Bulls shooting for three: Three more games

As what may be the Bulls final shootaround of the 2009-10 season was ending, several of the players were practicing half court, LeBron James style jump shots.
When James Johnson came up short on one, Kirk Hinrich joked, “Better get in the weight room.”
At least the weight of playing perhaps their final game of the season, trailing the Cleveland Cavaliers 3-1 in this opening round playoff series, was not pulling the Bulls down.
“Today is one of those days everyone is feeling fine and shooting well and focused,” said Derrick Rose. “I think we’re gonna get a win tonight.”
Reporters asking questions were far more subdued than the Bulls players as Rose playfully talked about James’ half court three from Game 4 and said he’s still working on making three pointers.
Rose reported no ill effects from the sprained ankle in Game 4 and precautionary MRI Monday.
“I thought I was going to have a shot before the game the way I was feeling after the game and yesterday,” said Rose. “I got treatment, was taking pills and putting cream on it (and sleeping in a boot). It hurt (afterward) when I walked. It feels good now. If I did not have the brace on it would have been worse.”
Rose doesn’t tape his ankles like most players, but wears a brace.
Luol Deng, who has knee and calf problems, also is fine to play.
The Bulls seem to be bracing for a fight, at least.
“They’ll play tonight,” said coach Vinny Del Negro. “They both feel a little better. They’re sore, but they’ll be out there. They’ve been battling all year and fighting through different (injury) things.”
But trailing 3-1, the Bulls will have to do some different things as well, especially with LeBron James, who dominated the game with 37 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists.
You just can’t say you take the ball out of his hands with double teams as that compromises your defense and leaves too many open shooters.
Deng has been trying against James and doing a decent job, but the Cavs adjusted well and got the ball to James higher with more steam coming up court. The result was he was able to get into the middle of the court better and spread the ball to shooters.
I expect the Bulls to change up some and put Kirk Hinrich on James more. They’ve done some of this, but Hinrich will get up on him and bother James physically, and while it may seem like a fly on an elephant, James doesn’t generally like defenders like that. Sure, it could leave post up options, but James doesn’t generally like to play out of the post. And if he does, he ends up controlling the ball more and stopping their offense, and then mostly becomes a passer. I’d try to lure him into more of that.
The Bulls were getting burned on that pick and roll play where Deng was switching onto Antawn Jamison and Jamison was dominating Deng.
There also comes a time you have to, as they say, “man up,” and Deng will have to be more physical with Jamison in those situations. Though he had a rough go in Game 4, I still expect to see James Johnson in those situations as well because of his size and quickness and Del Negro’s uncertainty about playing Hakim Warrick with troubling matchups with the Cavs.
Also, on offense, I’d like to see the Bulls put James in pick and roll as well as he likes to play more free safety. James isn’t a great—or much interested—pick and roll player, so you want to make him work on defense. So I also look for Deng to be more aggressive shooting.
You got the feeling around the Bulls Tuesday morning that, as John Belushi famously said, “It ain’t over until we decide it’s over. Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?” Germans?
“This can be our last game,” noted Rose. “We’ve got to give it our all. Go out and play hard. I know I will and I know the team will.”