Bulls Confidential Countdown: Chicago vs. Boston Game 5
Despite earlier reports that Rajon Rondo was preparing to give Game 5 a shot, more recent ones indicate he will miss his third straight contest. The Bulls were probably prepared to not have his services anyway. Whether they now know how to play without him in a pressure situation remains a mystery.
Game Information:
Chicago Bulls (2–2) at Boston Celtics (2–2) — 7:30PM CDT — CSN, TNT
Projected Starters:
Chicago Bulls:
Isaiah Canaan
Dwyane Wade
Jimmy Butler
Nikola Mirotic
Robin Lopez
Boston Celtics:
Isaiah Thomas
Avery Bradley
Gerald Green
Jae Crowder
Al Horford
Three Keys:
- Dwyane Wade:
While Wade’s 15.5 points per game in this series have been respectable, he wasn’t really a threat in the first two games without Rondo. Jimmy Butler can do everything in his power to will the Bulls to victory, but without legitimate help from his sidekick, the team has no chance. Then again, asking a 35-year-old to suddenly play like he’s 10 years younger can be a tall order, even if he is a future Hall of Famer. This is still how the team was constructed though, so Wade will have to do an inward search for whatever big wind he has left.
2. Isaiah Canaan:
It’s funny how the Bulls are forced to pin their season on a guy who was an afterthought with everybody until a few days ago. But on a team with many healthy point guards and none coming even close to what Rondo brings, Canaan proved to be the least lousy of these options in Game 4. It will be shocking if he has his second straight big contest, though he proved it’s definitely possible. The playoffs have a way of finding unlikely heroes and Canaan fits that bill perfectly.
3. Clogging the paint:
Whether or not Fred Hoiberg has a legitimate claim on the referees letting Isaiah Thomas glide through the lane without being whistled for traveling can be subject to debate. What can’t be is that the Bulls aren’t doing much to prevent him from getting that close. Unless they have multiple big men waiting for Thomas at the rim at any given time, the point guard will continue to carve up the Bulls’ defense. It would be preferable if they could cut off his path before he even gets that close, forcing him to kick out and make someone else beat them.
Outlook:
If the Bulls still haven’t gotten over how quickly Rondo was forced to the sidelines when they had all the momentum, it’s difficult to imagine them doing it at all. Regardless, Thomas has teammates like Jae Crowder and Avery Bradley who have stepped up when he’s needed them to. Butler barely received any such help over the past two games. Unless that changes, expect the Bulls to return to Chicago on Friday facing elimination.
Prediction: Celtics
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