The Hawks Better Not Underestimate the Bulls

[khaos7]

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insider/columns/story?columnist=hollinger_john&page=PERDiem-091209

As of late, the national media has bashed the Bulls mediocre play. Just today, John Hollinger predicted they could have a 50 loss season. Plus, they loss to the lowly Nets last night. We know how the Hawks like to play up/down to their competition. This game scares me a little bit. Derrick Rose is decisively faster/quicker than Bibby. Noah hustles and is as athletic as Horford. Deng can score the basketball. They are pretty good at grabbing offensive rebounds. If the Hawks come in with a lackidasical attitude (as they have been prone to do), we'll lose yet another game to a mediocre opponent (Det, NO, NYK, CHA).

I'm interested to see which team comes out. I have a feeling a motivated Bulls team will hit the floor. I believe guys like Noah and Rose have pride. Look for a surprisingly good effort tonight from Chicago. The question is, how will we come out?

[Dnice]

Run run run.....and attack the rim.

[ATLSmith]

The Bulls aren't a great scoring team this year while the Hawks are much improved.

If the Hawks play defense they shouldn't have any trouble at all against the Bulls. If they don't play defense then Woody needs to lay into them something serious before it gets out of control.

[khaos7]

The Bulls aren't a great scoring team this year while the Hawks are much improved.

If the Hawks play defense they shouldn't have any trouble at all against the Bulls. If they don't play defense then Woody needs to lay into them something serious before it gets out of control.

What worries me is our defense and second chance opportunities. If we play sloppy defense and allow them second opportunity points (their good on the offensive glass), we'll have some problems.

[capstone21]

What worries me is our defense and second chance opportunities. If we play sloppy defense and allow them second opportunity points (their good on the offensive glass), we'll have some problems.

The Bulls have some weapons and Rose has been playing a lot better as of late. They match up very well with us so we should have a hard time tonight.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

That team misses Ben Gordon's scoring so much. Brad Miller looks old this season. Tyrus Thomas has been hurt all year, and is reportedly on the trading block. Smoove needs to really attack these dudes tonight, to see if he can get Noah in foul trouble. If that happens, they virtually have no replacement for him. They'll be forced to play small.

It'll be nice to comfortably win this game. LOL . . but these are the Hawks. We'll see. I'd be shocked if we lost though.

[Buzzard]

That team misses Ben Gordon's scoring so much. Brad Miller looks old this season. Tyrus Thomas has been hurt all year, and is reportedly on the trading block. Smoove needs to really attack these dudes tonight, to see if he can get Noah in foul trouble. If that happens, they virtually have no replacement for him. They'll be forced to play small.

It'll be nice to comfortably win this game. LOL . . but these are the Hawks. We'll see. I'd be shocked if we lost though.

I won't be shocked but I would be dissappointed if we lost this game. Brad does look old this year but for some reason medicore looking bigs have decent nights against us. Put it to you in very simple terms: in one of my fantasy leagues, I am starting Miller tonight in a flex position; he was not my only option.

Edited December 9, 2009 by Buzzard

[HalfHawk]

There's no reason for us to be scared of the Bulls. They've been playing horrible as of late. If you guard the paint, this team stinks it up pretty bad.

[AUhawksfan]

Chris Duhon has started every game of the season and is shooting 30% from the field.

'Nuff said.

[buckeye242424]

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insider/columns/story?columnist=hollinger_john&page=PERDiem-091209

As of late, the national media has bashed the Bulls mediocre play. Just today, John Hollinger predicted they could have a 50 loss season. Plus, they loss to the lowly Nets last night. We know how the Hawks like to play up/down to their competition. This game scares me a little bit. Derrick Rose is decisively faster/quicker than Bibby. Noah hustles and is as athletic as Horford. Deng can score the basketball. They are pretty good at grabbing offensive rebounds. If the Hawks come in with a lackidasical attitude (as they have been prone to do), we'll lose yet another game to a mediocre opponent (Det, NO, NYK, CHA).

I'm interested to see which team comes out. I have a feeling a motivated Bulls team will hit the floor. I believe guys like Noah and Rose have pride. Look for a surprisingly good effort tonight from Chicago. The question is, how will we come out?

I feel that way about every team the Hawks play. Do we have the better team and should we win? I say yes. Will they? That's why they play. 82 games is 82 games, it's long because they want to weed out the bad teams and let the cream rise to the top. You mention losing to mediorce opponents, but that's the nature of the beast. It happens all the time, to the best teams. We don't lose to the four teams (Det, NO, NYK, CHA) and we're suddenly 18-2, which is unheard of.

