent at this stage of the playoffs.

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           EASTERN CONFERENCE                        WESTERN CONFERENCE
        Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W            Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W
CHI(1)| 17 | 35 | 36 | 26 | -- | 114 (2) | SAS(3)| 18 | 24 | 39 | 17 | -- |  98 (3)
ORL(2)| 34 | 34 | 29 | 26 | -- | 123 (1) | MEM(5)| 24 | 16 | 27 | 29 | -- |  96 (0)

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[daltontr]

2027-2028 SEASON - PLAYOFFS - EASTER CONFERENCE FINALS (GAME 4)

Giannis Antetolounmpo had 20 points with 21 rebounds, Justing McCuthison had 23 points and 14 rebounds, but the Player of the Game honors went to D'Angelo Russell who scored 30 points, with 7 assists and 7 rebounds. For the Magic, it was once again the Matt Hankins show, as he led all scorers with 44 points and 10 assists. Unfortunately for Orlando and Matt Hankins, only Joaquin Villarreal was of any real help, contributing 23 points in the loss. The rest of the Magic starting lineup was held to 18 points and Jabari Parker, Buddy Hield and Alize Johnson came off the bench to add a combined score of 22 points. When your up against a team as offensively talented as the Bulls, you really need your role players to step up and the Magic supporting cast failed to do that. Of note for the Bulls is the poor play of Jayson Tatum. He has been downright awful and has only managed to score 14 total points, outside of his 24 points in game three. Tatum averages nearly 15 ppg and his lack of offensive output is a testament to the excellent defense that the Magic play. Now we head back to Chicago with a commanding 3-1 lead in the series. Here's to hoping we finish the series off in game five, because I really don't want to have to go back to Orlando and give the Magic an opportunity to take this series to a game seven.

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           EASTERN CONFERENCE                        WESTERN CONFERENCE
        Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W            Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W
CHI(1)| 20 | 17 | 32 | 38 | -- | 107 (3) | SAS(3)| 21 | 26 | 33 | 38 | -- | 118 (3)
ORL(2)| 18 | 25 | 22 | 35 | -- | 100 (1) | MEM(5)| 32 | 32 | 32 | 34 | -- | 130 (1)

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[daltontr]

2027-2028 SEASON - PLAYOFFS - EASTER CONFERENCE FINALS (GAME 5)

The Bulls left no doubt who was the best team in the Eastern Conference, with a resounding 133-111 series clinching victory over the Orlando Magic. Chicago simply dominated in every aspect of the game, outscoring the Magic 64-38 in the paint and they recorded a 29-4 edge in second chance points. At one point the Bulls were up by as much as 34 points and once again dominated the boards, grabbing 58 rebounds to Orlando's 28. Giannis Antetokounmpo led all scorers with 31 points, 3 assists, 17 rebounds and was named the Player of the Game. So, for the third consecutive year, the Bulls will be headed to the NBA Finals and this time they will face off against the #3 seed in the Western Conference, the San Antonio Spurs.

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           EASTERN CONFERENCE                        WESTERN CONFERENCE
        Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W            Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W
ORL(2)| 30 | 29 | 18 | 34 | -- | 111 (1) | MEM(5)| 15 | 30 | 27 | 25 | -- |  97 (1)
CHI(1)| 37 | 36 | 33 | 17 | -- | 133 (4) | SAS(3)| 42 | 22 | 22 | 18 | -- | 104 (4)

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[daltontr]

2027-2028 SEASON - PLAYOFFS - NBA FINALS (PREVIEW)

The San Antonio Spurs have four of the top fifty players in their starting lineup. Point guard Marlin Taylor (4-Stars), shooting guard Devin Booker (4-Stars), power forward Paul Johnson (3.5-Stars), playing at the small forward position and center Gottlieb Kessler (5-Stars) who is without a doubt the best young center in the NBA. Center Jarrett Allen (3.0-Stars) rounds out the starting line up, playing at the power forward position. This team is immensely talented offensively, but lack skill on the defensive end of the court. San Antonio is rated 29th in defense and they are the worst free throw shooting team in the league. On paper, this is a very bad match up for the Spurs, which is only made worse by the injury to Devin Booker. Booker is out until 5/31 with a sprained ankle and he is scheduled to return for game four. That means shooting guard Hunter Floyd (2.5-Stars) will be thrust into the starting lineup. I don't want to suggest that the series is over before it gets started, but out of all the teams that the Bulls could have met in the finals, this is probably the best match up. The best offense (Bulls) going up against one of the worst defenses in the league (Spurs) seems like a recipe for a potential sweep. If the series isn't over in five, I'll be very surprised.

