Being from Chicago, this was definitely one game I was looking forward to seeing. While they didn't have a blockbuster summer like the Miami did, the Bulls did have a pretty big summer with numerous free agent signings highlighted by that of Carlos Boozer and Kyle Korver. Quietly, the Bulls have put together a squad led by highly touted coach Tom Thibodeau that have put themselves in talks of winning the Eastern Conference. With Derrick Rose having had a very developmental summer while playing for Team USA, the Bulls are looking to play a huge factor in the Eastern Conference race.
Oklahoma City is also another team that is on the rise. Having had the biggest season of their tenure in the NBA, Kevin Durant and his squad are looking to build on their success from last year. Durant has blossomed into an amazing player. He led the league in scoring last year, and he was also a very legitimate contender to win the MVP award. He has eclipsed 6000 points in total scoring and has established himself as the sole leader of the Thunder squad. Keep in mind the young man is only 22. With one of the deeper rotations in the league, Durant has many weapons in teammates such as Nenad Kristic, Russell Westbrook, and Jeff Green.
Now for the game analysis. Both teams came out with lots of energy, really setting a fast pace to the game. Both teams were aggressive on the fastbreak and were moving the ball extremely well. They were creating good opportunities and taking good shots. The stars Derrick Rose and Kevin Durant both got off to great starts. Rose had amazing reverse lay-ups and led the way with 10 quick points to go along with 3 assists to start off the first quarter. The form that Derrick Rose was in is what the Bulls really need especially with Boozer out for the first few weeks of the season due to his injury. It has been well known that Rose wants to be the unquestioned leader of this young squad; it's just
up to him now to deserve that role. Luol Deng got into an early groove knocking down a few jumpers along with Taj Gibson who is filling in for Boozer at power forward. Durant looked sharp as ever, knocking down a three and attacking the basket with power. Both teams were toe-to-toe in the first half. Both teams were clicking offensively and were making the right plays at the right time. The Bulls were led not by Rose who was on the bench for the majority of the half due to foul trouble but by their depth as a team. Thibodeau utilized nearly all of his players last night and each rotation played equally as well.I really enjoyed watching this game. These are two really great teams and it was a treat to watch. Unfortunately for Chicago, they came up short due to sloppy and lathargic play in the later minutes of the game. Final Score: Chicago Bulls 95, Oklahoma City Thunder 106.
Final Grades: Chicago- B-. Being a Chicago native, I love this team dearly. While disappointed about the whole LeBron free agency extravaganza, I really liked what the organization did with this team. They quietly put together the pieces of the puzzle and constructed a team that was playoff worthy if not capable of a Finals appearance. With the addition of Boozer, they had the low scoring presence they've always been lacking. With Korver, they now have a reliable force from beyond the arc. Brewer adds the defensive presence that was lost when Kirk Hinrich was traded away. The main thing though that needs to happen this year for the Bulls is Derrick Rose's awaited leap to stardom. Rose has always been there, making the All-Star team last year is no easy feat. However, he's still not among the elite like Nash and Chris Paul. Over the summer, Rose apparently worked on a lot of aspects of his game including his shooting and defense. However, his shooting obviously needs a lot of work. A lot of his shots were off that night; many were bad the moment they left his hand. For most of the game, he was forced to drive to the basket to earn his points. We still need to see how far he has taken his shooting game; and he needs to really make sure its there on a consistent basis for Chicago to really live up to their potential. Rose also wants to be the man in Chicago. For that to happen, he needs to be able to handle pressure situations which he did not do last night. In part, the loss was his fault. He made a couple of costly turnovers and took too many poor shots for the Bulls to even have a chance at a win. Another worrying thing about the Bulls were their defense. Thibodeau stresses defense and is hailed as defensive specialist. However, they were getting torched by the Thunder and Durant. They need to be able to make more stops if they want to compete with the more elite teams like the Thunder. Hopefully, the Bulls can improve on these things as the season goes on. They looked good last night but not what we were expecting. However, things are looking good for this young team. Their bench has the depth of a championship team, they have the stardom, Noah has lived up to his contract (18 pts. 19 rebounds), and they have a great coach. All they need to do is put the pieces together and they'll be ready to make a splash on this conference.
Oklahoma City Thunder: A. The Thunder came out with high expectations and they fulfilled them. Kevin Durant and his crew played great last night. They executed their game plan to perfection and looked like a team that would give the Lakers a run for their money in the Western Conference. I really have nothing but praise right now for this young Thunder team.
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