NBA Thursday.

[Inspekdah]

3 Games on tap... with one I've been waiting for awhile.. I wish the Cavs pulled out that game against the Hawks because...

Bulls vs. Cavs

First, this is a huge revenge game for my Bulls. We saw what they did against Miami opening night 9 days ago. They came in focused and came out of the building with a romping victory. The only other team the Bulls despise as much as the Heat is Cleveland. Cleveland has dominated them recently.. including stealing a game last season from them when the Bulls had a classic meltdown. Focus for the Bulls is at an all time high... with giving that game to the Kings... they should be 3-1 only having lost a B2B vs. a pumped ORL squad.

Look at the stats.. the Bulls are shooting the ball well once again from 3 and the Cavs CANNOT defend it letting up nearly 44% from beyond the arch... that won't get it done against the Bulls. Also, the Bulls are dominating their opposition in terms of FG%... while Cleveland is shooting considerably worse than their opponents from the field.

The Bulls let Redd do as he pleased and shut everyone else down and I expect the same here... the Cavs don't play necessarily well when LJ drops 40 and gets no support. Without a ranged shooter to keep the Bulls from packing the paint... we should fair extremely well.

I'll have more on this game... but the things that should stick out to you.. is the Bulls play well on primetime TNT. They also have a recent history of losing games to the Cavs because they got dominated in the paint.. Chandler would get in foul trouble.. and we'd have nobody else. Huge revenge factor for losing on TNT last year after comming back from 20+. The Bulls are relentless and I just don't see the Cavs with the range to put them away...LJ walked off the floor on his squad... he may be mad but this team is missing pieces.

Play pending.. I want to see if I can grab +4.5.. also lean on the UNDER and think the total could creep higher.

 

[gpcyan3]

the Bulls look solid tomorrow, I like your reasoning

 

[Inspekdah]

Also remember... it's early in the season... teams like the Mavs, Cavs, Suns.. will obviously turn it around... but it takes time... not just because LJ is pissed is this team going to be that much better.. it doesn't work like that... it takes time and adjustments... you can rebound from a loss and give a better effort.. you can't change what your doing wrong over night. You think the Mavs aren't trying and getting their "shit" together? Obviously they are... I see the same thing going on here with the Cavs who had a great effort vs. B2B Spurs and a close win over a bad Wiz road team... but clearly something is wrong here and the more Lebron takes over.. the less of a chance the team has to win.

 

[B.A.R.]

Imma taking Thursday off...I do lean this way though and your write-up is pretty convincing.

I like that defending the arc stat. During the Larry Brown days in DET we led league both years in defending the 3pt line..same when Carlisle is here.

 

[SportsNut]

Tough spot cause I think this gets bet down and you have a Cleveland team that did win in SA but has since flopped losing @ Cha which I wasnt suprised by but blowing a10 pt lead with 9 to play at home vs ATL...and then falling in OT(shocking)...plus Bulls off trouncing on Monday...like you said CLE has owned Chi winning al 4 last season. This is a home team and favored team dominanted series..(0-5 L5 in Cle and home is 8-2)

Really what has Chi done to show anything is different this year? They smoked Miami but Miami has looked bad since the season tipped...so really nothing positive from that game IMO...Heat couldnt hit a shot if there soul depended on it that nite and really since... The Kings hung around and pulled off an upset sort of similiar to what happened to Cle vs ATL. They followed up Miami's beating by losing in ORL which showed there were not ready to step up. Good teams overcome bad situations IMO.

Do the cavs really have a problem defending the three? Wiz 2/13 but Atl 9/12(away Cha 7/13 and SA 5/15)..

Does Chi really shot the three much better then avg? To me avg is 33% they hit 35 % so far and less then 70 from the FT line which has destroyed Cle this year @ 61%...

I think Chi has an identity crisis cause they dont know who there offensiv e leader is? Its been Hinrich , Deng , even Nocini(sp?)...