TEAM INSIGHTS

SAN ANTONIO SPURS (OVERALL: 48-34 | HOME: 30-11 | AWAY: 18-23)
OFF Rating: 108.0 (#7)
DEF Rating: 109.2 (#29)
NET Rating: -1.1 (#17)
PPG: 109.3 (#4)
PAPG: 108.0 (#24)
FG%: .470 (#4)
3P%: .315 (#19)
FT%: .669 (#30)
APG: 23.3 (#10)
RBP: 46.6 (#7)

NBA Top 50 Players: C Gottlieb Kessler, PG Marlin Taylor, SG Devin Booker, PF Paul Johnson
($238,537,922 Payroll - 4th Highest / $-85,537,922 CAP Space)

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CHICAGO BULLS (OVERALL: 76-6 | HOME: 41-0 | AWAY: 35-6)
OFF Rating: 112.6 (#1)
DEF Rating: 100.7 (#1)
NET Rating: 11.9 (#1)
PPG: 117.7 (#1)
PAPG: 103.6 (#11)
FG%: .489 (#1)
3P%: .342 (#5)
FT%: .724 (#27)
APG: 25.0 (#2)
RBP: 48.5 (#1)

NBA Top 50 Players: PF Giannis Antetokounmpo, SF Jayson Tatum, C Justin McCuthison, PG D'Angelo Russell
($173,351,825 Payroll - 21st Highest / $-20,351,825 CAP Space)

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[daltontr]

2027-2028 SEASON - PLAYOFFS - NBA FINALS (GAME 1)

This was a game that only a Bulls fans could enjoy. Total domination from the opening tip and the Bulls never trailed in the game. Chicago's Jayson Tatum awoke from his Eastern Conference Finals slumber and scored 32 points, with 4 assists and 8 rebounds. Tatum was the clear choice for Player of the Game and I was thrilled to see him bounce back after a very lacklusters conference finals. Statistically speaking, the game looked close on paper, with Gottlieb and company having a 50-32 point edge in the paint, but beyond that, the Spurs lack of defense was fairly evident. They will need to play much better if they hope to compete with the Bulls.

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NBA FINALS
        Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W
SAS(3)| 16 | 28 | 31 | 24 | -- |  99 (0)
CHI(1)| 34 | 26 | 30 | 25 | -- | 115 (1)

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[daltontr]

2027-2028 SEASON - PLAYOFFS - NBA FINALS (GAME 2)

Another convincing win by the Chicago Bulls, with D'Angelo Russell picking up Player of the Game honors. Russell scored 29 points, with 9 assists and 4 rebounds. Truthfully, this game could have been very different if the Spurs had hit their free throws. San Antonio went 17-28 from the charity stripe, which is only 60.7% shooting from the free throw line. The Spurs also went 7-19 from three, but neither of those stats are surprising. The Spurs are known for their free throw shooting woes and they've never been a team that is very good at shooting three's. The series now heads to San Antonio, but unlike Orlando in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Spurs seem resigned to their fate. The only good news for Spurs fans is that Giannis picked up a mild injury in game two and is listed as probable for game three with a sore arm. Although a team spokesman did state that he would miss a couple of weeks. I find that hard to believe, but that's typical coming from the PR Department.

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NBA FINALS
        Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT    F   W
SAS(3)| 18 | 31 | 24 | 25 | -- |  98 (0)
CHI(1)| 36 | 22 | 32 | 17 | -- | 107 (2)

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