The Cavaliers have wrapped up their series w/Chicago, putting an end to Cleveland's playoff woes against the Bulls.
HD can do a better job talking about the Cavs then I could, so I'll talk about the Bulls. They lost the series, but the effort they put in at times earned my respect. I don't think it would have had happened with Toronto.
1. I have to give them a lot of credit. Aside from game 4, they played tough and were in the game around the fourth quarter. They showed a lot of heart and toughness. Hanging around with the league's top team at the Q shows me that this team has a bright future.
2. That being said, they have to get more balance. Tonight game's felt like a 5-on-3- Cleveland vs. Rose/Hinrich/Deng. Those three combined for 69 points- the rest scored just 25. It reminded me of Game 1 of Mavs/Spurs- 3 guys can't do it alone. San Antonio figured it out- Chicago will need to.
3. The Bulls have a nice nucleus of players- if they can get one of the prized free-agents, they could perhaps move up in the East and gain a better playoff seeding.
4. What to do with Vinny Del Negro? Aside from game 4, they didn't get stomped. He got maximum effort out of these guys. Should he be retained or not? His situation looks bleak, but you can see how much effort he gets out of his players. Who knows if another coach can get them to play the way they did at times.
5. Rose is a stud. A 26.8 PPG in this series. This guy is on his way to becoming a legit superstar. Right now, he and Rondo look like they may be the best point guards in the East.