[MVP23]

No, The bulls are pretty terrible..I think we're ok..as long as we stay away from the Isos and 'heat checks'

[Sothron]

I don't take any game for granted esp. when it comes to the Hawks. This team has for years played up to better teams and played down to worse teams. This is first year where I felt we started out being consistent with effort and play but its reverting back to form the more the season goes along. That Detroit game in particular still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth because of how little effort we made in defensive rebounding is what got us beat.

Now the Bulls come along and they have a much, much quicker PG in Rose that Bibby has no chance to defend, an energetic front court that crashes the boards and that underlying "we need a win" mentality that is coming off losses to Nets and REALLY bad losses recently against Toronto and other teams. Historically the Hawks also do badly in national televised games (at least from what I remember, I know the Falcons are horrible as well) so yes, I am absolutely concerned about this being a perfect trap game.

Ideally we shut them down and win by a comfortable margin. But this is not an ideal time.

[MaceCase]

Chris Duhon has started every game of the season and is shooting 30% from the field.

'Nuff said.

Yea you should of posted that in the Friday thread against the Knicks....not that his previous FG% mattered anyway in that loss..

[Diesel]

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insider/columns/story?columnist=hollinger_john&page=PERDiem-091209

As of late, the national media has bashed the Bulls mediocre play. Just today, John Hollinger predicted they could have a 50 loss season. Plus, they loss to the lowly Nets last night. We know how the Hawks like to play up/down to their competition. This game scares me a little bit. Derrick Rose is decisively faster/quicker than Bibby. Noah hustles and is as athletic as Horford. Deng can score the basketball. They are pretty good at grabbing offensive rebounds. If the Hawks come in with a lackidasical attitude (as they have been prone to do), we'll lose yet another game to a mediocre opponent (Det, NO, NYK, CHA).

I'm interested to see which team comes out. I have a feeling a motivated Bulls team will hit the floor. I believe guys like Noah and Rose have pride. Look for a surprisingly good effort tonight from Chicago. The question is, how will we come out?

It's going to be hard not to underestimate them... Toronto beat the dogsnot out of them and NJ beat them too.

[khaos7]

I don't take any game for granted esp. when it comes to the Hawks. This team has for years played up to better teams and played down to worse teams. This is first year where I felt we started out being consistent with effort and play but its reverting back to form the more the season goes along. That Detroit game in particular still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth because of how little effort we made in defensive rebounding is what got us beat.

Now the Bulls come along and they have a much, much quicker PG in Rose that Bibby has no chance to defend, an energetic front court that crashes the boards and that underlying "we need a win" mentality that is coming off losses to Nets and REALLY bad losses recently against Toronto and other teams. Historically the Hawks also do badly in national televised games (at least from what I remember, I know the Falcons are horrible as well) so yes, I am absolutely concerned about this being a perfect trap game.

Ideally we shut them down and win by a comfortable margin. But this is not an ideal time.

I couldn't have said it better. I know it's a long season. However, after losing to NYK, DET (depleted roster), NO (w/o Chris Paul) and CHA ,I think losing to this lowly Bulls club would be the signs of a trend we don't want to see. And that's why this game is so crucial. I haven't posted in a while. However, something about this game stood out and gave me pause. I think there is just cause for concern. We need to take it seriously and not walk into the arena thinking, "Oh, we've got this." If we have that type of attitude, history tells us the Hawks won't fair well and we'll hear the same quotes in the paper from Woody and Joe. "We didn't prepare." "We're soft" "We're inconsistent" "We got our --- whipped." "We didn't come out and play"

Good teams break the will of teams like the Bulls.

[jhay610]

Good teams break the will of teams like the Bulls.

Mission accomplished. Another thing working in our favor was the Hawks not having played since Saturday night and the Bulls on the back end of a back-to-back. The last time the Hawks had this much time off was the Toronto game - both blowouts at home.

[khaos7]

Mission accomplished. Another thing working in our favor was the Hawks not having played since Saturday night and the Bulls on the back end of a back-to-back. The last time the Hawks had this much time off was the Toronto game - both blowouts at home.

I agree. Nobody can take for granted that the Hawks blew them out. This was a game that I've seen the Hawks drop, time and time again. They came and handled business. If we continue to win games like this (the one's we're supposed to), we've truly grown.

[Atlantaholic]

Yea you should of posted that in the Friday thread against the Knicks....not that his previous FG% mattered anyway in that loss..

Lol. That was a really dumb post on more than one level.