Unless I have a brain fart right now CHI added Wallace and subtracted Chandler...they played one game in Cle with Hughes and were +8 but lost by 11. The other game was lower but they lost by 20. They hit 9 of 32 from 3 against the same Cavs team last year in 2 Cle games...

I think this is a good spot for Cle to bounce back.....I am looking for -3 though..

GL my two cents

 

[tuck321]

Thabo and Brown are also constructive additions. One negative is Gordon seems to go good game bad game and is set for a bad game. May be an odd play on this game. If I decide to use it will post it late afternoon. GL

 

[Inspekdah]

People keep saying added Wallace subtracted Chandler. Chandler never played more than 20 minutes of aggressive basketball. He turned the ball over everytime he touched it. He will be a great Center but he's no where near as polished as Big Ben. Lebron dominated us with his size.. we have 3 legitimate guys with Nocci, Deng and Sasha to throw at him..

Hughes? Please. This mid-level exception talent will never gel in Cleveland playing off the ball all the time watching Lebron wear it out. He's not a spot up shooter... this team will always regret not signing Redd.


More importantly for me it's situational... Bulls are much improved... were dominated by Clev.. and it's primetime vs. a team that is no where near playing their best basketball.. on a nuetral court now IMO we're the better team.. we should dominate the glass and shoot a better %...

 

[SportsNut]

I didnt mean it that way. Wallace is helluva a better player then Chandler is now. Wallace gives you zero offensively though. Chi needs a go to scorer. You can throw everyone at LeBron. The only person who can stop LeBron is LeBron plain and simple. He is off cause he is having a bad nite and nothing more IMO.

I am not crowning Hughes anything but he is a much better then Ron Murray who was playing in his place last year.

Bulls are improved but how improved?Not so sure I am writing off Cle as not playing nowehere near its best basketball. Wiz only hung around cause Cavs missed half there FTs , they won @ SA something they hadnt done in about 20 years , Charlotte was the day after SA and they lost a close game again missing FTs to an improving team , the Hawks game was bad but they led by about 10 and just fell asleep they go to oT and ATL was pumped. Again missed FTs Lebron 5 of 11 and the team 8 of 18 in the 4th and OT. They are beating themselves..(23/37 from the line and allowing 9 of 12 to Atl from 3)


I dont see them dominanting the glass not how Gooden is playing...3 cavs @ 9 boards a nite with Gooden @ 12.5. That ATL game was or should have been a wakeup call to Cle which TV or not makes this a bad spot for Chi IMO...GL today

 

[Inspekdah]

Wallace is superior though to Chandler. Chandler couldn't dribble without being ripped. Wallace sets the best screens in the league and moves well without the ball. He doesn't allow you to camp away from him.. and he knows how to start the break...

 

[Inspekdah]

Alright so I'm officially a homer on this Bulls squad... but I feel like when they are focused and rested.. they will always impress...

Bulls +4 2 Units

May add more, possibly ML later... but like the spread in what should be a close game given Cleveland being on the bounce back and home.

 

[tuck321]

Playing Bulls plus 1 second quarter c+ play. GL

 

[SportsNut]

Good Luck Homer ..I think I will just play the Over no real vale either way at 4 ...

 

[SportsNut]

:hairout: Damn Bulls fan! I cant complain though I talked myself out of this more then anything. Consolation is I hit the Over the bummer is I could have hit 2 huge plays in this game.....now fade ATL tmrw...GL bro...u know I am only joking around I hope...

 

[Inspekdah]

Yeah... I'm going back to not betting on this team for awhile.. they stink in the beginning of seasons and clearly don't have their legs under them.. and their shots are flat one night and on the next... Cleveland shot much better than I expected and Gordon... wow he stunk.. hopefully I learn from this... thank god for Rutgers lol...

Nice job with the over hit and ignore me when it comes to the Bulls in the future, or fade... that's about what I deserve right now...