Bulls adjustments on offense after game 5 in ATL
Throughout the regular season, I have watched the Bulls improve as the season went along. When they 1st started, they were a good team. I feel like the longer a game/series/season goes, the better they get.
I think that the Bulls were struggling in the 1st 2 rounds before game 5 vs the Hawks because they were relying too much on Rose on offense. After that game, it seems like the Bulls figured out some of their problems in this area and they are just now starting to get "hot"
In the Indiana series, the Bulls offense wasn't that great. I thought that Rose had to do too much because his support players were not playing well and a lot of possessions were based on letting Rose do his magic. This can work sometimes but I think the Bulls were messed up MENTALLY by just thinking that Rose could do EVERYTHING.
Fast forward to the Atlanta series and the Bulls split the 1st 2 at home. In those 1st 2 games, the Bulls did NOT play well. They then won game 3 when Rose had a great game. In game 4, Rose had an ok game but his teammates were doing nothing. It was just Rose trying to go 1 on 5.
Overall in the whole Indiana series and up to game 4 in the Hawks series, the Bulls offensively were not playing well because they were relying too much on Rose. While Rose is a great player, you cannot count on him to do EVERYTHING. You need some help.
Let's look at game 5 for the Bulls vs Hawks. Luol Deng established himself in the 1st quarter by scoring the 1st 7 of 9 points. I thought Deng established himself as a second option, at least for that game. In the 4th quarter, Gibson went 5-5 shooting and scored 11 points. You had 2 "role players" step up in the 1st and 4th and the starters didn't have to do EVERYTHING.
From game 5 and on, I have seen the Bulls play more as a TEAM. They seem to have made the adjustment to get everyone involved on offense.
In Game 6, everything came together instead of just seeing "flashes" of great games.
Then in game 1 vs Miami, the Bulls have continued this.
I just think the Bulls have made some adjustments to the way they play offense. They are playing like they did in the regular season. I think what happened in game 5 with Gibson, Deng, Asik and others have inspired the starters. Not only that but they are playing more together as a team. I think their confidence is sky high and it's a quiet confidence which is really the best kind of confidence.
This is why I feel good about the rest of this Miami series. I could be wrong though.
What do you guys think?
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